before him clothed with our sinnes this made him afraid Secondly He was afraid of death which was neere at hand Now he was not afraid of death as it was a dissolution of nature a separation of the soule from the body but as it was joyned with the curse of God But let us consider these two causes of his feare a little better and we shall finde good matter of instruction in them First he was afraid to stand before God in judgement clothed and apparelled with our sinnes this was a strange thing that he which was the Sonne of God and the brightnesse of the glory of God should now be afraid to stand before God Now if he were afraid how much more may we be to stand before God in judgement to come before him in prayer to appeare in his holy presence If the Sonne of God was afraid then much more may we Indeed if we have repented for our sinnes carried them over unto Christ and doe beleeve in him then we may boldly stand before God in judgement and come before him in prayer and approch into his holy presence when we may say as David doth Psalm 26. Prove me O Lord and trie my wayes but if we have not repented of our sins nor carried them unto the shoulders of Christ if we doe not beleeve in him then we have just cause to be afraid Gen. 3. When Adam had committed but one sinne he was afraid to come before God in judgement and therefore hid himselfe If Adam was so afraid when he had committed but one sinne how much more should we be to come before him having committed many great and grievous sinnes therefore howsoever we may carry away the matter closely and be quiet in our consciences for a time yet if God should but bring his judgements upon us or death so that we come to appeare before God then we shall quake and tremble as Dan. 5. we see Belshazzar did who whilest he was making himselfe merry drinking and abusing the holy vessels of God and the hand-writing did but appeare on the wall quaked exceedingly so that his countenance was changed his thoughts troubled the joynts of his loynes were loosed his knees smote one against another Even so howsoever the wicked may be at peace and quiet a little while yet if God set up a throne of judgement then they will quake and be afraid to come before him In the Revelation we may see how the brave fellowes and gallant lads of this world and the great captaines howsoever they could carry away the matter and be at quiet for a little time when God sets up a tribunall seat to judge them they runne into caves and dens and desire the hils and mountaines to fall upon them to hide them from the presence of God So howsoever we may be at quiet for a time if we have not repented for our sinnes If God come to judge us we shall quake and tremble and desire the hils and mountaines to fall upon us and to hide us from the presence of God Secondly Christ was afraid of death which was neere at hand So Heb. 5. 7. Christ is said in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death It appeares he was afraid of death in that he prayed against it I but was Christ afraid of death we see that in the Revelation many of the Saints of God loved not their lives but did willingly embrace death And Act. 20. the Apostle Paul was not onely readie to bee bound for the name of God but to die for it And therefore wee see many of the people of God were not afraid of death how then was Christ afraid of it I answer that death may be considered two ways 1. As it is a dissolution of nature and a separation of the soule from the bodie 2. As it is joyned with the curse and wrath of God Now Christ was not afraid of death as it was a separation of the soule from the bodie but as it was joyned with the wrath and curse of God thus as it is a curse every man hath cause to be afraid of it but if it be joyned with the favour and love of God then we have no cause of feare Iohn 8. Christs threatens the Iewes that they should die in their sins Oh it is a fearful thing when men die in their sinnes under the wrath and curse of God unrepentant for them There is a great cause why such should be afraid of death a number of people there be that are contented to die and yet they are covetous persons vile livers swearers and drunkards but I tell thee if thou hast not repented for thy sinnes hast not caried them unto Christ and applied his righteousnesse unto thee thou hast great cause to be afraid of death Pull the sting out of the serpent and thou mayst put him into thy bosome but if thou let his sting alone be will sting thee So death hath a sting as 1 Cor. 15. 55. which is sinne therefore let this sting be taken away and then we have no cause to be afraid of death But Revel 20. 14. Death is said to goe before and Hell to follow after so that Hell is the tayle of Death and therefore wee have good cause to bee afraid thereof Bernard saith If thou hast put away all shame which appertaineth to so noble a a creature as thou art if thou feele no sorrow as carnall men doe not yet cast not away feare which is found in every beast Wee offer to load an Asse yet hee cares not for it though wee weary him out because he is an Asse but if thou wouldst thrust him into the fire or into a ditch he would avoid it as much as hee could for that hee loveth life and feareth death feare thou then and be not more insensible than a beast feare death feare judgement feare hell The second Affliction that wrought in Christ was heavinesse and sorrow and this not a common or an ordinary but a dreadfull sorrow Now what was the cause that Christ was thus sorrowfull I answer there were three causes of it First because he saw the face of God discomfortably to looke upon him which was wont to shine upon him with an amiable and loving countenance he that was wont to looke so sweetly upon him now to see him as an angry Iudge and not as a loving Father This was it that made him sorrowfull and heavie The Scribes and Pharisees looked upon him angerly yet he was never moved at it but when hee seeth Gods angry countenance towards him this did more touch him than all the bodily paines that hee felt for hee never complained of the spickes and nailes that were thrust into his hands and feet nor of his whipping or buffetting but when he saw Gods angry
Esai 53. 11. of Christ hee shall see of the travell of his soule and shall bee satisfied and therefore if men bee brought to God if they live a holy life if they bee conscionable in their waâ—â—s and carefull to please God in their courses then this will satisfie Christ But if wee live in our sinnes in our prophanenesse in our lusts still then it shall grieve Him that ever he was borne into the world sweate in the garden died and shed his blood on the Crosse for us Thirdly wee are to consider of the manner of his death that it was in the greatest extremity that might be so Paul saith Philip 2. 8. Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient to that cursed death on the crosse and so in Esai 5 3. 12. it is said He hath powred out his soule unto death c. Now the greatest extremity that Christ suffered may make us consider of two things First the greatnesse of our sinnes And secondly the greatnesse of Gods mercie First wee may consider the greatnesse of our sinnes that when wee have sinned against God nothing will bring us into favour againe but it must cost blood and the blood of the Sonne of God therefore howsoever men make but a light matter of sinne yet when we have sinned all the powers of Heaven and earth cannot bring us into favour againe all the Angels in heaven cannot doe it nor all the blood of the Saints but it must bee the blood of the Sonne of God that must doe it if the king should make a law that if a man told a lye or sowre an oath or committed a sinne he should lose a droppe of his blood how afraid would he be of sinning Now when we sinne although it doth not cost us blood yet it cost the blood of the Sonne of God and therefore wee should bee afraid to sinne lest wee bee more wastfull of the blood of Christ than of our owne Secondly wee are to consider of the greatnesse of Gods mercie that when wee had sinned hee would send his owne Sonne to die for us as 1 Iohn 4. 10. Herein is Love not that wee loved God but that hee loved us and sent his Sonne to bee a reconciliation for our sinnes and so in Rom. 5. 8. But God setteth out his love towards us seeing that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us and therfore seeing God hath so loved us that he was content to part with his Sonne for us let us never sticke to part with our sinnes and lusts to serve him but we see it otherwise that God doth not sticke to part with his sonne to die for us and yet we sticke to part from our sinnes to serve him The second way that faith doth stirre up holy motions is because it doth combine and knit us unto Christ so it is by combination by being made one with Christ for as from the head doth flow into the rest of the members life even so Christ doth extend unto us his graces and vertues In the second of the Kings wee see that when the dead body of the Prophet did touch the dead body of the man life came into him much more if we went downe into the grave of Christ and touched him wee shall live being joyned with the living body of Christ who hath gloriously and triumphantly overcome death hell and the divell We see in experience that if a man would have water flow into his field he will make a trench and dig into the ground till he comes at the fountaine and then the fountaine will flow water into the field even so if men would have the graces of Christ to bee distilled into them let them never be at rest till they have joyned themselves to Iesus Christ and then hee will distill all his graces and vertues into them so faith never leaveth us till it brings us unto Christ Now the use of this point is that seeing we are sanctified in this world by faith as we find other uses thereof so we should labour to find this use and benefit of it and therfore whereas men thinke that some are too precise and too strict it is a sure thing that unlesse we be sanctified in this world we cannot be justified before God and yet do not looke to be sanctified before men And therefore search thy selfe oh man or woman I pray thee art thou brought to the hatred of sinne Or is it weakned in thee Doest thou labour to lead an holy life in the sight of men here Then thou art justified in the sight of God but if thou livest in sin and makest no conscience in thy waies but livest loosely never then looke to be justified in the sight of God It is a good observation that a learned man hath out of the eighth of the Romans of the golden chaine saith he There be foure Linkes of it two he hath in his owne hands and two he hath put out to us to lay hold on the two linkes that he hath in his hands are Predestination and Glorification the first and the last linkes and the two middle he hath left for us to lay hold on Vocation and Iustification and therefore doe thou oh man cast out thy hands and lay hold on these two linkes that thou mayst be called and justified that so thou maiest be glorified in the world to come This is comfortable that God hath left these two linkes for every man whereby hee may be drawne up to Heaven The third vse of faith is that which Paul speaketh of here Rom. 1. 17. The just man shall live by his faith so a man must not onely be justified by faith in the sight of God and sanctified in this world but he must live by his faith as Paul saith Thus I live yet not I now but Christ liveth in mee and in that I now live in the flesh I live by Faith in the Sonne of God who hath loved mee and gave Himselfe for mee A man may live the life of nature without faith hee may buy and sell and doe the workes of his calling hee may eate and drinke c. But he cannot live the life of grace without faith the greatest part of men care not to live in faith but they desire to die in faith They would die a comfortable death like Balaam that would desire to die the death of the righteous but care not to live so strict a life therefore if men doe not care to live in faith they cannot die in faith for this is the true use of faith to live by it so the prophet Habakuk saith the just shall live by his faith a man that hath lived by it hee shall die in faith also Heb. 11. 39. it is said all those dyed in Faith because as they had lived in faith so they died in faith too therefore if wee will die in faith wee must labour to live in faith and then
David saith Psal 59. that their throates are an open sepulcher even like an open grave a stinking place a place of rottennesse and Matth. 23. 27. our Saviour saith that the Pharisees were like painted graves that looke gloriously without but within were lothsome and filthy therefore because the grave is the lothsommest and filthiest place in it selfe Christ was buried that hee might perfume and sweeten our graves so wee see that Christ hath altered the nature of the grave for that whereas it was a place of rottennesse now he hath made it a sweet resting place to his servants Chrysostome saith well that which was a prison house of a severe Iudge he hath made a storehouse to lay up his treasure in for the grave was a prison house wherein men lay bound under the chaines of death untill the day of judgement now hee hath made it a storehouse to treasure up his servants till the time of Resurrection as Esay 57. 2. saith the Prophet Hee shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds every one that walketh before me so the grave is as the bed for his servants to rest in till Christ bring them to glory and happinesse If a man were to passe into another countrey and must goe through dennes graves and hollow places in the earth if one could espy the footsteps of one of our deare friends that had passed that way this would give a man comfort to follow after so wee are to passe into another countrey to heaven and wee must goe through the dennes caves and hollow places of the earth if wee can see by the eye of faith that Christ hath gone the same way there bee footsteps and markes that he hath left behinde him this will give a man courage and comfort therefore howsoever death may be terrible and dreadfull to the eye of sense and to be trodden and trampled under feet of death is a fearefull thing yet by the eye of faith wee may see that Christ hath perfumed the grave and made it a sweete resting place to his servants and therefore this may comfort us Fourthly that wee might have power and strength to bury sinne for wee must not onely have power to kill sinne and worke the death of it which is much but there must also bee as it were a buriall of sinne there must be a consuming of it by little and little till it be utterly wasted as a dead man when hee is laid into the grave and buried consumes by little and little so wee must bury sinne till it bee consumed and wasted for as it is with man so it is with sinne in a man there be two things the life and the body of man take away the life from the body and that is nothing but a lumpe of earth if it remaine unburied it will poyson the ayre so there is in every man the life of sinne and the body of sinne the life of sinne is the raigning of it and the body of sinne is the lumpe of lust and corruption therefore when the life or rather raigning of sin is taken away still there remaines the body sinne this wee must bury or else it will infect us so the Apostle Paul faith Rom. 6. that we doe not onely dye to sinne in the death of Christ but we are also buried with him therefore let us carry this same body of sinne unto the grave of Christ and bury it in his grave And you that have beene at the buriall of your friends turne againe to bury your sinnes every one must addresse himselfe to this buriall that so it may be wasted and consumed wee read Ezek. 39. 14. of a strange speech that there were scearchers appointed to goe through the land who if they found any dead mens bones they were to set up a sticke till the buriers did come and bury them so a Christian must doe his conscience must bee the scearcher it must finde out our sinnes which be as dead mens bones and when wee have found them wee must set stickes up by them for markes and never be at rest till they bee buried and may rot and consume to nothing therefore seeing Christ was buried that wee might have power and strength to bury sinne we must take heed that we doe not roote them out of the grave againe and uncover the moulds to this end let every man pray for grace that he may suffer his sinnes to be buryed If a man should rake a man out of the grave that had lyen there foure dayes as Lazarus did hee would poyson the ayre and infect the countrey so our sinnes if we should root them out that have beene buried these hundred yeeres they would bee ready to infect all the country therefore wee must pray to God that our sinnes may be buried and kept downe by the power of Christs buriall that so they may never rise againe The second thing observed was the parties that buried Christ Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus now these were great rich men Senatours honorable men and Counsellors who buried Christ with their owne hands they did it not by a servant Ioseph he begs the body of Christ and tooke it downe in all likelihood with his owne hands and Nicodemus brought an hundreth pound of sweete odours of Myrrh and Aloes to imbalme the body of Christ It is a strange thing that these honorable persons would stoope to so meane a service as this but it was the love that they bare to Christ that made them and it may teach us that if wee truely love Christ wee will stoope to any meane duty and service for Christ or his members as Gen. 18. when the Angels came to Abrahams house he made them a feast and he waited on them as if hee had beene a servant because of the love he did beare to them so in Exod. 2. 11. wee read Moses was the adopted sonne of Pharoahs daughter and yet he did not scorne to goe out and looke on the burthens of his brethren and when there was injury offered unto them he did labour to right it so also Zacheus hee was a rich man who when hee did heare that Christ came by gets himselfe into a fig-tree to see Christ now one should have thought that such a man would have scorned such a thing to climbe up into a tree amongst boyes and girles and yet love to Christ made him doe it in like manner our Saviour Christ Iohn 13. did rise from the Table and tooke a towell and girding it about him washed his Disciples feet and after he had done he said ye call me Lord and Master as I am indeede if I then your Lord and Master have washed your feete yee ought much more to wash one anothers feete if there be any love in us to Christ we will stoope to any meane duty or service for Christ or his members one would have thought that such an honorable person as Ioseph
would have beene squeamish to have taken downe the dead body of Christ in his owne armes to have soyled and foyled himselfe with the bloud that came out of his wounds but the true love hee did beare to Christ made him doe it so if there bee true love in us to Christ we will not bee squeamish to doe any meane service and duty for him and his members wee will not be squeamish to come to their sick beds to comfort and relieve them wee see a mother through the love she hath to her childe will stoope to doe any meane service and duty that another woman would be somewhat squeamish of so if there bee true love to Christ in us it will make us doe any service and duty to the meanest of Christ members even to do that which another would scorn S. Iierom saith O man when thou goest to the sicke beds of thy neighbours thou art somewhat squeamish and thou makest a sowre face at it consider with thy selfe that thou art made of the same element and the same thing that is befallen him thou mightest have suffered thinke his sorrowes and paines to be thine owne and then thou wilt not be so squeamish Secondly they were Disciples yet but weake Disciples Ioseph was a secret Disciple but for feare of the Iewes hee durst not shew his face openly in that profession and Nicodemus hee came to Christ by night now these were weake Disciples and yet in the greatest disgrace stood to Christ when Iudas had betraied Christ and Peter had denyed him and all the rest of the Disciples were fled from him which may teach us not to despise our weake brethren but to thinke humbly of our selves and to carry our selves lowly for these weake ones may stand to Christ and to the profession of holy Religion when great learned men shrinke men of great graces therefore wee should not despise our weake brethren as Paul exhorts Rom. 14. 4. who art thou that condemnest another mans servant hee standeth or falleth to owne Lord and master yea hee shall be established for God is able to make him stand Now I doe not speake this to nourish any one in his weakenesse for it is a good thing to speake boldly in the cause of Christ who saith he that denyeth me before men I will denie him before God There is a pretty story in the booke of Martyrs of two Protestants that were doctors of Divinity in the dayes of King Edward saith one of them I am afraid I shall not have courage to stand out for Religion in the time of persecution I thinke I cannot burne for Religion saith the other knowing that I doe know if I had one hundred lives I would give them and be contented to lose them in the cause of Christ well the time of persecution came and the strong man became a Papist and the weakest remained a Protestant although he did not burne for it but dyed in his bed therefore the strong must carry themselves humbly and lowly and not despise their weake brethren but pray to God that they may shew love to Christ in the time of greatest troubles Now what was it that made them performe this duty to Christ this consideration that they had heard Christ preach unto them and had not profited by it that hee was entertained into many of their houses but not into their hearts and now that thay had taken Christ and killed him if ever they will shew their love to him now they must doe it or never this consideration made them hold and stand to Christ when others did shrinke Now the same thing must worke upon us the like effect we have heard the Gospell a long time yet have profited little by it whereas we might have growne in grace and have beene teachers of others still we remaine ignorant the more shame for us we should rather reason thus I grow old and I know not how soone the day of my death will come now is the time where in I should get grace the time wherein I should get knowledge it must bee now or never this consideration may stirre us up to shew love to Christ and to his members The next point is the place where Christ was buryed and this is to bee considered in divers circumstances 1 That it was another mans grave 2 That this grave was Iosephs grave 3 That it was a new grave wherein never any man was laid 4 It was in a Garden First it was another mans grave that Christ was buryed in for hee was so poore that he had not a grave of his own we see that poore men though they have not an house to hide their heads in yet they have a grave to bury themselves in but Christ was so poore he had not a grave of his owne to bury himselfe in neither was it onely in his death but also in his whole life for when Christ was borne he was borne in another mans house when he preached hee preached in another mans ship and when he prayed he prayed in another mans garden when hee eat the women ministred unto him when he did ride to Ierusalem he did ride on another mans Asse when he was buryed he was buryed in another mans grave he had nothing peculiar to himselfe but his crosse which no man would touch much lesse take from him for they compelled Simon of Syrene to beare it all which may teach us that Christ hath sanctified a poore estate to us so that if a man be never so poore and meane let him be contented with it and labour to be Gods servant that he may say of him Behold my servant and behold my sonne then this poore estate is sanctified to thee Secondly Christ was buried in another mans grave to shew that hee would come in a neerer conjunction with us That hee would not onely take our nature upon him come into our houses and eate at our Tables but hee would also lye in our graves with us it is a great love that a woman heares to her husband that shee will be contented to forsake her fathers house and leave her kindred and go and dwell with her husband but it is a farre greater love when shee will follow him into the prison and downe into the dungeon so it is a great love of Christ that he would take our nature upon him come into our houses and feede at our tables But it is a farre greater love that he would go into the grave with us and lie there troden downe of death that so he might give life to our dead bodies Secondly this grave was Iosephs now Ioseph was a rich man as wee have heard and this was to fulfill that Scripture Esay 53. 9. where the Prophet foretold it Hee made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death on the crosse contemned and despised but in the grave he was honoured so it is with a Christian so
they should so when thou shalt see Christ rise in great power and shalt see great glory put upon him if thou hast not kept him under three dayes together only but many dayes how wilt thou quake and tremble seeing thou hast not better attended nor regarded him Thirdly An Angell came and ministred unto him which did roule away the stone terrifie the souldiers comfort the women here we may see the wicked they roule a stone upon Christ to keepe him downe but the Angels take it away they minister unto Christ which may be a comfort to Christians that as the Angels ministred unto Christ so they shall doe service to them they shall take away the stone dig away the earth and moulds to pull them out of their graves that they may come joyfully forth and be made partakers of everlasting life as Matth. 25. Christ saith that he will send forth his Angels to gather together his Elect from the foure corners of the earth to digge them out of the earth to pull them out of their graves that they may stand comfortably before God at the last day And there is a further comfort we shall have by the Angels for they shall not onely helpe us out of the graves but they shall also helpe us out of trouble as we see when Peter was in prison Acts. 12. it is said And the Angell of God brought him out and set him in safetie so also Daniel being cast into the Lions den the Lord sent his Angell to stoppe their mouthes in like manner when Sodome was destroyed the Lord sent an Angell to bring Lot forth and his wife who tooke Lot by the one hand and his wife by the other and brought them out of the citie so the Angels doe not onely helpe us out of our graves but doe also helpe us out of troubles The second speciall thing in the manner of Christs resurrection was That when he rose he left all the sinnes of mortalitie and death he stripped himselfe of all the grave-clothes and left them behinde him and Saint Iohn saith Ioh. 20. 7. that when the women came to the Sepulchre all the grave-clothes were foulded up and laid in a place whereof there bee two Reasons First that it might be an evidence to the Iewes to convince them for they had given mony to the souldiers to say his Disciples came by night and stole him away Now it is like that if they had stollen away his bodie much more they would have taken away the fine linnen sheets hee was wrapped in and again if they had stollen away the body of Christ they would not have laid up the linnen handsomely they durst not have tarried to doe it for in a feare men doe not things handsomely but ill favouredly therefore this is an evidence to convince the Iewes that the body of Christ was not stollen away Secondly to teach us that when we rise to the life of grace that we should leave all the sins of mortality and death behinde us all the grave-clothes that is all our vile sinnes and old corruptions that we have long lived in There be many that creepe out of the grave as it were get out of ignorance but because they be not wise to shake off the sins and corruptions they have lived in have drawne them to themselves and have not left behinde them the signes and markes of mortalitie and death therefore are not yet conformable to the rising of Christ It is the Apostle Pauls exhortation Put off the old man and put on the new ye that would rise with Christ leave your old sinnes and your corruptions there be many that rise to the profession of the Gospell who still keepe on the grave-clothes they will sweare lye make no conscience of their wayes and deale deceitfully such are not stripped of their grave-clothes but Christ when he rose he left all the grave-clothes behinde him so if we will be conformable to him we must leave all as he did behinde us Thirdly The Company Christ rose with hee rose not alone but a great many did attend him as wee may reade Matth. 27. 52. though Christ died alone yet he did not rise alone but he rose with a multitude to accompany him to teach us that his resurrection appertaines to us one day all wee shall rise by the same power that these did at his first resurrection therefore all the people of God must labour to establish their hearts in this that one day they shall rise out of their graves by the power of Christ for Christ did not rise alone but with a great company As in a shipwracke one swims out and labours to draw all his fellowes out with him so Christ rising out of the grave did draw all his members out with him We see in nature if the head be above water so long the body cannot be drowned so seeing our body is risen and our head is above wee shall not sinke or lye still but shall be raised up againe It is an undeniable truth that others have risen out of their graves but there was great difference in their rising and Christs The dead man when hee touched Elias bones Lazarus when hee had beene three or foure dayes in the grave the widdow of Naim's sonne when hee was in the coffin and Eutichus when he fell out of a window when these rose never a cloud did stir about them and they rose alone by Christs power as also to die againe but Christ did rise with a number and multitude with him by his owne power and that never to die againe which doth shew there is a great difference in their rising he rose with a great many to shew his rising pertaines to a great many for hee rose not as a private but as a publike person for the good of many and to shew there is a communicative power in his rising from the dead SERMON XXXI MATTH 27. 52 53. And the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints that slept arose And came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the Holy Citie and appeared unto many IN the manner of Christs rising we may observe that although Christ died alone hee did not rise alone but had a multitude to rise with him which was to shew that Christ did not rise as a private man or person but representing the persons of all the Church for as Christ rose so we shall rise hee rose not alone but with a number of Saints communicating life and glory to them therefore howsoever the Saints die as others yet they shall rise againe All the people of God must be perswaded of this that there is a power in Christ to draw and to pull them out of the grave for as even now I shewed in a shipwracke if one swims out to the land hee doth his best to draw all his fellowes to the shore so Christ escaping out of the dens of
