then to build the Church of God how shall we brooke to heare such how shall we loue or like such how shall we take ioy or comfort in such Wherevnto 1. I answer out of the rule of charitie that because we know not who doe so preach Christ therefore we are to presume the best of them whom we heare The Lord only knoweth the hearts of men and the purposes and intents of their hearts Who art thou then that iudgest he standeth or falleth to his owne master 2. I answer out of the Apostle iâ— this place that if Christ Iesus be truely and soundly preached we are to take great ioy and comfort therein and willingly gladly to heare them that deliuer the truth soundâ—â— with what minde soeuer and to what end soeuer it is that â—â—y doe speake the word That is for them to looke vnto 〈◊〉 for vs to ioy in the other Hence then I obserue that that â—â—â—ister and preacher of the word is gladly and ioyfully to â—â—eard that preacheth Christ and the doctrine of the goâ—â—â—l soundly and truely with what minde soeuer vpon â—â—â—t motiue soeuer or to what end soeuer he preach Christ 〈◊〉 his gospell To which purpose also Mat. 23.3 is that of our Sauiâ—â— where he willeth to hearken vnto the Scribes and Phaâ—â—es sitting in Moses seate whereby he meaneth that the â—â—ctrine which the Scribes and Pharisies deliuered faithfulâ—â—â—ut of Moses was gladly to bee receaued howsoeuer in â—â—â—ir actions and liues they were iustly to be noted And 〈◊〉 reason is because the word is the Lords which they â—â—â—g with what minde soeuer they bring it or how vitious â—â—ad soeuer they bee that bring it And tell I pray you â—â—ch of you would much looke at the minde or affection â—â—he messenger towards you or other qualities in him â—â—ch should bring you a bill signed from the Prince for â—â—e pension or liuing for you If he should faithfully deliâ—â— the bill from the Prince vnto you would ye not ioyfulâ—â—â—eceaue it How much more gladly then and ioyfully â—â—ght yee to receaue the word of the Lord wherein is your 〈◊〉 when it is faithfully deliuered from the Prince of Heaâ—â—â— and Earth with whatsoeuer minde and affection the â—â—nister thereof deliuer it If Christ crucified be preached â—â—e holy word of life be truely and soundly deliuered this â—â—uld so warme our hearts and glad our soules that other â—â—ngs whatsoeuer should not greatly trouble vs. This then first serueth for the confutation of their erâ—â—r that cut themselues from vs so that they neither will â—â—re the word of vs nor communicate in the Sacrament â—â—â—h vs because of some defects in our Church because of â—â—e blemishes in vs. For I demaund is the word of truth â—â—ely taught with vs are the Sacraments rightly adminiâ—â—â—d with vs doe we labour amongst our people with vncorrupt doctrine Then surely if there were the same miâ—â— in them that was in the Apostle they would so reioyce 〈◊〉 this that they would brooke all things the better for thâ—â— If we be defiled in our minds or in our liues euery thinâ— that we touch is likewise defiled What to you Nay but to vs. The word that we preach shall saue you and thâ— Sacraments which wee administer shall profite you hoâ— fruitfull or vnfruitfull soeuer they be vnto vs. Secondly this serueth for the reproofe of them that 〈◊〉 cutting themselues from vs yet cannot brooke to heare thâ— word of such of vs as they thinke haue gauled them anâ— spoken the word with an hard minde towards them Fâ—â— thus commonly it is said he is a good Preacher he deliueâ— good and sound doctrine he teacheth the word faithfullâ— but in his Sermons I see hee saith many things vpon a stomacke against mee with a minde to girde mee and of pâ—â—pose to note and brand me before all the people and theâ—â—fore I caÌ„not brooke to heare him I take no comfort in tâ—â— hearing of him But Paul was of another minde for thougâ— there were that preached Christ of a badde minde towarâ— him through enuie and strife touching him and of puâ—pose to adde affliction to his bands yet that Christ was preâ—ched that gladed him that reioyced his heart And 〈◊〉 would it each of vs if we were so singly and sincerely afâ—â—cted towards the gospell as hee was whatsoeuer minde thâ— Preacher carried towards vs yet would we most gladly anâ— ioyfully heare the word at his mouth It were indeede bâ—â— of all if they that speake the word were as in doctrine 〈◊〉 in life vncorrupt and that they spake of a good minde alwaies and vpon loue But if they preach Christ soundly and truely we are not so much to be troubled what their affection or what their life be If persecution should come then wee would bee glad if wee might heare the word preached and not curiously looke with what minde it were deliuered Seeing the word and the worth and price thereoâ— is the same now let vs with the Apostle reioyce and be glaâ— if Christ bee preached whether it bee vnder a pretence oâ— sincereâ—y LECTVRE XV. PHILIP I. Verse 19. For I know that this shall turne to my saluation through your prayer and by the helpe of the spirit of Iesus Christ 20. As I feruently looke for and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all confidence as alwaies so now Christ shall bee magnified in