sees more comfort and joy and matter of benefit and blessing to the soule in the promises and in the word of God then in Isaac that is then in the dearest thing in our owne account that we have that the faithfull soule had rather part with all then with God it will not part with his promises for all that is in the earth not for the dearest thing in this world Isaac shall goe rather Then for their light to goe by it was but little what a little light had they Answ. Promises they saw things in types and glasses a few promises and what was that they sought A heritage farre off Wee on the contrary have all set nearer hand that may helpe us but wee have a weaker faith One would thinke it should greatly help us to lead our lives till we come to heaven for that that we believe is nearer heaven is nearer how little a time is betweene us and the day of judgment how little a time betweene us and the glory that is to be revealed For the clouds that we have betweene they are none in comparing our light with theirs How many promises have we discovered before hand we have Christ come in the flesh and risen again we have the Gentiles called and all these things we have light upon light we have larger promises and a larger unfolding of divine truths the Canon is inlarged the Bible is enlarged more than it was then there are many books added and the New Testament Now how doth it come to passe that we see not so well as they nor so strongly as they I answer the reason is this their light was lesse but their sight was stronger we have more light and lesse sight we have things nearer but our sight is weaker the more shame for us A strong eye may see a farre off by a little light When a weake eye cannot see so farre by a greater light The eye of their soule the eye of faith was stronger and more light some the spirit of God was stronger in Abraham but his light of revelation was lesser he had fewer promises for he desired to see Christs day and saw it not So it is with Christians sometimes when there is a great strength of faith yet it may be there is not so much light a weake Christian may have more light but he hath a weaker eye and he in that respect sees better then a stronger To a stronger God doth not discover to him so much outwardly sometimes sutable to his inward Gods dispensations are diverse in this kind Now to helpe our sight to heaven this sight of faith that wee may every day ascend with the eye of our soules with this blessed sight Let us take heed of the God of this world Satan that hee doe not with the dust of the world dimme our sight what is the reason that many cannot see the glorious things of GOD The God of this world saith the Apostle hath blinded their eyes hee casts dust in their eyes they are covetous they are blind in their affections they have darke soules The soule when it is lead by affections and lusts when the affections will not suffer it to see it covers the eyes of it And then the outward things of the world they are cast into the eyes we must take heed of these inward and outward lets take heed of Sathan that he doe not with outward objects bewitch us For as it is in prospective glasses you know such glasses some are of that nature they represent to a man things that are a farre off as if they were neare so faith it is a kind of prospective glasse it presents to the soule by reason of this super naturall light things that are farre off as if they were neare Now as God hath his prospective glasses to see a farre off so the Devill hath prospective glasses that when things are neare he makes them seene a farre off as such glasses there are too when death and danger and damnation are neaâ—…e When a man carries the sentence of damnation in his bosome when he carries a stayned defiled conscience the devill with his prospective glasse makes him see death and destruction as a farre off I may live so many yeares and enjoy my pleasure and my will Now this is but a false glasse the devill abuseth them for your life is but a death and when we begin to live we begin to die why should we account therefore of the time to come death and life goe in equall pace one with another everyday we live so much is taken from our life and then the cutting off of all is uncertaine let us take heed that Satan blind us not And withall desire God to open our eyes every day to take the scales from the eye of our soules that we may see the promises that we may see Christ that we may see God shining on us in Christ that he would take away the vaile from the things by exposition that he would open the truth to us by his Ministers and that hee would take away the vaile from our hearts that our hearts may joyne with the things That when by ministeriall meanes the things are cleare that there may not be a vaile of infidelity on our hearts but that our hearts may sweetly joyne with them Let us begge daily that GOD would take away the things that hinder inward and outward that we may see the things a farre off that we may not be as Peter saith mop eyed that wee cannot see a farre off but that we may set heaven before our eyes and the judgement and the happinesse to come that we may see and view and eye those things by faith and that wee may square our lives answerable Then againe to helpe our sight of Christ and happinesse let us get a fresh sight of our corruption and sinne every day let us every day look on that terrifying object of our corruption of nature hang it in the eye of our soules as an odious object to humble us Let us see every day what a corrupt heart we carry about us see how odious these things are to God how it offends him see how it exposeth us to the wrath of God if he should take us in the middest of our sinnes and corruptions let us have these things fresh in our eyes every day and that will cleare our sight Men are loath to looke in the booke of their consciences because they are loath to be disturbed from their pleasures Let us see what need we stand in of Christ the view of our corruptions will make us glad to see a better object it will make us turne our eyes to CHRIST to the promises and all things that we have by Christ we shal be glad to look to him What is the reason we have no more delight to see the glorious things afarre off We see not the dimension of our corruptions for then
nature so wee make our selves twise dead a hundred times dead by sinne and bring curse upon curse by our sinfull conversation wee are then under Gods broad seale cursed Wee are all borne accursed til we get out of the state of nature to free us from which Christ became a curse if wee get not out of this but goe on and feed our vanity and corruption what will bee the end of it but an eternall cursr afterwards Therefore let us consider what we doe when we maintaine and cherish corruptions and abuses in our selves and others We build that that God hath cursed wee build that that wee have vowed against our selves And how will God take this at the houre of death thou that art a carelesse drowsie hearer of the word of God and a liver contrary to the word of God how will God take this at thee at the houre of death when thy conscience will tell thee that thy life hath beene a practise of sin a strengthning of corruption The old Adam that thou hast cherished it will stare and looke on thee with so hideous a looke that it will drive thee to despaire For conscience will tell thee that thy life hath bin a strengthning of pride of vanity of covetousnesse and of other sins thy whole life hath beene such and now when thou shouldst looke for comfort then thy corruptions which thou shouldest have subdued they are growne to that pitch that they will bring thee to despaire without the extraordinary mercy of God to awaken thy heart by repentance Why therefore should we strengthen that that is a curse and will make us cursed too and will make the time to come terrible to us the houre of death and the day of judgement How shall men thinke to hold up their faces and heads at the day of judgement whose lives have beene nothing else but a yielding to their owne corruption of nature and the corruptions and vanities of the times and places they have lived in that have never had the courage to plead for God that have beene fierce against God Who ever was fierce against God and prospered When men make their whole life fierce against God against the admonitions of his word and Spirit and their whole life is nothing but a practise of sinne how can they thinke of death and judgement without terrour Now it were wisedome for us to carry our selves so in our lives and conversations that the time to come may not bee terrible but comfortable to thinke of that wee may lift up our heads with joy when wee thinke of death and judgement but when we doe nothing but build Iericho when we raise up sin that wee should ruine more and more what will the end of this be but despaire here and destruction in the world to come You may shake off the menaces and threatnings of the Ministers as Hiel shooke off Iâ—…suah's he was an austere singular man and it is a long time since Iericho was cast downe and God hath forgotten hath hee so hee found that God had not forgotten So there are many that thinke that words are but wind of men opposite to such and such things but though our words may bee shooken off now and the word of God now in the preaching may be shooke off yet it will not when it comes to execution When wee propound the curse of God against sinfull courses you may shake off that curse but when Christ from Heaven shall come to judge the quick and the dead and say Goe yee cursed that were borne cursed that have lived cursed that have maintained a cursed opposition to blessed courses that have not built up your owne salvation but your corruptions you that loved cursing Goe yee cursed to Hell fire with the Devill and his Angels for ever will you shake off that No no howsoever our ministeriall in râ—…aties may be shaken off yet when God shall come to judge the quicke and the dead that eternall threatning shall not be shaken off Therefore I beseech you consider not so much what wee say now but what God will make good then What wee bind on earth cut of the warrant of Gods booke Shall be bound in Heaven and God will say Amen to that wee say agreeable to his word Thinke not light of that wee speake for God will make good every word hee is Iehovah he will give being to every word Hee is not only mercie but justice we make an Idol of him else and wee must feaâ—…e him in his justice He loves to dwell with such as are of a contrite Spirit that tremble at his word It is said of David that when Vzzah was stricken he trembled Hiel and such kind of persons regard not the threatnings of God but goe on and treasure up wrath It is a signe of a wicked man to heare the menaces and threatnings and not to tremble To end all with two places of Scripture saith Moses He that heares these things and blesseth himselfe my wrath shall smoke against him Gods wrath shall smoake and burne to hell against such a one as blesseth himselfe that knowes he is cursed under the seale of God that doth ill and yet hee blesseth himselfe in doing ill therefore take heed of that adde not that to the rest Gods wrath will smoake against such a one And you know what Saint Paul saith Rom. 2. If thou goe on and treasureup wrath thou buildest Iericho that thou hast vowed the destruction of Every time thou takest the Communion thou treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath For there will be a day of the manifestation of the just wrath of God and then these things will be laid to thy charge Let us every one labour to get out of the state of nature to breake off our wicked lives and to get into Christ the blessed seed and then we shall be blessed we shall be made free free from the curse of nature and of sin Let us renew our Covenants against all sinne and make conscience to bee lead by the Spirit of Christ that wee may gather sound Evidence every day that wee are in Christ and so out of the Curse THE SVCCESSEFVLL SEEKER In tvvo Sermons on PSALME 27. 8. BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr. of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE 1 CHRON. 16. 11. Seeke yee the Lord and his strength seeke his face continually LONDON Printed by T. B. for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-noster-Row 1639. The Successefull SEEKER PSAL. 27. 8. When thou saidst seeke yee my face my Heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seeke IN the former Verse David begins a prayer to God Heare oh Lord have mercy upon me and answer mee This Verse is a ground of that prayer Seeke yee my face saith GOD the heart answers againe Thy face
be over much cast downe peace will preserve you And if we doe not seeke the face of God now when we may enjoy his presence weâ—… shall never see his face in glory hereafter 〈◊〉 must now be acquainted with him or else we shall not when we would Therefore as we may injoy the presence of God in his Ordinances so in all our affaires let us seeke his face and blessing let us have what we have and doe what we doe in his blessing and assistance and not in the strength of wit and shifts Let us do what we do by divine strength and in confidence of his blessing That that we do by his strength we may expect his blessing on we cannot doe so by our shifts Let us in ure our selves in these courses and we shal find much peace and by long acquaintance with God we shall be able to commit our soules to him we shall be able to looke him in the face at the houre of death He that lookes God iâ—… the face often in prayer and seeking him may looke death in the face These things may be made effectuall if your hearts be prepared as the Scripture phrase is And because I mentioned preparing that is a word in Scripture that is set before seeking Rehoboam did not thrive he did not prepare his heart to seeke God Iehosaphat was blessed of God hee prepared his heart to seeke the Lord. Therefore let us come prepared to seeke God prepare our hearts to seeke him Thinke when I goe to the congregation I goe to seeke Gods face therefore come in humility and subjection And in all the courses of our lives let all of us prepare and set our hearts in frame to seeke God in all things and let us set upon nothing that we cannot depend on him for assistance and looke to him for a blessing And when wee cannot injoy his favour and blessing in any thing we were as good be without it as have it This is the way to have our wills in all things Christ the truth it selfe hath left â—…s this one sweete promise Seeke yee first the kingdome of God He speakes there of seeking our owne good what is the best thing wee should seeke for Seeke ye first the kingdome of God of grace and of glory the favour of God and the fruit of his favour grace Seeke those best things in the first place what then It is the way to have all things else as farre as they are for our good But we would have more we thinke if we seeke to God and depend upon Gods divine principles and rules it is a way to beggery and disgrace Oh no It is the way to have our owne desire in all things as farre as is for our good Let us seeke first the kingdome of God that God may rule and raigne in us and we shall raigne in the kingdome of God For other things God will bring it to passe I know nothow they shall be cast upon us He that is fâ—…ll for heaven and happinesse GOD will make him full for the world and successefull as much as he sees 〈◊〉 to bring him to heaven if God see any thing that would hinder him he must leave that to his wisdome Therefore let us labour to bee able from truth of heart to returne to the commandement and promise of God this sweete and gracious answer of the holy man David when God saith generally or particularly Seeke my face Thy face Lord will I seeke FINIS FAITH TRIVMPHANT In five Sermons on HEB. 11. 