our sinnes pardoned and then the Lord will raise up our bodies at the last day and give us life everlasting but on the contrary if wee have not communion with the Saints in this life and have not our sinnes pardoned we can never looke that God will raise up our bodies at the day of Iudgement and give us life everlasting Therefore beloved brethren be exhorted to labour to have communion with the Saints here in this World with the forgivenesse of sinnes and then God will raise up our bodies at the day of judgement and give us life everlasting As Revel 20. 6. it is said Blessed and holy is he that hath his part in the first Resurrection for on such the second death shall have no power Hee is a blessed man that riseth out of his sinnes and his corruptions in this life on such a one the second death shall have no power If a man make a bargaine and giveth somewhat in hand some earnest then he expecteth the performance of covenants about the bargaine but if he hath no earnest given him then he lookes for no bargaine so the Lord hath made a bargaine with us to give us Heaven and happinesse after which if hee hath given us earnest somewhat in hand in this life that is the communion of Saints and the forgivenesse of sinnes now then wee may looke to have our bodies raised and to have life everlasting We may expect the rest but if wee have no earnest in hand in this life that wee have not our parts in the Communion of Saints nor the forgivenesse of sinnes then when wee come to die we cannot looke for the blessings in the life to come Moreover in this Article we are to consider divers particulars First We beleeve that although we shall be laid into the grave and dissolved into dust yet that one day we shall rise againe by the power of Christ this is the property of a Christians faith The Heathen doe beleeve that they shall all dye and bee dissolved to dust but not that they shall rise againe now this point of the Resurrection is cleare by Scripture and by Reason First we will prove it by Scripture as Esay 26. 19. Thy dead men shall live even with my Body shall they rise that is when I rise all the dead shall rise so Dan. 12. 2. and many of them that slept in the dust shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt so also Paul Acts 24. 15. saith And have hope towards God that the Resurrection of the dead which they themselves looke for shall be both of the just and unjust and so Revel 20. 12. saith he I saw the dead both great and small stand before God so then it is cleare by Scripture seeing all other things are come to passe which the Scripture hath foretold then wee may bee sure that this shall come to passe also in the time that God hath appointed Now the Reasons to proove that there is a Resurrection are five in number 1. From the Power of God 2. From the Iustice of God 3. From the Mercie of God 4. From the End of Christs comming 5. From the Resurrection of Christ First From the Power of God for as Tertullian saith it seemes a harder matter for God to make a man being nothing out of the dust of the Earth than to raise and repaire him out of the dust being something and no question but that the Power of God is able to raise the dead at the resurrection as our Saviour reasoneth against the Pharises Matth. 22. 29. saith he Ye erre not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God c. as who should say the Lord hath Power to raise the dead The second Reason is drawne from the Iustice of God for it is agreeable to Iustice that those that bee partakers in good and evill actions should be also partakers in rewards and punishments but the bodies of men are partners in good and evill actions with the soule therefore the Lord will raise up the bodies of men to reward them that have done well and punish them that have done evill Tertullian saith well Wee must not thinke that God is unjust or slothfull First we may not thinke that God is unjust that he will reward the soule and destroy the body and that he will punish the soule and not the body therefore hee will raise up mens bodies to reward them that have done well and to punish the evill Againe secondly we must not thinke that God is slothfull that he will not put himselfe to that paines to raise up the dead bodies of men to punish them for their sinnes and offences therefore hee will raise our bodies to punish or reward them with our soules Thirdly From the Mercie of God for mercy extends as much as may be to all and this mercy is in men that if they could they would raise all the dead bodies of their friends but the mercy of God is infinitely greater than the mercy that is in men whose mercie extends in goodnesse to all the bodies and soules of men therefore hee will raise them and doe all the good he can to them he loveth as Christ saith Matth. 22. He is the God of Abraham Isaak and Iaakob Hee is not the God of the dead but of the living So he will raise their bodies or else he were God but to one part of Abraham but his mercy extends to both parts therefore he will raise the bodies of dead men Fourthly From the end of Christs comming which was to dissolve the workes of the Divell as it is said Iohn 3. 8. For this purpose appeared the Sonne of God that he might dissolve the workes of the Divell for the Divell first brought in sinne and sinne brought death this was his end for he brought in sinne to bring death upon us And therefore because hee aimed at this Christ came to dissolve this great worke of the Divell which is not done except there be a resurrection of the body therefore the dead shall rise againe Fifthly From the Resurrection of Christ for hee did not rise like a private Person as the Widdowes Sonne did and as Lazarus but He rose as the publike Head of the Church Saint Paul saith That Hee was the first fruits of them that slept so in the rising of Christ all the People of God did virtually rise that which went before in the Head shall follow in the Members as Augustine saith and Cyril saith well that Christ entred into Heaven by the narrow passage of his sufferings and death to make a wide passage for us into Heaven so in Christs rising we rise I but some say It was an easie matter for Christ to rise because He was God I answer it was a hard matter for Christ to rise againe after he was laid into the grave I
That of a lothsome prison house Christ hath made the grave to be a storehouse to keepe all the bodies of his servants till the day of resurrection hath made the grave as a sweet bed to rest on so we see Esai 57. 2. it is said Peace shall come upon them they shall rest in their beds every one that walketh before me One saith well that Christ hath made the grave a beaten and a plaine way to heaven for he himselfe went no other way thither but through the grave and dennes of death therefore wee must looke to goe no other way than this seeing wee may finde in this way the footsteps markes and prints of our Lord Iesus Christ and our deare friends and therefore also wee may be bold to venture the Children of Israel went through the wildernesse a place of stinging Serpents and endured much hardship yet because this was the way to Canaan this made them bold to venture so though the grave be a dreadfull place yet Christians know that it is the way to the Heavenly Canaan and in which Christ hath gone before us therefore we should be bold to venter this same way The fourth comfort is That although we lie a long time in the Grave yet we have assured hope that one day we shall rise againe This was Davids comfort Psal 16. 9. saith he Wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoyceth my flesh also rests in hope for thou wilt not leave my soule in the Grave neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption This is not onely true of Christ that he would not suffer himselfe to lie in the grave for ever but it is true also of all his members that God will not suffer them for ever to dwell in the Grave but will one day raise them up againe We see when Ionas was cast into the Sea there was a Whale that did swallow him up one would have thought that there had beene an end of him and that he had beene utterly consumed and no man should have heard any more of him yet the Lord did but speake a word to the Whale and he cast him up on the drie land so when a man is put into the Grave some thinke there is an end of him we shall never heare more of him yet let the Lord speake but a word and the grave shall give up his dead This is comfort to a Christian that although one may lie a long time in the grave yet he may have assured hope that he shall one day be raised up The use is seeing that there be these comforts notwithstanding that a man may lie a long time in the grave why then should a Christian be affraid to die for when the world thinkes that hee is at the worst then he is a blessed and happy man because the Lord will never leave him nor forsake him but hee will bee present in the grave with him and though his body be in the place of rottennesse yet his soule shall be blessed and happy for that is an estate of blessednesse and the Grave that was a lothsome prison house is made as a store house to keepe the bodies of Gods People in and as a beaten way to Heaven Indeed life is an excellent blessing because the time of life is the time of Grace and of Repentance Therefore we should labour to preserve this candle of our life but when the time commeth that God hath appointed and death approacheth neere why should we be affraid to die seeing that we may have such comfort that notwithstanding all our enemies wee shall rise againe Christ when he drew neere his death said he thirsted and the cruell souldiers presently gave him vinegar to drinke but Christ doth not so by us hee hath tempered us a cup of comfort Hee sayes to us as he said to the Theefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise this day shall be a blessed day to thee therefore our care must bee to repent our sinnes to get faith in Christ and to live holily here and then when death commeth our soules shall goe to Heaven and though our bodies lie in the grave a long time yet one day they shall rise at the time appointed The fourth point is By whose power we shall rise the Scripture shewes by the Power of Christ no man can rise by his owne power it cannot bee done by the power of nature So Iob. 14. 14. saith he If a man die shall he live againe meaning that if a man die hee cannot rise of himselfe the power of nature cannot put life into him againe no man can raise himselfe nor no body else can doe it it must be by the power of Christ onely So saith David Psal 49. 7. None of them can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor give to God a ransome for him and the Scripture elsewhere makes it plaine unto us that it must be by the power of Christ that wee shall be raised for he is said to be the resurrection and the life and further 1 Cor. 15. 22. saith the Apostle For as in Adam all died even so in Christ shall we all be made alive so Psal 49. 15. But God shall deliver my soule from the power of the grave for hee will receive mee so then all shall rise by the power of Christ but there is great difference in their risings for hee will raise the godly as a mercifull Saviour and Redeemer as a Head to give life to his Members and quicken them Thus all the People of God shall be infinitly made glad of the power of Christ but the wicked of the world and such as have despised God and goodnesse they shall rise with feare and astonishment and shall wish that the Sea or the Grave might have retained and kept them yea they shall desire the hils and mountaines to fall upon them to cover them The use is first seeing all shall rise by the power of Christ we must learne to magnifie this power that shall raise us from the power of the Grave and out of the belly of rottennesse In the story of Ioseph Gen. 40. 13. when hee lay in the prison house hee said unto Pharoahs butler Remember me to Pharoah that thou mayest bring mee out of his house for I was taken out of my Countrie and sold c. So the body should say to the soule remember me to Iesus Christ that he may bring mee from this prison house and place of rottennesse that he may raise me out of the dust and bring me to Heaven Secondly seeing all shall rise by the power of Christ therefore let all labour to feele the power of Christ here in this life to their conversion or else they shall feele the power of Christ to their terrour at the day of judgement Therefore labour thou here whosoever thou art to feele the power of Christ to raise thee out of thy sinnes and
downe as a ground Heb. 4. 9. that there remaines a rest for the People of God here in this world they have a great deale of trouble therefore Habbak 1. 13. the Prophet complaineth Wherefore dost thou looke upon the transgressour and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than himselfe so Psalm 34. 19. David saith Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord doth deliver them out of all so here is the stay of a Christian though he hath a great deale of trouble and affliction yet there remaineth a rest for the people of God One saith well all Gods works were good who when he had laboured six dayes rested the seventh day so saith he if thy workes are good which thou doest then after thy labour thou shalt have rest when the wicked shall have neither rest nor peace The Children of Israel when they were in the wildernesse endured sore labour but here was their comfort that their labour tended to Canaan to give rest unto them as it is Ier. 30. 2. He walked before Israel to cause him to rest so though the People of God have sore labour forty yeares together yet because they bee in the way to Heaven and to the kingdome of God where they shall have rest endlesse comfort and bee free from all both bodily and spirituall labours they should be comforted now it is a labour for mee to preach to get learning but then all these things shall cease and we shall bee infinitely indued with all heavenly knowledge as 1 Cor. 12. 9. saith Saint Paul Now we know but in part prophecie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be abolished so the Prophet Esay saith Wee shall be all taught of God therefore who would not but endure a little labour here seeing hee shall have eternall rest Philosophers say that All things rest when they come at their proper place but heaven is the proper place of Gods people where they shall have rest therefore let us be contented to take a little labour and paines that we may have rest in the life to come If a king should say to us goe walke in such a high way cole-pit or in such a mine but a few dayes after which ye shall be free from all labours then I will keepe and maintaine you for ever who is there but would bee contented to take any paines and labour for a little time that so he may be freed from everlasting torment so seeing the Lord will one day free us from all our labours if we will bee contented to labour here in this world and to doe that which the Lord commandeth us we shall one day bee free from all labours and shall rest in the kingdome of God It was the manner of the ancient Romans that if any man had gone out to warres and had returned safe home againe he should ever after bee kept without labouring any more so the Lord hath sent us out to warre against our sinnes lusts and the devill after which when we returne home to heaven we shall be freed from all our labours Thirdly wee shall be freed from originall sinne and the fruits of it in the time of this life what is it that a Christian would not give to bee free from originall sinne and the fruits thereof indeed a prophane man is loth to part from his sinnes which he cannot live without no more than a fish can live without the water as wee heard in the forenoone but Christians will part with their meat and drinke with any thing to bee rid of it for they desire above all things to bee rid of corruption so Paul cryeth out Rom. 7. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of this death After this life wee shall no more displease God but be free from originall sinne which is the corruption of nature now it may be repressed but not quite abolished till the day of death as the Childe was rent and torne by the devill when hee departed out of it so sinne will deale with us but here is the comfort that in the life to come wee shall be freed from it and the fruits of it and shall no more grieve God as Iosh 10. 25. when he had discomfited the five kings he did not kill them by and by but put them into a cave and rolled a great stone on them to keepe them in untill he had made an end of killing of his enemies then he commanding them to roll away the stone from the Caves mouth they brought out these kings that the chiefe of his men might set their feet on their necks ere he killed them in like manner our great captaine Iesus Christ will doe by originall sinne and the fruit thereof in us which shall not be quite killed in this life but subdued brought under put into a cave as it were and great stones rolled upon it that is by repentance obedience and prayer it shall bee subdued here and then at the day of judgement Iesus Christ shall abolish it when hee shall make us set our foot on the neck of it then the people of God shall say as it is 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory the sting of sinne is death and the strength of sinne is the law but thanks bee to God that hath given us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Fourthly we shall be freed from all worldly authority and power then there shall be no king but God shall bee all in all as it is 1 Cor. 15. 27. And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Sonne himselfe likewise be subject unto him that did subdue all things under him that God may be all in all so then all the kingdomes of this world shall give place to it therefore how joyfull shall it bee when God shall raigne over us wee see when Salomon was crowned king 1 King 1. 40. how joyfull the people were it is said that they rejoyced with great joy so that the earth rang with the sound thereof but how much more joyfull shall it bee when all kings shall come and lay downe their crownes at Gods feete when God shall raigne over the house of Sion Psalm 91. it is said The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce c. therefore what a comfort will this bee to the people of God when God shall reigne over them so Esai 24. 23. it is said When the Lord of hosts shall reigne in mount Sion and in Ierusalem and glory shall bee before his ancient men so Esai 52. 7. saith he How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of them that declare and publish the glad tidings of peace and salvation saying unto Sion Thy God reigneth so the people of God shall bee freed from all worldly powers and bad government when God shall
the little Boy which runnes to our friend Iesus Christ who then comes and paies our debt pacifies the conscience and we goe free Secondly because it maketh us one with Christ as we see in the Galathians and in the Epistle to the Ephesians wee are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone and therefore being one with him all the holy vertues that be in him are made ours the obedience of Christ his patience his love his meekenesse his goodnesse his holinesse and whatsoever is in him wee partake of it As we see in experience if a man be married to a woman whatsoever he hath hee communicates to his wife for if he be rich she cannot be poore if he be noble she cannot be base for looke what the man hath hee communicates to his wife even so being made one with Christ by faith looke what good things Christ hath that hee communicates to us his Righteousnesse his Holinesse c. Looke what he hath we cannot want If a man should commit treason against the king be condemned for it adjudged and sentence given that he shold have his hand cut off or his eyes pulled out if he had this cunning that he could make his hand or his eye to bee the eye of the kings sonne he should not have his hand cut off nor lose his eye because it then were the eye or hand of the kings sonne even so this is the skill and cunning of faith it makes us members and parts of Christ the sonne of God and therefore if wee be but the least bone in the body of Christ God will not cast us away we shall not perish for his sonnes sake So that faith doth not save us by reason it is a more holy quality than other graces or for the worthines of it above others but because it maketh us one with Christ as if a man had a stone in a ring that could heale many diseases we say it is the ring but indeed it is not the ring but the stone in the ring that cures them and even so it is said faith saveth us but not by the owne vertue but because it layeth hold on Christ and makes us one with him The second use of faith is to sanctifie us in this world for it doth not onely justifie us and take away the guilt of sinne but also sanctifies us in this world and taketh away the corruption of sinne So we see it is said Act. 15. Their hearts were purified by faith and Galatians 5. 6. that Faith worketh by Love There be two workes of faith First it worketh in heaven for when we have sinned and grieved God and are smitten in conscience for it accused and condemned then faith worketh in Heaven by tendring and offering up Iesus Christ to God for our Redemption and satisfaction of his justice Secondly faith worketh in earth by stirring up sanctified and holy motions Now two waies it may stirre up good motions First by the meditation of the death of Christ Secondly by combination or conjunction with Christ First by meditation for faith doth carry us to the crosse of Christ there to behold the great paines that Hee hath suffered for us how his body was racked and tormented for us and to this end Faith makes us consider these three things 1. The cause of his death 2. The end of his death 3. The manner of his death First to consider the cause of his death that it was nothing in himselfe but it was our sinnes and transgressions that caused his body to be whipped his face to be buffeted his hands to be peirced his feete to be nailed his Head to be crowned his sides to be launced with a speate So that our sinnes are the cause of the death of Christ and of all the grievous things that he suffered as it is in three and fiftieth chapter of Esay and the fifth verse But he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes wee are healed And 1 Peter 2. 24. Who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that wee being delivered from sinne should live in righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed and therefore seeing our sinnes caused this cruell death and grievous paine to be upon Christ to doe the like to our sinnes to goe to the crosse of Christ to take them downe to crucifie them to hang them up to take the speare out of Christs side to thrust it into the side of sinne as in the Revelation we may see a voyce came to the Church concerning bloody Babylon Reward her as shee hath rewarded you so doth this voyce come to a Christian concerning sinne reward it as that hath rewarded Christ that would not let Christ to be at rest till it had killed him even so we should not let sinne be at rest till wee have killed it saith Augustine If one should kill thy father or thy mother wouldest thou entertaine him into thine house wouldest thou let him feede at thy table nay thou wouldest hate him and spit at him nay saith he sinne hath not killed thy father and mother but it hath killed Christ thy Saviour and Redeemer what saith hee wilt thou then entertaine sinne wilt thou let it sleepe in thy bosome wilt thou feede it Nay saith he hate it defie it and spit at it as at a Toade The second thing we are to consider is the end of Christs death now all the paines that Christ suffered it was to abolish sinne so wee see Heb. 9. 26. But now in the end of the world hath hee appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe 1 Ioh. 3. 8. For this purpose appeared the Sonne of God that hee might loose the worke of the divell And therefore seeing the death of Christ was to abolish sinne if wee live in it we make all the paines of Christs sufferings and his death of none effect wherein judge you what an injury and wrong is offered to Christ the Prophet complaineth Esai 49. 4. That He laboured and spent his strength in vaine and for nothing such a complaint may Christ take up against us on the crosse For this cause was I sent of my Father into the world to abolish sinne and for this cause was I inclosed ninth moneths in the darke wombe of the Virgin and for this cause was I borne in a stable and layd in a manger for this cause was I thirty three yeeres labouring among you for this cause did I dye a cursed death on the corsse all this was to abolish sinne and therefore if men live in sinne still it may seeme to them Christ hath spent all his labour and strength in vaine nay he may say he hath spent his blood even all his blood even five streames of blood that came from him and all this in vaine to them It is said
Law there were divers Saviours as wee may see Iud. 2. 16. it is said that the Lord raised up Iudges to deliver or to save them out of their oppressors hands but all these Saviours were but petty Saviours in regard of Iesus for they could not save their bodies or their goods but Iesus saveth our soules as Psal 33. 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him and upon them that trust in his mercy to deliver their soules from death and to preserve them in famine Secondly these Saviours can but save us from tyrants and worldly misery but Iesus saveth us from hell the divell and damnation As Luk. 1. 74. That we being delivered from the hands of our enemies should serve him without feare all the daies of our life Thirdly they could but save them for a time for when they were dead straight way they were oppressed againe but Christ hath wrought eternall redemption for us so it is said Heb. 5. 9. And being consecrated he was made the Author of eternall Salvation unto all them that obey him Fourthly these Saviours can save but for one age they could not save them that were before them nor them that come after them but Iesus saveth men in all ages from the beginning of the world to the latter end of it Fifthly although they saved others yet they could not save themselves as Ioshua was discomfited when hee went to Aye and Sampson had his eyes plucked out therefore all these Saviours were but petty Saviours in respect of Iesus and beside Iesus there is no Saviour in the matters of salvation and redemption The use is first that seeing there is no Iesus can save us but this Iesus wee may see the horriblenesse of our sinnes and the grievousnesse of them for when wee have sinned no Angell could save us no Saint nor all the powers in heaven or earth but it must cast the blood of the Sonne of God it must be hee that must make atonement for us therefore as Augustine saith O man by the greatnesse of the price that was paid for thee thou maiest consider the greatnesse of thy sinnes for it was not a small matter that made God to kill his owne Sonne and therefore by the greatnesse of the price consider the greatnesse of thy sinnes Secondly seeing there is no Iesus can save us but this Iesus we should be carefull to avoide every sinne and to decline from it for when wee have sinned there is no power in heaven and earth whereby we can bee saved but it must cost the blood of Christ If a man should for every lye hee told or every sinne committed lose but a drop of his owne blood how affraid would he be of sinning Now there is never a sinne that we doe commit but it hath cost blood either it will cost our blood or the blood of the Sonne of God and therefore how affraid should we be of sinning against God lest we should be more lavish of the blood of Christ than we would be of our owne Thirdly we beleeve that as he is Iesus in generall so he will bee our Iesus and will save us at the day of death and judgement This is our comfort when wee are perswaded that Iesus is not onely a Saviour to others but hee is a Saviour to us Thomas could have no true comfort till he could say My God and my Lord and this it was that comforted Iob I know my Redeemer liveth c. This also was a comfort to David saith he I should have fainted but that I beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the Land of the living here then is the comfort of a Christian when he can apply and appropriate Christ to himselfe A man can have but little comfort of a house or land when hee is shewed it unlesse it bee his owne so we can have but little comfort by Christ unlesse we can say that Christ is as truly ours as this house or land wee enjoy is ours and as truely may a Christian say that all Christs merits is his as a man may say his coate on his backe is his But how shall we come to know that Christ is ours I answere if wee bee his people if we be contented to be guided and governed by him if we will obey his voyce then we be his people but if we will not be gathered home unto him to live under his government be guided by him and obey his voyce we are none of his neither can we rightly apply him to our comfort The second thing we beleeve of Iesus is that this Iesus that was the Sonne of Mary and borne at Bethlem is the Christ as Peter shewes Therefore let all the house of Israel for a surely know that God hath made him both Lord and Christ this is also the confession the Disciples made of him Ioh. 6. 69. And we beleeve and know that thou art the Christ the Sonne of the living God and Act. 9. 22. But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Iewes that dwelt at Damascus proving that this was the Christ and so the Angels proclaime him Luk. 2. 10. Be not afraid saith the Angell unto them for behold I bring you tydings of great joy that shall be to all people That is That unto you this day is borne in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord so the Angell proclaimed that Iesus was the Sonne of Mary and borne at Bethlem the devils also confesse him to be Christ Luk. 4 41. so then there can be no question of this but that Iesus is the Christ Now Christ is a Greeke word and doth signifie Anointed as Psal 103. 15. Touch not mine Anointed c. Anointed is as much as to say Christ Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same in the Old as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the new Testament as Ioh. 1. 41. We have found the Messias which is by interpretation the Christ and the Samaritans make this confession of him Ioh. 4 42. For we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeede the Christ the Saviour of the world so that Christ is the Saviour of the world and the Anointed and the Messias hee that was set apart for the great worke of redemption From hence that Christ is the Messias or the Anointed five things are to be considered 1. What is meant by Anointing 2. With what he was Anointed 3. By whom he was Anointed 4. To what he was Anointed 5. What benefit we haue by his Anointing First what is meant by Anointing In the Law were three things implied in Anointing 1. That the Party Anointed was designated or appointed to that worke or calling by God 2. A declaration that God had enabled him with graces to discharge or execute fitly that worke or calling that was assigned him 3. That the Party anointed was
