vs in this life Let her bee poore and persecuted driuen into wildernesses and caues of the earth t was so of old when Idolatrous Gentilisme swagered it in glorious Temples by Law and force of sword Be she a few to many meane to mighty t was so euer What if she seeme to bee now driuen into a corner of this westerne World so that the Aduersarie may conceiue hope that now there needes but one push more to thrust her into another Coast or to sinke her in the Sea let vs not for all that iudge the worse of her nor leaue the Temple of God to run ouer to the Temples of Idols and Idolaters For priuate Christians the same Rule must be followed for them also not to iudge them by their state in this life Indeed if we looke vpon them while they are here disgraced as the off-scouring of the world scorned by great men iniurd by all men driuen into obscurity and troden vnder foote from rising vp in the world if we see Daniel lodgd among Lions Paul and Silas in the Stockes and at the whipping Post the Martyrs bodies melting in the flames if we behold them tryed by mockings and scourgings by bonds and imprisâ—nment when wee see them stoned he wen asunder tempted slaine with the sword wandring vp and downe in sheepe-skinnes and in goates-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented wandring in Wildernesses and Mountaines and Dennes and Caues of the Earth as in Heb. 11. 36 37 38. in this case who but would iudge them to bee miserable men Againe when wee see a poore Christian frequent in prayer and hearing strict in his life fearefull to take liberty where others sinne with boldnesse often in fasting to humble his soule and beate downe his body see his heart full of griefe his eyes runne downe with teares for his owne sinnes and for the sins of the Land wherein he liues behold him toyling vnder the burden of sin wearied out with spirituall conflicts in his encounters with Sathan and that sin that still dwels in him And now seems not such a one in thy eyes to bee a contemptible and miserable wretch Well iudge not by the sight of thine eies be not thou a foole to esteem such a one mad though for the present it appeare not what such a one shall bee yet know that when Christ shall appeare he shall appeare with him in glory and therefore whateuer his estate in this life bee yet his end shall bee with honour Vse 2. This teacheth vs in generall that no man is a happy man who lookes for no other happinesse but in this life If in this life onely there be hope Christians be of all most miserable but yet all others also bee miserable too For why their happinesse which here they haue is but for a few yeares and after that comes death then iudgement and euerlasting miserie Ah my Brethren t is a wofull estate for one to be A man of this world whose portion is in this life as it is Psal. 17. 14. When all the happinesse a man cares for or lookes after is this that he hath money enough friends enow store of lands and liuings great honours much ease varietie of pleasures with such other things as serue only to the filling of our bellies and satisfying of a few base and earthly affections Yet this is all which most men desire and whereafter their hearts doe runne all dayes of their liues they neuer looke higher than these lower parts of the world What pitie is it to see a man so noble a Creature borne vnto immortalitie and an euerlasting being yet to spend a fifty or sixty yeares in this life and yet scarce euer thinke seriously of another world till there be no remedie but that he must goe out of this Brethren take we notice of this fault and know wee that this world is not our resting place let vs now forsake it in our affections and let our liues testifie that we be such as seeke after a Country not earthly but heauenly where wee shall haue a more enduring substance than all the treasures of this world Thus much of the first point from the 19. Verse I come vnto the next words wherein the Apostle confutes the former absurditie shewing that godly Christians are not to bee accounted more miserable than all others forasmuch as their hope in Christ is for the life to come as well as this life But now saith hee Christ is risen Yea might they say but what is that to vs Very much for he rose that we might rise He is become the first fruits of them that slept He is the first that rose from the dead and is the cause to raise all others vp The Instruction that briefly wee learne from hence is this that The Resurrection of Christ is the cause of our Resurrection to life and glory This the Apostle intends when he saith iointly together Christ is risen and become the first fruits of such as sleepe i. e. are dead Christ may bee called the first fruits of them that rise from death in a double respect 1. Because Christ was the first that rose from death which we must vnderstand with some limitation for it is certain that others were raised from the dead before Christs Resurrection as we reade of diuers in the Old and New Testament but here is the difference between them and Christ 1. They rose by the power of Christ Christ by his owne power Hee had power as to lay downe so to take it to himselfe againe Beeing God as well as man of himselfe he was able to quicken his own body So could not they 2. Christ rose but dyed no more the others rose vnto life but dyed againe as Lazarus c. who tasted twice of temporall death So then Christ was the first of all the dead that raised himselfe vnto an euerlasting life 2. Because Christ is the cause why all men else rise from the dead This is chiefly intended by the Apostle when he saith Christ is the first fruits of them that sleepe The first fruits were by the Law Deut. 26. 