13. By The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr. of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE LUKE 7. 50. And hee said to the woman thy faith hath saved thee goe in peace LONDON Printed by T. B. for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-noster-Row 1639. FAITH TRIVMPHANT HEBR. 11. 13. These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seene them afarre off they were perswaded of them and imbraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth THis Chapter is a little booke of Martyrâ—… it discovers the life and death of the holy Patriarchs and by what meanes Gods Children are brought into possession of that that they have an interest and right unto upon earâ—…h it is by faith by faith we do and suffer all that we doe and suffer all that God hath ordained us to goe through till he have brought us and invested uâ—… to heaven which is prepared for us In the former part of the Chapter there is an induction the instances of perticular blessed Patriarchs and after he had named diverse particulars he summes them up in this generall All these died in faith In this verse there is First the generall set downe All these died in faith And then the particular unfolding of this They received not the promises having scene them a-farre off and were perswaded of them and imbraced them and confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on earth He sets downe their faith particularly hereby setting down what might hinder it and yet did not hinder it the not receiving of the promises They received not the promises and yet they beleeved the promises that is the things promised they were afarre off and yet they saw them They saw them that is the first degree They were perswaded of them that is the second They imbraced them that is the third They confessed they were pilgrims and strangers that is the fourth All these died in faith There is one faith from the beginning of the world as there is one Christ one salvation so there is one uniforme faith for the saving of our soules wee hope to bee saved by Iesus Christ as they were I doe but touch that Then againe here is implied a continuance and perseverance in faith All those died in faith that is they lived in faith and by saith till they died and then they died in faith Faith first makes a Christian and then after he lives by faith it quickens the life of grace and then he leades his life by that faith he continues in it till he come to death which is the period of all and then he dies by that faith But of perseverance to the end and the helps to it I spake at large upon another occasion therefore I omit it All these died in faith Faith carried them along all their life time till death it selfe Now that faith that helped them through all the difficulties of this life that faith by which they lived in that faith they died They dyed in faith In the faith of the Messias infaith of Canaan in faith of heaven For the Patriarchs they had not Canaan till many hundred yeares after it was a type of heaven they had not Christ till some thousands of yeares after So they died in faith of Christ of
earthly respects Therefore how ever they are strangers here that they cannot be here long and they have soules that are of an everlasting continuance yet because their affections and the bent of their soules are all here they account themselves at home here and here they plant themselves and their posterity therefore though in some sence they be strangers yet not in that sence that the children of God are Every Christian is borne from above and borne to things above and hee is a stranger here All his course from his new birth till he come to the possession of his inheritance in heaven it is nothing but a travailing he never sits down but is alway in his motion and passage Every good work is a step of his way he is in motion still he takes degrees from better to better from grace to grace from knowledge to knowledge till he come to his home Let us make a tryall of our selves how our affections stand to these things whether our hearts bee weaned from earthly things undoubtedly if we have imbraced Christ we shall use the world as though wee used it not We shall be transformed into the Image of Christ and he used the things of this world as a stranger only to comfort him in the way we shall have the same mind that he had We shall carrie our selves as strangers as those that hope for a country in heaven Therefore I will name some particulars to shew the condition and carriage of a stranger First of all a stranger is travailing to another country to joyne both in one for the one followes the other he that is a stranger that apprehends what he is and apprehends that he hath a countrie to goe to hee travailes toward it A stranger that is travailing homeward he is content with his present condition for he knowes he shall have better at home In Iere. 45. God by Ieremy speakes to Barâ—…ch a good man I will destroy all these things and dost 〈◊〉 seeke great things for thy selfe If a Christian did consider Iam going to heaven to God what do I seeking great things here which God will destroy What will become of heaven and earth and all things here ere long And if the time be long ere heaven and earth be destroyed yet what will become of me ere long I shall be turned to earth and shall I seeke great things here upon earth Shall I not be content with my portion certainely a stranger is content with his present portion he that is a traveller when he comes to his Inne if perhaps things be not so cleane if his usage bee not so good he thinkes it is but a night and away it is no great matter this is not the maine he will not be over much discontent and quarrell at any unkind usage in the way for he knowes he shall have better usage when he comes home Therefore as he will bee content with little be it what it will be he knows it is not the maine So he will be patient if he meete with unkind usage hee will not stand quarrelling by the way and so hinder himselfe in his journey he will be patient in the injuries and wrongs in this life If a Prince be mis-used in another country he is contented and thinkes with himselfe I have a country where I shall be more respected and therefore he beares it the more willingly So a Christian is a King he is an heire and being a stranger he shall meete with dogges in this world as who doe dogs bark at but at strangers now being strangers we must looke for dogged usage It is no wonder that dogs barke at strangers it is their kind they consider it is the disposition of wicked men to doe so they doe but their kind Would a man have dogs not to barke and would we have wicked men that have evill tongues not to scorne that they know not to doe otherwise is to forget their kinde A Christian knowes they doe but their kind he pitties them and he doth not stop his journey and his course for it He will not be scorned out of his religion by a company of prophane spirits hee will not be laughed out of his course he knowes what he doth better than they they are madde and fooles he knowes it and they shall know it themselves ere long He knowes that he is in a serious judicious course that he can approve and they cannot theirs therefore he will not be scorned out of his course Thus faith in Christ makes him that is a stranger here content and patient He whose soule hath imbraced Christ is contented with any thing any thing is sufficient to his soule that is filled with better things Nothing will content a covetous earthly man a man of the earth such men think themselves at home they make a league with hell and death the men of the world they thinke they shall live here alway but a Christian that imbraceth a better life with Christ in happinesse to come he knowes he shall not be here long hee is here but as a stranger and shall shortly bee at home and therefore he is contented with any thing Likewise the knowledge of this that we are strangers and pilgrims it will make a man not only content and patient but thankfull for any kindnesse he finds in this world that God sweetens his absence from heaven and his pilgrimage on earth what that God should love me so not only to give me heaven but to give me contentments on the earth to sweeten my way to heaven what a mercy is this He is thankfull for any contentment hee is thankfull to the world to those that doe any thing for him that afford him any courtesie here that may helpe him in his pilgrimage and make it lesse troublesome and cumbersome to him All the Saints in former time were wondrous thankfull for that they had for what can a travailer look for but discourtesies and hard usage and if he find any thing better he will be thankfull certainely it is more then I â—…ooked for saith he When a man is bent toward heaven hee cannot but looke for hard â—…sage from the world We see when Christ did but look toward Ierusalem the Samaritans â—…ad enough they began to maligne him why his face was toward Ierusalem So when base worldlings see that a man will to heaven and leave their company and courses they cannot digest this A man of an ill conscience when hee sees another oppose that course that he resolved to sticke to he sees he confutes his course he sees his face is toward heaven and therfore labours to disgrace him As the wench said to Peter Thou speakest as one of Galile thy speech bewrayes thee So when a man is going toward heaven every base person the veriest rascall of all hath pride enough to scorne Religion So wee see they make not much of the world nor the world
labour to get assurance of another a better country for what made these holy men confesse themselves strangers and pilgrims here They saw the promises a farre off and were perswaded of them and imbraced them and in that measure they were assured of a better condition they carryed themselves as strangers and pilgrims here To wind up all in a word you see here their disposition I beseech you make this text your patterne to be molded into you see how these blessed men long agoe lived in faith when their light was lesse then ours is and they died in faith and will welcome us when we shall come to heaven we shall goe to Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the rest of the Patriarchs and holy men It will bee a blessed time when all the blessed men that have gone before shall welcome us to heaven If we looke to be happy as they are we must live as they did and die as they did though we cannot so strongly as they did see that with the eye of faith that no eye else can see yet let us desire God to perswade us of these truths more strongly then the devill of our own lusts shall perswade us to the contrary let us desire God to set on his truths so strongly that all other things may not hinder us that we may imbrace them with our best affections of love of desire of contentment that we may witnesse all this by our demeanour to earthly things by our base esteem of them and carry our selves as pilgrims and strangers on earth If we do thus live in faith and die in faith we shal live with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven eternally FINIS THE HIDDEN LIFE In two Funerall Sermons upon COL 3. 3 4. BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE 1 JOHN 3. 2. Beloved now yee are the Sonnes of God and it doth not appeare what wee shall bee LONDON Printed by E. Purslow for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes head Alley in Pater-Noster-Row 1639. THE HIDDEN LIFE COLLOS 3. 3 4. For yee are dead your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shal yee also appeare with him in glory THE dependance of these words in a word is this The Apostle after he had laid the grounds of some Doctrines hee doth frame the building of a holy life and conversation It is in vaine to believe well unlesse a man worke accordingly hee that lives against his faith shall be damned as he that believes against it Thereupon in this Chapter hee comes to raise their affections to be Heavenly minded and stirres them up to subdue what soever is contrary to Heavenly mindednesse And because it is a duty of great moment to be heavenly minded and to subdue base affections he inserts weighty reasons betweene If yee bee risen with Christ seeke those things that are above And among other reasons theâ—… 〈◊〉 this yee are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God And therupon he forceth seeking of the things that are above and the mortifying of earthly members For the duties of Christianity â—…e to be applyed two wayes to be heavenly affected to subdue that which is contrary to be heavenly minded to mortifie our earthly members Now how shall we doe both For yee are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God c. You see the first proposition yee are dead with whom with Christ in God A Christian is dead many wayes He is dead to the law to the morall law he lookes not to have comfort and salvation by it by the law he is dead to the law and so flyes to Christ. A Christian is dead also to the ceremonâ—…ll law now in the glorious lustre of the Gospell what have we to doe with those 〈◊〉 element that were for Children A ceremoâ—… disposition is opposite to the glory and lustre of the Gospell as the Apostle speakes in the former Chapter He is dead likewise to sinne having communion with Christ when he dyed for sinne hee is dead to sinne He that hath communion in the death of Christ hath the same affection to sinne that Christ had Christ hated it infinitely when he suffered for it so every Christian thinkes that Christ dyed for my sinnes and by union with Christ he hath the same affection to it he is dead to it And because this is but an inchoation and beginning a Christian is not perfectly dead to sinne hee stands in need of afflictions and in regard of afflictions he is dead they must help the worke of mortification And because no affliction can sufficiently worke mortification but death it self which is the accomplishment of mortification we are dead in respect of death it selfe which is the accomplishment of all though we live here for a time we are dead in regard of the sentence that is passed on us as wee say a man is dead when the sentence is passed on him in that respect wee are dead men for our life is but a dead life besides the sentence that is passed upon us death siezeth upon us in the time of our life in sicknesses c. And so they prepare us to death thus and many other wayes we are dead The second proposition is Our Life is hid with Christ in God We are dead and yet we have a life A Christian is a strange person hee is both dead and alive he is miserable and glorious he consists of contraries he is dead in regard of corruption and miseries and such like but he is alive in regard of his better part and he growes two wayes at onâ—… it is a strange thing that a Christian doth hee growes downewards and upwards at the same time for as he dyes in sin and misery and naturall death approaching so he lives the life of grace and growes more and more till he end in Glory This life is said to be a hidden life It is hid with Christ in God The life of a Christian which is his glorious spirituall life it is hid among other respects It is hid to the world to worldly men because a Christian is an unknown man to them because they know not the Father that begets therefore they know not them that are begotten as S. Iohn saith they know not the advancement of a Christian he is raysed into a higher ranck then they Therefore as a beast knowes not the things of a man no more doth a carnal man in any excellency know the things of the spirit for they are spiritually discerned therefore it is a hidden life in the eyes of the world a wordly man sees not this life in regard of the excellency he passeth scornes and contempts of it of folly and the like A Christian in respect of