and the king there is not so great disproportion it is all one hand that made them they were all made of one matter of the earth and when they are turned to the earth againe there is no difference betweene them but there is no proportion betweene the sonne of God and the nature of man for the Philosophers could say There is no proportion betweene an infinite thing and a finite therefore it was a greater matter that God would take our nature upon him than a king to become the meanest creature for the good of his subjects We read 1 King 8. 27. But will God indeed dwell on the earth Behold the heaven of heavens cannot containe thee c. If Salomon did admire and wonder that God would dwell in the Temple which was all glorious as the wit of man could devise how then may we admire and wonder that God would dwell in mans fraile and weake nature when it was fallen into disgrace if he had taken our nature upon him when our first parents stood in their innocency when all the Creatures did service to them then it had not beene so great a matter But when mans nature was in disgrace had sinned against God and was bound over to the diuell it was a great abasing to the sonne of God If a man should take a noblemans colours and cloth as long as a nobleman is in favour with the king it were no disgrace to him but if a man should take his colours or cloth when hee is proclaimed to be a Traytor this were a great disgrace to him so when mans nature was in favour with God then it was not such a disgrace but for Christ to take it when it had sinned against God and when it was so deformed was a great humiliation The Use is twofold First seeing the sonne of God was contented to be humbled for us to the estate of a servant how should we be contented to be humbled and to stoope to any service and dutie to become nothing to our selves to doe him service The Apostle Phil. 4. 12. saith I have learned in all estates to be contented how to want and how to abound In all things I am instructed c. and David Psal 22. 6. I am a worme and no man c. David saw the Son of God should be abased and humbled hence he humbleth himselfe therefore seeing Christ was contented to be humbled for us wee should be humbled for him It is our sinne that we cannot abide to bee humbled or to stoope to any condition of humilitie Now if Christ was contented to be a servant for us we must be contented to be poore for his sake to stoope to any estate he appoints for us Secondly that seeing the Sonne of God was humbled for us we must be contented to be humbled one for another which our Saviour teacheth us Iohn 13. 14. If your Lord and Master wash your feet how ought you to wash one anothers feete so Philip. 2. 5. Let the same minde bee in you that was in Christ why what was that Who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God yet he tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made like a man and humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse Those that keepe sweete wines must keepe them in deepe Cellars and low vaults or else they will lose their good taste and relish so if we would keepe the good graces of God in our hearts wee must keepe them in a broken heart and humble spirit for if we be high-minded then our graces will lose their good taste and relish And therefore we must lay them in humble hearts low in our owne conceit as Christ humbled himselfe for us so we should humble our selves one for another Now in the first degree of Christs Humiliation in the taking of the nature of man upon him we observe 1. How farre forth he tooke mans nature upon him 2. The reasons why he was man 3. The speciall ends why he tooke our nature upon him 4. The manner of it First how farre he tooke mans nature upon him This is laid downe in two conclusions First that he tooke the nature of man wholly upon him not a part of mans nature but the whole nature of man both a body and a soule He tooke a body to him as Col. 1. 21 22. And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked workes yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight so 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that wee being dead to sinnes should live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes wee are healed Hence wee see it is out of question hee had a body so also it is most certaine Hee had a soule as he said Matth. 26. 38. My soule is heavy unto death And in another place My soule is troubled within me so that he had the whole nature of man a body and a soule The Fathers argue well against the heretikes in those dayes If Christ had taken but one part of mans nature then hee could have redeemed but one part And therefore Irenaeus saith well Hee gave his body for our bodies and his soule for our soules and Athanasius It was unpossible that if he had taken but one part he could have redeemed us Hee had therefore a body to redeeme our bodies and a soule to redeeme our soules so that he had the whole nature of man The second conclusion is that he had not onely the whole nature of man but the infirmities of man the fraileties and weakenesse of our nature so we read that he was hungry thirsty weary c. Here wee may wonder at the kindnesse mercy and compassion of Christ that hee would not take the best only but the worst things even our weakenesses and infirmities men can bee contented to take the honour of Christ but are loth to take his shame This must teach us therefore that wee should not be contented to take the best things onely for Christ but even the worst things also for his sake Now wee must understand with a distinction how Christ tooke our infirmities first there be infirmities that be sinfull and secondly that be unblameable passions Christ tooke not the first sort of infirmities but the latter of which there be two sorts 1. Some that be common to all men 2. Some that be personall Now Christ tooke not our sinfull infirmities upon him for the sanctitie of his nature doth exclude them as water being dropped or powred on hot coales it doth drinke up the water so the sanctitie of his nature doth exclude sinne for hee could not take our sinfull infirmities as 1 Pet. 2. 22. it is said Who did not sinne neither was there guilt found in his mouth
that God the Creator should have suffered but one houre We see in nature that a wound at the heart although it be but with a little pin is more dangerous than a great cut in the thigh arme or any other place so it is a greater matter that Christ should have suffered than if all the creatures should have suffered So that the sufferings of Christ are more than sufficient to redeeme us for it is the dignity of the person that giveth a merit and efficacie to the sufferings by this that hath been said is made manifest that no man need doubt but that the sufferings of Christ is more worth than all the bodies and soules of men in the world But here may a question be moved how the death of Christ which was but temporary should be sufficient to redeemeus seeing we should have suffered eternally I answer it was the dignity of his person that gave power and efficacie to it for it was more that God should suffer even a little than if all the men of the world had suffered for ever Secondly seeing it was God that suffered this doth shew the grievousnesse of our sinnes that when we have sinned we have done that which all the powers in heaven and in earth cannot satisfie neither Angels nor Archangels but it must be the bloud of the Sonne of God saith Augustine O man doe but consider by the greatnesse of the price the greatnesse of thy sinnes we see what a slight matter we make of sinne when we have sworne an oath or told alye yet when wee have done so we have done that that all the Angels in heaven cannot make expiation and satisfaction for but onely the Sonne of God must doe it and that with his owne bloud therefore doe not thou sell that for a toy or a trifle that cost so great price Thirdly seeing it was God that suffered wee must not thinke much that we suffer for our sins for if God would have spared any he would have spared his owne Sonne one would thinke but he would not spare him though there was no inherent or reall sinne in him but a shadow onely and the imputation of sinne upon him therefore how shall hee spare us that have sinne inherent and reall in us we thinke much when our teeth or backe ake or any other part of us whereas wee deserve to be pained in all our parts if God suffered we must not thinke much to suffer for our sinnes for in mans reason if he would have spared any he would have spared his owne Sonne Matth. 20. saith our Saviour They will reverence my Son And Luk. 23. 34. he saith If they doe this to the greene tree what will they doe to the dry tree He was a greene tree full of goodnesse and full of grace we be but dry trees no goodnesse nor no grace in us If he suffered such things what shall become of us So Rom. 11. 21. For if God spared not the naturall branches take heed also lest hee spare not thee Therefore if Christ suffered we must not thinke much to suffer Thirdly For whom he suffered Saint Peter saith the just for the unjust And Rom. 5. 8. the Apostle saith But God commendeth his love to us seeing that whilest we were yet sinners Christ died for us So then Christ died for us in our place and roome The Vses are First seeing Christ suffered in our roome and place therefore this must teach us that whatsoever befell Christ at his sufferings the same might justly have fallen upon us for Christ he tooke the guilt of our sinnes upon him suffered in our roome and place therefore whatsoever befell him the same should have befallen us as he was arraigned and condemned at Pilates barre so wee should have beene before Gods tribunall as he was condemned of Pilate so we should have beene condemned of God as he was accused of the Iewes so we should have been by the Devill as he was carried out of the Citie to the place of execution so we should have beene carried to hell as he was hanged on the Crosse so we should have been tormented in hell for ever as darknesse was over his face so we should have had our faces overwhelmed with darknesse for ever Alas we thinke much to suffer a little paine in our heads backes or teeth c. but what is this to that which Christ suffered for us we have our houses to rest in but it is said that the Sonne of man hath not a place to rest his head in He died in the fields wee have our soft beds he amongst his enemies we amongst our friends Christ was a hungry and thirsted we have our tables filled he was in want and we have plenty therefore consider with thy selfe what great things befell Christ the same should have befallen thee whatsoever extremitie in soule or in body came to him the same nay worse had not he redeemed thee would have vexed thee Secondly seeing Christ suffered in our roome and place this therefore should teach us to accuse our selves because wee be the cause of Christs sufferings for it is our sinnes that caused a crowne of thornes to be set on his head that nailed him to the crosse that thrust the speare into his sides did crucifie him So Esa 53. 16. it is said That the chastisements of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Therefore as Gen. 35. 18. Rachel named her son Ben-oni the sonne of her sorrow because he was borne with the death of his mother so Christ may call us â—â—nnes of his sorrow because we be all borne with his death There be many that complaine of the souldiers of Pilate of Iudas and of the Iewes but we ought rather to complaine of our selves our sinnes and the vile life we live in therefore let us doe as Ioseph of Arimathea did goe to the crosse of Christ as hee pulled the spickes out of his hands and his feet so should wee in a spirituall manner goe to the crosse of Christ looke upon his body and say O blessed Lord this is the head that my sinnes have crowned with a crowne of thornes these be the hands that my sins have pierced these be the feet that my sinnes have nailed this is the face which my sinnes caused to be spit upon this is the backe which I caused to be whipped and these be the sides that I caused to be wounded with a speare thus we should complaine of our selves and weepe day and night in that we were the cause of his death If a man be found dead there is inquiry made in the countrey how this man came by his death So now that Christ is found dead on the crosse we must make inquiry how Christ came to his death upon the inquiry we shall finde that we be the crucifiers of him not the Iewes onely but my sinnes and thy sins for as
thing is it when a Christian shall sinne against his conscience and that shall smite him as it did the Lepers in the midst of their jollity 2 King 7. 7. who said we doe not well to tarry here c. so when a mans conscience shall tell him O I doe not well to sweare to lye and yet that same man should goe on still in his wicked courses this is a pittifull thing therefore a man must take heed hee sinne not against his conscience if a man should have a snake or a worme crawling in his body or in his bowels though it should bee quiet sometimes yet upon every little occasion it should crawle and stirre about hee would thinke it were better to dye a thousand deaths but what is this to the worme of conscience that will torment a man for ever and ever and never dieth therefore as a learned man saith all other plagues a man may fly from but hee cannot fly from an evill conscience a man may fly from the plague from famine or from the injury of men but he cannot fly from an evil conscience whither soever he goeth that will with him if he goe into merry company or into his chamber into his closet or into any roome under the earth the secretest place that may bee his evill conscience will goe with him and pursue him like unto a man that hath an ague he thinkes if he were in this or in that place in this roome or in that hee should have ease but so long as hee carrieth the matter of his owne griefe about him he can have none so a man that hath an evill conscience hee may thinke to have peace in this place in this and that company but as long as he carrieth about him the matter of his griefe hee must never looke to have ease therefore wee must take heed of sinning against our conscience The second thing that made Pilate stand so stiffe for Christ was the admonition of his wife for Pilate being in the judgement seat shee sent him a message Matth. 27. To have nothing to doe with that just man in which message we observe divers things 1. The partie that sent the message Pilates Wife 2. The time when shee sent it when Pilato was upon the judgement seate 3. The tenour of the message have thou nothing to doe with that just man 4. The reason because I have suffered many things this night in a dreame touching Him First who it was that sent the message Pilates wife hence observe it is a good thing for women to stop and stay their husbands in the course of sinne they must labour to prevent them by good speeches and good admonitions for women were made to this end to be helpers to their husbands to helpe them to heaven therefore when the wife shall admonish the husband and hee doe not regard but despise and neglect it Pilate shall rise up in judgement against him and condemne him at the day of judgement Secondly when it was as he sate in judgement it was a very fit time a good season as David bad his servants say to Nabal 1 Sam. 25. Wee came in a good season so it is a good season to stoppe a man in sinne when hee is about the doing of it so the Angell of the Lord stopped Ioseph Matth. 1. when he thought to have put Mary away secretly so Gen. 20. when Abimelech thought to have taken Abrahams wife saith the Lord unto him thou art but a dead man it is a good thing then to admonish one of sinne when they be about doing of it Thirdly the tenor of the message have thou nothing to doe with this just man If a man be a just man and an innocent man let us take heed how wee have to deale with him or doe him any wrong or any hurt Psal 37. It is a note of a wicked man that he persecutes the godly man for if a man be a just and godly man then there is matter enough for them but we must take heed wee doe them no harme or wrong a man may handle gold Oare iron as long as it remaines in his owne nature but if the nature of fire be put to it then if we handle it it will burne us so we may deale with men as long as they remaine in their owne nature but if once they have the nature of God take heed how we deale with them lest it happen unto us as Revel 11. 5. it is said of the two Prophets that if any man hurt them fire shall come out of their mouthes and destroy them The fourth reason was Because she had suffered many things in a dreame touching him this is the property of a good conscience to bee moved and stirred by the judgements of God it is a wofull thing when his judgements be upon us yet we are not moved and stirred at them when hee shall take away our wives our children our cattell or our goods and yet wee bee not moved at it If a Physition give a man Physicke the next question that he will aske him when hee comes to him is whether his physicke did worke or no if it did not worke and stirre the humours it is twenty to one but the party will dye so the judgements of God are his physicke and if they doe move and stirre us there is some good hope but if they doe not move and work upon us there is danger twentie to one but we shall be more afflicted or die therefore it is a pitifull thing that Gods judgements be upon us in this unseasonable weather and yet we are not moved and stirred by them nor drawne unto repentance to returne to God the Lord complaines of this Ier. 5. Thou hast stricken them but they have not sorrowed And Zephan 3. Every morning doth he bring his judgements to light and yet the wicked will not learne to be ashamed It is a good thing to be afflicted with the judgements of God as Numb 21. the people come to Moses and desire him to pray to God to take away the firy Serpents not desiring to have their sins taken away therefore when that judgement was at an end they had a greater and so had no rest till the Lord had destroyed them so men doe now when the judgements of God be upon them then they pray to have sicknesse famine scarcitie and unseasonable weather taken away from them but never pray to God to have their sins taken away to give them repentance and therefore when one judgement is at an end it it the beginning of a greater the Lord will never rest till hee hath destroyed us if wee doe not repent us of all our sinnes and turne to him in the truth of our hearts This must teach Christians that have more light and knowledge than they had or than Pilate had to take heed that they doe not sinne against their conscience Pilate had
of the Crosse that wee might be blessed die a death temporall that we might not die a death eternall Secondly because of all deaths it was a shamefull death for it was not onely a cursed death but a shamefull death therefore Paul saith Hebr. 12. 2. Who endured the Crosse and despised the shame The reason why Christ died this shamefull death was to sanctifie all kindes of deaths to his dying members so that let the death bee never so shamefull if one die in faith or in the pardon of his sinnes in the feare God his death is sanctified unto him he is a happie man Heb. 11. it is said of such They all died in faith they died not all in their beds or of a lingering disease but some of them were racked some stoned some sawne asunder but they all died in faith and therefore they were blessed men what death soeuer they died on So let men labour to die in faith and in the feeling of Gods love in the pardon of their sinnes then let their death be what it will be such a one he shall be an happie and a blessed man Thirdly because it was one of the painefullest deaths that was as appeares by these foure reasons First because they that were to die this kind of death were whipped and scourged for so Christs bloud was spent with whipping and scourging that hee was not able to carry his Crosse Secondly because they suffered in the most sensitive parts in the hollow of the hands and feet for these places are the quickest and fullest of sense As Galen saith because there all the ligaments and sinewes make a meeting therefore it must needes be painefull Thirdly because they that were crucified on the Crosse were sore racked For although they had a thing to rest their feete on yet they did hang by the hands with the weight of their whole bodies Therefore Peter saith Acts 5. The God of your Fathers hath raised up Iesus whom yee slue and hanged on the Tree Fourthly because it was a lingring death they were two or three daies a dying Now we may make these two good uses of this point Christ dying such a painful death First to teach us that it is an easie matter to reconcile us to God when wee have sinned wee thinke it an easie matter to bee reconciled to God but it cost Christ a painefull death and therefore it is not a easie but a great thing that must redeeme soules Secondly seeing Christ dyed such a painefull death and overcame that which was sorest wee know that hee will comfortably raise us up from other deaths that wee shall dye of Athanasius giveth a good reason why Christ dyed not an ordinary death as others doe but a painefull death he brings it in against the heretikes for they objected Why did not Christ dye an ordinary death as others doe To this hee answereth that men of ordinary deaths dye because of ordinary infirmities that they can live no longer sicknesse and diseases come upon them which they are not able to withstand but there can be no infirmitie in Christ he is the eternall word the Sonne of God I but why did he not make choice of some other kind of death but would dye such a painefull death To this he answereth that if he had made choice of some other death then they would have thought that hee had not had power to overcome any other death but that But now hee taking any death that they could put upon him even the most painefullest and sorest and having power to overcome that it is evident that hee hath power to overcome any other whatsoever And so gives us comfortable hope that hee will raise us up his members from all other deaths Even as a Champion comming into the field hee will not make choice of the weapon or the man hee is to fight with but will take that which is put upon him so Christ doth not make choice of what death he will dye but hee takes that which the world puts upon him This is the reason why hee dyed not by the sword as Iohn did nor was sawne asunder as Esaiah was nor knocked on the head as Amos was but was crucified So that he triumphing over his death we may know and have comfortable hope that we shall bee raysed from other deaths Fourthly because it was more eminent and apparent to be seene for they that were to be crucified were lifted up that all men might see them Of which two reasons may be given why Christ must dye thus aloft First to conquer the divell the prince of the Ayre in his owne country and at his owne doore And so dedicate a way to heaven and reare a ladder in his death and bloodshed that it might be a step or a scaffold whereby we might climbe up to heaven Secondly Christ dyed aloft that all the world might see and know hee was the meanes of mans reconciliation and redemption Therefore hee dyed not in a corner nor below but that all men might see and behold it aloft as good Moses set up a Brasen Serpent on a pole that so if any were flung with the firy serpent if they could but creepe to their tents and cast up their eyes to the brasen serpent they had helpe so God hath set up Christ on a pole on the Crosse that men may see the meanes of their salvation and redemption and so bee saved Therefore let us doe as Mary and Iohn did creepe to the Crosse of Christ as neere as they could get so that they heard the words of Christ speaking to them upon the the crosse in like manner though wee cannot heare the words of Christ speaking from the Crosse yet let us get as neare as wee can that so some of the warme drop of the blood of Christ may fall into our hearts to comfort and refresh us to clense and to wash away our sinnes The 2. point observ'd in his crucifying was how they led Christ to be crucified And to open it thrughly unto you let us consider these 2. cirūstances 1. Hee was led in his owne Garments 2. They made him beare his owne Crosse First he was led in his owne garments they put on him a purple robe to disgrace him but it is said they pluckt off that and put on his owne garments and that chiefly for these two reasons 1. That he might bee the better knowne to the people 2. To fulfill the scripture that had foretold that his garments shuld be divided Wherein we may consider that God that a secret hand in it the Iewes were in hast because of the preparation of the Sabath the 6. hour ere they could get Christ condemned about noone and yet they must needs tarry to put off the purple robe to put on his own garments which must teach us that the wicked for all their rage heate and
ashamed to looke on their fathers face so we should goe to Christ with the greatest humilitie and the most shamefastnesse In that we be the men and women that lay such a load on him Secondly To teach us that if wee suffer with Christ wee must goe out of the gates and out of Ierusalem That is wee must goe out of our pleasures and our sinnes to suffer with Christ as the Apostle saith Christ suffered without the gate so let us goe forth of the campe bearing his reproach many an one can be contented to have their part in the sinne offerings of Christ but they will not go out of the campe out of their sinnes pleasures profits and be contented to beare the reproach of Christ But we have heard Christ suffered without the gate that we should follow him and come out of our sinnefull pleasures and profits therefore let us bee obedient and doe so Wee see Hebr. 11. that Moses is commended for that he esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt and therefore as Mephibosheth said of Ziba 2 Sam. 19. 30. Yea let him take all seeing my Lord the king is come againe in peace unto his owne house I will never strive for it but let him have it it is enough for me that the king liveth so we should say Let the world take their pleasures their profits c. I will leave that to the world I will not strive for that it is enough that Christ is my glory and that I shall be partaker with him of eternall Happinesse Thirdly to teach us that the casting out of Christ out of the earth from Ierusalem and out of the societie of men is the bringing of us into the society of God and his blessed Angels Christ suffered without the gate therefore when we see that hee suffered without the gate and was cast out of the earthly Ierusalem wee must consider it is the bringing of us into the heavenly for as he was cast out of the one so we are brought into the other by the Angels at the day of Iudgement The first Adam lost the earthly Paradise and the second Adam hath purchased for us the heavenly Paradise where we shall eate of the Tree of life that is in the middest of it and of the hidden Manna that is spoken of Revel 2. as Ionah 1. 12. saith unto the men that were in the ship in the great distresse that fell upon them when the Sea was troublesome Take me up and cast me into the sea so shall the Sea be calme unto you so Christ said to the Father in the great distresse of all mankinde Take mee and cast mee into the Sea away with mee unto the crosse fling me into the grave cast me from the societie of men and so shall heaven and earth and hell be at peace with you and God pacified and pleased with you and as Cantic 3. 11. Salomon saith Come forth yee daughters of Ierusalem and behold king Salomon crowned with the crowne wherwith his mother crowned him so we are called out to behold Christ hanging on the crosse on mount Calvary crucified and killed for thy sinnes Secondly the particular place is Calvarie or Golgotha the place of mens skuls Now some thinke it was so called because Adam was buried there where his skull being found it gave name to the place But this opinion Saint Ierome refutes as a fable some againe thinke it was called Calvary because it was made round like a skull Othersome thinke it was called Golgotha because it was the place of execution where commonly malefactors suffered and where were left the bones and skuls of such as were executed which opinion I incline to Now this wee see could not chuse but be a very infamous loathsome and fearefull place in which Christ was put to death which may teach us these two things the desert of our sinnes that we deserve to die in the infamous loathsome and fearefull places that may bee to have all the disgrace that can be put upon us indeed in regard of men it may bee wee doe not deserve it but in regard of God we doe for as Christ died in Golgotha so we deserve not onely to die in Golgotha but to die in Hell for ever and ever therefore whereas wee would have honour put upon us at our death and desire to be as much graced as may be we must thinke of this that Christ died in Golgotha in a lothsome place to shew the desert of our sinnes that we doe deserve to die in the disgracefullest places that may bee Secondly Christ died in such a disgracefull place to purchase and procure a better place for us to die in he died in the fields that we might dye in our beds amongst the Priests and Pharises and his enemies that we might dye amongst our friends he on the crosse that wee might dye in ease and comfort for his condemnation is our acquiting his death our life his paines our ease It is an observation that if a Bee hath stung any one thing it can sting no more though it make a buzzing and a great noyse so it is with death which having stung Christ hath now left her sting in the body of Christ therefore though death may keepe a buzzing and adoe about a Christian yet he can doe him no hurt because he hath left his sting in his sacred body therefore the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 35. triumphs over death saying O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory O death I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction Heb. 2. 14. Forasmuch as the Children were partakers of flesh and blood hee also tooke part with them that hee might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the devill The fourth point was The maner how now before they did nayle him to the crosse they gave him vinegar to drinke mingled with gall so Saint Matthew but Marke saith they gave him wine mingled with myrrh now how can these two agree together I answer the one speakes of the quality of it and the other of the substance Matthew speaketh of the qualitie Marke of the substaine for indeed it was wine in substance but sowre wine as sowre as vinegar and it was myrrh yet as bitter as gal in respect of the quality for it was a marvellous distastfull and bitter cup which they gave Christ to drinke one would not have given it to any man what was the reason that they gave him this some say it was to take away the sense and feeling of his paine but it cannot be so for there be two reasons against it first because the Iewes had no such intent to ease him but rather to afflict him secondly there is no such operation in the things for wine is a comforter of the vitall spirits the heart and braine other thinke the reason