1. seq to be offered vnto the Lord before such time as the Iewes might eate of the rest of their haruest By that oblation the whole haruest was sanctified vnto their lawfull vse as it is Leuit. 23. 14. And therfore the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 16. If the first fruits be holy so is the whole lumpe namely after the consecrating of the first fruits all the remainder might lawfully bee vsed in a good and holy manner From this custome the Apostle drawes the Metaphor calling Christ the first fruits of the dead Namely that as by them all the rest of the store was consecrated so in and by the body of Christ rising out of his graue the bodies of all the Elect shall receiue this power and priuiledge to breake asunder the bands of death and returne to life and blessed immortalitie Which comes to passe in a
twofold regard 1. Because of the inseparable Vnion which is between Christ and the Church The first fruits are a part of the whole lumpe and of the same nature with the whole So is Christ and the Church he is the head they are the members of the same body he is the stocke and roote they the branches of the same Vine And therefore the Life which is in Christ the Head is diffused into the Members the iuice which is in the root flowes forth into the branches A liuing head will not bee coupled with a dead body nor will that true Vine beare any withered branches Whence in verse 45. of this 15. chapter Christ the second Adam is called A quickning spirit because of that diuine power which is in him to make aliue both soules dead in sinne and bodies rotten in their graues 2 Because Christs Resurrection hath taken away all impediments of our glorious Resurrection If Christ had bin held in the graue the reason had beene because hee could not ouercome death and make full payment of the price of our Redemption But now Christ hauing broken in sunder the barres of the graue by his Resurrection he hath manifestly declared that our Ransome is fully made Hell Death the Graue ouercome Gods Wrath appeased and therfore that now there is nothing that should hinder our Resurrection to life and glory Even as after the consecration of the first fruits the Iewes might lawfully vse their other store without impediment So Christ hauing dyed and rose againe for this very end to take out of the way whatsoeuer thing might hold vs in death and destruction there is now nothing can haue dominion ouer vs to throw our soules to hell or detaine our bodies in the graue But here a Question arises touching the Resurrection of the wicked at the last day Shall not they arise also and that by the power of Christ I answer They shall arise by the power of Christ. But here we must obserue that Christ is to be considered in a double respect 1. As he is head of the Church 2. As he is iudge of the whole world The godly are raysed by the power of Christ as Head of the Church from whom descends into his members that quickening power which giues life vnto the bodies of the Saints ioyning righteous soules vnto glorious bodies in a blissefull Vnion for euer The wicked arise by the power of Christ as hee is Iudge of the world who hauing all power and iudgement committed to him by his soueraigne command brings together those damned soules vnto their miserable bodies that so he may execute vpon both to the full the iudgement of eternall vengeance Now euen in respect of these Christ may be said to be the first fruits of the dead namely thus That if the Iudge bee risen they must also bee made to rise that are to be iudged This is most excellently expressed by Christ himselfe Iohn 5. 26 27. As the father hath life in himselfe so likewise hath hee giuen to the son to haue life in himselfe namely to quicken by vertue thereof the soules of his Elect in Regeneration and the bodies of his Elect in the Resurrection It followes And hee hath giuen him power also to execute iudgement in that he is the sonne of man Thus he hath also to doe with the reprobate and wicked by his power to pull them out of their graues like roads out of their holes and after to throw their bodies with their soules into the pit of perdition For then it followes Verse 28 29. Maruell not at this for the houreshall come in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the Resurrection of life and they that haue done euill vnto the Resurrection of condemnation Let thus much suffice for opening of this Point I come to some Application Vse 1. To strengthen our Faith in the Article of the Resurrection from the dead This is a point which is hardly beleeued and to naturall Reason it seemes incredible But let vs not dispute where God plainely affirmes the matter rest we our selues vpon his power and promise neuer doubting but what hath bin done in the first fruits shall bee done to the whole lumpe The graue hath lost her Victorie ouer the bodie of Christ and shee shall not recouer it against our bodies Vse 2. To teach vs whence to fetch true Consolation vnto our hearts in regard of the hard estate wee are to endure in this present world Christ is risen and we by him shall rise to glory and therefore be our condition neuer so miserable in this life yet happy men we are that are heires to so much blessednesse hereafter Vpon this nayle hangs all comfort and Brethren know that it is fastened in a sure place and will not deceiue vs in time of neede Are we Ministers why let vs as the Apostle speakes 2 Cor. 6. 