common field but when the sunne shines and appeares then the hearbs appeare in their lustre so it is with a Christian there is light and immortality and happinesse sowne for him when Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse shall appeare then we shall appeare with him in glory As wee may say of all things below they have a hidden life the plants and the flowers in the winter they live by the roote and when the Sunne appeares then they also appeare with the Sunne in glory So it is with the Righteous they have a hidden life it is hid now in the roote in their head in this life when Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse shall appeare when the spring comes when the resurrection comes then we shall appeare with him in glory and so I come to speak of that verse When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee appeare also with him in Glory Our life is now hid our happinesse is vayled over there are many things betweene us and our life but shall it alwayes bee so Oh no When Christ who is our Life shall appeare wee shalt appeare also with him in Glory hee meets with a secret objection The parts here to be stood on are these First Christ hee is our Life hee shall appeare in Glory as our Life This is taken for granted it is a supposed truth When Christ who is our Life shall appeare it is taken for granted that he shall appeare in glory The next thing is that wee shall appeare likewise with Christ. Christ shall appeare and wee And then the consequence how these depend one upon another because Christ appears in Glory therefore we when Christ who is our life shall appeare The Apostle cannot mention Christ without an addition of comfort and the Christian soule loves Christ it sees such matter of comfort and such righteousnesse in him that it cannot thinke of Christ without a comfortable addition of Lord Saviour Life Hope Glory c. Christ carryes with him all comforts hee is food the bread of life the water of life all that is good to the soule therefore the Apostle gives this sweet addition Christ out life How is Christ our life He is every way the cause of the Life of Grace and of Glory And not only so the cause but the roote and spring in whom it is wee have it from Christ and in Christ wee have it in Christ as a root and from Christ as a working cause and by Christ as a Mediator For Christ procured Life at Gods hands by his Sactifice and Death Wee have it in Christ as a head from him as a cause together with both the other persons and through him as Mediator who by his death made way to life appeasing the wrath of God so we are reconciled and pardoned by the death of Christ. Christ is not only our Life so but as the matter of our life that wee seed on when hee hath wrought spirituall life in us then the Soule lives by Faith in Christ still and seedes upon him hee is our life because wee feed on him for as food nourisheth the body so the Soule being every day set on by fresh temptations and afflictions and troubles and fresh discomforts the Soule of necessity is forced to looke to Christ every day and to feed upon Christ to feed upon his blood afâ—…esh which runnes conti nually for hee is a Mediator for ever and he is in Heaven to make good that hee hath done by his death and wee looke upon him every day and feed on him and so hee maintaines the life he hath begun Christ is our life thus More particularly for memorie sake Christ when by faith wee have union with him once as we can have no communion without union with him when wee are one with him once by faith wee have life from Christ the life of reconciliation in law opposite to our death in law and in sentence for by nature we are all dead and damned as soone as we are borne for our owne sins and the sins of our first parents wee are dead in sentence Now by Christ there is a reversion of this sentence Christ by his obedience and suffering hath satisfied his father so by our union with Christ wee are alive in sentence we are absolved in GODS court of justice for hee will not punish sin twice And then after the life of justification being justified by faith we have the life of sanctification and holinesse for GOD out of his love when he hath pardoned our sin he gives his spirit as the best fruit of his love and we having our consciences absolved and acquitted by the spirit of GOD through the obedience of Christ wee love GOD. GOD so loveth us when he is appeased by Christ that the barre being taken away our sinnes being pardoned and the sluce of mercy open there is way made for another life the life of sanctification by the spirit upon pardon of our sinnes he gives the spirit and we feeling that love have love wrought in us to him againe and that love stirs up every Christian to obedience In the next place after he hath acquitted us by his Alsufficient satisfaction being God and Man and hath given us his spirit there is another life the life of comfort which is the life of our life in peace of conscience and joy unspeakable and glorious this life issues from the former for when we find our conscience appeased that God saith to our soules hee is their salvation and find a newnesse wrought in our nature by the spirit of God and some strength to obey him then we begin to have a sweet peace as the Children of God find in themselves and joy unspeakable and glorious This is the life of this life having union with Christ and his Righteousnesse and spirit wee have this peace which is the way to Glory and the beginning of it For besides that Christ is our life in Glory afterwards in this life he is our life Answerable to our servile feare as wee are dead in law we have a life in justification As wee are dead in nature so we have a life in sanctification wee are dead in despaire and runne into terrours of Conscience so wee have a life in joy and peace But all those in this life are imperfect because there is only an union of Grace here till wee come to the union of Glory in Heaven and then at the day of judgement there will bee a perfect justifying of us wee shall not only be acquitted in our conscience as we are now but wee shall bee acquitted before Angels and Divels and Men and Christ will acknowledge us these are they for whom I dyed these are they for whom I made intercession in Heaven we shall be acquitted there and there wee shall be acknowledged And then the life of sanctification that is now in part shall then be perfect and likewise the peace that now passeth understanding shall then bee
full and our joy shall bee full by Christ who is our life So then we see we have in Christ the second Adam whatsover wee lost in the first roote Whence did we draw sinne and misery by union with the first Adam we have damnation we have the wrath of God we have corruption opposite to sanctification we have terrours and horrour of conscience By the second Adam and union with him we have a spring of life and peace and all that we lost in Adam and more then all we lost he being God-man The sinne of the first Adam was the sinne of a man the obedience of the second Adam was the obedience of God-man which raiseth us to life everlasting Rom. 5. So that there is more comfort in the life we have by Christ then there is discomfort in our death by Adam We see then hence that in all our deadnesse and dulnesse and want of grace there is a spring in our nature God hath given Christ God-man that there should be a treasure in him for all the Church that we may fetch supply out of our nature He is fit to be our life for our nature in him is united to the Godhead therefore Christ is a fit fountaine to derive grace to beleevers because mans nature in him is advanced by being united to the second person he is God-man able to derive all grace and comfort and righteousnes whatsoever Shall the first Adam derive unrighteousnesse discomfort and misery that was a man shall not Christ God-man derive righteousnesse and comfort and joy and peace and whatsoever is good undoubtedly he shall Therefore in all want of grace in all temptations and assaults let us goe to the fountain to the fulnesse of grace to the fulnesse of Gods love in Christ Christ God-man is our life As when we are cold we come to the fire so when we are dull-hearted let us come to this quickening spirit And to this end let us be stirred up to use those meanes wherein Christ will be effectuall whereby as by veines the blood of this spirituall life is conveyed as the Word and Sacraments the Communion of Saints and all sanctified meanes whereby the life of grace and comfort may be conveyed to us let us never be out of such wayes and courses as where by Christ derives this life of grace and let us take heed of those that are contrary But how shall I know saith a weake soule that finds little comfort and peace and little sanctification and is besieged with troubles and is doubtfull and knowes not whether his sinnes be forgiven or no how shall I know whether Christ be my life or no I answer that the life of Christ is but now begun in us and it is very little at the first There is nothing lesse then grace at the beginning The life of Christ is conveyed to us from Christ voluntarily not by necessity Hee gives the will and the deed according to 〈◊〉 therefore we must know that we have more or lesse comfort and more or lesse grace as he pleaseth He brings all to heaven in all ages that have the true life of grace though he make a difference and give to some more and to some lesse because he is a head that flowes into his members not out of nature but of his owne pleasure And a Christian soule that hath union with Christ that hath a being and station in him may know it there are alway some pulses from this heart as we know there is some life by the beating of the pulses so Christs dwelling in the heart is knowne by these pulses there will be striving against corruption and complayning of it Nature and corruption will not complaine against corruption coâ—…ption will not strive against corruption there will be sighing and groaning which is seconded with a constant indeavour to grow better it is not a flash these pulses beating in the soule of a true Christian shew that there is the life of grace in him that Christs dwells in his heart And this oft times doth more appeare in the greatest temptations Take a Christian at the worst his heart sighs to God to recover him he is sick and yet he hopes in Christ Christ in the greatest desertion is his life who was also our paterne when he was at the lowest My God my God So a Christian at the lowest he hath a spirit of prayer though it may be he cannot pray distinctly yet he can sigh and groane and God heares the sighs of his owne Spirit alwayes Therefore when these pulses beate in him in the greatest temptations hee may know that Christ lives in him Sometimes Christ in respect of this life in this world reserves himselfe to the chiefe occasion as some great affliction of the outward man In 2 Cor. 4. We see there when the body of Saint Paul was afflicted when it was abased by many afflictions The life of Christ was most manifested in him God reserves to poore Christians that now live in peace and quiet the greatest feelings and manifestations of Christs living in them till some great crosse till the houre of death till a time of need The life of Christ is most manifest in the time of abasement By the way therefore let us not avoid crosses for Christs sake avoid not any abasement though it be imprisonment or death the more our outward man is abased if it be for Christs sake the more this life of Christ this blessed life this peace that passeth understanding and this joy in the Holy-ghost is increased we shall feele our absolution and justification the more This life of Christ is most manifested when wee honour him most by suffering for him Therfore let us avoid no crosse for him Christ who is our life Shall appeare There are two appearings wee know of Christ his first appearing and his second appearing His first appearing was to worke our salvation his second shall be to accomplish and finish what he hath begun to worke His first appearing was to redeeme our soules from death his second shall redeeme our bodies from the corruption of the 〈◊〉 so his second appearing shall be to accomplish all the good that he came to doe and to worke by his first As verily therefore as Christ is come in his first appearing so verily and certainly he shall appeare the second time And as it was the description of holy men before his first comming to wayte for him To wayte for the consolation of Isâ—…ael so Christians now those blessed soules that have the report of this they waite for the comming of Christ. There were all kind of witnesses then of his first comming Angels men women shepheards the Devils themselves The Trinitie from heaven witnessed of him so for his second comming there are witnesses Christ himselfe saith hee will come The Angels say This Iesus that ye see goe up shall come againe It is an Article of our faith that he shall come