It is Iosephs blessing Genes 46. 4. That he should put his hands upon his father Iacobs eyes that is that hee shall not leave them in the time of death It is the tendernesse of many that they cannot abide to bee with their friends at the time of death but wee that bee Christians must labour to overcome this and performe this good duty to helpe and comfort them as much as we can It is said of Abraham Gen. 19. 16. That when the Angels came to his house and were to goe from him he brought them on the way the consideration of which dutie should put us in minde to performe another namely that when wee see them readie to depart we should attend them with good speeches with our prayers and never leave them till we have brought them as farre as we can we reade 2 King when God would take away Elias Elisha would not leave him but attended him till a firy chariot came and tooke him away and so carried him to heaven so we should not leave our friends and neighbours but attend them with good speeches and prayers till God hath received them into heaven a place of glory the very seat of God Secondly the Spirituall use is that as Mary and Iohn gathered to the Crosse as neere him as possibly they might so every man should gather to the Crosse of Christ as neere as possibly he can that when others attend their pleasures profits and their sins yet thou mayest get as neere the crosse as thou canst and joyne thy selfe to Christ that every drop of bloud there may fall upon thy soule and conscience If a man come where there is a fountaine of water if he be a-thirst he will make way to it upon his hands and knees so seeing God hath opened a fountaine for us in the bloud of his Sonne as it is Zech. 13. 1. If we be a-thirst we will creepe upon our hands and knees to make way to this fountaine and drinke of it that so wee may be nourished to eternall life The Papists run to Ierusalem to see the woodden crosse of Christ which when they have done they are never a whit the better for it but doe thou labour to mortifie thy sinnes in the crosse and death of Christ joyne thy selfe to him by a true faith and then thou shalt partake of his crosse eat his body to live eternally and to drinke his bloud to thy everlasting comfort Thus much for the spirituall use The second thing that was observed is The speech of Christ wherein wee observe two things 1. The tenour of his speech 2. The time of it First The tenour of it is Woman behold thy Sonne and to his Disciple behold thy mother as if he should say take this man for thy sonne and hee shall performe the duty of a sonne unto thee in my roome take him to be thy sonne and take this woman to be thy mother Secondly The time when hee spake it when hee was in paines and torments upon the crosse wherein divers things are to be observed First we may see the care of Christ for his mother that he provides carefully for her and therefore commends her to Iohn Which must teach us to be carefull to provide comfortably for those we leave behinde us in this world our wives and our children wee reade to this purpose Hebr. 11. 21. that Iaakob blessed both the sons of Ioseph by faith when he was a dying It is a heathenish saying when I am dead let heaven and earth run together such care for no body but themselves but we who are Christians must have a care of the good of those we leave behind us So Isaak did Gen. 27. 2. I am old saith he and know not the day of my death come and let me blesse thee before I die So likewise Elias saith to Elisha when he was to ascend in a firy chariot What shall I doe for thee before I bee taken from thee I but some may say I have no body to commit my wife and children to I have no friend nor kinsman I answer If thou have no body to commend them to neither friend nor kinsman then commend them to God and he will provide for them if thou layest them downe in the armes of God he will keepe them So saith our Saviour Christ Iohn 17. 11. having none but God to commend his Disciples to when he was to depart this world saith he And now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee holy Father keepe them in thy Name So Paul Act. 20. 32. when he had no body to commend the people to he commends them to God when he was to depart from them saith he And now brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up further and to give you an inheritance amongst all them who are sanctified Therefore if wee have no friend nor kinsman to commit those we leave behinde to we must commit them to God and he will provide for them this must be our care when we are to depart this world Secondly this care of Christ may teach us that hee is not onely the Saviour of our soules but of our bodies therefore Luk. 22. 35. our Saviour saith to his Disciples When I sent you out without bagge and scrip and shoes lacked ye any thing And they said nothing so we see Christ did provide for the body and soule this is the reason why Christ did not onely teach the people but he did feede them too to shew that he was not onely the Saviour of the soule but of the body too hee did not onely take care of their soules but of their bodies also this meetes with the common corruption of these dayes in that men commit the care of their soules to God but they are afraid they shall want food rayment and things needfull for this life therefore they will take care for their bodies themselves but it is certaine that if Christ have care of our soules which is the greater hee will have a care of our bodies which is the lesser this Christ teaches us in reason Matth. 6. Is not the life more worth than meate and the body more worth than rayment and is not the kingdome of glory more worth than the things of this life therefore if he give the greater let us not doubt he will stand for to give us the lesser which are the things of this life Thirdly this care of Christ must teach us that we must so performe our duety to God as we doe not neglect it to men and we must so performe our duety to men that wee doe not neglect it to God therefore the Lord hath joyned both together as Mic. 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth at thy hand surely to doe justly and to
extremitie as theirs was that we are readie to die presently yet because sentence is passed upon us for as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. The body is dead because of sinne let us though death hath not already taken the castle and tower of our hearts yet seeing hee is entered within the walls and suburbs of the citie let us I say therefore be carefull to feare God and to walke conscionably before him for we know not how soone death will take the tower and the castle of our hearts and then we must come to judgement This use Isaak made of this uncertaintie of life I am old saith hee and I know not the day of my death come and let my soule blesse thee before I die so because wee know not the time of our deaths how soone we must come to judgement therefore before we stirre or move a foot let us labour to repent us of our sinnes and convert and turne to God Thirdly Out of what affection he did it out of love to doe good to him for this is the nature of one that is truely converted to draw others to Christ So we see Iohn 1. 41. Andrew said to Simon We have found the Messias which is by interpretation the Christ And Iohn 4. 28. The woman of Samaria when she had beene talking with Christ goeth into the Citie and sayth to the men Come see a man which tould me all things that I ever did Is not this the Christ and so many came to be beleevers In nature we see all naturall things desire to make other things like themselves as fire doth desire to make all thigns that comes neere it fire so water and other living things when they be come to strength of nature then they beget things like unto themselves as a man to beget a man a beast a beast like to himselfe even so it is with a Christian he will labour to make others like to himselfe when he comes to his strength and ripenesse indeed in his weaknesse he doth not but when he commeth to his strength he labours to make others like to himselfe Secondly The confession of his sinne and the punishment due thereunto for first he doth not say thou art here justly to receive things worthy of that thou hast done but hee brings or takes in himselfe Wee are indeed righteously here for we receive the due reward of our deeds This is a note of a man truely converted to God to confesse his sinnes to shame himselfe and give glory to God So if men be converted to God they will not talke of other mens sinnes but they will inclose themselves with others and make confession of their owne sins also therefore when men cloake and hide their sinnes it is a shrewd signe that they are not soundly converted Secondly he confesses that all these punishments and judgements of God are justly upon them this is a good signe of a man that is truly converted to God to cleere the justice of God as the Church Micha 7. 9. I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he pâ—â—d my cause c. So Ezek. 20 43. saith the Prophet speaking of sound conversion And there shall ye remember your wayes and your workes wherin ye have bin defiled and you shall loath your selves in your owne sight for all thâ— evils which ye have committed So we must labour to cleere the justice of God in all our punishments that befall us therefore when men will wrangle and dispute with God and doe not labour to beare with patience the judgements of God that doe befall them it is a signe that such an one is not rightly converted unto God Thirdly His apologie and defence for Christ But this man saith he hath done nothing misse when every man was against him the Governour souldiers and Iewes this poore Theefe could not be silent This is a signe of true conversion when men can beare any thing concerning themselves with patience and silence but if it be against God and his honour they cannot beare it this affection was in Moses for it is said that hee was the meekest man on earth when things concerned himselfe but when the people committed idolatry hee brake the Calfe in peeces and stamped it and made them to drinke of it and he commanded every man to put his sword by his side and to kill his brother Which must teach us that every man in his owne quarrell must bee silent But when the cause concernes God then silence is dangerous and a very great sinne against God Fourthly The prayer that hee made was Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome The other theefe desires to have his body saved to have his paines asswaged and mitigated of which because hee was not eased hee railed on Christ but this Theefe did not desire to have his body saved or his paines mitigated or to have the nailes and spickes pulled out of his hands and feet but he was contented to suffer any paine he cares not what become of his body so his soule may be saved and he may come into Gods kingdome Which must teach us that when we come to die wee should not take care of our bodies but for our soules Lord remember my soule I beseech thee give mee the truth of thy faith give me patience let my body feele and suffer what it may yet let my soule be saved and bring it into thy kingdome and then no matter what become of my body any thing shall content me SERMON XXII LVKE 23. 39 40 41 42 43. And one of the evill doers which were hanged railed on him saying If thou bee the Christ save thy selfe and us But the other answering rebuked him saying Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation And we indeed righteously for wee receive the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse And he said Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome And Jesus said unto him Verely I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise IN these words wee proposed two things to bee considered first the occasion of the speech secondly the speech it selfe the occasion of the speech was upon the conversion of the theefe at the time of his death Now in the conversion of the theefe wee consider three things first the party that was converted secondly the time when hee was converted thirdly the effects and fruits of his conversion from whence we then spake of many things we will not now repeate but come directly unto that which followes The fourth thing wee began to speake of was his prayer hee made unto Christ in that extremity wherein two things are to be considered 1. The ground of his prayer 2. The prayer it selfe The ground of his prayer is threefold first that hee was perswaded he had a kingdome prepared for him howsoever hee
18. 32. saith the lord I forgave thee thy debts because thou didst pray me And David Psal 120. 1. I called upon the Lord in the time of my trouble and hee heard me so Psal 11. I love the Lord because hee hath heard my voyce c. This is a great incouragement for a Christian man to pray unto God because prayer shall not want his due fruit but the Lord will heare him and make a supplie of his wants as shall be meet for his glory and our good Secondly to whom he made his promise to a poore penitent Theefe one that was a vile liver This is a sweet comfort and incouragement that Christ will promise heaven to a poore penitent sinner upon his repentance and put him in possession of it All the comforts and commodities in this life all pleasures and delights cannot doe it let the wantons set their minions before them the worldly man his goods the covetous man his money the hatefull man his reuenge and the proud man his fine apparell all these cannot doe it but upon repentance Christ promises heaven and puts us in possession of it nay the kings favour cannot doe it hee may put us in possession of lands and goods while we live here after death he cannot but repentance will put one in possession after death Thirdly what he promised he promised two things 1 Paradise 2 His owne companie First hee promised Paradise there were two Paradises spoken of in Scripture an earthly and an heavenly Paradise now it was not the earthly paradise for that was laid waste many thousands yeeres before Christ was borne but it was the heavenly Paradise of which Paul speaketh 2 Cor. 12. 2. I knew a man in Christ above foureteene yeeres 〈◊〉 whither in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth which was taken up into the third heavens Hence arise two points of instruction First wee may see what a goodly change a Christian makes at the time of death for all the while he liveth here he hangeth on the crosse as the theefe did in trouble and affliction in paines and in sicknesse but when death comes it sets an end of all it takes a man off the crosse it enters a man into heaven therefore a Christian hath no cause to bee afraid of death for if a man be prophane and live in his sinnes he hath cause to be afraid of death because it is an ugly gate to let him into hell but if hee be a man of repentance then death is onely a gate to let him into heaven therefore a Christian hath no cause to bee afraid of it If a King should promise one that if he would come unto him hee would bestow some great office or place upon him if there should bee at the palace gate an ugly and grisly Porter to let him in he would not cast his eye on the ugly porter but upon the Kings palace even so death is as this ugly and grisly porter to let a man into heaven let us not therefore looke upon the ugly face of death but upon heaven the place we are going to We see when Elias was taken up into heaven there came a firy chariot and horses of fire to fetch him and yet he was not afraid because it was the chariot and horses that should carry him to heaven So death though it came like a firy chariot and bring horses of fire with it yet let us not be afraid of it because it is the chariot and horses which shall carry us to heaven The second instruction is That a Christians estate is better than Adams was in the time of his innocencie for he had an earthly Paradise but a Christian shal have an heavenly Paradise therefore seeing we would be contented to take any paines to be put into possession of the earthly Paradise if it were possible how much more then should wee labour and take paines to be put into possession of the heavenly Paradise Secondly He promises him his company that he shall fare no worse than he fares and shall goe where he goes And this is a sweet comfort to a Christian that Christ hath made such a promise that he shall have his company as Iohn 17. 24. Father I will that they which thou hast given mee be with me even where I am that they may behold my glory So Ioh. 14. 3. And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there you may be also Therefore let a man labour to be joyned to Christ here in the use of good meanes in the kingdome of grace and he shall be joyned to him in the kingdome of glory he shall goe where Christ goes shall fare as Christ fares and shall bee where Christ is Fourthly The time when he promiseth Paradise and his company This day he would not deferre it for moneths and for yeares but This day Which may teach us that the soules of the faithfull when they die goe into heaven immediately the Papists say that there is a middle place that their soules must go to where they must stay a time til they be throughly purged from their sinnes but this errour is refuted in the example of the Theefe for when he died his soule went into Paradise immediately I but some object and say that this was a speciall priviledge of the theefe and to none other To this I answer that the same priviledge is to every faithfull man as we may see Luke 16. 22. when Lazarus was dead hee was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome into a place of rest and joy And the Rich-man when hee died was carried into hell a place of torment there are but these two places to goe to when a man is dead that the Scripture makes mention of there is no middle place when men die they goe either to Heaven or to Hell for we know that all men that die in the state of repentance goe to heaven they which die impenitent to hell and therefore it is a vaine thing to pray for them for their estates cannot be altered I but is there any hurt to pray for our dead friends I answer if thou knowest not I will tell thee what hurt there is by it it shewes thy infidelity and unbeleefe that thou doest not beleeve the Scriptures I but may I not speake of my dead friends would you have me say nothing of them If thou doest not know what to say of them say as Paul saith of the godly that they are asleepe in the Lord so we see what we may say of our friends that they be now asleepe in the Lord Or as Salomon saith that the remembrance of the just are blessed such an one is of holy remembrance such an one was an holy man The use of this point is seeing after death the godly goe
God to despise you when you come to die therefore it is good to make God our friend whilest we be alive This is the counsell that Christ giveth us Luk. 16. 9. Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse the Fathers take it for the poore that wee should make friends of the poore But the meaning is that we should make God our friend in our life time that we may have a friend of him when we come to die therefore because every man must commend himselfe to God when he dies it is good to please him and to walke holily in all our courses that we may commend with boldnesse our soule to him at the last gaspe Secondly what it was bee commended into the hands of God His Spirit his body he left to Pilates mercy but all his care was for his soule therefore he commends that into the hands of God which may teach us two things first though our bodies dye yet our soules doe live all the Scriptures shew this Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall returne to God who gave it so Revel 6. 9. And when hee had opened the fifth seale I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the Word of God and for the Testimonie which they mainetained so also Heb. 12. 22. For yee are not come to the mount that might bee touched c. but yee are come to the mount Sion and to the city of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels and to the congregation and Church of the first borne whose names are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect So it is a plaine truth in Christianity that though our bodies dye our soules are immortall therefore seeing our soules never dye but shall live for ever how carefull ought we to be for them and to passe our time in holinesse and feare before God as they may live with God for ever in heaven Indeed if our soules might dye our care might bee the lesse but seeing they shall never dye it is a wondrous corruption amongst most to see how they cloath the body feed and physick that runne from market to market to make provision for it which yet must dye and their immortall soules they take no care for therefore one saith well O man of all thy parts take care of thy immortall part that which never dieth Secondly it teacheth us that seeing Christ commended his Spirit into the hands of God wee see what the especiall care of a Christian should bee not to care so much what become of his body so his soule may be saved Christ he left his body to Pilates mercy but he commended his soule into the hands of God so a Christians care must be especially that his soule may be saved that it may come safe into the hands of God what soever become of the body this was the care of the holy theefe Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome all his care was for the saving of his soule it being provided for hee cares not what become of his body we see when a mans house is on fire if he have a pretious jewell he will labour to save that though the rest perish so seeing the soule is the most pretious jewell whatsoever thy labour and paines be labour to lay up thy soule safe in the hands of God as Steven did when a storme of stones came about his eares hee bowed himselfe downe and said Lord Iesus receive my soule all his care was for the saving thereof that it might come safe into the hands of God as if he should say Lord receive my soule I care not what becommeth of my body so that thou save my soule all shall be well this will content me Thirdly the time when he commended his Spirit at the time of his death which was the very close of his life when he was ready to breathe out his last breath which may teach us that every man should make this his practise when hee comes to dye to bee sure to make a holy close of his life then it is a time to commend his soule to God Now there bee other times for a man to commend his soule to God as first in the time of danger and perill so David did when he was in perill of Saul Psalm 31. 5. saith he Lord into thy hands doe I commend my spirit because I have no body else to commend it to nor no body to trust it with in assurance of safety therefore Lord into thy hands I commend it likewise Psalm 10. 14. the poore committeth himselfe unto the Lord seeing no man regards him nor cares for him hee commends himselfe to the care of God so that the time of distresse and danger is a time to commend our soules to God There is also another time that wee should commend our soules to God and that is daily because our life is uncertaine therefore wee should every morning when we doe rise and every night when we goe to bed not knowing not what will befall us in the day commend our soules to God there bee a number of men in the world that bee greatly overtaken in this they never commend their soules into the hands of God if a nurse goe abroad and leave her childe and doe not commit it to the care of some body to keepe and to looke after it if the childe catch any hurt they will blame the nurse for it so if wee doe not commit our selves our wives and children to God in the morning and at night if any hurt befall them we may thanke our selves for it the blame lieth upon our selves 1 Sam. 18. 28. we see when David came into the host to his brethren they asked him this question with whom hast thou left those few sheepe So we should commend our temporall estate to the keeping of some body where it may be safe and if we should commend that to keeping much more must we commend oursoules to God Now as at these times wee should commit our soules to God yet more especially we must doe it when we come to dye because the devill will then bee busie and wee have a long journey to goe if a man were to passe into France and to carry all his goods with him that hee hath scraped together all his life time hee would looke into what ship hee did commit his goods and if hee had a rotten bottome hee would beware how he committed his goods to it so seeing we are to passe from earth to heaven a long journey we must take heed wee doe not commit our soules to a rotten bottome but bee carefull to lay them up into the hands of God that so they may remaine safe there Fourthly upon what ground he commends his soule into the
hands of God upon a perswasion of the Fatherly care of God that God was his Father this made him bold to commend his soule into the hands of God and may teach us that all that commend their soules to God must commend them upon a good ground we must not commend them upon a merry conceit without a ground but wee must have a ground for it Now there bee three grounds upon which a man may comfortably commend himselfe to God First because he is the Father of Spirits and the God of all mens soules our bodies wee have mediately from our parents but our soules immediately from God therefore he is called the Father of Spirits Heb. 12. and Eccles. 12. it is said The soule goeth to God that gave it therefore seeing God gave them and made them wee may bee bold upon this ground to commend our spirits backe againe unto him for every workeman will preserve his owne worke therefore let us commend our soules to God as a faithfull Creator for seeing he made them he will preserve them if we will commit them to him Secondly a perswasion that God is our Father by the meanes of Christ if God be our Father we may be bold to commend our soules to him for with whom may one bee bold if a childe may not with his father therefore as hee is the Father of Christs so labour to make him thy Father and then mayst thou with comfort commend thy selfe into the hands of God Christ when hee would comfort his Disciples saith to them Tell my brethren I goe to my Father and to your Father to my God and 〈◊〉 your God when we can finde this that hee is not onely the Father of Christ but my Father we may be bold to commend out soules into his hands upon this ground Thirdly we may be bold to commend our soules to God upon the former experience we have had of Gods favour and mercy towards us this made David bold to commend himselfe to God Psal 31. 5. Into thy hands Lord I commend my spirit because thou hast redeemed my soule O Lord God of truth I have had experience of thy love and mercy therefore into thine hands I commend my spirit In like manner when we have experience of Gods goodnesse and mercy it makes us bold to commend our soules into the hands of God And these be the grounds for we must not doe it of nothing or of a meere conceit but of a good ground as Christ did so must we Fifthly What comfort we may have by the practises of Christ in commending his soule into the hands of God I answer we may have a two-fold comfort First as Christ did not commend his owne soule only into the hands of God but my soule thy soule and all the soules of the faithfull men in the world because all the soules of the faithfull are bound in a bundle with his therefore deposing and laying downe his soule in the hands of God all the soules of the faithfull are deposed and laid downe with it for as his body was a pawne and a pledge for our bodies so his soule is a pawne and a pledge for our soules therefore Athanasius saith well Our Lord Iesus when he did commend his soule into the hands of God he did not onely commend his owne soule but with it all the soules of the faithfull men in the world for as they die in Christs death and rise in his resurrection and ascend by his ascension so by his deposing and laying downe his soule into the hands of God hee doth with it commend all the soules of the faithfull men in the world which may be a great comfort to a Christian at all times that his soule is safely deposed in the hands of God when he dies Secondly seeing he laid downe his owne soule in the hands of God and with it our soules therefore when men die their soules doe not sleepe in their bodies nor wander about the graves nor passe up and downe in the world nor are in a place of torment as the Papists say but they be in the hands of God I think there is no man here but takes this speech to be a metaphor and borrowed speech for God hath no hands but by hands is meant that they are under Gods protection in safetie and securitie For as a man that hath a Iewell will not lay it down at his friends feet but he will put it into his hands for the more safetie so Christ hath put all the soules of the faithfull into the hands of God to bee kept in safetie till the resurrection and the last day of judgement Act. 5. Wee may see when the people had sold their possessions they laid downe their money at the Apostles feet but the soules of the faithfull servants of God are not laid downe at the feet of God but are put into the hands of God for more safety and securitie as Revel 1. it is said that Christ holds the seven Stars in his right hand to shew that he that puls away a preacher he must pull him out of the hands of God and so Ioh. 10. 29. saith Christ My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands neither wicked man nor devill no power can plucke them out of my hands therefore it is a sweet comfort that when a Christian dies his soule goeth into the hands of God if it were in our owne keeping then it were subject to the temptations of the Devill and a number of troubles and much hurt but being in the hands of God they shall be kept from all danger all the powers in heaven and earth shall not be able to hurt them And thus wee have heard briefly and with a great deale of weaknesse the seven last Words of Christ expounded which he spake on the Crosse SERMON XXVI IOHN 19. 30. VVhen Jesus therefore had received the vineger he said It is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost HAving spoken of the Crucifying of Christ now in the next place we are to speake of his Death for when he had hung three houres in paines and torments on the Crosse Hee bowed downe his head and gave up the ghost that is he died as wee doe his soule and bodie were parted Now in the Death of Christ there be divers things to be considered 1. Why it was needfull that Christ should die 2. The time when he died 3. The manner of his death 4. The manifestation of it 5. The power of it 6. The effects of it First Why it was needfull Christ should die of which there was three causes that made a necessitie of his death First To satisfie the justice of God for mans sinne for such was the hainousnesse of mans sinnes sentence being