my bodie whether it be by life or by death NOw followeth the latter part of the Apostles narration wherein hee tells the Philippians what successe he hoped his bands and the practises of those brethren which imagined mischiefe against him should haue And the summe of it is that he certainely â—oped and knew that his bands and all the practises of the â—icked against him should turne to his saluation and to â—heir good and comfort by his comming againe vnto them â—irst then the Apostle setteth down the proposition or main â—oynt for his hope hereafter in these words For I know c. Secondly he setteth downe the meanes whereby this shall â—ome to passe namely through the prayer of the Philippians by the helpe of the spirit of Iesus Christ and according â—o his owne faith and hope in these words Through your â—rayer c. And thirdly he explicateth what saluatioÌ„ he hopeth for and assureth himselfe of by these meanes as first the saluation of his soule in that by these means he hopeth â—hat in nothing he shall be ashamed but that with all confidence Christ shall be magnified in his bodie whether it be by life or by death in these words That in nothing c. And secondly the saluatioÌ„ or deliuerance of his bodie out of prison to their good comfort in vers 25. 26. For the meaning in general theÌ„ of these words it is as if the Apostle had thus said they by preaching Christ suppose to adde affliction to my bands that when Nero shall heare that so many preach
Christ and that so much strife is among them 〈◊〉 as the chiefe man and maintainer of that way may either be forced to desist from preaching of Christ and so bring a shame on my selfe or else may be put to death But I know that this which they practise against me shall through your prayer and by the helpe of Gods spirit and according to my certaine expectation hope turne to my saluation euen to the saluation of my soule because of my confident constancie in the defence of the Gospell whether it bee by life or by death and to the saluation and deliuerance of my bodie out of prison so that neither shall I bee put to shame for leauing the defence of the Gospell nor put to death for standing in the defence of the Gospell This I take to be the order and meaning of these words in generall Now it wiâ—â— be needfull that yet a little more perticularly we sift and examine the meaning of them For I know c. These words ye see containe in them a reason of something that went before Before the Apostle had said 〈◊〉 Christ be preached whether it be vnder a pretence or sincerely I therein ioy yea and will ioy Will ioy why Fâ—â— I know that this c. I know how euen by the reuelatioÌ„ of the spirit and by warrant out of the word What did he know I know saith he that this this what euen that this chaine wherewith I am bound and this practise of some brethreâ— in the Lord to bring me to shame by leauing the defence oâ— the gospell or to bring me to death if I stand in the defence of the Gospell I know saith he that this shall turne to my saluation Now what is meant by saluation all doe not agree Some thinke hee meaneth thereby his bodily deliuerance out of prison as the word is often vsed for a bodily deliuerance Act. 7.25 as where it is said of Moses That he supposed that be brethren would haue vnderstood that God by his hand would haue giuen theÌ„ deliuerance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it is said and ofteâ— elsewhere Others thinke hee meaneth the saluation of hâ—â— soule in the day of Christ as the word is most of all vsed â—â—t I thinke the Apostle may be vnderstoode to speake of â—â—th whether we consider the opposition betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the matter of the Philippians prayer For â—â—at was the affliction which they supposed to adde vnto 〈◊〉 bands Euen this that he as the chiefe by the threats 〈◊〉 Nero should be forced to leaue the defence of the gospel â—his shame and the hazard of his soule or if hee should â—â—nd in the defence of the Gospell should be deliuered vnâ—â— death Now in opposition to this he saith that whatsoeâ—â—r they supposed hee knoweth that this euen this their â—â—actise against his constancie or his life should turne to his â—â—luation euen the saluation of his soule through his conâ—â—ncie in the defence of the Gospell so that in nothing hee â—ould be ashamed c. And likewise to the saluation and â—eliuerance of his body out of prison quite otherwise then â—â—ey had intended And againe the Philippians prayer no â—oubt was for both these euen that hee might abide conâ—â—ant so that in nothing he might be ashamed and that hee â—ight be deliuered from the mouth of the Lyon And for â—hese causes I vnderstand saluation in this place both of â—oule and bodie in such sort as hath beene said I know that â—his shall turne to my saluation How by what meanes first â—hrough their prayer praying for his constancie and deliâ—arance Secondly By the helpe of the spirit of Iesus Christ which should be giuen vnto his seruant to helpe him euery way against all practises And thirdly Rom. 8.19 according to his ferâ—ent desire for so the word is translated or according to his â—arnest expectation and hope