and indeavours and labours to the contentment of it certainly this is forgotten which the Apostle saith here It is a vile and base body Againe is our body a vile body a base body as wee have it here then let us not make it more vile by intemperate courses as wicked persons doe they dishonour their bodies They are vile indeed make the best of them we can and they will end in dust but we ought not sinfully to make them more vile and base as many wretched persons doe by their loose and licencious courses of life Againe if our bodies be vile base bodies while we live here let us not offend God for any thing to gratifie our vile bodies let us doe as Ioseph did when his mistris tempted him he left his garment behind him rather so when we are tempted to any sinne let us rather leave our garments behind us let us leave our bodies they are but vile bodies let us be stripped of them rather then offend God It is pittifull to consider how this vile body as vile as it is and shall be in death how it tyrannizeth over the poore soule and how men wound their soules for their bodies How many are there that justifie errours that they condemne in their hearts to live a lazy idle a full a plentifull life and how many doe condemne those things those courses and those truths to please others and to live a large and idle life which they justifie in their very soules and all to please the flesh It is but a bad counsellor a bad solicitor I say it tyrannizeth over the poore soule Let us not offend God or conscience to breake the peace of it for any thing to gratifie this vile flesh This I thought good to touch concerning that Who shall change our vile bodies Change The action that Christ shall exercise about them is Change Christ will Change our vile bodies They are vile now they shall not be alwayes so but Christ will Change our vile bodies He will not give us other bodies for them but hee will change them in regard of quality For even as the great world was the same after the flood as it was before the flood and shall be when it is consumed by fire it shall be a new world for quality but the same for substance so this body of ours it shall be the same after the resurrection for substance that it is now it shall be altered for quality it shall not be changed for substance Therefore he shall change he shall not abolish our vile bodies This is the action that our blessed Saviour will exercise upon these vile bodies they shall be changed Man is the most changable creature in the world for soule and for body too Take him in his soule how many states is he in There is first the state of nature in perfection and then the state of corruption in originall sinne and then the state of grace in the new creature and then the state of glory So likewise he is changeable in his body hee was first taken out of the dust out of the dust God made this glorious creature of mans body he is a painefull creature in labour in sicknes and then from strength he is changed to old age and from thence to death and dust and from dust then he is changed againe to a more glorious estate then ever he was in the body is made like the glorious body of Christ hee is changeable in soule and in body But this is our comfort we shall change for the best all the changes of our bodyes serve for the last change after which there shall never bee any more change when they are changed once to be glorious they shall be for ever glorious a blessed change a blessed estate of a christian all his changes tend to a state that shall never change for after these bodies are once changed from base to bee glorious they shall be for ever glorious Who The person that shall change them is Christ â—…ho who shall change our vile bodyes In the person wee may consider the object and the action Christ shall change our vile bodyes hee that made us will make us againe hee that is the Image of God will refine us he will renew us in body and soule to be like God to be like himselfe and he that changeth our soules in this world will change our bodyes in the world to come His first comming was to change our soules to deliver them from the bondage of Satan his second comming shall be to deliver our bodies from the bondage of Corruption that is the day of the Redemption of our bodies as the Apostle cals it Rom. 8. So it is hee that shall change but of this I shall speake more afterward What is the patterne according to which this body shall be changed by this author of it Christ Jesus His own body he shall change our vile bodies That it may be made like or fashioned 〈◊〉 his glorious body He is both the câ—…se and the paâ—…e the efficient and the exempâ—… cause He is the patterne our bodyes shall be like his glorious body even as our â—…oules are like Christs 〈◊〉 for this is certaine wee are renewed in grace not to the Image of the first Adam but to the Image of the second Adam we are conformed in soule to the Image of Christ in â—…nesse and righteousnesse so likewise in the body we shall be conformable to the body of Christ the second Adam As we bare the Image of the first Adam in our first creation so wee must beare the Image of the second in our 〈◊〉 tion at the day of the resurrection The glorious body of Christ is the patterne of this transmutation and change But we most understand this as I said 〈◊〉 regard of quality and not in regard of equality our body shall be like his glorious body not equall to his glorious body There must bee a reservation therefore of difference in heaven betweene the head and the members the husband and the spouse our bodyes shall bee like his glorious body not equall to it To our capacity wee shall have full satisfaction and contentment for body and soule too and they shall have security to be in that estate for ever therefore though there be a difference of glory yet that difference is no prejudice to the glory wee shall have we shall have that that is fit for us Our body shall bee made like unto his glorious body Christ is our patterne Whence we see this point of Divinity cleare to us that Whatsoever is in us both for soule and body but here wee speake of the body whatsoever excellency is in us it is at the second hand It is first in our head first in Christ and then in us He is first the Sonne of God by nature wee are the Sonnes of God by Adoption hee is the predestinated Sonne of God to save us to be our head we are
them the Spirit of God sanctifying their soules and bodies stirring them up to holy duties guiding and leading and mooving them to holy actions they may from the sanctifying Spirit that is an earnest to them know what shall become of their bodies Hee hath given us the earnest of the Spirit To confirme this there is an excellent place in Ro. 8. 10 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his If Christ bee in you the body is dead c. It is a vile body it as good as dead it hath the sentence of death already it is dead in regard it is sentenced to death for sinne as a malefactor that hath his sentence But the Spirit is life in regard of righteousnesse What then if the sanctifying Spirit of Christ dwell in you Hee that raised Iesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies The same Spirit that sanctifies these soules of ours our bodies and quickens them to holy duties the same Spirit shall raise our bodies As the same Spirit that sanctified the blessed masse of the body of Christ that he carryed and raised his body the same Spirit that sanctifies our soules shall raise our bodies The Spirit of God when hee hath begun to sanctifie us he never leaves us hee goes along in all changes in life in death to the grave as God said to Iacob I will be with thee there The Spirit of God he will mold our dead bodies and make them like the glorious body of Christ the Spirit of God never leaves our soules or bodies Therefore if wee find the earnest of the Spirit if we find the worke of the Spirit or the comfort of the Spirit which is the tearme the Scripture gives Ioy in the Holy-Ghost and peace of conscience together with the Spirit sanctifying us especially in the time of trouble when God sees his Children have most need they have the earnest of the Spirit the beginnings of grace and joy the beginnings of heaven upon earth by this they may know as the first fruit is so likewise is the harvest as the earnest is even so is the bargaine as wee have it now in our soules so we shall also have it in our bodies and soules hereafter These three grounds Saint Paul hath why his hope of heaven was a good hope wee groane for it and wee are wrought for it wee are fitted for it There is no man can hope to be glorious in his body but his soule must be fitted for it it must be a fit jewell for so glorious a casket a fit inhabitant for so glorious a Temple as the body shall be the body shall be fitted for the soule and the soule for the body they are wrought for it And then hee hath given us the earnest of the Spirit What need I quote further evidences the Scripture being thus pregnant I beseech you often consider your desires whether you be content to live here alway or no to satisfie the vile lusts of your body or whether you desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ when you have done the worke that God sent you for into the world if wee be content to abase our selves for God here who hath provided so much glory for us hereafter and when the time comes we can desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ it is a good signe if wee have the beginnings of the new creature yee are wrought for it that our soules are fitted for a glorious body we have the earnest of the Spirit the same Spirit that sanctifieth our soules and that quickens our soules with joy and peace the same Spirit shall raise our bodies Comfort your selves you that are Christians though you bee weake with this that if you have but the earnest of the Spirit undoubtedly you shall have a glorious house instead of this tabernacle of dust Christ will change these vile bodies that they shall be fashioned like his glorious body I beseech you therefore oft thinke of this think of the time to come comfort your selves with things to come In 1 Thess. 4. Saint Paul would have us talke one to another often of this this should be the matter of our conference not onely the state of the Church and our owne estate here but how it shall be with us when we are gone hence how it shall be with us world without end hereafter we should conferre and speake and oft meditate and thinke of these things What can be grievous what can be over burdensome to that soule that knowes it hath the pledge and earnest of glory hereafter How doth it quicken the soule to any indeavour when once we know that how soever we abase our selves here yet we shall have glorious bodies hereafter It will quicken us to any indeavour to any thing for Christ therefore let us oft thinke of our estate to come let us set our thoughts foreward to the time to come Let faith make the times to come present and that will make us heavenly minded What made Saint Paul converse as if he were in heaven faith made the estate to come present and hope which is grounded on faith it lookes to Christs comming to change our vile bodies so faith and hope they make the soule looke upward they make it heavenly minded Our soules are dull and our bodies are dull in this world but as Iron if it be touched with a Load stone up it will so if wee get faith and hope to looke foreward what shall be done to us for the time to come the spirit of faith and hope if it touch the soule will carry our dull bodies and our dead soules upward Therefore let us cherish our faith and hope by often meditation of the blessed estate to come and thinke of these two things of the excellent estate of our bodies and soules then for if our bodies shall then be glorious like the body of Christ our soules much more the inhabitant which is the speciall part the soule shall be much more glorious Let us thinke oft of this glory as it is described in the Word it transcends our thoughts wee cannot thinke high enough of it and our interest and assurance of it And daily search our selves whether our hope be good or no that we have sound evidence that our title is good to glory Let us examine our selves by those signes I named before Where are our desires what worke hath the Spirit of God in us how doe we use these bodies of ours As we use them now wee must looke they shall be used hereafter Let our tongues be our glory now and they shall be glorâ—…ous tongues afterward to praise God in heaven their bodies that have beene glorious here shall be glorious in heaven Wee may read our estate to come by that we are here those that carry themselves basely and filthily and dishonourably here we may know what will become of them hereafter Let us oft thinke of the estate
whole man And it discovers indeed that it hath a distinct life and excellency in it selfe by reason that it thwarts the desires of the body when it is in the body Reason if there be no grace in the soule that crosseth the inclination of the body grace much more And we see oft-times when the outward man is weake as in sicknesse c. then the Understanding Will and affections the inward man is most sublime and rapt unto heaven and is most wise Take a man that hath been besotted all his life time that hath beene drunke with the pleasures of a carnall life that hath beene a covetous wretch an earth-worme that enjoyes not heaven but lives as his wealth and lusts carry him in slavery yet at the houre of death when hee considers that he hath scraped together and considers the way that his lusts have lead him and that all must leave him now he begins to be wiâ—…e and speakes more discreetly hee can speake of the vanity of these things and how little good they can doe Indeed many way the most men are not wise untill that time therefore the soule of it selfe hath a distinct being because when the body is lowest it is most refined and strong in its operations Likewise it appeares by the projects that it hath of the time to come the soule especially of men that are of more elevated and refined spirits it projects for the time to come what shall become of the Church and Common-wealth what shall become of posterity and of reputation and credit in the world Certainly unlesse there were a subsistence of it selfe it would never looke so much before hand and lay the grounds of the prosperity of the Church and Common-wealth for the time to come I will not stand further on it but rather make some use of it Let us know which is our best part namely the soule that hath a being after death that we doe not imploy it to base uses for which it was not made nor given us doe we thinke that these soules of ours were made and given us to scrape wealth to travell in our affections to base things worse then our soules are they not capable of supernaturall and excellent things are they not capable of grace and glory of communion with God of the blessed stampe of the Image of God Let us use them therefore to the end that God gave them And let us not deserve so ill of our soules as to betray them to cast them in the dirt to lay our Crowne in the dust This is our excellency what can keepe our bodies from being a deformed loathsome thing if the soule be taken away yet so we abase this excellent part oft times we abase it to serve the base lusts of the body which is condemned to rottenesse What is the life of most men but a purveying and prouling for the body The lusts of the body set the wit and affections on worke to proule for it selfe what a base thing is this Were our soules given us for this end and especially considering this that our soules are immortall that they shall never die but be for ever let us not altogether spend this precious time that is given us to save our soules and to get the Image of God stamped upon them I say let us not spend this precious time in things that will leave us when our soules shall live still let us not carry the matter so that our soules shall out-live our happinesse All worldlings and base creatures they out-live their happinesse for where do they plant it in the base things of this life all their life long they are prouling for those things that they must leave when they die whereas their soules shall not die but everlastingly subsist What a misery is this that these soules of ours shall have a being when the things wherein we placed our happinesse and abused our soules to