passed that heaven and earth could not reverse it therefore either we must die in our own persons or Christ must die for us he took our nature upon him died for us and so gave satisfaction to the justice of God In the Law we see when lots were cast for the Goats he that the lot fell on was killed and the other escaped so there were lots cast whether we should die or he it pleased God that the lot fell on Christ hee was killed and we escaped wherein we may see the infinite love of Christ that died to satisfie the justice of God that we might not die we reade 2 Sam. 10. 33. David cried out O my sonne Absalom my sonne my sonne Absalom would God I had died for thee O Absalom my sonne my sonne wherein he shewed the true affection of a father Now that which David desired for his sonne Christ hath performed for us and therefore when wee thinke of the death of Christ we may thinke of the infinite love of God to us If one should commit such a fault against the King that he should lose his head or his eye or some part of him how farre should a man goe to finde such a friend to take his punishment upon him and so free him But Christ doth more for us than this he hath not only lost an eye or an hand for us but hee died for us therefore as often as wee thinke of the death of Christ so often wee should thinke of the love of God The Centurion Luke 7. sent the Elders of the Iewes to Christ to tell him of one that loved their nation and builded them a Synagogue but Christ hath done more for us than to build a Synagogue for he hath loved us and wished away our sinnes in his bloud as Saint Iohn saith Revel 1. 5. And therefore as often as we thinke of the death of Christ so often let us thinke of the infinite love of Christ that he would die for us to satisfie the justice of God for sinne Secondly it was needfull that Christ should die that our sinnes might die in his death for he tooke all our sinnes upon him as Saint Peter saith Who in his owne body bare our sinnes upon the Crosse when he went to die on the crosse all our sinnes were bound unto him who carried them up with him unto the crosse that they might be crucified with him and die in his death this was another thing that made a necessity of the death of Christ therefore if we live in sinne what doe we but pull downe our sinnes from the crosse of Christ bring them to the fire rub and chafe them as it were put Aqua-vitae into the mouth of them that they may live againe Iosua 7. we read that Achan stole away a wedge of gold and a Babylonish garment of the spoile when Iericho was destroyed and that proved his owne destruction in the end so if wee steale our sinnes from the crosse of Christ notwithstanding Christ died that sin might die with him then these same stolne sinnes will be our destruction Thirdly it was needfull that Christ shold die to seale unto true beleevers the promises that God hath made in the Gospell God hath bequeathed life everlasting and Christ heaven and happinesse to those that repent and beleeve In the law there is nothing but death and destruction promised to those that did transgresse and breake it but in the new testament God hath promised to them that repent and beleeve life and salvation heaven and happinesse Therefore that these promises might be sealed and confirmed Christ must die for as long as the testator liveth the testament is of no force As it is Heb. 9. 16. For saith he the testament is confirmed when men be dead because it is of no force as long as he that made it is alive therefore that the promises of God might stand good unto us it pleased the sonne of God to die for us and to seale it with his blood all which is to sustaine and comfort us for although wee have nothing here but misery and trouble yet one day we shall bee put in possession of heaven and happinesse as a man that hath a patent or a sealed deed that hee shall have such lands and livings one day though hee have not any thing to help himselfe yet he wil comfort himselfe with that which is to come so though we be put in possession on these promises presently yet let us comfort our selves that one day they shall be verified unto us and although wee endure troubles and afflictions in this world yet we may bodly stand up and say Lord I thanke thee I have a sealed deed to shew that one day I shall enjoy the promises that thou hast made in the Gospell here we see for the comfort of a Christian it was needfull for Christ to die and to seale with his blood the promises that are made in the Gospell Secondly the time when he died when he had finished the worke of mans redemption and done the worke hee came for a long time did he hang on the crosse in paines and torments yet he dyed not till hee had done the worke hee came for which must teach us that wee should bee willing to die when we have done our worke when wee have repented of our sinnes and made Christ sure to us then we should be willing to die and never till then so it is said of David Act. 13. 36. After he had served his generation by the counsell of God he fell on sleepe and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption so the Lord said to Moses Numb 31. 2. Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites and afterwards shalt thou be gathered unto thy people in like manner we must doe the will of God and fulfill the worke he sent us to doe and then we shall be willing to dye and never till then If a master should send his servant beyond sea to deale for him in his businesse if hee come home and doe the halfe onely and leave the other halfe undone hee must looke for a cold welcome home so God hath sent us into this world to doe his businesse whereof if we doe but the halfe leaving the rest undone we may looke for a cold welcome when wee come to dye 1 King 19. 4. we read that Elias laid him downe under a Iuniper tree and desired that he might die saying it is enough O Lord take away my life for I am no better than my fathers at which time an Angell came unto him and said Vp Elias eate and drinke for thy journey is too great for thee so many times a Christian may have a desire to dye when troubles and griefes are upon him but the Spirit of God comes unto him and bids him arise for God hath another service for him to doe We see Christ was not willing to dye
till he had done the worke of God which he came for and what was that the worke of mans salvation and redemption Christ if he had pleased he might have dyed at the very instant as soone as hee was on the crosse but hee would not because hee had not done that hee came for which may teach us the time when we should be willing to dye and that is when we have finished and perfected the worke of our salvation and redemption and have made that sure when we have repented of our sinnes and laid fast hold on Christ then we should be willing to die and never till then we see a number of men are contented to creepe out of the world but if they have not first finished their salvation and made that sure to themselves and repented of their sinnes they can have no comfort for it is a fearefull thing for a man to dye in his sinnes as our Saviour threatens the Iewes Ye shall dye in your sinnes O it is a fearefull and lamentable thing when men doe thus dye as wee heard in the forenoone out of Matth. 12. 41. that the men of Nineve shall rise up in judgement to condemne the Iewes because they repented at the preaching of Ionas when as the Iewes did not repent at the preaching of Christ for if we doe not profit by the preaching of the word and by the good meanes amongst us even dead men that have lyen rotting in their graves an hundred yeeres together shall rise up in judgement against us and condemne us therefore it is a fearefull thing for a man to dye in his sinnes old Simeon had a desire to live till he had seene Christ and when he had seene him and embraced him in his armes then he saith Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation so wee should have a desire to live till wee had seene Christ and made heaven and happinesse sure to our selves and then when we have seene Christ by the eyes of our faith and embraced him we may bee willing to dye and to say as old Simeon said now Lord let thy servant depart in peace Thirdly The manner of his death which may bee considered two wayes 1. That it was a violent death 2. That he dyed willingly First that it was a violent death hee dyed not an easie death but a very painefull one now there be divers reasons why Christ dyed such a painefull death which I have handled before and therefore will repeat in this place onely the heads thereby to imprint them the better into your mindes First To teach us that it was not an easy matter to redeeme man for Christ must therefore dye not an easie but a violent a painefull death to redeeme us therefore Saint Ierome saith well that a man of all wounds will take heed of such as one as will aske much adoe to heale therefore seeing sin makes such a wound that Christ must dye to heale it and that such a violent and painefull death wee should bee carefull to decline it Secondly To shew the desert of our sinnes for when we come to dye wee deserve to dye the violentest and painefullest death that may bee wee doe not deserve to dye in our beds but on the crosse not amongst our friends but amongst our enemies therfore looke what death soever we dye on the most painefull and most grievous yet we may say as the Theefe said We suffer things worthy of that we have done we deserve all the extremities in death that may be Thirdly Christ dyed such a painefull death to purchase a more easie death for us hee dyed on the crosse that wee might dye in our beds amongst his enemies that we might dye amongst our friends with all extremity and paine that we might have ease and comfort in our deaths therefore looke what ease and comfort we finde in our deaths it is purchased to us by the painefull death of Christ for there was a deadly cup of poison of Gods wrath put into our hands to drinke and Christ hath taken all the malignity and sowrenesse out of it and hath given us the sweet Fourthly To sanctifie all kinds of deaths to his dying members for if any one should have dyed an easie death then we might have thought that hee onely had beene the holy man that died such a death but Christ dyed a painefull death to sanctifie all kinds of deaths to his dying members so that let the death be what it will be if one dye in Gods favour and in the pardon of his sinnes hee is a blessed and happy man as Heb. 11. it is said All these dyed in faith they dyed not all in their beds some were stoned some sawne asunder yet because they dyed all in faith they were all happy men so let us looke to our conscience and to our cause and then let the death be what it will be we are happy men the heathen men could say we would not dye on sea nor suddainely nor of such or such a disease but thou that art a Christian let thy death bee what it will if thou dye in the favour of God penitent for thy sinnes thou art a blessed and an happy man it is reported of the beasts of the wildernesse that they are afraid to drinke of the waters because they have poyson in them till the Vnicorne come and wash his horne in it so men were afraid to drinke of the bitter waters of death till this same true Vnicorne Christ Iesus had washed his blessed body in this same painefull death And these be the chiefe reasons why Christ dyed such a painefull death Secondly he died willingly for he did not only dye but it was also willingly as is shewed by two actions First in that hee bowed downe his head and then gave up the ghost Men when they dye doe first give up the ghost and then they bow downe their heads But Christ quite contrary hee first bowed downe his head even ready to meete with his death and then he gave up the ghost so it was a voluntary death that Christ died Secondly in that he cryed with a loud voyce When men dye they languish by little and little their speech failes them they rattle in the throate and so weakenesse comes upon them by little and little till their breath be quite gone But Christ at his death cryed with a loud voice so that nothing of his strength was abated to shew hee dyed voluntarily and willingly as Iohn 10. 17 18. I lay downe my life that I might take it up againe No man taketh it from me But why did Christ dye a voluntary death That it might be the more gratefull and acceptable to God For actions that be done in obedience to God and voluntarily are gratefull acceptable and more pretious than those we doe nill we will we against our mindes
and intentions therefore that Christs death might bee the more acceptable to God he died voluntarily and willingly which must teach us that if we would have our actions gratefull and acceptable to God we must do them willingly and voluntarily and if we would have our deaths acceptable to him wee must bee willing to dye when God would have us and to live when God would have us to live therefore it is a pittifull thing to see how men hang on the world when God would have them to die It is said Psal 116. 5. Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints therefore when we die willingly it is pretious in the sight of God when one is not only contented to part with his pleasure goods lands wife children but also is contented that his soule and his body should part therefore if we would dye well we must dye voluntarily and willingly in obedience to God As two subjects beyond sea the king sends for them home the one he meaneth shal attend upon him upon whom he will bestow some honor and the other he will keepe in perpetuall imprisonment both these come home but there is great difference in their comming for the one commeth home joyfully but the other sorrowfully and heavily and would shift the matter if he could so the wicked and the godly live both in this world when the Lord sends for them they come both but there is a great difference in their comming for the one when he dyes hee dies with comfort because he knowes that God will bestow a crowne of life on him hee shall be in heaven and happinesse for ever but the other though hee come yet it is unwillingly if he could shift the matter he would because hee knoweth hee shall goe to a place of torment therefore if wee would dye well we must be carefull to live well The fourth thing was the manifestation of his death set forth unto us by two evidences which with your pâ—tience I will now handle because all hope of salvation hangeth on the death of Christ First that when the souldiers had taken the legges of the theefe and broken them they came to breake Christs but did not because he was dead before they came Secondly that a mad fellow one of the souldiers standing by did thrust a speare through the side of Christ forthwith there came forth blood and water so that if there had been left any little life in him they had done enough to have taken it away For it is a rule in Physicke that if a man be pricked in the heart with the least pricke of a pin it is present death Therefore it was a plaine evidence to the world that Christ was truely and really dead But Why did they not breake Christs legs as they did the theeves I answer for two reasons First to fulfill a Scripture that saith that a bâ—â—e of him shall not be broken Psal 34. 20 to shew that he was the true pascall Lambe First the Pascall Lambe was male without blemish to shew that Iesus Christ he that should redeeme us should bee without any spot of sinneâ— Secondly as they did keepe the blood of the Lambe in a Bason and did sprinkle it on their doore posts that so the Angell of destruction might passe over their houses So we should get the blood of Christ and sprinkle our consciences with that that so the Angell of destruction might passe over us Thirdly the Iewes when they did eate the Lambe put away Leaven from them and this must teach us to put all maliciousnesse from us Fourthly they did eate the Lambe with sowre hearbes to teach us that Christ will never bee truly sweete to us unlesse wee eate him with griefe and sorrow for our sinnes Lastly they did eate the Lambe with their staves in their hands their loynes girded their shoes on their feete they did eate it in haste readie to take their journey so we must eate of Christ also that we may take our journey to Heaven and therefore must take our dinner and Supper often in this kinde feeding on him by faith Secondly to teach us that the wicked Iewes could not doe any thing to Christ but by Gods appointment They tooke Christ and did crucifie him but they could not breake a bone of him and this is a comfort to a Christian that howsoever the wicked rage and take on yet they cannot breake a bone without Gods appointment they cannot do the least thing that may be to him SERMON XXVII MATTHEVV 27. 50 51 52 53. Jesus when hee had cried againe with a loud voyce yeelded up the Ghost And behold the veile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the Earth did quake and the Rockes rent And the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints which slept arose And came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy Citie and appeared unto many BEcause all the hope of salvation dependeth on the death of Christ as being the price to satisfie the justice of God for mans sinne It pleased God therefore to shew two evidences to the World that Hee was really and truly dead First that the Souldiers did not breake the leggs of Christ as they did of the Theeves because they found him dead before they came for if hee had not beene dead then as they did breake the legges of the theeves so they would have broken the legs of Christ but in that they did not it was a plaine Evidence that Christ was truely dead so that his greatest enemies gave an evidence to the World that he was truly and really dead The second was that a barbarous Souldier finding Christ dead takes a Speare and thrusts into his side neere his heart so that if there had beene but a little life left this had beene enough to have bereft it for all know that a wound at the heart is deadly if it bee but with a pricke of a pin for the blood and water comming forth of the side of Christ did shew that the Pericardium was wounded and his heart pierced Some of the schoolmen cannot tell from whence this blood and water should come as being ignorant of Anatomie others take it to bee a miraculous thing as Thomas Aquinas for he saith in other dead bodies it is not cleare blood that commeth from them but their blood is congealed and cleare water doth not run from other dead bodies but it is mixt with blood and therefore miracles did not cease in the dead body of Christ But wee neede not doubt but it is a naturall thing that blood and water did come from the side of Christ onely the manner was miraculous in it There was something that was naturall and there was something that was miraculous That which was Naturall was that blood and water that came out of the side of Christ
for as Physitians say there is a filme containing water about the heart which serves to coole it and keepe it in temper which they call Pericardium therefore Christs heart being wounded there came forth blood and water blood from the wound in his heart water from the Pericardium or filme involving the heart wherein is contained water That which was Miraculous was that the blood flowed apart by it selfe and the water apart without any mixture together therefore seeing the heart was wounded it is an Evidence to the World that Christ was truly and really dead and yet these two things had a further mystery and meaning First whereas we see the legges of Christ was not broken as the legges of the theeves were this was to teach us that all the wicked of the World could doe no more to Christ than God had appointed they could take him and buffet him and whip him and crowne him with Thornes and naile him to the Crosse and kill him at last but yet they could not breake a bone of him Hence wee may learne for our owne comfort that all the wicked in the World can doe nothing to a Christian without Gods appointment they may trouble and molest them but they cannot breake a bone of them so we see Psal 34. 20. Many are the troubles of the righteous good people may have many troubles and they may put them on the Crosse but they cannot breake a bone of them For the Lord keepeth all his bones so that not one of them shall be broken Secondly there was not a bone of him broken to shew he was the true Paschall Lambe As 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us as the Passeover did keepe the Israelites from the stroke of the devouring Angell so this same true Paschall Lambe doth keepe us from the wrath of God falling upon us at the day of Iudgement and as the Lambe was taken up foure dayes before they killed him So we should labour to get Christ into our hearts before death commeth The second Evidence is that water and blood did flow out of the dead body of Christ to teach us that God hath opened a fountaine of grace and life as Zecharie had foretold for sinne and for uncleanesse But what comfort have we by it Is there any power or vertue in the dead body of Christ I saith the Lord there is power and efficacie in it or from these two streames that issued out of the dead Body of Christ there is infinite comfort that doth arise as 1 Iohn 5. 6. saith hee This is that Iesus Christ that came by water and blood not by water onely but by water and blood There were two streames that did issue out of the dead Body of Christ there issued a streame of pure blood to wash away the guilt of sinne and a streame of cleare water as cleare as Chrystall to wash away the filth of our sinnes for these bee two maine things that trouble the people of God 1. The guilt of sinne binding us to punishment 2. The filth of sinne making us hatefull and loathsome in the eyes of God First therefore dost thou feele thy heart troubled with the guilt of sinne runne unto the Crosse of Christ and catch hold of some of the droppes of blood that came from the side of Christ offer them to God and say in thy meditation Lord behold the blood of thy Sonne and sprinkle it by the hand of faith upon thy Soule and Conscience and God will bee pleased and pacified with thee Secondly If thou be troubled with the filth of thy sinne runne unto the Crosse of Christ and get of the water that issued out of the side of Christ and besprinkle thy soule and conscience by the hand of faith and so thou shalt bee cleane in Gods sight To make this plaine suppose there were a man that had a foule yard who laid stones and gravell on it yet still it remained durty in which time there came a friend to him who seeing him labour in vaine to make his yard cleane gave him this Counsell saynig you have a Spring in your yard open it and it will carry all your soile and baggage away and so your yard will bee cleane So if wee finde our hearts uncleane wee must get to one of these same Springs that come out of the dead body of Christ and this will carry away all the baggage and soile this is the benefit wee have by the dead body of Christ therefore blessed be God that hath opened such a Fountaine for sinne and for uncleannesse and as David longed for the waters of the Well of Bethel 2 Sam. 23. 15. much more should wee long for the blood and water that did issue out of the side of Christ and labour for it although it be with the hazard of our peace and losse of our lives The next thing we are to speake of is Of the power of Christs death for although there seemed to be nothing therein but weaknesse yet there was power in the death of Christ for the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottome without any hands The earth did quake and the stones rent in sunder Hammers and other instruments could not doe it but the death of Christ did it The graves did open and the dead bodies of the Saints did rise and did goe into the holy Citie and shewed themselves to many so we see there was great power in the death of Christ as great Princes and Kings and great Monarches when they live are able to doe great matters but when they dye there is no power nor might in them they are able to doe nothing never a Cloud will moove a Stone stirre or Grave open at their deaths but at the death of Christ they did Therefore this doth shew there is great power in the death of Christ First it is said that the veile of the Temple did rent in twaine from the top to the bottome Christ did hang in Mount Calvary dead and yet the power of his death did pierce into the Citie and Temple and did rent the veile without hands from the toppe to the bottome Now they which know the Scripture know that the Temple was divided in two parts in the first was the Table the Shew-bread and the Candlesticke this was called the Holy place and in the other was the golden Censer the Arke of the Testament over-laid with gold round about wherein was the golden Pot which had Manna and Aarons rod which had budded and the Tables of the Testament and over the Arke were the glorious Cherubins shadowing the Mercy seat which two places were separated by a veile Now at the death of Christ this same veile was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome whereof there be divers Reasons First That an entrance might be made into heaven by his death for this
was the golden Key that did open heaven to all true beleevers our sins did shut up heaven but the death of Christ is as a Key to open heaven therfore blessed be God for the death of Christ because he hath made heaven open to us Act. 7. 56. Steven before his death saw heaven open and Christ standing at his right hand ready to receive him So it is a sweet comfort to a Christian when he comes to die that hee seeth heaven open and Christ standing at Gods right hand ready to receive him If a man should come to a Kings Palace and finde all the doores shut and locked up fast and a friend should come and put into his hands a key that hee might goe from chamber to chamber till hee came to the Kings Presence this would be a great comfort So the death of Christ is as a golden key to open heaven to us that wee may come into the Presence-chamber of God therefore blessed be God for the death of Christ Secondly it was to shew that the Ceremoniall Law was abrogated by the death of Christ The Priests must not offer any more sacrifices for now all the ceremonies had an end and by his death is cancelled the hand-writing that was against us as it is Ephes. 2. 14 15. He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken downe the middle wall of Partition betweene us Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the Law of Commandements contained in ordinances for to make in himselfe of twaine one new man so making peace therefore who ever shall bring in againe any of the Leviticall ceremonies either in whole or in part he doth set up the veile that Christ hath taken downe Act. 15. 28. the Apostle saith It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us to lay no other burthen upon you than that which is necessary therefore it is a dangerous thing to bring in the Leviticall ceremonies againe Saint Ierome saith well Thou sayest that it is not a dangerous thing to bring in the Leviticall ceremonies but I tell thee and proclaime against thee that that man which shall bring in these ceremonies hee casteth himselfe head-long into the pit of hell The Schoole-men doe distinguish the Ceremonies into three times First as Thomas Aquinas saith there was a time when the ceremonies were profitable and that was before Christ because they were commanded of God Secondly after Christs death they were dead but not deadly till the Gospell was planted And then lastly they were both dead and deadly and therefore it is a dangerous thing to bring in these ceremonies againe in whole or in part Thirdly to shew that by that he had cancelled or torne downe the veile of our sinnes that made a separation betweene God and us that wee could not see the face of God as Esay 59. 2. But your iniquities have made a separation beâ— weene you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare Now they are taken downe and he hath hanged up another veile in the roome thereof that though our sinnes have hid Gods face from us yet in the death of Christ they are taken downe he having hanged up another veile in place of the other to looke thorow and behold us the veile of his flesh as Saint Paul saith Hebr. 10. 20. for when God looked on us he looked thorow the veile of Christs flesh or else if he had looked upon us in our selves there is such a deale of sinne and corruption that it would have made God to abhorre us and to that end Christ with the veile of his flesh hath covered all our sinnes as the Prophet David speakes Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquities of thy people and covered all their sinnes The fourth Reason was to shew that the veile of ignorance was taken away in the Law for the Law was covered with a veile which was the reason why Mâ—ses face was covered with a veile as Saint Paul saith 2 Cor. 3. 13. but by the death of Christ this veile is taken away in the preaching of the Gospell And therefore seeing this veile is taken away if men remaine ignorant how will they answer it at the day of judgement The Papists hang up another veile and what is that but the veile of an unknowne tongue they reade the Scriptures to the people in a tongue they doe not understand and so set up the veile againe that Christ hath taken downe therefore let them looke how they will answer this to Christ at the day of Iudgement The second thing is the rending of the stones how the stones did cleave asunder at the death of Christ which hammers and other instruments could not cleave therefore we may see what stupiditie and hardnesse of heart there is in us that the stones did cleave and the earth quake at the death of Christ and yet we are never moved nor stirred at it therefore let us pray to God that the death of Christ may bee powerfull to move and to stirre up our hearts Thirdly The graves were opened and the bodies of the Saints which slept arose and went into the holy Citie and appeared to many even men that had been dead along time that were dissolved to dust and ashes by the power of Christs death the graves did open and they did rise againe to shew us that all the Saints one day shall rise by the power of Christs death the graves shall open Death cannot keepe them downe but they shall rise againe which is an excellent comfort to a man in misery all that the world can doe is to take away life which when it is gone they turne to dust and ashes yet a time will come when the Saints shall be raised to joy and glory the graves shall be opened by the power of Christs death for as Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly and then was cast upon the drie land when the Lord spake unto the Whale so Christ will speake to the earth to the sea and to the beasts that have devoured men and they shall give up their dead and as the graves did open by the power of the death of Christ so all the people of God at the time that God hath appointed shall have their graves opened by his power and death and their bodies shall rise by the power of Christs resurrection to everlasting happinesse and glory The next thing is The effects and fruits of Christs death whereof because I have spoken often heretofore I may bee the shorter in it at this time The first is that Christs death doth free us from eternall death Iohn 3. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne to die for us that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but have everlasting life So also Iohn 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you