whereof he should surely not â—e deceaued I know saith hee that by these meanes this â—hall turne to my saluation How to his saluation by these meanes that is in that thus it should come to passe that in nothing pertaining to the defence of the Gospell he should bee ashamed but that with all confidence and liberty to speake in the defence thereof as alwaies so now where hee strengtheneth his hope by his experience Christ should be magnified and honoured in his body whether hee should liue by preaching the gospell or should die by sealing it with his bloud Wherevpon he signifieth his owne indifferency to either life or death and the conueniencie of his life in respect of them and then he tells them how this shall turne to his saluation in the deliuerance of his bodie out of prison And thus much for the opening of the meaning of these words in particular which as yee see is somewhat intricate and obscure Now let vs see what notes we may gather hence for our farther vse and instruction The first thing which I note is in the maine proposition in that the Apostle saith that he knoweth that this casting of him into prison and this practising against him being in prison shall turne to his saluation not onely of his bodie by deliuerance out of prison but of his soule because of his constancie in the defence of the Gospell Whence I obserue what fruit the godly may assure themselues shall follow vpon their sufferings and wrongs euen their saluation in the day of Christ Iesus For though the Apostle might know this some other way then now the godly can euen by the reuelation of the spirit as no doubt he did know of his deliuerance out of prison yet may the godly thus farre goe with the Apostle and say I know that my sufferings and wrongs shall turne to my saluation in the day of Christ Iesus But how shall they know this or assure themselues of this Euen because the Holy Ghost hath said Rom. 8.28 that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God In which place amongst many other arguments for the comfort of the godly against afflictions and troubles he vseth this drawne from the prouidence of God who so wisely ordereth and disposeth all things that eueâ— the crosses and afflictions of his children worke for the good of his children euen their best good their saluation Be it then tribulation persecution famine nakednes sword imprisonment or what crosse soeuer that doe presse vs we know that all things euen all crosses and calamities worke together for the best vnto them that loue God so that if we loue God we neede not shrinke at all these or any such like but certainely know that they shall turne to our saluaâ—ion More plaine it may be to this purpose will be thought â—hat of the Apostle where he saith Rom. 8.7 2 Tim 2.12 that if we suffer with Christ we shall also be glorified with Christ and againe if
such power with God And â—herefore ye see how often the Apostle requesteth the praiâ—rs of the Church for him as Ephes 6.18 Colossi 4.3 â— Thes 3.1 And in his Epistle to Philemon there hee proâ—esseth as here he doth that he trusteth through their prayâ—rs to be giuen vnto them by deliuerance out of his bands â—herein commending himselfe to their prayers A good lesson for vs to stirre vs vp vnto publique and priuate prayer both for our selues and for others seeing they are so powerfull with God as to bring his blessings and graces both vpon our selues and vpon others And this lesson is as needfull as it is good especially in this our day wherein there is such neglect both of publique and priuate prayer vnto the Lord. Priuate praier so rare that if it be vsed by any it is noted by many and they straight way censured as thinking themselues more holy then other men And publique prayer so little regarded by some that verie seldome they are present with the congregation in publique prayer I cannot stand of it Only I say he that neglecteth the meanes vnto grace he shall neuer finde grace Secondly hence I obserue a dutie of the Church in publique prayer which is to pray for the afflicted members of Christ Iesuâ— for the Apostle in saying that he knew that this should turne to his saluation through their praiers therin stirreth them to pray for him And see the points wherein the Church is to commend them in their prayers vnto God As first that the Lord may turne their affliction and trouble to their saluation Secondly that hee will helpe them by his holy spirit in euerie needefull time of trouble Thirdly that they may so stand in the defence of the truth of Christ Iesus that in nothing they may bee ashamed Fourthly that the Lord will strentghen them with strong faith and hope in him Fiftly that Christ may be glorified in their body whether it bee by life or death Thus the Church should pray and thus the afflicted should desire the Church to pray LECTVRE XVI PHILIP I. Verse 19. And by the helpe of the holy spirit of Iesus Christ 20. As I feruently looke for and hope that in nothing I shall bee ashamed but that with all confidence as alwaies so now Christ shall bee magnified in my bodie whether it bee by life or by death ONe thing hence I obserue which is that not for our prayers or for the praiers of