gaine them they shall have an end The soules of such men that seeke the things of this life shall have a being in eternall misery Indeed so it is for these soules of ours the same degree they have in excellency if they be used as they should if we doe not abase them the same degree they shall have in basenesse and misery if wee abuse them and make them slaves to earthly things For as the Devils the same degree they had of excellency when they were Angels the same degree they have in misery now they be Devils The more excellent the creature is when it keepes its excellency the more vile it is when it degenerates so these soules of ours that next to Angels are the most excellent creatures of God the more excellent it is if it get the Image of God stamped upon it and the new creature and have the life of grace the more cursed is the state of the soule if it subsist to everlasting misery It were happy if the soules of such creatures were mortall that labour for a happinesse in this life Oh! that we would thinke of this Most men in the bosome of the Church which is lamentable to thinke they live as if they had no soules They overturne the order that God hath set that hath given us our bodies to serve our soules they use all the strength and marrow of their wits all the excellencies in their soules for the base satisfaction of the lusts of the body so much for that point The third is that There is a wide broad difference betweene the death of the godly and of the wicked The godly are happy in their death for here we see it is a matter desirable This caitiffe this wretched man Balaam Oh! saith he Let me die the death of the righteaus and let my last end be like his It being the object of his desire it is therefore certainly precious the death of the righteous And indeed so it is holy and gracious men they are happy in their life while they live they are the sonnes of God the heirs of heaven they are set at liberty all things are theirs they have accesse to the Throne of grace all things worke for their good they are the care of Angels the Temples of the Holy-Ghost Glorious things are spoken of these glorious creatures even while they live But they are more happy in their death and most happy and blessed after death In their death they are happy in their disposition and happy in condition Happy in their disposition what is the disposition of a holy and blessed man at his end His disposition is by faith to give himselfe to God by which faith he dies in obedience he carries himselfe fruitfully and comfortably in his end And oft times the nearer he is to happinesse the more he layes about him to be fruitfull Besides his disposition he is happy in condition for death is a sweet close God and he meet grace and glory meete he
is in heaven as it were before his time What is death to him The end of all misery of all sin of body and soule it is the beginning of all true happinesse in both This I might shew at large but I have spoken somewhat of this point out of another Text. They are happy in their death for their death is precious in Gods sight the Angels are ready to doe their attendance to carry their soules to the place of happinesse They are happy in their death because they are in the Lord when death severs soule and body yet notwithstanding neither soule nor body are severed from Christ They die in the Lord therefore still they are happy Much might be said to this purpose and to good purpose but that the point is ordinary and I hasten to presse things that I thinke will a little more confirme it They are blessed in death And blessed after death especially for then we know they are in heaven waiting for the resurrection of the body There is a blessed change of all for after death we have a better place better company better imployment all is for the better There are three degrees of life The life in the wombe this world heaven The life in the wombe is a kind of imprisonment there the child lives for a time The life in this world it is a kind of inlargement but alas it is as much inferiour to the blessed and glorious life in heaven as the life in the wombe is narrower and straiter and and more base then this life wherein wee behold the blessed light and enjoy all the sweet comforts of this life They are happy after death then the Image of God is perfect in the soule all graces are perfected all wants supplied all corruptions wrought out all enemies subdued all promises accomplished waiting their time for the resurrection of the body and then body and soule shall sit as Judges upon the wretches that have judged them on earth and they shall be both together for ever with the Lord. I might enlarge the point much it is a comfortable meditation And before I passe it let us make some use of it If godly men be blessed and happy not onely before death in the right and title they have to heaven but in death because then theâ—… are invested into possession of that that makes them every way happy Therefore this may teach us who are truly wise A wise man is he that hath a better end then another and works to that end A true Christian man he hath a better end then any worldling his end is to be safe in another world and hee works and carries his forces to that end Let my last end be like his saith Balaam insinuating that there was a better end inregard of condition and state then he had aymed at A gracious man his end is not to be happy here his end is to enjoy everlasting communion with God in the heavens and hee frames all his courses in this world to accomplish that end and he is never satisfied in the things that make to that end A worldling he hath no such end he hath a naturall desire to be saved as wee shall see afterwards but a man may know that it is not his end for hee workes not to it He is not satisfied in prouling for this world he is not weary of getting wealth hee is not satisfied with pleasure so that his end is the things of this life Therefore let him be never so wise he is but a foole for he hath not the true end nor workes to it Wicked men are very fooles in the manner of their reasoning for they will grant that there is a happy estate of godly men in death and after death better if it be so why doe they not worke and frame their lives to it Herein they are fooles because they grant one thing and not another which must needs follow they doe beleeve there is such a happinesse to Gods children and yet seeke not after it If there be such a blessed estate of Gods children in death and after death I beseech you let us carry our selves so as that wee may be partakers of that happinesse let us labour to be righteous men labour to be in Christ to have the righteousnesse of Christ to be ours to be out of our selves in Christ in Christ in life in Christ in death and at the day of Judgment in Christ not having our owne righteousnesse as the Apostle saith but his righteousnesse and then the righteousnesse of grace and of a good conscience will alway goe with the other For this makes a righteous man to be in Christ and to have his righteousnesse and to have his spirit and the beginnings of the new creature in us Let us labour to be such as may live and die happily and blessedly and be for ever happy So much for that third point That which I intend mainly to dwell on is the last and that is this that Even a wicked man a wretched worldling may see this hee may know this happinesse of Gods people in death and for ever and yet notwithstanding may continue a cursed wretch Balaam here wishes Oh that I might die the death of the righteous and that my last end might be like his It was a strange speech of such a man as this was that his soule should be rapt up in this manner but indeed Balaam was scarse himselfe hee scarce understood what he said no more then the beast that carryed him But God will sometimes even stirre up the hearts of wicked men to a sight and admiration of the excellent estate of Gods children why For diverse reasons Among the rest for this that he may convince them the more of their owne rebellion when they see a more excellent estate then they are in if they will not take the course to partake of it Therefore at the day of Judgement it will justifie the sentence of damnation upon such wretches and they may pronounce selfe condemnation upon themselves Oh! what a terrour will it be when they shall thinke I had a better estate discovered I heard of it in the ministery of the Word and Gods Spirit revealed an excellent estate and I might have gotten it if I had improoved the blessed meanes that God made me partaker of and now I am shut out for ever and ever from communion in that estate To convince wretched men I say and to justifie the just sentence of damnation upon them that their hearts may goe with the sentence at the day of Judgement God thus enlightens them oftentimes that they see better courses if they had grace to take them What a thing is this that a wicked man should see such an estate and not take it And what serves that knowledge for but to damne them the more This is the estate of many men that live in the bosome of the Church and
the knowledge of being in a good estate 1 To humble us Quest. Answ. How to know Gods children in losse of assurance Psalme 73. Vsually Gods children have particular perswasion Quest. Answ. If perswasion be not supernaturall 1 There will not be obedience 2 No holding out 3 No fruitfulnes Quest. Answ. Perswasion wrought by the spirit Quest. Answ. How the spirit perswades The manner of working this perswasion 1. Sweetly 2. strongly A strong work to perswade the soule Deut. 29. Use. To labour for spirituall perswasion 2 Cor. 2. 10 11. To begge the spirit Luke 11. Use. To desire God to perswade us God perswades with enlightning Evidence that we are not perswaded Faith makes much of what it hath Imbracing followes perswasion Triall of our estate by imbracing 2. Branches of faith To trie our està te by our affections Faith carries the whole soule The soule made for heavenly things Love of earthly things abaseth the soule What quiets the soule Micah 2. Want of faith scene by want of affections How to know nature is corrupted To shame our selves in want of affections To pray for affections Quest. Answ. What affections imbrace good things Gen. 17. 3. Quest. Answ. How this imbracing is wrought 1. By supernaturall knowledge To let goe other things Keepe the affections tender To meditate of Gods love in Christ. The excellency and necessitie of the good we hope for The hopefulnesse of them Iohn 17. Case Sol. Why the affections of Gods children are somtimes dead Scope of the words Difference betweene pilgrims and strangers Doct. Gods people strangers on earth Christians borne anew from heaven Heaven a Christians Country 1 Chron. 29. 15. August Christ a stranger on earth Iohn 1. We must have affection of strangers The Patriarchs strangers 1. In their owne esteeme Psal. 39. 12. 2. In Gods esteeme 3. In the worlds esteeme Object Answ. Wicked men how strangers here The carriage oâ—… him that is a stranger 1. He is going toward his country 2. Hee is contented Jerem. 45. 3. Patient 4. Thankefull The way to heaven smoother to some 5. He is glad of company 6. They minde their journies end 7. Though he step out of his way he comes in againe 8. He provides for all incumbrances 9. Inquires of the way 10. He useth things as they may help in his journey Indifferent things Apparent sins I Peter 2. 11. Hâ—… values not himselfe by outward things Dependance of the words A Christian dead how Life of a Christian hidden Psal 73. 7. Object Answer Question Answer 2 Cor. 4. Question Answer Iohn 17. 2 Thess. 1. 10. Rom. 8. Quest. Answer 1 Cor. 15. Quest. Answer Simile 1 Tim. 6. 13. 2 1 Pet. 1. 1 Thess. 4. Simile Simile Simile Iohn 14. 1. Quest. Answer Revel 1. Act. 9. 1 Cor. 15. Rom. 5. 1. Quest. Answer Rom. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 1 Thess. 4. Observ. 1. The righteous die as well as the wicked Vse 1. To improoveâ—… the short time of life Vse 2. To use the world moderatly Observ. 2. The soule continues after death Life of the soule double 1 Reason It crosses the desires of the bodie 2 Reason It operates most in the bodies weakenesse 3 Reason It projects for the time to come Vse To use our soules to the end they were given Worldly men out live their happinesse Observ. 3. Great difference between the death of the godly and the wicked 1 The godly happy in life 2 In death 1 In disposition 2 In condition * See the Sermons on Philip 3. 21. 3 After death Three degrees of life Vse Who truly wise Godly mans end what Vse 2. To labour to partake of this happinesse Righteous man who A wicked man may know the happy estate of Gods children Reason 1. To justify God in their condemnation Reason 2. To restraine their malice Degrees of wicked men Vse Not to refuse all that ill men say Vse 2. To go beyond wicked men in our desires Difference of desires in true Christians others 1 They are notâ—… constant 2 They are not from an inward principle 5 They are not growing desires Cant. 1. 6 They are not strong Desires the best character of a christian 7 They desire happines not holinesse Wicked men desire not heaven aright Simile Conviction of such as come short of Balaam Directionshow to have holy desires 1 Beg the spirit of revelation Simile See what hinders good desires To â—…cherish good motions To renewe our covenants Question Answer Quest. Answer Why men want comfort in death Objection Answer When God accepts the will for the deed Objection Answer God leaves not good desires Gal. 2. Zach. 13. Gen 15. 1. Psal. 84. 1. The Arke a figure of Baptism in divers respects 2. Parts of the Text. 2. Parts of Baptisme The Devill carries to extreames Men prone to give too much to outward worship Psal. 50. Isay 1. Isay ult Reason outward performances easie and glorious 2. They dawbe Conscience Vse To performe inward service 2 Tim. 3. Vse 2. Ministers duty Christ the foundation of the Covenant of Grace Observ. There must be somewhat in us to make use of that is in Christ. Reas. 1. From the nature of the Covenant Reas. 2. Where agreement is there is a like disposition Vse To search our hearts for the evidence of our estate Covenant of grace why so called Demand of conscience proceedes from the answer of it Good conscience what Three degrees of a good conscience A troubled good Conscience 2. A peaceable good Conscience 3. A gracious good Conscience Heb. 13. Double ground of comfort Quest. Ans. How to know a good Conscience though troubled 1. If it answer God in trouble 2. By allowing Gods truth 3. By acknowledging Gods goodnesse Psal. 73. Quest. Ans. A man may know when he doth things graciously Ans. How to know what we doe from a good Conscience 1. It answeres towards God 2. From an inward principle Object Ans. Why Children are Baptised Simile Baptisme binds when we come to yeares Covenant in Baptisme Those that live in sins against Conscience renounce their Baptisme Exhortation to get this answer of a good Conscience Marke 9. Cant. 6. Psal. 51. How to get the answer of a good Conscience To make use of our Baptism 1. Against temptations to sin 2. In temptations to discouragment Ier. 3. 2. To distrust Comfort from the answer of a good Conscience Levit. 26. Verse 5. Psal. 41. Gal. 4. Psal. 109. Colos. 3. Simile Prov. 12. 18.