of Christ Now from hence divers things worthy our observation offer themselves unto us but for the present wee will content our selves onely with these two observations First The readinesse of these men to burie Christ wherein they shewed their true love to him the one hee brought fine linnen to wrap up Christ in the other an hundred pounds of oyntment to annoint the dead body of Christ these men thought nothing too much to bestow on him But where are the men that are so ready now to doe service or to bestow any cost on Christ These men did but a little in his life time but now hee is dead they stand at no â—ost they are ready to doe any service unto him which may condemne us that now live in the light of the Gospell now when Christ is not dead but alive in glory and amongst us in his lively members and are no more ready to shew our love to Christ who is yet to be clothed and helped therefore as a learned man saith Let us go with these two Disciples and buy fine Linnen and wrap the body of Christ in it and let us bring an hundred pound of sweete spices to imbalme him with and if thou canst not buy an hundred pound then buy ten pounds if thou canst not buy tenne buy five if not five then one pound and if not one pound then buy one ounce yee know what Christ saith That which ye do to of these little ones ye do it to me and if thou hast nothing to give Christ yet take heed how thou take away any thing from Christ As the fine linnen and the sweet spices that Ioseph and Nicodemus had prepared for the buriall of Christ therefore if there be any money or bread or any thing else to bee bestowed on Christ in his poore members let us take heed how we doe take it away If I say we have nothing to bestow on Christ or on his poore members yet let us take heed how we take away from him that which Ioseph and Nicodemus hath given I meane that which Gods people hath bestowed Secondly we observe in the manner that as too much sumptuousnes is to be avoyded so too much sluttishnesse there is a golden meane if one could hit it there be some too fine and there be some too sluttish and therefore if we have no better rule than this let us follow the manner and custome of Gods people we see here it was the custome of the Iewes so to burie Now there bee foolish toyes used amongst us I know not from whence they came but I am sure it is not the ancient manner of Christians so to bury The fifth is The fruite and benefit we have by the buriall of Christ which is That sinne may be buried in us and therefore as every man would bee contented to bring something to the buriall of Christ if thou canst not bring fine linnen with Ioseph to wrappe the body of Christ in nor an hundred pound of sweete spices with Nicodemus to imbalme his body yet doe thou bring thy sinnes and thy corruptions let them die in his death and be buried in his grave this is acceptable to God and seeing he lookes for thy sinnes and my sins and hath waited three daies together being trampled and troden downe of death therefore what may wee looke for if wee doe neglect it Now that sinne may bee buried in us there bee foure things required First that we labour to kill sinne for if wee have not killed it wee cannot burie it as long as their is life in it it will rise againe and therefore let us slay sinne and labour to kill it this is that which Paul speaketh of Colos 3. 1. Mortifie therefore your members which are on earth that is kill your sins and your lusts Wee see when the Souldiers went to bury the theeves finding them alive they first brake the legges of them and killed them so when we goe to bury sinne if we finde sinne to be alive still wee must first breake the legges and kill it and then we must burie it Secondly We must hate the loathsome face of sin for if we like it and love it we will never bury it and this is the reason why we are content to bury our friends though we lov'd them lik'd them well because after they are dead they become loathsome so when sinne is loathsome and wee cannot abide to see the ugly face of it then wee should endevour to bury it Therefore when men will sweare and lye and prophane the Sabbathes and be drunken it is certaine they doe not see the loathsome face of sinne and then they care not for the burying of it Thirdly To remoove it out of our sight and out of our houses as wee remoove a dead man out of our houses therefore Abraham said Let me bury my dead out of my sight Ezâ— 39. 14. There is related a strange storie that there were searchers appointed to goe through the lanâ— who if they did finde any dead mens bones after a great slaughter were to set up a marke or a sticke by them till the buriers came so every mans conscience must be the searchers to finde out his sinnes which when hee hath found out then hee must set a marke by them and never leave till thou hast buried them out of thy sight Fourthly When we have buried sinne them we must rake moulds on it which if we doe not the Divell will come and put life into it againe therefore it must be every mans wisedome by praier and meditation to rake moulds over his sinnes that so they doe not rise againe and his latter end be worse than his beginning SERMON XXIX ACTS 2. 27. Because thou wilt not leave my soule in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see corruption HAving spoken of the death of Christ now we come to handle a further descent of Christs humiliation for there were certaine steps thereof on which hee descended till he came at the lowest steppe and it was as all Divines agree His descention into Hell Genesis 28. 12. We may see that on the ladder that Iacob saw in his vision there were Angels ascending and descending so on the ladder of mans redemption there was Christ descending lower and lower till hee came to the lowest steppe and sinfull man ascending higher and higher till hee came to the highest top of glory it is an experience in nature that those would carry water up to high Towers and Steeples must let it fall exceeding low ere it can rise So our Saviour Christ the most cunningest Artificer in the World that he might raise the fraile nature of man to the highest toppe of glory was contented to fall exceeding low to the lowest step of humiliation that so he might raise man to the highest glory This is generally the mystery of Christs
as Christ speakes Matth. 12. 40. As Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly so the sonne of Man shall be three dayes and three nights in the body of the earth therefore the body of Christ was no lower than the grave it descended no further And this may be a sweet comfort to us that the bodies of Christians descend no lower than the grave therefore when we see a Christian laid into his grave he is in the worst estate wee shall see him in but the wicked descend lower and lower til they come at hell though their bodies doe not descend when they be buried yet when they shall rise againe at the last Iudgement then not onely their soules but also their bodies shall goe to hell as Psal 9. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God but when a Christian is buried and laid in his grave here is the worst estate shal befal them for where the body of Christ rested there the bodies of Christians shall rest after death to wit in the grave The second is That Christ went downe in his Spirit into hell or descended thither to preach to the damned to convert them This opinion seemes more unreasonable than the former but Bellarmine confutes it for hee saith that life is the time of grace there is no repentance nor converting unto God after death according as Christ saith Iohn 9. Worke while it is called today for the night commeth on when no man can worke And 2 Cor. 5. We shall all appeare before the judgement seat of God to answer for that we have done in the body whether it be good or bad So there is no repentance after death but then we must come to judgement to answer for that we have done in our flesh And Galath 6. Whiles we have time doe good here in this life-time is the doing of good and therefore it is a sure thing that if we doe not repent and turne unto God while wee live here wee shall not repent after death because this life-time is the time of grace and of repentance therefore it must be the wisdome of men to repent of their sins to turne unto God lay hold on life and salvation while they live here for if they be dead and laid in the grave it is impossible that they should repent because this life time is the time of repentance S. Chrysostome saith there be two kindes of Repentance fruitfull and unfruitfull or penall repentance Fruitfull repentance is in this life Penall repentance after this life in hell for it is true saith he the damned in hell shall repent them of their sins the whoremaster of his whoring the drunkard of his drunkennesse the swearer of his swearing but this repentance shall be unfruitfull though it be an afflictive repentance therefore if wee would have fruit and benefit by our conversion we must repent whiles we live here The third is That Christ descended into hell to suffer the paines and torments of hell in his soule where we should have suffered I answer the Scripture is plaine for this that Christ did not suffer for us in hell for hee suffered on the crosse where all was finished therefore hee did not need to descend into hell to suffer paines and torments there as Hebr. 2. 14. Forsomuch as the children were partakers of the flesh and bloud he also himselfe having tooke part with them that by death hee might destroy him that had power ever death that is the Devill so Christ did overcome the Devill by dying But it may be objected and said that we deserved to have suffered the paines of hell for ever and therefore Christ descended into hell for us To this I answer that if this reason were good then he in soule should not onely have suffered the torments of hell but his body too for wee deserve not onely to have our soules tormented but our bodies also therefore this cannot stand us in stead Christ suffered the paines of hell but not in the place of hell but partly in the Garden and partly on the Crosse which was sufficient for mans offence as a man that hath a summe of money to pay if he pay it though it be not in the same place all is well it cannot be required againe so Christ hath paid and satisfied God for our sinnes though not in the same place where we should have suffered but partly in the Garden when he was in the bloudy sweat and partly on the Crosse when he made that bitter complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And therefore this may give us comfort that God is satisfied and will not require any more at our hands if wee be in Christ The Fourth is That Christ went not downe to hell but hee went to the upper skirts and brims of hell where the Fathers were floting so to fetch them thence This is the opinion of the Papists and is more unreasonable than any of the former for the Fathers were not in the upper skirts and brims of hel but were saved by the same faith we be as we see Act. 15. 11. But wee beleeve through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ to be saved as they doe so the Fathers were saved by the same meanes we are for the same means were in the Old Testament that is in the New but that there was a veile before it To this effect we have Psal 102. 24. I said take mee not away in the midst of my dayes but there is a plainer place than this Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God that gave it So the soules of good men we see went not to the border of hell but to God as Luke 16. when Lazarus was dead his soule was carried into Abrahams bosome and Dives into hell Now there be two evidences that Lazarus was not in the border and skirts of hell First because his soule was carried by the Angels who doe not carry mens soules into hell but into heaven Secondly because that he was in a place of comfort and joy but there is poore comfort in hell therefore we may see that the Papists opinion is very erroneous and false But there is another Scripture to be answered where it is said Heb. 9. 12. that the way to the holiest of holy was not made by the bloud of Goats and Calves but by the bloud of Christ and then it followes there was no way to heaven but by the death of Christ To this I answer first that there was no way to heaven by the legal sacrifices only the vertue and power of Christs sacrifice laid the way open to us Secondly all that came to heaven must come by the vertue and power of Christ for his death was as vertuall and effectuall to save men from the beginning as
so that the greatest part of the devils bee in this world therefore hee needed not to descend into hell to subdue the devils the most of which might be subdued here Lastly all the articles of our Christian faith are confirmed by plaine places of Scripture but there is no plaine place of Scripture to confirme this that Christ went downe into hell to subdue him in his owne house and Augustine saith that all those points of faith that are fit for a Christian to beleeve are confirmed by plaine places of Scripture but this is not so confirmed therefore not to be beleeved Now against this there bee three Scriptures alleaged the first is taken out of Psal 16. Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave or in hell neither wilt thou let thy holy One see corruption where by soule is meant life and by hell is meant the grave for the sense is thou wilt not leave my life in the grave Now that this is the true sense it may appeare by these two reasons First out of Psal 88. where the like phrase of Scripture is My soule draweth neere to hell that is my life draweth neere to the grave as appeares plainely by the words following I am counted amongst them that goe downe into the pit free among the dead like the slaine lying in the grave Secondly it may appeare by the same words that Peter brings in to proove the resurrection of Christ Act. 2. the Apostle there makes an opposition betweene Christ and David that Christ is ascended up into Heaven but David was not his body remaining in the grave so Christ was where David was not therefore wee cannot proove by this that Christs soule was in hell The second Scripture is out of Rom. 10. 7. Who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring Christ againe from the dead Now by the deepe is not meant the deepe of hell but of the grave the depth of the grave where the dead lye The third is out of Ephes. 4. 9. Now in that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lowest parts of the earth Chrysostome expounds the place and saith it is the very grave for in the Hebrew tongue there be two parts of the earth there is the face of the earth which is the place where we be and the lower part and that is the grave so that the lowest part of the earth that Christ did ascend to is the grave The second more probable opinion is that Christ descended into hell when hee left the paines of hell in the garden and on the crosse this is a true ground but it doth not agree with the order of the Creed for his descension into hell was a thing that was done after he was buryed and his sufferings in the garden and on the crosse was before now it was not repeated againe for in so short a confession men use not to repeat therefore it was something that was after his death and buriall Now that which I take to be the truth in my judgment is that Christ lay in the grave three daies together trampled and troden downe of death so that the descension of Christ into hell is nothing else but the captivating of Christ under death for a time For our instruction there bee two uses to bee made of this point first that as Christ descended lower and lower till he came to the lowest step of abasement before he ascended into glory so every one must labour to be contented to descend lower and lower till he come at the lowest step of humiliation before hee ascend into glory to this effect Paul saith of Christ he that descended is the same that ascended farre above all heavens so that a Christian must descend first before he can ascend Now there be two descents of a Christian the one is in his soule and the other is in his body the first is in soule to descend low into our selves and to sinke downe as low as Hell in the sense and feeling of our sinnes and vilenesse before God that God may advance and lift us up so the Prophet David did and other holy Saints recorded in the sacred Scripture and therefore Origen saith that those which God doth purpose to advance hee doth first make them descend low into themselves to become as no body that so they may be lifted up to glory secondly they must descend in their bodies they must be contented to descend into the grave and to lye in the dust many yeeres together kept under of death and then afterward they shall be raised to glory Secondly that as Christ descended lower and lower so wee should bee contented to come downe to the lowest degree that God shall assigne us there be many that be contented to come downe somewhat but to lose all and to part with all our goods there is not one of a thousand that will be contented when David daunced before the Arke Michal despised him for it unto whom he makes this answere that if it bee a vile thing to doe so he would be more vile so should we doe bee contented to become more vile in our owne eyes to come to any estate that it shall please God to bring upon us that so he may advance us as Iob 19. 25. when he was despised of his servants and all his goods lost yet hee was contented with it and cheareth up himselfe by faith saying I know my Redeemer liveth and in my flesh I shall see God so if wee be contented to be humbled here in the kingdome of grace we shall be advanced in the kingdome of glory SERMON XXX 1 CORINTHIANS 15. 4. And that hee was buried and that he rose againe the third day according to the Scriptures HAving spoken of the degrees of Christ Humiliaation now we are to speake of the degrees of his Exaltation but before wee speake of this the consideration of both of them together will not be unprofitable for us because from thence wee may learne this good instruction that as there was a time of humiliation and a time of exaltation unto Christ so all the people of God in severall ages have had these two times a time of humiliation and a time of exaltation so saith the Prophet Ierem. 30. Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Iaakobs trouble yet he shall be delivered out of it there is a time of trouble and a time of deliverance from trouble as Psal 105. 18 19. Ioseph had his feet in the stockes and was laid in Irons till his appointed time came and the Lords word had tryed him so there was a time of his trouble and a time of his deliverance out of his troubles This may be the comfort of all the people of God that as there is a time of humiliation so there is a time of exaltation which they may
Lord. This then we see is a fearefull and lamentable corruption of our natures that wee soone fall into sinne but when we be fallen wee have no minde to recover nor turne backe againe till Christ bring us backe as appeares plainely Luk. 22. 60. When Peter had denied Christ his Master hee ranne further into sinne till Christ cast a gratious eye on him even so when wee sinne against God we shall goe further and further till hee cast a gratious eye on us Now the reason why Christ came not till the eighth day are chiefly these two following First to sanctifie this day as the Christian Sabbath and to dedicate it here wee may observe they had not a word of Christ all the dayes of the weeke besides but when the eight day came then Christ did appeare to them which may teach us to walke in the strength of that we get one Sabbath till the next for it may bee wee shall not heare a word of Christ till the next Sabboth therefore it must bee our wisedome to get so much at one baite as may serve to carrie us to another even as Travellers will so refresh themselves at one time as that it may carry them to the next baiting place so seeing we have a long journey to goe wee must so refresh our selves on the Sabbath as that it may comfortably carry us to the next Lords day Secondly to teach us that although wee cannot keepe our Easter with Christ and his Disciples the first day yet we should labour to keepe it with Thomas the eighth day that is if we cannot be of the first ranke of beleevers yet let us labour to be of the second ranke as Numb 9. 6. There were certain men that were defiled with a dead man so as they might not eate of the Passeover the same day therefore they came to Moses for resolution he referres the matter to God and the Lord answeres them that he that could not take it the first moneth in the season must take it the second Moneth so if we cannot bee of the first ranke of beleevers Let us labour to bee of the second ranke if not of the second then let us labour to bee of the third ranke if not of the third rather than to be of none let us labour to be of the last as Math. 20. the laborers that were sent into the vineyard some came in at the first houre some at the fourth and some at the eleventh houre so if wee cannot bee of the first ranke of those that beleeve and repent them of their sinnes yet let us labour to bee of the second sort nay to come into an estate of grace though it be in the last houre The third thing is The manner that he appeared in it was in the same sort as he did appeare before for he came in When the Doores were shut and stood â—â—ngst them and said Peace bee unto you and shewed them his hands and feete But why did Christ appeare in this manner There were two reasons of it First To confirme the faith of the Disciples for no doubt they had told to Thomas before how Christ was risen and had appeared to them before and therefore Christ comes in the same manner to confirme their faith Secondly Because Thomas had said in a private meeting that hee would not beleeve unlesse he did see therefore Christ answered him in his owne words and speeches which may teach us that Christ overheares us every word we speake in our private houses in our chambers when wee speake of this friend and that of this body and that and will relate them at the day of judgement even the same words we speake therefore every man must be carefull of his speech and of his words that he doe not speake filthy or idle words for at the day of judgement Christ will repeat them all againe as Hosea 7. 2. saith the Lord And they considered not in their hearts that I remembred all their wickednesse this is the reason why men run into sinne and wickednesse because they doe not consider that God remembers it for if they did then they would not doe as they doe they would not speake a word or thinke a thought contrary to Gods will Thomas indeede was much too blame to prescribe such a law to Christ and yet notwithstanding such was the goodnesse and mercy of Christ that he yeelds to his weaknesse And why doth Christ yeeld to him Because he did see there was a desire in him to beleeve and repent therefore Christ yeelds to him and his weaknesse Hence we may learne that such is the goodnesse and mercie of Christ to sinnefull men that notwithstanding they prescribe unjust and unequall lawes as Thomas did yet he will yeeld to their weaknesse if they have a true desire to beleeve So Marke 5. 23. It is said The Ruler of the Synagogue came unto Christ and besought him that hee would come and lay his hands upon his daughter and heale her where hee prescribed a kinde of law in thinking that unlesse hee would come to her he could not helpe her and if shee were dead hee could not give her life againe yet notwithstanding Christ condescends and yeelds to his weaknesse and goeth and helpeth his daughter This is the goodnesse and mercy of Christ to yeeld to our weaknesse Now here are two questions to bee answered First Whether there bee any wounds in a glorified body or no seeing Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. 43. That it is sowne in dishonour it riseth againe in honour it is sowne in weaknesse and it riseth in power I answer that commonly and ordinarily there is no wounds nor scars in a glorified body for as there is glory in one part so there is glory in all the parts as Tertullian saith of death that it is not in one part but in all so saith he there is not glory in one part but there is glory in every part and therefore commonly and ordinarily a glorified body hath no wounds but that Christs body had wounds in it it was by speciall dispensation for our good and benefit that wee might have faith in the resurrection of Christ for hee was contented for our good and benefit to abate of his glory this should teach us that wee should be content to abate of our glory for the good of our brethren and it is not mine but the lesson which S. Paul teacheth us Phil. 2. 5. Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ who humbled himselfe and became obedient to the death of the crosse for our good therefore wee should bee contented to humble our selves and to doe good to our brethren The second question is why hee would have his Disciples to looke on his wounds I answer to shew them where the comfort of a Christian was not in Christs walking on the water or raising of the dead or casting out of devils or
to comfort and the other to paine Thirdly besides these both particular judgements that befall particular and speciall men and the private judgement that is at the day of death there shall also a generall judgement and a solemne arraignment of this whole World where every person shall be judged and arraigned as we beleeve in our Christian profession From thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead that is hee shall judge all sorts of people even every Man and Woman that hath lived in this World or shall live Now if any man demand what is the reason why there shall be a generall judgement seeing there is particular iudgements that light on particular men and the private judgement at the day of death I answere there be three reasons thereof First Because the Bodies must be judged as well as the Soules for seeing men sinne against God as well in their Bodies as in their Soules therefore both shall be judged as Revel 20. 12. the Evangelist saith And I saw the Dead both great and small stand before God they did not onely stand with bodies but with soules also for saith he The Sea gave up the dead in her and Death and Hell delivered up their Dead that were in them So we see the bodies rise againe to be judged as well as the Soules Secondly That there may be a declaration of the just judgement of God that all the World may see the judgements of God are just upon men for their sins as Rom. 2. 5. But thou after thy hardnesse of heart that cannot repent heapest upon thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the just judgement of God therefore besides the private and close judgement there must bee a generall and solemne arraignement in the view of the whole world that so there may be a declaration of the just judgement of God Thirdly Because they shall not be judged as private persons but as publike in the same body that they lived in either in the body of the Saints or in the body of the wicked for they shall be judged as they be members of the same body they rise in and as they are found to have done good or bad accordingly shal the division be made as appears Mat. 25. 31. where it is said And before him shall bee gathered all Nations and hee shall separate them one from another as a sheapheard doth separate his Sheepe from the Goats and he shall set the one at his right hand and the other at his left hand c. Now because this point is a great and a very waighty one and to be considered before others in a Christians life being like the great wheel of a clocke it turnes all the inferior wheeles so if a man be once perswaded of this that he must give an account to God for all his actions and must stand before God in judgement it will make him to passe his daies holily and vertuously while he lives here and therefore let us see briefly what bee the proofes and grounds that there shall bee a judgement which are chiefly these foure following The first is taken From the Truth of God because hee hath said it and therefore it shall come to passe for God is not as Man that hee should lye neither as the Sonne of Man that he should repent He hath said it and shall hee in doe it and hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it As it is Num. 23. 19. Therefore whatsoever he hath said it shall come to passe in the time that he hath appointed Now that Christ hath said there shall be a judgement day there bee many Scriptures for it As Matth. 10. 15. Truely I say unto you it shall bee easier for them of the land of Sodom and Gomorah in the day of judgement than for that Citie So also Matth. 12. 36. But I say unto you That of every idle word that men shall speake they shall give an account at the day of judgement And verse 41. The men of Ninevie shall rise up in judgement with this Generation and shall condemne it because they repented at the preaching of Ionas We see the Testimony of the Lord is plaine for this that there shall bee a judgement day Augustine saith God hath made us many promises and hath performed them and shall wee not thinke that the judgement day shall come according as hee hath foretold us It is said Psal 144. The Lord is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes If the Lord hath promised any thing it shall come to passe for the Lord hath left his Scripture which is his hand-writing to assure us of the truth of it And therefore dost thou not beleeve that there shall bee a day of judgement The Lord himselfe shall answere thee thou hast the hand-writing of GOD and what must thou doe Looke into that and see what a company of things hee hath promised in his Word as unlikely as this which are all come to passe he hath promised that He would send his Sonne into the World to worke thy Redemption Looke into his Word thou hast his hand-writing hath he performed this promise Then assure thy selfe likewise that one day he will come to iudgement Hee hath promised that Hee will send downe his spirit that should lead them in all truth thou hast his hand writing see if this promise be come to passe then assure thy selfe withall he will come to judge this World hath he promised He will preach the Gospell to all Nation looke into the Scriptures hath hee performed it Why then never doubt but that thy body also shall rise because he hath foretold it The second is because it is the nature of Gods Iustice to give to every man according to his due desert good things to good men and evill things to evill men but it is not so here in this life but the best men bee in the worst estate for the most part and evill men in the best for as Salomon saith Eccles 9. 2. All things come alike to all there is one event to the just and to the wicked to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that sweareth not or feareth an oath so the worst be in the best estate and the good be in the worst estate hereof Habakkuk complaines Chap. 1. 13. Thou art of pure eyes and canst not behold wickednesse wherefore dost thou looke on the transgressors and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than be here in this life there be many aberrations and swervings from the right rule of justice therefore there must bee a judgement to bring that which deflects from the rule to rectitude and straightnesse Againe Augustine speaking out of Pssalm 101. saith God hath