4. approue our selues as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons in tumults in labours by watchings by fastings by purity by knowledge by long suffering by kindnesse by the holy Ghost by loue vnfained by the Word of Truth by the power of God by the armour of Righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour by euill report and good report c. as the Apostle there goes on In all this trauell and painfulnesse let this reioyce our soules Wee serue a Master will see vs well rewarded Christ in whom our hope is he is risen and with him shall we arise also who in that day shall giue vnto vs the crowne of Righteousnesse which is layd vp for vs as the Apostle comforts himselfe 2 Tim. 4. 8. Art thou a priuate Christian walking in thine integritie and faithfully endeauouring to feare God and keep his commandements and doest thou for this suffer contempt is thy soule filled full with the mocking of the wealthy and despitefulnesse of the proud is thy name put out as an euill doer art thou at all hands disquieted by vniust vexations Faint not forsake not thy profession for this but rather glorifie God in this behalfe Looke vnto the recompence of reward and hold fast the hope of eternall life in Christ Iesus Art thou trauayled vnder the burden of sins and afflictions assaulted with continuall temptations and feares yet lift vp thy heart and wait there is a day of refreshing that comes shortly from the presence of God Grieue not to see thy selfe in paine when others wallow in pleasures choose rather to reioyce in that sorrow which will end in ioy than to desire those pleasures whose issue is destruction Thinke it not much to part with thy countrey thy children thy possessions thy life if the world will take them from thee for Christ and his Gospel sake all these and much better than these shall be restored to thee in the resurrection of the iust When Christ requires it spare not to giue that body of thine to the fire which in a short time by sickenesse will fall to the ground know t is as easie for Christ to giue it thee backe againe out of the flames as out of the dust In banishment in prison in pouerty in temptation in death comfort thy heart with the meditation of Iesus Christ risen from the dead and of thy Resurrection by him Say with thy selfe Yet I am not miserable so long as my Redeemer is happy he liues and I shall liue with him these teares will one day bee wiped away though all faile yet Christ will not faile me my hope in him shall neuer bee cut off no not in death Men may take from mee my goods they cannot rob mee of my grace banish mee from my countrey but not from heauen take from mee my life but not my happinesse No my faith my heauen my happinesse all is in his keeping that will safely preserue them for me and me to them My beloued Brethren I beseech you let our hearts bee employed in these thoughts and make we this vse of the present Solemnity Such Meditations fit this day this season all seasons To end grow hence into a firme Resolution to bee faithfull in doing Gods will there is a certaine reward for this to bee patient in suffering aduersity there is a sure remedy and ease for it No euill shall hurt thee now death and the graue and sinne are vanquished for thee no good thing shall bee wanting vnto thee now that Christ by rising from the dead hath brought life immortalitie vnto thee Wherefore in nothing be dismayed but bee stedfast vnmoueable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vaine in the LORD FINIS * Arist. Eth. l. 10. c. 9. a Arist. Phys. 7. c. 13. Eth. l. 10. c. 9. b 1 Iohn 5. 4. c 1 Cor. 3. 18. d Arist de interp c. 3. part 6. e Vid. Aquin. 1. 2. q. 109. a 2. ad 1. Arist. ad Eudemum l. 7. c. 14. text 216. f 2 Cor. 10. 5. g Pac. cōment in Arist. de anima cap. 5. sect 5 a Art 17. 32. Plin. l. 7. c. 55. b Luke 24. c Art 2. passim d Chrys. Quod Christus sit Deus Aug. ep 112. c. 3. Scot. in l. 3. Sent. d. 24. q. vnica sect ad primum principium * 1 Cor. 13. 9. a Rom. 4. 21. Col. 2. 2. b 1 Cor. 13. vlt. c Lib. 9. epist. fam ep 1. * Col. 1. 18. He is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning and first borne c.
A FRVITFVLL SERMON ON 1 COR. 15. 18 19. VVritten By VVILLIAM PEMBLE of Magdalen Hall in Oxford LONDON Printed by R. Y. for Iohn Bartlet at the signe of the gilt-Cup in Cheapeside 1629. To the Reader WEe doe finde Christian Reader great opposition made against our Faith not only by our Affections but chiefly by our Reason for when our Faith is encountred by our Affections wee doe gather many times some succour from our Reason but when our Faith is layd at by our Reason the tentation is not more strong than dangerous For if our Reason get the better of our Faith in any particular our Affections follow amaine And such tentations where they once take doe shake and stagger the strongest Christians Men I know are most an end wedded to their passions and doe liue more after their perturbations than their reason and therefore there is little good to bee done on the minde of a man till his perturbations bee at some quiet Now where our Reason is guided by Faith and the Word there it doth good vpon our