God hath the supream power of life and death Then we must know againe that children â—…re part of their Parents God punisheth the parents in their children and it is a heavier punishment oft times in their esteeme then in themselves for they thinke to live and continue in their children now when they see their children tooke away it is worse then death men oft times live to see things worse â—…hen death as those that see their children killed before them as Zedechias and Mauritius the Emperour for indeed it is a death oft A man dies in every child this man hee died in his eldest son and he died in his youngest son he died in regard of the apprehension of death it was more sharpe in apprehension then when he died himselfe So it is a heavie judgement to be stricken in our children God when hee wil punish he punisheth oft times in posterity As we see it was the most terrible judgement of all upon Pharaoh that in his First-borne God drew them all to let Israel goe out when He smote their First-borne It is a heavie judgement for a man to be stricken in his First-born either when they are dissolute and debauch ed and lawlesse for God hath judgements for the soule as well as for the body or else when they are taken out of the world But thirdly which is very likely another reason that moved God that we may justifie God in all our sentence that we give of him hee tooke them away because they imitâ—… their father in ill and God hath a liberty 〈◊〉 strike when he will when there is cause and whom hee will he will spare for so many Generations You will say why doth he light on such 〈◊〉 Generation and why not on such a place It is his liberty and prerogative when 〈◊〉 deserve it and hee lights upon one and 〈◊〉 upon another we must not quarrel with God but leave him to his liberty it is a part of 〈◊〉 prerogative Who art thou oh man that disâ—…test Why God when all are equally 〈◊〉 strikes one and not another why he execâ—… judgements in one age and not in another there may bee reasons given of it but it is 〈◊〉 mysterie that must not be disputed but I cannot stand on these things Hee shall lay the foundation thereof in his First-borne and in his youngest Sonne set up the Gates thereof This terrible sentence wee see executed 〈◊〉 1 King 16. 34. In Achabs time there was one so venterous as to build Iericho againe There is an accent to be set upon that that it was in Achabs time Hiel would needs build Iericho againe and why should hee build it Hiel no doubt saw it a wondrous commodious place to found a Citie being near to Iordan And then he saw and considered that it was accounted a famous thing to be founder of a â—…itie And then no doubt he thought that â—…hab would not only permit him to doe it but â—…ould gratifie him wicked Ahab which had â—…ld himselfe to worke wickednesse that was 〈◊〉 abhominable Idolater himselfe and counâ—…nanced Idolatry and had set up the false â—…orship of Bâ—…al it was likely enough in his â—…me that Iericho should bee built and thereâ—…ore no doubt but he did it partly to insinuate â—…imselfe with Ahab And to shew how little â—…e cared for Iosua's or Iehova's threatning as â—…sually such impudent persons that are grown up with greatnesse that have sold themselves to be naught that have put off all humanity and modesty they are fittest to carry wicked and desperate causes being agreeable to them so this wicked person was a fit man to doe this and he thought to please Ahab by it Man is a strange creaâ—…ure especially in greatnesse of riches or place c. A piece of earth that will be puffed up if he have flatterers and sycophants about him and a proud heart withall hee will forget and dare the God of heaven and trample under foot all threatnings and menaces whatsoever As this wicked Hiel rather then he will misse of his will hee will breake through thick and thin and redeeme the fulfilling of his will with the losse of his owne soule and of his children his First-borne and his last and all Mens mihi pro regno let a man be happy in his will hee cares not for all the world if he may have his will 〈◊〉 all goe upon heapes this is the nature of maâ—… One would thinke that this threatning mighâ—… have scarred a man that had loved himselfe 〈◊〉 his posterity but nothing would keepe hiâ—… hee would venture upon it as wee see in 〈◊〉 place 1 King 16. Thus wee have passed ovâ—… the words To come to handle the words by way of Analogie how they may agree to other thingâ—… by way of proportion and in a spirituall mysticall sense There are divers degrees of men that venter upon curses and thereupon grow to be cursed themselves even as this man ventered upon the building of Iericho so there be many thaâ—… doe the like in a proportionable kind I shall name some few God did determine that the Iewish Ceremonies should determine and have an end and period Now in Saint Pauls time there were many that would put life into them and joyne them with the Gospel Saint Paul tels them Christ shall profit you nothing Those are they that build Iericho againe that revive and put life into that that God hath determined should never revive againe When the Iewish Ceremonies were honourably interred and laid in their graves these men would raise them out of their graves againe and so venter upon Gods curse and bee excluded from Christ. These are one sort of men that raise Iericho againe And so afterwards in the Church â—…here were those that would build up Iericho â—…hat would still retaine Iewish Ceremonies â—…nd Heathenish in the Church and some at the â—…irst with no ill minds But then afterwards as Augustine complaines they so pestered the Church with Iewish and Heathenish Ceremonies that the Iewes condition was better then theirs for these things should have beene buried Gerson that had many good things in him though he lived in ill times Oh saith he good Augustine Dost thou complaine of those times what wouldest thou have said if thou hadst lived now What is Popery but a masse of Iewish and heathenish Ceremonies besides some Blasphemies that they have I speake concerning what they differ from ours which are decent and orderly what a masse of Ceremonies and fooleries have they to mislead men that are taken away with fancies to distaste the truth of God and to have respect to fancies to outward pompe and gorgeous things rather then the Gospel These men build up Iericho againe and bury the Gospel as much as they can There are another sort of men that raise up Iericho that revive all the heresies that were damned to Hell by the ancient Councels The heresie of
Canaan and of heaven the benefits by Christ is the upshot of all this They died in faith He doth not say how otherwise they died because it is not materiall whether they died rich or poore great or meane God takes no great notice of that nor a Christian takes no great notice of it They died in faith Whether they died a violent or a peaceable death it is no matter they died blessed in that they died in faith They died in faith which in other phrases is to dye in the Lord to sleepe in the Lord because whosoever dies in faith dies in Christ. Faith lifts them up to Christ and they steepe in Christ. It is a happy thing to dye in Christ Now those that die in faith they die in Christ Blessed are those that dy in the Lord they rest from their labours saith the Apostle All these died in faith They continued in faith to death and then they ended their dayes in faith When death closed up the eyes of their bodies then with the eye of faith they looked upon Christ upon God in Christ reconciled to them the point is cleare that The grace of faith it is such a grace that it carries a Christian through all the passages of this life It inableth him to hold oâ—…t to the end to suffer those things that he is to suffer and in the end by it he dies and when all things else leave him in death when riches leave him when friends leave him when honour and great places leave him when his life sences leave him when all leave him yet faith will never leave him till it have put him in full possession of heaven and then it ceaseth when it hath done the worke it hath to doe which is to bring us to heaven then it is swallowed up in vision and sight and hope into fruition and enjoying of the thing hoped for It is a blessed grace that stands by us and goes along with us and comforts us in all the passages of this life and even in death it selfe in those darke passages it never forsakes us till it have put us in possession of heaven All these died in faith What is it to die in faith To die in faith as I said is to die in the Lord by faith and it lookes to the Time Past. Present To come To the time past to die in faith is to die in assurance of the forgivenesse of sins when by faith and repentance we have pulled oâ—…t the sting of sins past for faith looks upon Christ and Christ hath taken the sting of death in his owne body and death ever since hath beene stinglesse and harmelesse to his members he hath disarmed it death had nothing to doe to kill Christ now seizing upon him who should not have died who was our suretie death hath lost his sting so that to die in faith is to die in assurance of forgivenesse of sinnes past by Christ. For the present in the present instant of death to die in faith is to see God reconciled to us in Christ and with the eye of Stephen to see Christ ready to receave our soules to see Christ sitting at the right hand of God to breake through all that is betweene to see our selves sitting at the right hand of God in heavenly places with Iesus Christ This is to die in faith to see our selves there with our head where wee shall bee ere long Faith makes things to come present To die in faith is to die in assurance of that blessed salvation presently even at that instant of time at the parting of soule and body that Christ will receive our soules that are redeemed with his precious bloud that cost him so deare he will not suffer the price of his bloud to miscarry Faith apprehends that Christ will goe downe with us to the grave as God said to Iacob feare not to goe downe into Egypt I will goe with thee so God would not have us feare to goe down into the grave those darke cels and dungeons God will goe downe with us Our flesh shall rest in hope because Christ our surety was raysed out of the grave and sits in heaven in glory and majesty therefore our flesh rests in hope as it is Psalme 16. 5. Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption therefore our flesh rests in hope till the resurrection because GOD did not suffer his holy one to see corruption this is to dye in faith And for the time to come to die in faith is by faith to overcome all the horrour of death Death is a terrâ—…ble thing and of all the passages wherein we have occasion to use faith it is most exercised in death It requires more to die in faâ—…th then to live in faith for then the soule it lookes to the horrour of the grave it sees nothing there but dust and rottennesse It lookes to the panges of death sense and nature doth And likewise the soule so farre as it hath nothâ—…ng but nature in it it looks to the dissolution of two friends the body and the soule who have been long coupled together and their parting is bitter And then it looks to the parting with friends here with whom they have lived lovingly and sweetely In death nature sees an end of all imployment in this world of all the comforts of this life c. and therefore it is a terrible thing Now to die in faith is to die in conquering all these with a spirit above all these What doth faith in the houre of death It over-comes all these and all such like For when the soule by faith considers the horrour of the grave as the chambers of death faith considers they be but resting places for the body that it sleepes there a while till the day of the resurrection and then they meete againe And it considers that the flesh rests there in hope of a glorious resurrection and faith sees a time of restoring as Saint Peter saith There shall be a day of restoring of all things There is a day of refreshing and restoring to come when those eyes where with wee now looke up to heaven and those feeâ—…e that carry us about our callings and about the exercisâ—… of religion and those hands that have beene lift up to God that body that hath beene the vessell of the soule shall be restored thoâ—…gh it be turned to dust and rottennesse Faith seetâ—… the faithfulnesse of God that God in Christ hath taken these bodies of ours in trust 〈◊〉 know whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1. 12. and be is able to keepe that I have committed to him I have committed to him my soule my body my whole salvation I know he is able to keep that I have committed to him And I knâ—… that my Redeemer liveth saith Iob it was his comfort in all extremity that he should see him with his very same eyes And then for the