the Apostle saith All things shall worke to the good of them that love God There be many things that seeme to goe against Christians all which yet the Lord turnes to their good the Philistians could not resolve Sampsons riddle but every Christian can as honey came out of the dead body of the Lion so a Christian drawes sweetnesse from the dead body of Christ even in trouble and affliction by perswading of us that God will turne all to our good Thirdly the holy Ghost doth comfort us by perswading of us that God will set an end to all our troubles as it is said Psal 102. That God will arise and have mercy on Sion for the time to have mercy thereon is come even the appointed time is come so also Psal 62. 2. saith he yet hee is my strength and my salvation and my defenceâ— therefore I shall not much be moved Now three wayes the Holy Ghost giveth us comfort in affliction First by perswading us that God will take it away Secondly that if he doth not take it away he will mitigate and asswage it as Psal 18. David saith by my God I have leaped over a wall although God did not take away the wall or though hee doth not make the wall lower yet by the helpe of God I can leape over the wall Thirdly that though he doth not mitigate or asswage it that yet he will give us patience to beare and undergoe it as it is in the Psalme I cried unto the Lord and the Lord heard me and hath renewed my strength therefore we may say with Saint Paul Thankes bee to God who hath comforted us in all our tribulations The second time is In the distresse of Conscience of all distresse there is none like it as Salomon saith Proverb 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can beare Now it is the Holy Ghost that doth comfort a man in this distresse First By perswading us that we are the Children of God Rom. 8. Saint Paul saith The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the Children of GOD whereupon Chrysostome saith if GOD should send an Angell or an Archangell and should tell thee that thou art beloved of GOD and that thou art his Childe would not this comfort thee in this distresse of conscience but God hath not sent an Angell or an Archangell onely to perswade thee that thou art the childe of God but hee hath sent his Spirit into thy heart to beare witnesse unto thy spirit that thou art the Childe of God Secondly by perswading us that there is a seede of grace in our hearts as 1 Iohn 3. 9. Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not because his seed remaineth in him and Iohn 8. Christ saith He that beleeveth in mee out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water therefore seeing there is a seede of grace remaining in all the faithfull though they goe astray and wander yet they doe as the sheepe cry unto the shepheard and are not at rest till they be brought home to God So we see David did in the Psal 119. saith he I have gone astray like a lost sheepe Lord seeke thy servant for I have not forgot thy Commandements The third speciall time is at the day of death when all comforts faile us then the holy Ghost comforts us by perswading us that God is our Father and that we are going home to him and are at peace with him Thus Iohn 17. 11. Christ saith I come to thee holy Father keepe them in thy Name even these which thou hast given me And 2 Pet. 3. 12. saith he Looking for and hasting unto the comming of the day of God So it should be comfort to a Christian that by death he is going home to God and that he cannot bee at rest till he come there Secondly The Holy Ghost doth comfort us by perswading that Heaven is opened for us and that the Angels are ready to receive us and that the ending of this life is the beginning of a better We read Gen. 26. 6. when Iaakob was going to Padan Aram he laid him downe to sleepe upon a stone where he saw a vision a ladder reared up that reacht to Heaven the Angels ascending and descending thereupon and Christ ready to receive them at the head of the ladder So Acts 7. Stephan at the time of death saw Heaven opened and Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to receive him such comfortable visions shall the people of God have at the time of death at least such comforts as shall be fit to comfort them in this Thirdly By perswading us that although our bodies rot and consume yet one day they shall rise againe to glory and happinesse so Iob saith I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand the last on the Earth and though after my skin worms destroy my body yet shall I see God with my eyes and Iohn 11. 23. Iesus saith to Mortha thy brother shall rise againe to whom Martha replies I know he shall rise in the resurrection at the last day Therefore howsoever our bodies rot and consume in the Grave yet one day they shall rise to glory and happinesse It is a good meditation of a learned man at the time of death and of thy departure thinke of all the good doctrines that have beene taught thee of good Preachers to comfort thy selfe with them remember that Iesus Christ is the Lambe of God that was crucified and killed for thy sinnes and is ready to receive thee who tooke order in his last Will and Testament for thee as Iohn 17. Father saith he I will that where I am there they be also and to the theefe on the Crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise So rest thy selfe in this hope and goe thy way to thy Christ goe home to Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and to all the holy men departed and such as are behinde shall follow after where we shall all meete together to behold God in glory and sing praises to him world without end So this comfort that we have by the Holy Ghost will stand by us when all comfort will faile The sixth benefit we have by the Holy Ghost is abilitie and power to performe any speciall calling for there is no man that can performe any speciall calling till the holy Ghost hath enabled him as 1 Sam. 10. it is said The Spirit of God came upon Saul and made him fit for governement and Acts 2. the Spirit of God came downe upon the Apostles and made them fit to preach to all Nations so Exod. 38. 2. it is said of Bezaleel that He was filled with the Spirit of God in wisedome understanding knowledge and in all workemanship to finde out curious workes in gold silver and in brasse So there is no
all one house and familie and appertaine to one Lord and master many times they all meet together and when they bee parted there is but a floore or a loft between them so the Church of God is a great house wherein there bee many lodgings some lodge in the upper Roome that is in Heaven and some in the lower the earth and yet they have but one Lord and Master and bee all of one familie there is but a floore as it were between them and that is the veile of this flesh which shall be taken away one day they shall come together one day They that are in the upper Roome shall come down into this lower to receive their bodies and they which are in this lower shall goe up into the upper Roome to receive their glorie and immortalitie The People of God in old time dwelled in Tents the husband had his Tent and the wife had hers as wee see Gen. 18. that Abraham had his Tent by himselfe and Sara had her Tent and yet there was Communion between them they met sometimes and conversed together and when they were asunder there was but a thinne canvase or cloath between them so the Saints departed live in one place a-part by themselves and the living Saints by themselves and yet there is a neere conjunction between them because they all meet together in the adoration of the true God when they are asunder there being as it were but a thinne cloth between them the veile of this flesh Therefore little doe men know what they doe deprive themselves of by their sinnes for they doe not onely lose Communion with weake and fraile men such as wee bee but with Angells and Archangells and all the Saints departed and blessed People of Heaven above Therefore pittie the madnesse and folly of men to deprive themselves of so great a blessing Thirdly the Communion of the dead with the dead consisting in two things First in desire that they may be buried lye together in the grave that they may rise together in glorie and happinesse We see Gen. 23. that Abraham might have buried Sarah when shee was dead in the best of the Sepulchers of the Heathen people but hee bought a peece of ground of them to burie her in And Gen. 49. 29. Iacob gave a charge to his Sonnes concerning the place of his buriall saying I am gathered unto my people bury mee with my Fathers in the cave that is in the fields of Ephron the Hittite in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah besides Mamre in the Land of Canaan which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession to burie in there they layd Abraham and Sarah and there they buried Isaak and Rebecca his wife and there I buried Leah and let mee lye amongst Gods Saints so 1. King 30. 31. the old Prophet said When I am dead bury mee also in the Sepulcher wherein the man of God is buried lay my bones by his bones and my body by his body c. So it is the desire of the Saints to lye together in the grave to have their ashes mingled together and their dust never separated that so they may rise to eternall glorie together Some thinke it is no matter where a man is buried when hee is dead and indeed all is one in regard of salvation but a man would bee loth to rise with whoremasters drunkards theeves and villaines therefore hee would hee loth to lye amongst them Secondly In that they shall meete together in the communion of the mysticall body of Christ for as in a circumference there are many points and lines all which come to one center so there be many bodies of the Saints scattered and severed some in the land some in another some in the Sea concavities and hollow places of the Earth yet all these shall meet at the Center in the body of Christ for howsoever the body may bee sundered by death from the soule for a time yet soule and body cannot be sundred from Christ Some thinke that the dead bodies of the Saints doe truely belong to Christ and are under the care of God because Christ saith that God is the God of Abraham Isaak and Iaakob but they doe not thinke that they have communion with Christ when they bee dead because they have communion with Christ by meanes of the Spirit onely but to this I answere that the dead bodies bee not onely members with Christ but they have communion with him for looke how it was with the materiall body of Christ when the soule and body was sundred by death yet it was alwayes united to the Godhead so the faithfull people though they bee dead yet are united to Christ. Againe I answere that all communion wee have is by the Spirit of Christ for our dead bodies doe communicate by his Spirit not according to all the effects of it but some namely that hee doth preserve and keepe their dust and one day will raise and quicken them againe to live in glory and happinesse so Saint Paul saith Rom. 8. 11. But if the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwelleth in you hee that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies because his Spirit dwelleth in you Secondly the dead have communion one with another in regard of their soules for all the soules of the Saints when they leave this world shall bee gathered to the Saints that be departed so Gen. 15. 15. saith God But thou shalt goe to thy fathers in peace and shalt be buried in a good old age Now it could not bee meant of the bodies of his fathers for they were buried in another Countrie nor could it be meant of the soules of his fathers for they were idolaters but it was meant of the fathers of his faith to such as he was to holy and good men for looke what a man is to the same he shal be gathered to and such as a man converseth with whilest he liveth here on the earth unto such he shall bee gathered in the life to come Therefore to shut up all if thou wouldest not be gathered to whoremasters drunkards murtherers theeves villains and such like doe not converse with them nor partake with them in their sinnes but if thou have repented of thy sinnes got faith in Christ and made conscience of thy wayes conversing with good men then thou shalt bee gathered to Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and all the holy men therefore every man must so live in this life as that hee may live for ever in the life to come SERMON LXX HEBREVVES 10. 24 25. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good workes Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as yee see the day approaching IN Christian
of the body therefore all our care must be for the salvation of our soules whatsoever becommeth of our bodies our care must bee for our soules yet wee see what a-doe there is about the body all our care is for to cloath and feed it and yet that shall come to the dust for a while and the soule shall live for ever in glorie or in paine therefore our chiefest care must bee for that Wee see the theefe on the crosse makes his Request to Christ that hee would remember him when hee comes in his Kingdome all his care was for the saving of his soule hee doth not pray Christ to pull the nayles and the splinters out of his hands and feete to asswage and mitigate his bodily paines but all his care is for saving of his soule in like manner when wee come to die our request must bee that God would save our soules whatsoever becommeth of the body I did shew you the other day that if a house were burnt downe and the men in it should escape wee use to say thankes bee to God for it so though our bodies goe to the dust yet prayse God that our soules goe to heaven into eternall joy and glorie The second thing that I will demonstrate is that the soule doth not sleepe in the body when it is dead this is against the is Anabaptists who say that the soule sleepes in the body when it is in the grave but I know no ground for this opinion for whereas Christ sayes Iohn 11. our friend Lazarus sleepeth c. that cannot bee meant of the soule but of the death of the body so Matth. 27. it is said that the Saints that slept arose so then they have no Scripture for their opinion but against them Now wee will see what Reason wee have against them First see what is the cause of sleeping for it is by reason of certaine vapours that arise from the bottome of the stomack and ascend into the head where they binde the senses Now this cause is not in the soule and therefore that cannot sleepe Againe if the soule should sleepe it must sleepe in the body for cast out of the body it cannot sleepe because as long as the soule is in the body there is life in a man as S. Paul saith Act. 20. 9. of Eutichus Trouble not your selves saith he for there is life in him when he fell out of the window and every one thought hee had beene dead If they say that the soule sleepes out of the body it must sleepe in Heaven or in Hell or in this world or in the grave It can not sleepe in Heaven for there is joy nor in Hell for there is paine nor in this world for there is labour and paine nor in the grave for there is corruption therefore away with this sleepy opinion Now there is another kinde of sleepe of the soule in the body which S. Paul speaketh of Ephes 5. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee life therefore it is good for men to awake while they bee here out of this sleepe of sinne lest they bee fearefully awaked at the dreadfull day of judgement with this fearefull sentence Goe ye cursed into Hell fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells The third thing that I will demonstrate unto you is That the soules doe not goe to a middle place as the Papists say if men have done well then they goe to Heaven presently but if they have committed great faults then they rest in a middle place The Scriptures shew otherwise Eccle. 12. it is said that dust goeth to the earth and the soule to God that gave it and Christ said to the theefe This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise Origen saith that that which Christ spake to the theefe on the Crosse hee spake to all his people that when they died their soules goe presently to joy and S. Paul shewes the same where hee saith 2 Cor. 6. 7. Therefore wee are bold and love rather to remove out of the body and to dwell with God Hence then wee see it plaine in the Scripture that so soone as a man dieth his soule goeth home to God to glorie and happinesse if hee bee a true beleever Therefore seeing the soule doth not die neither with the body as the Atheists say nor sleepe in the body as the Anabaptists say nor rest in a middle place as the Papists say it is a certaine truth that the soules of the Godly are gathered presently after death into the Kingdome of Heaven O then what a joyfull meeting will that be when my soule and thy soule and all the soules of Gods Children shall bee gathered to Angels and Archangels to the Patriarchs and Prophets to Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and all the Holy men of God that are departed in the faith of Christ therfore above all things my brethren labour to have Communion with the Saints here in the Kingdome of Grace that thou mayest have Communion with them in the Kingdome of glorie for if it bee a sweet thing to have Communion with the Saints here in this life much more it is a sweet and joyfull thing to have Communion with them in the Kingdome of glorie Now there are foure things in this life that hinder and allay the comfortable Communion that the Saints should have one with another 1. The mixture of wicked men 2. The Imperfection of good men 3. The Distance of place 4. The narrownesse of their love The first thing that taketh downe and allaieth the comfortable communion of the People of God in this World is mixture malorum The mixture of evill men and that in two respects First because they hurt and vexe them with their wrongs of the People of God be as Lambes amongst Wolves innocent and harmelesse and the wicked Ezekiel 34. 21. They are called Rammes that thrust with side and with shoulder and push at the weake with their hornes untill they have scattered them Therefore David complaines of the wicked Psal 144 That they eate Gods People as a man eats bread so also Psal 41. 9. saith he Yea my familiar friends whom I trusted which did eate of my bread have lift up the heele against me they that were of the same communion with him did much wrong him Saint Basil observeth that a ship in the Sea is in more danger of those rockes that are hidden with water than with those that may be seene a great way off so saith he the close and secret enemies of the Church and such as live amongst them are more dangerous than they that be open and apparent to be seene Secondly they grieve and offend them with their sinnes though they do not wrong nor hurt them otherwise yet with their sinnes and their uncivill conversation they doe vexe and grieve them as 2 Pet. 2.
say they If the same bodies rise then they rise with a number of needlesse parts for what shall a man need teeth seeing they shall eate no meate and what shall they need a stomacke seeing there is no concoction or digestion and what shall a man need bowels seeing there is no redundance to fill them Augustine shall answer this saith he concerning the teeth they bee needfull for a man hath two uses of them they serve to eate with and they are to helpe our speech therefore though we have no need of teeth in regard of eating yet we shall have need of them to speake with for in Heaven we shall praise God and sing the song of Moses and of the Lambe so then all our teeth are needfull Now for the other parts of the body they are saith hee for sight and comelinesse for though there be no need of the stomacke to concoct or of bowels because there is no redundance yet these shall bee as ornaments to the body to adorne and beautifie it for even in this life there are some things which a man hath that are not needfull as a mans beard it is not a needfull thing for a man might live without it hee might speake without it yet nature hath given us it for an ornament and comelinesse So likewise a woman shee hath breasts necessarily for to nourish and feede her child therewithall but why a man should have the like that seeing he hath no use or need of them we see no other reason but they are for an ornament and to beautifie the body In like manner though we shall not neede after this life a stomacke to concoct nor bowels to receive and disperse yet they shall bee for ornament to our bodies Thirdly say they the same bodies doe not rise because they be heavy and ponderous bodies for how shall heavie and ponderous bodies stay above the Clouds in the pure Heaven which is more pure and thin than the Ayre To this I answer that if a man may fill a great vessell of lead and make it swim above water by drawing the Ayre into it why then may not God draw his Spirit into us and fill us therewith so making our heavie bodies abide above the Clouds as well as a man can make a vessell of lead to swimme above the water Secondly I answer that every thing abides in his owne proper place at Gods appointment As the Clouds which are heavie and full of wet would fall downe to the ground if God had not appointed the Ayre to bee the proper place for them so likewise the water would bee above the land but that the Sea is the place that God hath appointed for the water so it is Gods assignement that makes the proper place of a thing And therefore because Heaven is the proper place of a glorified body as the Earth of a mortall body therefore I say our bodies shall remaine here till the day of judgement in this Earth and then when our bodies are made glorified bodies they shall abide in the Heavens As Psal 115. 16. David saith The Heavens even the Heavens are the Lords but He hath given the Earth to the Sonnes of Men so then the proper place of our mortall bodies is the Earth but when our bodies are glorified then they shall be as naturally in Heaven and live and abide there as they doe now on the Earth The uses are three First seeing wee shall rise with the same bodies therefore wee must be carefull to keepe them well that they may bee pure and unspotted without sinne It is Pauls conclusion 1 Cor. 6. 18. Flie fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the body but hee that commits fornication sinneth against the body so because we shall rise againe let us flie every sin and corruption and keepe our bodies unspotted that so wee may bee presented pure and holy before him at that day for what a shame will it be to stand before God in judgement when wee have wronged God by our sinnes grieved and offended him and when our heavenly Iudge shall say unto us Are not these the eyes that yee have let in lust with and looked after vanitie Are not these the tongues that yee have told so many lies with Are not these the mouthes that yee have sworne and blasphemed my Name with Are not these the hands yee have wrought wickednesse with Are not these the feete that have carried you to sinne and vanitie to places of disorder and then how shall wee be able to answer the Lord Therefore beloved how carefull should we be to live well to keepe our bodies unspotted that wee may have comfortat that day We see 2 Chron. 36. 8. when Iehoiakim was dead there was found the characters markes and prints of his â—orcery howsoever he could beare it out because he was a King and smother up the matter and keepe it close yet when hee was dead there was the markes and prints of his forcery found on his body so howsoever sinners may hide their sins and beare them out while they live yet when they be dead there shall be found the markes and prints and Characters of their foule sinnes that they have committed therefore let us keepe our bodies pure and unspotted that wee may have comfort at that day Secondly seeing the same bodies which wee lay downe shall rise againe therefore we should depose and lay them downe well at the day of death and make a holy close of our lives to die in Faith and Repentance that so we may goe to God If a man put off his garment and meanes to put it on againe he will not rend it off his backe and teare it but will put it off tenderly and lay it up safe that so it may doe him service againe and grace him before his friends so seeing our bodies are as garments for our soules when we put them off let us labor to depose and lay them downe well at the day of death to die in Faith and Repentance that our bodies may grace us and do us credit at the day of judgement before God To this purpose 2 Pet. 1. 14. saith Saint Peter I thinke it meete as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in minde seeing I know that the time is at hand that I must lay downe this my Tabernacle even as our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed me so also S. Paul 2 Cor. 5. saith for we know that if this earthly house of our Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building given us of God c. There is great difference betweene a souldier destroying of an house and one that dissolves a house he that destroyes an house will pull downe the timber and stones and careth not where he flings them nor what becommeth of them because he doth not purpose to use them againe But a man that dissolves an
house he will take it downe peece by peece in parts with great care and diligence and will lay it up safe because he meanes to build with it againe so because wee know that our bodies shall rise againe at the last day therefore we must not destroy our bodies but labour to repose them and lay them downe well at the day of death Thirdly seeing the same body shall rise againe that we have here in this world and the same that we lay downe at the day of death therefore here this great question may be answered whether we may know one another at the day of judgement This question need be no question seeing we shall rise againe with the same bodies that we lye downe with here therefore surely wee shall know one another in Heaven and wee have reasons to confirme us in it First because our knowledge shall be more perfect at that time than ever Adams was in the time of innocencie for if Adam did know his wife as soone as she was brought him though hee never saw her before therefore much more wee shall know one another seeing our knowledge shall bee more perfect and we shall rise with the same bodies that wee lived with here Secondly On the Mount his Disciples had but a taste of the Heavenly glorie and yet Peter knew Moses and Elias although they were dead many thousand yeeres before if hee knew them when hee had but a taste of glory much more we shall know one another when wee shall have fulnesse of glory Thirdly Our happinesse shall bee greatly increased by meanes of the mutuall societie one with another Matth. 8. 11. But I say unto you that many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaak and Iaakob in the Kingdome of God therefore seeing our happinesse shall bee greatly increased then by mutuall societie wee are not to thinke that we shall goe to a strange people where we know no body but wee shall goe to our godly friends and acquaintance and to such as we know Fourthly Wee shall heare the inditement of the wicked at the day of Iudgement there we shall here them arraigned and condemned for their vile facts Cain for killing of Abel Pharaoh for oppressing the Israelites Iudas for betraying of his Master Nero for killing of Christians when we heare them indited and condemned we shall know them And as wee shall know the wicked so we shall know the Godly too when they shall be rewarded which me thinkes may bee a motive to quicken us in our care to live holily and Christianly here in this World seeing wee goe not to a strange Countrie or people but to our friends and acquaintance and to such as know us Thirdly The Time when we shall rise that is at the day of judgement then and never till then so Martha sayes in this place I know my Brother shall rise againe in the Resurrection at the last day so also S. Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. 51. We shall not all sleepe but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trumpet for the Trumpet shall blow and the dead shall bee raised up so then wee shall rise at the last judgement and never till that time Now there are foure reasons of this delaying First Because there might be a proportion betweene Christ and his members for Christ when he was dead did not rise again by and by but lay a time trampled and troden underfoot of death so also that wee might lie a time under the chaines and fetters of death God suffers us not to rise till then Ireneus shuts up his Booke with this saying Even as our Heavenly Master did not flie to Heaven by and by but did remaine under death and in the Grave for a time so all his servants must be contented to lie in the Grave and to be trampled and trodden underfoote of death for a time before they goe to Heaven Secondly Because that the bodies of all the faithfull that are gone before and those that come after might have their full consummation of glory together Therefore they shall not rise to prevent one another in glory but they shall all goe together As Saint Paul saith 1 Thes 4. 15. For this say wee unto you by the Word of the Lord that we which live and are remaining unto the comming of the Lord shall not prevent them that sleepe so wee shall not get the start of them but we shall arise all together to glory This is a sweet comfort to us that live in the last age of the world that all the Saints that are departed shall not rise to this Heavenly glory till wee be ready but lie waiting in their Graves for us We read 1 Sam. 16. 11. When Samuel came to Ishai to annoint David Ishai called all his Sonnes before him to whom Samuel said Are there no more children but these there remaineth said Ishai yet a little one behinde that keepeth sheepe unto whom Samuel said Send and fetch him for we will not sit downe till he come hither so the People of God they lie waiting in their graves and are kept from their honour and glory and will not sit downe in the Kingdome of Heaven as it were till we all meete together Thirdly For the further declaration of the Power of Christ for it is a greater matter that Christ should raise men that have lien rotting in the Grave a thousand yeeres together than for to raise men when they are newly dead therefore Martha said to Iesus My brother stinketh already for he hath beene dead these foure dayes Therefore it is not so easie a matter to raise him as it was Iairus daughter and the widdowes sonne so Ezek. 37. 3. the Lord said unto him Sonne of Man can these dead and drie bones live and I answered saith the Prophet Lord thou knowest it is a hard matter to doe it therefore this declaration is for the further manifestation of the Power of Christ Fourthly For the further confirmation of our faith for looke how many there are of the dead bodies of the Saints amongst us so many pledges and pawnes there are of our Redemption for although wee might doubt in our selves of our owne bodies rising in regard of the badnesse of our lives and in regard of our vile sinnes yet because there bee so many bodies of the dead Saints amongst us wee neede not doubt but that he will raise them up one day to glory There are three bodies already ascended into Heaven Henoch in the time of Nature Elias in the time of the Law and Christ in the time of the Gospell and for these three bodies hee hath left many thousand bodies of the dead Saints remaining under death and in the grave to bee pledges and pawnes to us of our Resurrection one saith well we have here in