passions but where our Reason goes by its owne principles and not by the Word there our affections are the worser for our Reason and a man shall neuer come to deny all his Affections till he haue first denied his Reason But blessed be God Faith is our victory and it doth not only quiet the Affections but at last it doth so triumph ouer Reason it selfe that men are willing to become fooles that they may be wise The vnderstanding of a man rests not till it bee satisfied and nothing can giue full and vltimate satisfaction to the intellect and mind of a man till by Faith it be captiuated to the obedience of God and Christ and when that is once done then Reason followes the light of the Word and the Affections follow the light of Reason And hence it is that our Faith doth adhere with most firmenesse to those Principles and Articles of our Creed wherein Reason is quite at a stand I will make my instance in the Article of our Resurrection a Point by the consent of all I know but one vtterly aboue the whole element of nature reason in it selfe doth not onely deny it but deride it Philosophers hisse at it The Apostles themselues in that their greatest tentation did for a time look somewhat strange vpon it But yet we see when their Reason was denied and their Faith tooke place they were not more willing to liue and dye vpon any Doctrine of Saluation than vpon this of the Resurrection and to beleeue this is a meer Act of Faith alone One perhaps two of the Apostles saw his death none his Resurrection And t is obserued that it was so ordered by the Prouidence of God that this maine Point of Diuinity might bee beleeued by the Apostles and deliuered ouer by them to the Church of the Gentiles as a meer act of faith and not of sight Faith being the euidence of things not seene and the iust liuing by faith and not by sight Faith then doth most in those Points of Diuinitie wherein reason is most opposite A proofe wherof the Lord gaue in the Author of this Sermon who a few daies before his last sicknes preached this Sermon as touching the Resurrection by a sweet secret prouidence of God the better to fit himselfe for his last Enemy He was a man full of wit learning strength of reason yet against the worst that Satan could do reason yeelded his Faith wrought out all disputes and he was so firme in this Point that hee reioyced that his body should not wait so long for the Resurrection as do the bodies of the Patriarks Reason said nothing faith did all and set him in that height strength of beliefe that he beleeued here without doubting Albeit whilst wee liue here we do know but in part yet an imperfect faith may and doth bring forth a full assurance sith faith is a grace giuen because only whilst wee are imperfect and when once we are made compleate then our faith doth cease The Orator blamed himselfe for that when he was in trouble he did not walk by his own Principles But this our Diuine what he deliuered in this his last farewell he fully beleeued in his sicknesse Let vs pray that as he so we may liue by faith not by reason both whilst we liue when we dye then we shall finde the truth and comfort of this That faith when it s once made strong doubteth least of those things against which our reason disputeth most Blessed is hee that beleeues and sees not Thine in Christ Iesus RICH. CAPEL 1 COR. 15. 19 20. If in this life only we haue hope in Christ we are of all men the most miserable But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept THe Disputes of the blessed Apostle in this whole Chapter is to proue a Resurrection of the dead against the error of the Epicures and Sadduces The maine Argument whereby hee proues it is this If Christ bee risen then the dead shall rise But Christ is risen Therefore the dead shall arise also The minor that Christ is risen the Apostle proues from the third Verse vnto the twelth by the Scriptures by the witnesse of the Twelue Apostles and more than fiue hundred Brethren to whom hee appeared after his Resurrection and lastly by his own Testimony vnto whom Christ shewed himselfe after his ascension into heauen The maior That if Christ be risen the dead must rise too the Apostle beginnes to proue at the twelfth Verse Now if it be preached that Christ is risen from the dead how say some among you that there is no Resurrection of the dead This foule inconsequence the Apostle confutes in the next Verse by the absurditie that would follow thereupon That if there be no Resurrection of the dead then is not Christ risen Vpon which absurditie other absurdities would also follow That if Christ bee not risen then the Apostles preaching and testimony touching Christs Resurrection were false and that the Corinthians faith in Christ is vaine If Christ bee yet in his graue they and all that beleeue in Christ bee yet in their sinns they that are dead in the Faith of Christ are perished and gone to hell in their sinnes they that liue in the faith of Christ are of all men most vnhappy without reward here and sure of punishment hereafter But Christ being raised from the dead these absurdities are taken away the Apostles are true in their preaching and all men are happy in beleeuing in Christ put to death for sinne and raised from death for our iustification If in this life only we haue hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable But now Christ is risen c. This is in briefe the dependence of the words The parts