pangs of death which nature trembles and quakes at faith considerâ—… of them as the pangs of Child birth Every birth is with pangs now what is death but thâ—… birth to immortality the birth of glory we die to be borne to glory and happinesse All our life time wee are in the wombe of the Church and here we are bringing forth glory now death I say it is the birth day of glory and a birth is with paine faith sees it is 〈◊〉 birth day it sees that presently upon it theâ—… shall be joy as with a woman after shee hath brought a man child into the world so it comforts it selfe against the pangs of death Again faith sees them short and sees the glory after to be eternall it is a little darke passage to an eâ—…nall glorious light Then for the dissolution and parting of â—…o friends soule and body faith sees that â—…is but for a whâ—…le and then that that parting 〈◊〉 a bringing in a better joyning for it brings â—…e soule immediately to her beloved our Saâ—…our Christ Iesus and faith sees that it is not â—…g till body and soule shall be reunited aâ—…ine for ever and they shall bee for ever with 〈◊〉 Lord. And then for friends faith sees indeed â—…at we shall part with many sweete friends â—…t saith faith we shall have better friends we â—…e to GOD we goe to the soules of perâ—…ct men we goe to innumerable company of â—…ngels wee goe to better company a great â—…ale And for all the imployments we have here â—…we have below faith sees that there wil be â—…rcise in heaven we shall praise God with â—…gels and all the blessed and glorious comâ—…ny of heaven So consider what you will â—…at is bitter and terrible in death faith conâ—…ers it it sees an end of it and opposeth to it â—…tter things because notwithstanding death â—…ts off many comforts yet it brings better 〈◊〉 is a blessed change it is a change for the betâ—…r every way faith sees that there is a betâ—…r place better company better imployment â—…tter liberty all better And which is more 〈◊〉 die in faith is to die in assurance that all is ours as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 death is ours Paul is yours Christ is yoâ—… death is yours This is our comfort whenâ—… dayes shall be closed up with death faith bâ—…lieves that death is ours that is it is for 〈◊〉 good for as I said it brings us to our wishâ—… haven it brings an end to all misery an 〈◊〉 our sinnes an end to our paine an end to 〈◊〉 vexations an end to our discomforts and to 〈◊〉 scandalls here below an end to all the temptâ—…tions of Satan The Lord will wipe all teares frâ—… our eyes then And it is the beginning of â—…pinesse that shall never end So indeed faiâ—… sees that the day of death is better than tâ—… day of birth when we come into misery 〈◊〉 not so good as when we go out of misery 〈◊〉 enter into happinesse This is to dye in faith 〈◊〉 the time past to see the forgivenesse of alâ—… 〈◊〉 sinnes to see the sting pulled out And for 〈◊〉 present to look to Christ ready to receiveâ—… soules and to see him present with us to coâ—…fort us to strengthen us against the pâ—…ngs 〈◊〉 death And for the time to come by â—…aith 〈◊〉 over-look the grave to over looke death 〈◊〉 all and to see all conquered in Christ 〈◊〉 our selves in heaven already with Christ 〈◊〉 thus a Christian being upheld with this grâ—… he ends his dayes in faith This should stirâ—… us up if this be so to 〈◊〉 this grace of faith above all graces to get â—…rance that we are in Christ Iesus that so 〈◊〉 may live with câ—…mfort and end our dayâ—… with comfort and live for ever happy in the â—…ord It is only faith and nothing else that â—…ill master this King of feares this gyant that â—…bdues all the Kings of the earth to him This â—…onster death hee out faceth all nothing can â—…ut face him but faith in Christ and that will â—…aster him As for your glorious speeches â—…f Pagans and morall civill men they are â—…ut flourishes vaine emptie flourishes their â—…earts give them the lie Death is a terrible â—…ing when it is armed with our sins and when 〈◊〉 is the messenger of Gods wrath and citeth â—…s before God it is the end of happinesse and â—…he beginning of torment When we looke â—…pon it in the glasse of the law and in the â—…lasse of nature it is the end of all comforts it â—…s a curse brought in by sinne It is a terrible â—…hing nothing can conquer and master it but â—…aith in Christ. Oh let us labour therefore to get it while wee live and to exercise it â—…hile we live that we may live every day by â—…aith It is not any faith that we candie by it must 〈◊〉 a faith that we have exercised and tryed â—…efore it is a tryed a proved faith that wee must end our dayes by For alas when death comes if we have not learned to live by faith before how can wee end our dayes in faith He that while he lives will not trust God with his children that will not trust God with his soule he that will not trust God with his estate but will use ill means and put his hand to ill courses to gaine by he that will not trust 〈◊〉 for his inheritance that will not cast his brâ—… upon the waters and trust GOD to see 〈◊〉 gaine he that will not doe this while he livâ—… how shall he trust God for body and soule 〈◊〉 all in death he cannot doe it It must beâ—… faith that is daily exercised and tryed wherâ—… by we must commit our soules to God wâ—… we dye that wee may dye in that faith tâ—… we may be able to say all the dayes of 〈◊〉 life I had experience of Gods goodnesse 〈◊〉 depended upon him and I have found him 〈◊〉 in all his promises I committed my selfe anâ—… my wayes to him and I found him good aâ—… gracious in blessing me I found him giving 〈◊〉 a good issue and now I am strengthened there by to trust GOD that hath beene so true 〈◊〉 mee all my life time I will trust him 〈◊〉 with my soule that hee will never failâ—… mee Let us all labour for this faith for thoâ—… it cannot be said of us that we die rich or thâ—… we die great in the world perhaps wee may die a violent death as there be diverse diseases that leade the body into distempers it 〈◊〉 no matter how we die distempered and in any estate so it may be said of us we die in ableâ—…sed faith But it may be objected that all Gods children die not in faith because some die raging and distempered and in such fits But we must know that they die in faith not with standing all that for then they are not â—…em selves
the covenant betweene God and â—…em was made before they have given up â—…emselves to GOD and committed their â—…ules to God before for a Christian gives â—…p himselfe every day he commits himselfe â—…ule and body continually to God as a blesâ—…ed sacrifice of a free-will offering so hee â—…arns to die daily daily labours to live in the â—…state he would die in he ought to doe thus â—…nd many Christians doe thus therefore notwithstanding these distempers the covenant â—…etweene GOD and the soule remaines still â—…nd he dies in faith It is said here they all diâ—…d in faith he saith not they all died in feeâ—…ing A man may die in faith and yet not die â—…n feeling and sometimes the strongest faith â—…s with the least feeling of Gods love Feeâ—…ing may be reserved sometimes for heaven â—…et notwithstanding wee must not take it so as 〈◊〉 there were no feeling where there is faith for there was never faith yet but upon the â—…ouch of faith the soule drew some strength â—…nd some inward feeling though it be not discerned of the soule in regard of the immodeâ—…ate desire of the soule to have more yet there is alway so much feeling and strength and comfort that supports the soule from despaire take the childe of GOD at the worst Therefore when I speake of feeling I speak of a glorious demonstration that God sometimes takes away from his children They died in faâ—…th though not alway in feeling of 〈◊〉 they died in faith though not alway by a faiâ—… death or in a comely manner outwardly 〈◊〉 the applause of the world it is no matter for that they all died in faith and that is sufficient It is the desire of Gods Children that they may dye in faith and die in Christ as they have lived in faith and lived in Christ. Faiâ—… is a blessed grace by it we live by it we stand by it we conquer and resist by it we indure by it we die by it we do all those worthy matters we doe in spight of the devill and his kingdome this is that excellent grace of faith by which we live and by which we die These all died in faith For they lived as they died and died as they lived It is a usuall generall rule as men live so they die he that lives by faith dies by faith he that lives prophanely dies prophanely If we suffer the devill to lead us and abuse us all the time of our life we must thinke God in just judgement will give us up that he shall delude us and abuse us at the houre of death Carnall confidence disposeth men to thinke they shall step our of their filthy blasphemous course of life out of their sinfull cursed condition to leape to heaven presently it is no such matter Alas heaven it must be entred into on earth there must bee a fiting and preparing time on earth for heaven we must looke to die as we live There is but one example of a man that died by faith that did not live by faith that is the good thiefe and yet that little time of life we see how fruitfull it was but the rule is all that will die in faith must live in faith and usually men are affected and disposed and their speeches and carriage are on their death bed as they were when they lived GOD in just judgment giving them up to that course Many wish that they may live in popery and enjoy the liberty of that carnall religion but they would not die by that religion they live by that religion and die by ours when they have had the sweetnesse and liberty that is given them there to sin and then open all in confession and be cleane and then sin againe and such easie courses they have that betrayes thousands of soules to damnation Now this is their course when conscience is awakened they flie to savation by CHRIST if they understand any thing at all or else they die desperate if they looke to be saved by that religion as they live by it if we look to die by faith we must live by it These all died in faith not having received the promises For God promised them Canaan and they died many hundred yeares before their posterity came into Canaan hee promised them Christ and they died long before Christ came he promised them heaven and they entred not into heaven till death so they received not the promises that is they received not the things promised for else they received the promise but not that that was promised they received not the type Canaan not the things typified Christ and heaven This is added as a commendation of their faith that though they received not the things that they looked for yet notwithstanding they had such a strong faith that they continued to live by faith and died in faith The promises here are taken for the blessed things promised This should teach us this lesson that Gods promises are not emptie shells they are reall things And then whatsoever God promiseth it is not barely propounded to the soule but in a promise it is wrapped up in a promise hee gives us not emptie promises nor naked things but hee gives us promises of things which we must exercise our faith in in depending upon him for the performance of them till we be put in possession For here all the blessings they looked for is wrapped up in the name promises they received not the promises the meaning is they received not Canaan they received not Christ in the flesh not life everlasting Now the believing soule it lookes upon all the good things that it looks for from God not nakedly but as they are involved and wrapped and lapped up in promises it must have a word for it it looks to GODS word For the soule looks not now immediately as it shall doe in heaven it looks not to God and to Christ directly but it lookes to Christ and heaven and happinesse as it is in a promise It dares not expect any thing of God but by a promise Alas the guiltie soule how dares it look God in the face but by a promise except he have ingaged himselfe by promise and he hath ingaged himselfe by promise that he will doe it he hath pawned his faithfulnesse that he will doe it and then the soule lookes to the promise and in that it looks to Christ and grace and heaven and happines and all good things A presumptuous idle person that knowes not what God is that he is a consuming fire he rusheth into Gods presence Faith dares not go to God but first it pleads his word to him it pleads his promise to him it lookes on God by a promise The very phrase inforceth this upon us that we should make great account of the promises because we have all good wrapped in them The promises are the swadling clouts Christ and Heaven is wrappped in them And when wee have a promise let