this world many pawnes and pledges of our resurrection therefore let us not doubt but that the Lord one day will raise our bodies Saint Paul speaks hereof Heb. 11. ult God saith hee providing better things for us that they without us should not be made perfect so we shall not prevent one another but shall all goe together The use is First seeing the bodies of the Saints doe not rise till the day of Iudgement therefore we must be contented to lye under affliction and trouble till God deliver us We see all the bodies of the Saints be trampled and troden underfoot of death till the day of judgement and therefore we must be contented to wait with patience for a time til the Lord deliver us out of trouble seeing there will bee a day of deliverance The second use is that seeing the bodies of the Saints rise not till the day of judgement therefore we should waite for it desire it and long for it as Rom. 8. we read of two sorts of groners the Creatures grone by the instinct of Nature and the People of God grone by the instinct of grace so that there is never a Creature that is well ordered sensible or unsensible but doth grone and long for that day therefore much more shuld we long for that time and desire it If a man hath broken an Arme or put a Leg out of joynt if one hath promised him that he will come to set and put it into joynt againe at such an houre hee will every foote be looking out of his window for his comming so seeing at the day of judgement the Lord will restore us againe to our former integritie we should long for that day and be looking for it Thirdly seeing the Dead shall not rise till the day of judgement therefore why doe men so pamper their bodies to cloath them so fine and to feede them so daintily who cannot indure the winde to blow upon them seeing they must goe to the dust bee companions with the wormes and dwell in the house to rottennesse therefore all our care must be to save our soules to get faith in Christ to repent of our sinnes and so to shut up our eyes in this world as that they may bee opened in the Kingdome of glory for ever SERMON LXXIII IOHN 11. 23 24. Jesus saith unto her Thy Brother shall rise againe Martha said unto him I know that he shall rise againe in the Resurrection at the last day HAving shewed that our bodies rise againe and that the same bodies shall rise that we lay downe in the third place we came to consider the Time when we should rise At the day of Iudgement then and never till then As Iob 14. 11 12. saith he As the Waters faile from the Sea and the Flood decayeth and drieth up So Man lieth downe and riseth not till the Heavens be no more they shall not awake nor bee raised out of their sleepe and also 1 Cor. 15. 52. it is said For the Trumpet shall blow and the dead shall bee raised up so then wee shall rise and never till then Some reasons then I named why we shall not rise till then which now I will not repeat but goe on where we left Here a question may bee asked seeing wee must lye so many yeares and ages rotting in the grave what may the meane while bee our comfort to uphold and sustaine us I answer that there are some things to comfort us and sustaine us in this case First that God will be present with us that he will not leave us nor forsake us no not in the grave this is a sweet comfort to us our wives and friends bring us to the grave lay us in and there leave us for there is none of them that will goe downe with us to the place of rottennesse but here is comfort that the Lord will not leave us there but hee will goe to the grave with us and will watch over our dead ashes by the eye of his providence to keepe them till the day come in which hee will raise them up againe as Gen. 46. 4. saith God to Iaakob I will goe downe into Egypt with thee and I will bring thee up againe so the Lord will go downe with us into the grave and tarry with us and will watch over us with the eye of his Providence to keepe our dead ashes and bring us out againe Rizpah is condemned for that shee kept the dead bodies of Sauls sonnes that she did spread a tent over them and kept them that the fowles should not devour them by day nor the beasts by night but much more may wee admire and wonder at the goodnesse of God to us that hee goes downe into the grave with us spreads his tent over us and will keepe our dead ashes which one day hee will bring out againe this is a sweet comfort to a Christian that the Lord will not leave us nor forsake us no not in the grave though our wives and friends leave us yet God will not The second comfort is that although our bodies lye rotting in the grave yet our soules shall be blessed and happy this was Pauls comfort 2 Cor. 5. For we know that if this earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed we have a building given us of God c. and so Revel 6. 11. The soules that lay under the Altar cried How long Lord and it is said that long white robes were given them that is that they were comforted with the glorious and blessed estate of their soules Indeed if our soule should not goe to glory presently but should lye as the body in the paine of rottennesse then we might say as Salomon saith Proverb 17. 22. the hope that is deferred is the drying of the bones c. but because the soule goes presently to God and is in an estate of glory and happinesse though the body lye in the place of rottennesse therefore this may comfort us a good soule is like the good spies wee read of Numb 13. that were sent into the land of Canaan to search the land when they came backe againe to the children of Israel they tell them that the land is a good and pleasant land that they have tasted of the fruits thereof and therefore let us not bee slothfull to enter in so the good soule that goes before into the heavenly Canaan and hath a tast of the fruit of it when it returnes againe into the body to live in communion and fellowship with it will say to the body Here is a good and pleasant land I have tasted of the fruite of it therefore let us not bee slothfull to enter in and possesse it Thirdly this may comfort us in that although we lye in the grave a long time yet Christ hath sanctified and sweetned the grave unto us by lying in it himselfe and hath perfumed it as Chrysostome saith
corruptions to quicken thee up to newnesse of life or else thou shalt feele the power of Christ to raise thee at the last day to thy confusion Thirdly seeing all shall rise by the power of Christ therefore let us not doubt but that the Lord will raise us out of our troubles whatsoever they be seeing hee will raise our bodies at the last day Wee read Ezek. 37. that the Lord said to the Prophet Sonne of Man can these dead bones live and so bade him prophesie upon the bones till bone ran to his bone flesh and sinewes grew on them againe and there was a great army that stood up verse 11. saith the Lord Sonne of Man these bones are the whole house of Israel that did lie in captivitie and bondage therefore the Lord did shew the Prophet that as hee was able to raise these dead bones to life so hee was able to bring them out of trouble and bondage againe Therefore doe not thou doubt but that the Lord will raise thee out of thy troubles whatsoever they be As Psal 86. 13. David saith great iâ— thy mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soule from the lowest grave Therefore if thou dost not beleeve that God will raise thee out of thy troubles whatsoever they be then blot this article out of thy Creede and search it out for it he can raise thy body out of the grave then doe not doubt but that he can raise thee out of thy troubles whatsoever they be Fifthly In what estate our bodies shall rise in in an estate of glory Now they are mortall and mutable subject to a number of infirmities to hunger nakednesse cold sicknesses diseases and paines now they are dull and heavie in the service of God but at the last day when we shall rise againe our bodies shall bee made immortall and shall bee subject to no infirmities of nature sicknesses or paines then they shall have strength to performe their owne actions in so excellent and perfect an estate our bodies shall rise If a Physitian should out of his Art and skill give us such a potion that we should never hunger nor thirst after it and should be free from sicknesses diseases paines and griefes a man would give many a pound to procure it such a potion the Lord will give us at the last day hee will give us a cup of immortalitie that wee shall have no more paines and sicknesses therefore how should wee long and desire for that day Matth. 18. 8. our Saviour Christ saith It were better for a man to enter into life hurt and maimed than having two hands and two feete to be cast into Hell fire It were better for a man to goe to Heaven wanting his parts than for a man to goe to Hell with all the glory that this world can afford him and yet we may have this assured hope that we shall not goe deformed to Heaven but we shall have all our parts and glory put on them but whosoever cares not for Christ or for religion they shall see this glory put upon the People of God and shall not taste of it Let us therefore be exhorted to labor to have communion with Christ to repent us of our sins and to feare God that when death commeth our eyes may be so shut up in this world as they may be open in the Kingdome of God for ever Chrysostome saith that the Goldsmith putteth into a pot his silver or his gold then hee sets the pot into the fire and melts it where he formes a bowle or a cup to set before the king so the Lord melts us by death and then out of the dead ashes and cinders of the bodies of his servants hee frameth and will make them goodly vessels of honour to stand before him in his Temple One sayes well It is a good thing to thinke of the future glory of the body especially in the time of sicknesse and in the houre of death against the crawling of the wormes and the place of rottennesse Iob comforteth himselfe with this for I am sure that my Redeemer liveth and hee shall stand the last on the Earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this flesh yet shall I see God with my flesh Iob. 19. so wee must comfort our selves in the like time of extremity Now this glory shall not bee from the redundance of the spirit onely but in regard of the blessed and happy estate that the body shall be in at that time As 1 Cor. 15. 42. saith the Apostle It is sowen in corruption and is raised in incorruption it is sowen in weaknesse and it is raised in power so the glory of the body shall be in regard of the blessed estate that it shall be in at that time Now in sixe things the glory of the body consists First the glory of the body consists in that there shall be all the parts of the body perfect and entire they shall want nothing howsoever a man may be maimed or deformed want a hand or an eye a legge or a finger or an eye here yet all shall be supplied to him at that day and that for two Reasons First Because all things shall be reduced to their former estate for as Peter shewes Acts 3. 21. speaking of Christ whom the Heavens must containe and keepe untill the time that all things shall bee restored in the beginning the body of man was made perfect and intire wanting nothing either for beautie or comelinesse therefore to this estate it shall bee restored againe Secondly Tertullian raiseth it from another ground Revel 21. 4. where it is said there shall be no more death alwaies saith he in the greater is inferred the lesser therefore if death be expelled from the whole man then it seemeth to bee expelled from every particular member and therefore for conclusion the bodies of the Saints shall rise perfect and entire againe with all the parts The use is seeing all our parts shall be perfect and entire at that day we must comfort our selves with this though wee want an eye a hand or a foote for we know by faith that they shall all be restored againe at the last day if a man should want a member an eye a legge or an arme and there were one could restore it to him againe he would give many pounds to have it supplied but better by many degrees is the estate of Gods children for let a man feare God make conscience of his waies repent his sinnes and labour to please him and hee may bee assured the Lord will restore to him all his parts and that not onely to himselfe but also to his family and friends Secondly seeing at the day of judgement all our parts shall be restored againe by Christ we should not bee affraid to forgoe any of them for the Name of Christ for hee that did restore the eare of Malchus which was his enemy
wouldst have Christ to finish up thy life in glory and brightnesse lay no sad grounds no blacke colors of sin and corruption for a foundation therefore if we would have Christ to honour our bodies it must be our care to repent us of our sins to get faith in Christ to keepe our bodies pure and cleane to possesse them in holinesse and then wee may have comfort that God will honour them at the day of judgement with brightnesse of Glory Fourthly It shall be immutable and immortall in this life our bodies are subject to changes and alterations as Iob 14. it is said He shooteth forth as a flower and is cut downe he vanisheth away as a shadow and never continueth in one stay here our bodies are subject to hunger and thirst to nakednesse cold and diseases but then they shall bee brought to an estate of permanencie that they shall rest in so that they shall not hunger nor thirst nor be naked as Revel 7. 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them neither any heate and so also Revel 21. 4. it is said And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall bee no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine so then their bodies shall be free of all vexations and then they shall be at rest this we see is cleere by the Scripture and manifest also by reason for it is a ground in nature that all things labour to attaine to their last perfection and so to rest in it but the bodies of the Saints are not yet come to their last perfection while they live here therefore here they cannot bee at rest but at the last day when our bodies shall be brought to an estate of perfection then they shall rest in it and shall not be subject to change or alteration wee see in nature if the shipmans needle be touched with a load stone it turnes and turnes and is not at rest till it stands against the North-pole and if it bee hindered with any thing it stands trembling as if it were discontented but when it commeth there it is at rest and quiet so it is with the bodies of the Saints that are touched with the load-stone that is that have touched Christ by faith they bee not at rest and quiet here but subject to many infirmities of nature but when they come to the estate of perfection there they rest contented and are brought to live with Christ then our bodies shall be immutable and unchangeable In this world our bodies are subject to sicknesse and diseases to paines and aches to the stone gout and to the crampe c. by which death doth enter within our wals and labour to take the castle of our hearts but at that time our bodies shall bee made immutable and unchangeable immortall free from all these exigences therefore what must we doe when wee feele these decayes in nature and these infirmities I answer it is good to take Saint Peters counsell Act. 1. 19. That we should repent and turne unto the Lord that our sinnes may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord If a Physitian should give you such a diet that after a few daies taking of it yee should never bee sicke againe should feele no paine nor bee subject to any disease and have thy bodie brought into so good an estate that you should not hunger or thirst any more or be naked this were an excellent state but there is no Physitian in the world can doe it none but our Heavenly Physitian Iesus Christ and that by this meanes Wee should get faith in Christ repentance for our sinnes and walke in holinesse a few dayes while we live here and then he will set our bodies in such an estate as we shall never be sicke nor feele any more paine never bee a hungred or a thirst naked or cold here in this life time we must seeke it therefore let us labour to repent our sins to get faith in Christ and to walke holily here and then our bodies shall bee brought to such an estate as shall not alter and change It is a world to see what meanes men use to keepe their bodies from putrification they will keepe them up in lead imbalme them with sweet spices and lay them in marble yet none of these will serve but the bodies of Kings and Queenes must yeeld to it But doe thou labour to repent of thy sinnes to get faith in Christ to please God and to make conscience of thy wayes and then thy body shall bee brought to such an estate as it shall not bee subject to alter and change but shall bee made immutable and immortall Fifthly They shall bee spirituall bodies In this life our bodies are naturall but then they shall bee spirituall so S. Paul saith in 1 Cor. saith in 1 Cor. 15. 44. It is sowen a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body A naturall body in this life a spirituall body in the life to come Now it is not a spirituall body in regard of substance for it shall have breadth and length and thicknesse it shall have parts and dimensions as our bodies have so Luk. 14. when Christ entred into the house and stood amongst them they thought it had beene a Spirit but he tells them that a spirit had not flesh and bloud and bones as wee have Now in two Respects our bodies are said to bee spirituall First Because they shall bee sustained and upheld by the Spirit In this life our bodies are sustained and upheld by meate drinke sleepe and Physicke but then the Spirit of God shall quicken them and they shall have no need of these helpes Wee see Moses was fortie dayes in the mount where hee was so filled with the Glory of God that hee was neither an hungred nor a-thirst neither did hee as farre as wee know desire to sleepe or rest all that time if Moses was thus upheld with the Glory of God without the use of meate and drinke in the estate of mortalitie much more surely shall the bodies of the Saints bee upheld in the estate of glorie so that there shall not bee no need of the use of meate drinke sleepe and physick but God shall bee all in all to us Secondly The body shall bee subject to the Spirit and be ready to attend the Spirit in all good things Augustine saith it is not called a spirituall body because as some men thinke the substance of the body is turned into a Spirit but saith hee because it shall bee subject to the Spirit and shall attend it and some of the Schoolemen namely Thomas Aquinas saith that it is an evident truth that in the state of glory the Spirit shall not depend on the body but the body shall bee led by the Spirit and
hinder a man from Christ 121. * How a strong Christian weakned by sinne may know whether the holy Ghost bee in him or no. 505. Christians of all men most happy because Christ is their Lord. 99. ¶ Good is to be done to Christians as they are Christians 461. †What the Church of God is 525. The Church Triumphant Militant 520. 530. No member of the Triumphant that is not of the Militant Church 530. The great blessing it is to be a member of the Church 566. ¶ Wee must beleeve a not in the Church 523. ¶ The Church a mixed company of good and bad 537. How the Church is one 534. The diverse estates of the Church here in this world 534. The Church sometimes hidden 535. ¶ The Church power at one time than another 537. Of cleaving to the Church 537. ¶ The blessings that proceed from the peace of the Church 536. ¶ The dignities of the Church 539. The Church as the Citie of God excels all other cities in foure respects 539. The Church the Body of Christ 542. * Christ Loveth Indoweth Adorneth Acquitteth Bringeth home Glorifieth the Church his Spouse 544. Vniversality a property of the Church 574. The Church the pillar and ground of truth 549. The Church preserves the Letters Canon Authority of the Scripture 550. Holinesse a property of the Church 569. Iudgement of the world mixture of good and bad remainder of sinne seeme to take away the holinesse of the Church 569. The Church said to bee Holy by 1. Faith and good conversation 2. Impâ—tation of Christs righteousnesse 3. Inherent holinesse in the true members 4. Having the means of holinesse 570. Reasons why there is no salvation without the Church 565. ¶ The Church Betâ—lehem thither we must goe to finde Christ 126. * All things tend to the good of the Church as crosse wheeles in a clocke 88. ¶ The come unto me in glory depends on the come unto me in grace 446. ¶ Christ comes to a man when things bee at the worst 115. ¶ The comfort of the Holy Ghost excels all other comforts 511. To appropriate Christs merit a great comfort 124. †Two times to commend our soules to God In danger every day 258. 3. grounds of coÌ„mending our selves to God because hee is the Father of Spirits our Father in Christ hath afforded us former favours 258. Why Christ gives signes of his comming 402. God communicates his wisdome c. to us we our griefes to him 583. Christ communicates to us Himselfe right of his death merit Power of Spirituall life Dignity of his owne estate 584 We communicate to Christ our Nature Sinnes Troubles and dangers 383. Christ communicates his graces to his Church 341. Of the communion of the Saints 579. By the communion of Saints a Christian hath a thousand helps 597. ¶ The communion of Saints consists in communion with God with Christ one with another 582 Foure lets of the communion of saints 605. The communion one with another consists in the commmuion of the 1. Living with the living 587 c. 2. Living and the Dead in wishing well to conversing with one another 598 3. Dead with the dead in 1. Lying together in the Grave 2. Being members of Christ 3. Being gathered to the Saints departed 599. The communion of the living with the living stands in community of Affection 587. Graces 588. Spirituall sacrifices ibid. Temporall blessings 590. Bearing one with another 594. The communitie of goods is limited in the Excesse Defect 592. Communions of the wicked 579. Christs company a great comfort 243. †Christs complaint on the crosse 168. Christ conceived of the flesh of the Virgin 105. †by the power of the holy Ghost how 106. Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost that he might be pure and without sin 107. †The stirre that was at Christs conception 108. * Of the condemnation of Christ 197. Conscience compared to a Booke wherein all things are written 207. ¶ To sin against conscience a fearefull thing 205. †207. †The property of a good conscience to be moved at Gods judgements 206. ¶ Bad consciences troubled at Christs comming 132. ¶ Wicked mens consciences may be sealed for a time but one day they shall be opened 184. ¶ No flying from an evill conscience 205. ¶ An evill conscience the worst accuser 207. ¶ A Christian though contemn'd in his life is honoured in his grave 278. ¶ Constancie in a good course requisite thogh without successe 199. * Of the conviction at the last day 437. Conversion makes men labour to draw others to the same estate 238. * Confession of sinne Cleering the Iustice of God Zeale for the honour of God a signe of conversion 238. No man knowes the instant of his conversion 305. No cost to be spared for Christ 280. ¶ Covetousnesse moved Iudas to betray Christ 181. †The workes of the Creation not to be lookt on but with due consideration 65. ¶ The Author Substance Manner Subject Estate Time Order End of the Creation c. 64. The motion multitude of the Creatures prove a Deitie 43. ¶ The Creature not God cause of sinne and defect 67. †We ought not to abuse the Creatures seeing God made them 65. Wee ought to pray for restauration to the creatures 68. * Christ died the death of the Crosse because it was most Accursed Shamefull Painefull Apparent 211. Christs behaviour on the Crosse 224. The seven last words of Christ on the Crosse 224. c. The scandall of the Crosse weakens faith 321. Christs Disciples must bee carriers of the Crosse 214. ¶ No man must make a Crosse to himselfe but bee contented if God lay it on him 214. ¶ All Crosses must be borne ibid. The place where Christ was crucified 215. Why Christ was crucified aloft 213. * How Christ was led to be crucified 213. What torments are expressed in the word crucified 219. ¶ Vses from Christs crucifying 220. c. Five falsehoods in Popish crucifixes 223. Christs Cup what it is 160. * Sinne brings Gods curse upon 〈◊〉 467. * D ALL needlesse dangers are carefully to be shunned 338. †Whether the darkenesse of the Sunne at Christs passion was all the world over 165. †The horrid darknesse of wicked men at the last day 165. ¶ The holy Ghost illuminates as a window in a darke house 509. Dead bodies members of Christ having communion with him 600. Incertainty of death should stirre us up to conscionable walking 237. †At the day of death most care is to bee had of our soules 238. ¶ 257. ¶ 258. * Death but a departing 143. * The good change a Christian makes by death 242. ¶ The greatest extremitie befals Christians at the time of their deaths 169. ¶ We ought to prepare for death 179. †Christs Death 261. Voluntarie 265. The manifestation thereof 266. The Power thereof 269. ¶ The fruits of Christs Death are to us freedome from the Eternall Death Seing of Death Curse of Death Power of
communicate his graces Simile Simile Simile 1 Christ armes them Simile Vse 1. For Ministers 2 Simile Vse 2. For the people 1 Vse 2. Secondly their commission to what end they were sent 1 2 3 Thirdly the ability Christ gives them First what he gives Secondly how he gives the holy Ghost Simile 1 2 4 The authoritie he gave them Simile Simile Simile How a Minister forgives sinnes two waies 1 2 SERMON XXXVI 1 The occasion of Christs appearing First the cause of Thomas's unbeleefe Simile The second cause of the unbeleefe of Thomas Secondly the time when Christ appeared Two reasons why Christ appeared the eighth day Simile 3 The manner how Christ appeared Why Christ appeared thus 1 2 1 Whether there be wounds in a glorified body 2 Fourthly the effect of Christs appearing SERM. XXXVII Why it was needfull that Christ should Ascend ARTI VI. Simile Simile Five Reasons why Christ ascended 1 Simile Simile Simile 2 Why Christ Ascended Simile Simile Simile Vse Simile 3 Cause why Christ ascended Iudg. 16. 3. Simile Object Sol. 4 To fill the Church with spirituâ—ll gifts Simile Vse 5 To make intercession for us Simile Quest How Christ makes intercession for us 1 Reall Prayer what Simile The first way of his Intercession 2 Simile Simile Secondly the time when Christ ascended 1 2 3 Thirdly the place where hee ascended 1 2 Fourthly the manner of his Ascension 1 Object Sol. 2 Simile Quest. Sol. Simile SERM. XXXVIII Differences betwixt the Ascension of Christ and others 1 2 4 5 Two reasons why Christ ascended to heaven leasurely 1 2 Simile Thirdly the maner Vse Fifthly the benefit we receive by Christs ascension 1 How to know whether wee ascend or not 1 Triall Simile 2 Triall Simile Vse 2. Simile Simile Simile Vse 3. 2 Gifts of Christs Ascension Vse 4. Vses of Comfort 1 Incouragement against the Crosse The second use of Comfort Simile The third Vse Simile Simile Simile Simile SERMON XXXIX 1 First what is meant by Gods Right hand Three severall acceptions of right hand in Scripture 1 The second acception The third sense How Christ is said to sit at the Right hand of God The first meaning The second meaning 1 Simile 2 Simile Simile Simile Thirdly why Christ is said to sit and not to stand at Gods right hand 1 Simile 2 3 Simile Vse 1. Vse 2. Simile Simile Fourthly to what end Christ sits at Gods right hand 1 Simile The second end what it is He doth draw people to himselfe Simile Simile Meanes of drawing Simile Vse Simile Vse 2. Object Sol. Simile Vse 3. Simile Simile 2 Being drawne hee governs them Simile â—imile 3 he exercises of he Church with divers tentations Simile Simile Three Causes why Christ exercises the Church with divers temptations 1 Iob 1. 3. Reason 2. Simile Reason 3. Simile Act. 4. Five meanes whereby Christ doth protect his Church 1 Simile Simile Simile Simile The second meanes The fourth meanes Simile The fifth means Simile Simile Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Simile Vse 4. Simile SER. XLI Iob 19. 1 That there shall bee a judgement day Divers Judgements 1 2 3 Three Reasons of the Iudgement day Reason 1. Reason 2. The third Reason Simile Foure proofes that there shall be a Generall judgement The second Proofe The third Proofe Simile The fourth Proofe Vse 1. Simile Simile Simile Vse 2. Simile Simile Vse 3. Simile Simile Vse 4. Simile SER. XLII Secondly who shall be the Judge Two things needfull in a Iudge First knowledge 2 Power Object Sol. Simile Vse 1. Simile Three things required to bee found in Christ 1 2 Simile 3 Simile Vse 2. Vse 3. Simile Simile Simile 1 Simile Vse 1. Simile Simile SERMON XLIII Simile Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Vse 4 The time of the iudgement Simile 1 Conclusion The certainty of the last iudgement proved 1 By Scripture 2 By Reason ARTI VII Vseâ—â— Vse 2. Simile The second conclusion Simile Two causes why Christ gives signes of his comming 1 Simile Simile Simile 2 2 Consequents 1 Simile 2 Two signes to come 2 Three causes why the Iudgement is delayed 1 2 3 Simile Simile Object Sol. 5 The Person that shall bee judged Simile Simile SER. XLIV Simile Simile Simile Simile Sixthly the manner of the iudgement 1 Quest Sol. Simile Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile Simile Quest. Sol. Simile Simile Quest Sol. Vse 3. Simile Simile Simile Simile SERM. XLV Simile Simile Heavens how new 1 2 3 The Earth shall be new in foure Regards 1 2 3 4 Quest. Sol. Three Causes why the earth shall be renewed First in regard of Christ Simile Secondly in regard of the Godly Quest. Sol. 2 Simile 3 In regard of the wicked Simile Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Simile 1 Cor. 2. 9 1 King 10. 7. Matth. 25. 34. 41. SERMON XLVI The third Act in the manner of the last judgement First why so called Simile Secondly what this signe is 1 Opinion 2 Opinion 3 Opinion 4 Opinion Two Reasons why by the signe of the Sonne of Man is not meant the Crosse 1 2 3 The signe of the Sonne of Man what it is Differences of Christ and Moses glory 1 2 3 4 Thirdly the effects of the Sonne of mans comming 1 Simile Simile Simile Simile Simile First Hee shall come in glory Simile Simile â—imile Simile Secondly wherein this glory consists Simile Secondly this glory consists in the brightnesse of his body Thirdly in the eminencie of his Soveraigne power Christ hath two keyes 1 Vse 1. Simile Simile Vse 2. Simile SERMON XLVII Vse 3. 1 Who shall sound the Trumpet Simile 2 What shall bee the power of the sound 1 3 To what end the sound shall be Simile Simile Quest. Sol. Simile The great gathering of all First who shall be gathered Quest. Sol. Simile Simile Secondly by whom they shall egathered First the Angels serve us living Secondly at our death they serve us Thirdly at the day of iudgement Thirdly to whom we shall be gathered 1 Simile 2 Simile Simile As a gathering of all so there shall be a separation of all Simile First there shall be a separation Vse 1. Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. Simile Simile Simile 2 The time of the separation Simile Vse 1. Vse 2. Simile Thirdly the Persons that shall be separated Properties of Sheepe 1 2 3 4 5 Three rankes of men 1 2 3 Foure properties of the Goates 1 2 3 4 SERMON XLVIII First that there shall be a conviction 2 Simile Vse Simile Simile Simile Simile 2 The meanes of their conviction Simile Two bookes opened at the day of Judgement First the booke of Gods remembrance Secondly the booke of Conscience No exception against thâ—se bookes Simile Simile Simile Simile Simile Simile 3 The parties convicted Simile The fourth effect of Conviction Simile Why the weight of sinne is no more felt SERMON XLIX Simile 2 The qualitie of the sentence Simile Simile Simile Simile 2 The Order of it Divers opinions 1 2 3