speakes of it as if they had a murderous intention and in the event and issue it is a kind of murther As with a sword in my bones my enemies reproach me c. This sword were but words he is a murtherer in Gods esteeme and so it will prove if hee repent not that wounds another man with his tongue for what doth the Holy Ghost here in David doth he not set out words by swords Is it not oft in the Psalmes Their words are as swords the poyson of Aspes is under their lipps There is an excellent place you have for this in Prov. 12. 18. There is that speakes like the piercing of a sword but the tongue of the wise is health A good man hath a healing tongue hee hath a medicinall salving tongue but a wicked man his words are as swords and as he â—…aith here their speaking is as the piercing of a sword Therefore hence let us learne not to think our selves free from murther when we have killed no body or free from adultery when wee are free from the grosse act this is but a pharisaicall glosse upon the commandements but if wee will understand the commandements of God as they are to bee understood wee must inlarge them as the Scripture inlargeth them he that prejudiceth the life and comfort of any man hec is a murtherer of him in Gods esteeme and he that labours to cut another man to the heart with sharpe piercing words in Gods esteeme he is a murtherer Those that though among men they cannot say blacke is their eye and pride themselves as if they were very religious men yet notwithstanding they are men that are not wanting of their tongues men that care not to speake bitterly and sharpely of others if they did consider of this it would take them downe and make them thinke a little meaner of themselves when indeed in Gods construction they are little better their murtherers As with a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say to me daily where is thy God So much for these words FINIS The TABLE A Acquaintance ACquaintance with God to be maintained part 2 p. 143 Affection Affections trie our estates 1 264 Affections wanting shew want of faith 1 269 To shame our selves in want of Affections 1 271 To pray for Affections 1 272 Affections to be kept tender 1 278 Affections why sometimes dead 1 285 See Hatred Answer see Conscience Appearing Two appearings of Christ. 2 18 Application Application the ground of obedience 1 149 Necessity of Application 1 151 Principle of Application 1 153 To begge the spirit of Application 1 154 Danger in want of Application 1 156 Arke 〈◊〉 Baptisme Assurance How to know our estate in want of Assurance 1 240 B Baptisme Want of baptisme no prejudice to salvation p. a. pag. 157 Ground of baptising Infants 2 158 Aggravation of sins after Baptisme 2 162 The Arke a figure of Baptisme 2 170 Parts of Baptisme 2 172 Children why Baptised 2 190 Baptisme binds 2 191 Covenant in Baptisme 2 192 What sins renounce baptisme Ibid. How to make use of our baptisme 2 195 Beast The Beast who 1 7 The Beast and Dragon resembled 1 10 State of Rome the Beast why 1 13 Beasts ill carriage towards Kings 1 40 To further the destruction of the Beast 1 49 The Beast shall fall 1 51 See Hatred Body Not to satisfie the lusts of the body 2 44 Our bodyes shall be glorious 2 51 How to use our bodyes 2 52 Glory of the body in sixe things 2 53 To abase our bodyes for Christ. 2 57 How to know our bodyes shall bee glorious 2 60 See Vile God to be sought betimes 1 187 Blessing see Ministers C Man a changeable creature 2 46 God punisheth parents in their children 1 110 God the God of our children 2 157 Parents to bee good for their childrens sake 2 159 Comfort to those that leave little to their children 2 160 All our good first in Christ. 2 32 49 To be thankfull for Christ. 2 50 To make use of what is in Christ. 2 179 To thinke of Gods love in Christ. 1 278 See covenant Difference between Christians and others 1 92 Come To thinke oft of the times to come 2 66 Comfort Double ground of comfort 2 186 See Death Children Communion Mans happinesse in communion with God 2 108 Communicative Gods goodnesse communicative 1 142 Confidence Issue of false confidence dangerous 1 63 False confidence overturned 1 66 Conscience Demand of conscience whence 2 182 Good conscience what 2 183 3. Degrees of a good conscience 2 184 Conscience good that is troubled 2 187 How to know we doe things from a good conscience 2 189 To get the answer of a good conscience 2 193 Comfort from the answer of a good conscience 2 199 Conviction Conviction double 1 236 Corruption How to set against our corruptions 1 8â—… Corruption why not subdued at once Ibid. To strengthen faith in the fall of our corruptions 1 89 Sight of corruptions help faith 〈◊〉 230 Victory over corruptions 2 138 How to know nature is corrupted 1 270 See Iericho Country See Heaven Covenant Covenants to be renewed 2 â—…00 Covenant of workes 2 108 Covenant of grace 2 109 Covenant of grace qualities of it 2 115 Covenant of grace conditions of it 2 116 Comfort from the covenant of grace 2 254 God gives us grace to performe our covenants 2 164 Christ the foundation of the covenant of grace 2 178 Nature of the Covenant 2 180 Covenant of grace why so called 2 182 See Testament works Creature insufficient to teach the knowledge of God 1 139 Not to curse particular persons 1 105 D Death Die Death terrible 1 205 Men die as they live 1 208 A Christian how dead 2 2 Comfort in Death 2 66 Righteous and wicked die 2 74 Difference in their death 2 80 Why men want comfort in death 2 101 See first-borne faith Demand see conscience Dependance Dependance upon God 1 27 Desire To out-strippe the wicked in our desires 2 87 Difference of desires in men Ibid. Desires the best character of a Christian. 2 93 Wicked men desire not heaven aright 2 94 Directions for holy desires 2 96 God leaves not good desires 2 102 Desire of earthly things how abated 2 143 Destruction How to prevent our own destruction 1 86 Dragon see Beast Distemper Distemper hinders not Christians dying in faith 1 206 E Enemies GOD meetes with his Enemies 1 45 GODS Children have Enemies 1 214 Envie No Envie in God 1 144 Everlasting Covenant of grace everlasting 2 251 Evill How GOD hath a hand in evill 1 16 Gods providence in evill 1 19 God keepes us from doing of evill 1 25 Extremity God to bee sought in extremity 1 184 Difference of men in extremity Ibid. Eye To desire God to open our eyes 1 229 See Faith F Face Seeking Gods face what 1 174 Directions to seeke Gods face 1 179 Incouragements
the deed 2 102 Who are truly wise 2 83 Word sâ—… Tremble Christians course opposite to the world 2 39 World how to be used 2 75 Workes see covenant Z How to know God is our God by our Zeale 2 128 FINIS Artis est celare artem Non ex personis probamus fidem sed ex fide personas Tertul. Novemb 5. Ioshua 6. 1 King 16. 34. Numb 14. Doct. 1. Men naturally trust to somewhat Rom. 10. Issue of false confidence dangerous 2 Cor. 10. 3 things in man by nature 1 False reasonings 2 Proud thoughts 3 Fore-casts of danger Vse Trial of our trust Observ. 2. God overturnes vaine confidence in the creature Proverb 6. Isay 50. Vse Ier. 20. Observ. 3. God dothit by weake meanes Reason That God may have the glory Digression Quest. Answ. Observ. 4. It is by faith in the use of means Rom. 4. Quest. Answ. Faith said to doe that which God doth Why only faith is named 1 Kingdom of Sathan resembled by wals of Iericho 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Coloss. 2. 2 Our owne corruptions 3 The Kingdom of Antichrist Luther Edward 6. The means to cast down the wals of mystical Iericho 1 The preaching of the word Quest. Answ. How to prevent the building the wals of spiritual Iericho 1 2 2 Thess. 2. 3 4 5 6 How to prevent our own destruction Ezek. 17. Isay 10. Gen. 15. Vse To set against Popery by faith Luther To set against our corruptions by faith Quest. Why God doth not subdue corruption at 〈◊〉 Answ. Quest. Answ. How to strengthen faith in the fall of our corruptions Iudg. 5. 3 4 Difference betweene Christians and others To labour for faith To try if vve have faith Scope of the words Blessing of Ministers to be regarded Custodes utriusque tabulae Not to curse particular persons Why God would not have Iericho built againe As a monument of Gods mercy and justice 2. It was dedicate to God 3 For terrour to the rest of the people 4 To draw others to come in 5 God would have it so The specification of the curse 1 King 16. 34. 3 God threatneth before he strike 1 Cor. 11. 32 To move us to turne to him Punishment proportionable to the sin Death of the First-borne a great judgement Why God sometimes punisheth parents in their children Quest. Answ. 1 King 16. 34. The words handled by way of Analogie Men build Iericho againe By retaining Iewish Ceremonies August 2 By reviving old heresies 3 By breaking statutes and wils 4 By upholding Popery Quest. Answ. How Popery sprang up How it is pulled downe Quest. Answ. How this Jeri cho is built againe Quest. Answ. How to stop the building of this Iericho 1 Knowledge of their tenents 2 Of their practise 2 â—…im 4. 2 To instruct young ones in grounds of divinity 3 To set up lights in darke place 4 To cherish good learning 5 To labour for Vnity 6 To be thankefull 7 To set against our corruptions Application concerning the feast of the nativity To consider our course of life Christs sentence unavoidable To tremble at Gods word Observ. God shewes himselfe to the understanding creature Man must not appoint how to serve God The knowledge of God by the creatures insufficient Observ. 2. God is willing to be known That God doth not shine on us is our owne fault Observ. 3. Gods goodnes communicative Or else he had not created the world Gods willingnesse to bestow his goodnesse Quest. Answ. No envie in God Two things wherein we are like God August Observ. The ground of obedience application 1 Gods truth belongs to all 2 Ground of necessitie of application A principle of Application Vse To beg the spirit of application Deut. 29. Danger of not applying the word 1 We dishonour God 〈◊〉 We rejoyce the Devill 3 We injure our selves We seeke God by his strength Davids obedience 1 Present 2 Pliable Psal. 110. Act. 4. 3 Perfect or sincere 4. Professed or resolute 5 Perpetuall Observ. Obedience to God sutable to his command 1 Pet. 3. To alleage the promise to God 1. In trouble Psal. 50. 2 In want 3 For acceptation Prov. 3. Prov. 13. 1 Pet. 4. Psal. 119. Nehem. 1. Psal. 119. What implied by seeking Ground of seeking Christians are seekers Psalme 24. Presence of God 1. Every where In the creatures 3 In necessitie 4 In the issue of all 5 In the Ordinances Revel 1. In seeking Gods face there is 1. Observance Prov. 29. 26. Psalme 62. 2 Dependance 3 Seeke Gods favour Psalme 4. To pray to him 5 To seeke him in his ordinances Use. Direction to seeke Gods face 1. Know him and our selves To know God in Christ. 2. Seeke Gods favour first 3 With pure consciences Psalme 66. Psalme 24. 3. Gen. 32. Seeke God in extremity Psal. 46. Psal. 23. Difference of men in extremitie To seeke God in his ordinances Prov. 1. To seeke God betimes Psalm 63. Incouragements to seeke Gods face Philip. 4. One faith from the beginning of the world Perseverance in faith Doct. Faith carries a Christian through all the passages of his life Quest. Answ. To die in faith what 1 In respect of the time past 2 The time present Psal. 16. 5. 3 The time to come Faith overcomes all that is terrible in death The horror of the grave 2 Tim. 1. 12. The pangs of death Parting of soule and body Losse of friends Company and imployment 1 Cor. 3. 16. Use. To labour for faith Death terrible Object Answ. Christians die in faith notwithstanding distempers Christians may want feeling As men live so they die God deales with men by promises Faith lookes on God by the promise Why he saith promises Promises to be oft thought on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser. God doth not reveale all things at all times To comfort all ages of the Church To be thankfull for what wee have Vnthankefulnesse Order of Gods Spirit working The eye of faith Things affect as present What kind of eye faith hath Faith sees afarre off 1 In regard of place 2. Time 1. Past. 2. To come Sight of faith quicke Things requisite to sight 1 Cor. 2. 10. 11. Quest. Answ. Sight of faith necessary Quest. Answ. Faith lookes to Gods power and truth Use. To labour for strong sight of faith Quest. Answ. Three things in a strong sight 1 When the thing seene is farre off 2 When there are clouds betweene 3 When there is little light To helpe the sight of faith 1 Take heed that Satan blind not Simile 2 Desire God to open our eyes 3 Get a sight of corruption Perswasion followes sight Sight convinceth Especially with taste Perswasion supernaturall Perswasion what Degrees to perswasion 1 Conjecture 2 Opinion 3 Knowledge from argument 4 Perswasion from authority of the speaker And some experience Degrees in this perswasion 1. In generall 2. Particular Spirituall perswasion necessary Quest. Answ. Sound perswasion is with particular interest Conviction double Quest. Answ. Particular perswasion sometimes weake God suspends