the Church for vs but through our praiers and through the praiers of the Church for vs the Lord giueth his grace vnto vs. And therefore the Apostle saith Vers 22. I know that this shall turne to my saluation through your prayers not for your praier And to Philemon I trust through your prayers I shall be giuen vnto you Neither doe wee euer reade that for our prayers as for the merit and worth of them any grace is giuen vnto any Neither doe I build this note vpon this ground as if because it is said through therefore it cannot be for our prasyers For I know that we are saued through Iesus Christ and yet for Iesus Christ euen for his merits sake so that the phrase barely considered canot inferre the note but hereon it is builded taht it is so said through that neither euer it is nor can be said that for our praiers any grace 〈◊〉 giuen vnto vs. For not for our praiers sake not for the â—erit and worth of our praiers doth the Lord heare vs and â—rant vs our requests but for the promise sake which of his â—wne free grace he hath made vnto our praiers He hath â—assed his promise Mat 21.22 that whatsoeuer we shall aske in praier in â—is name if we beleeue we shall receiue it and he hath bidden â—s aske and we shall receiue seeke and we shall finde Mat. 7.7 knocke and â—e shall be opened vnto vs. Because then he hath promised grace vnto our praiers he is intreated for grace through our praiers Aske and haue first aske and then haue and â—he better beggers the greater getters For it is not with the Lord as with vs we say a great begger would haue a good â—ay saier and vnto whom but euen now we haue giuen wee loue not that they should by and by come againe and begge of vs. But I say it is not so with the Lord but of the greatest begger he is most intreated and the oftner wee come a begging to him the more welcome we are vnto him for he loues to be intreated and being intreated he promiseth to giue and so through our praiers he giues euen for his promise sake but not for our praiers sake for they when they are best are so full of imperfections that they merit nothing but to be reiected Seldome but we are troubled with wandring by-thoughts often we pray for things and against things without submitting of our wills vnto the Lords will often we pray not in faith towards God often not in loue towards our brethren often coldly often hypocritically and when not so but that our praiers might iustly be turned into sinne vnto vs Causes therefore they are not for which the Lord bestoweth any graces vpon vs but meanes onely through which we receiue graces needfull for vs for the promise sake made in Christ Iesus Farre be it therefore from vs to stand vpon the merit of our praiers as if for our praiers sake we deserued any grace to be bestowed vpon vs. Let vs as we ought powre out feruent praiers vnto the Lord in faith and in Christ his name and assure we our selues we shall be heard But withall let vs know that it is for his promise sake made vnto our praiers and for his Christ his sake which offereth vp our praiers whatsoeuer be our state and place let vs not slacke this seruice neither let vs presume vpon any merit by this seruice If we lift vp pure hands vnto the Lord in his Temple in our houses or in our chambers he will heare vs though not for our praiers yet through our praiers he will be intreated of vs. Let it be enough for vs that he will heare vs and let this most of all glad vs that for his Christ his sake and for his promise sake he will heare vs. And let this suffice to be spoken touching the first meanes in particular that through our praiers and the praiers of the Church for vs all things worke together for the best vnto so many of vs aâ— loue God and are in Christ Iesus The next meanes whereof the Apostle speaketh is the helpe of the spirit of Christ Iesus whereby he saith he knew that this should turne vnto his saluation I know c. Where the spirit is called the spirit of Iesus Christ as because of his proceeding from the Sonne so because of his dwelling in him in all fullnes as also because Christ sendeth him into our hearts and by him worketh his will in
Gospell he should be ashamed but that with all confidence c. The first thing which here I note is that the Apostle saith that he hopeth that in nothing he shall be ashamed .i. that shame shall neuer befall him for leauing the defence of the Gospell Whence I obserue both that it is a shame to leaue the defence of the Gospell and that a godly care in this behalfe is needfull in euery Christian that this shame may neuer befall him Which care and regard of which shame how litle it is reckoned of in these our daies doth too too much appeare by the number of shamelesse Apostataes and back sliders which harkning vnto the serpent eat of the forbidden fruit which opening their eares to that enchanting whore drinke themselues drunke with the cup of her fornications and forsake the truth of Christ Iesus But let vs hearken to the Apostle Heb. 10.23 and let vs hold fast the profession of our hope Doe we hope in Iesus Christ Doe we hope that in nothing touching the profession of the truth of Christ â—esus we shall be ashamed Let vs hold fast this hope and â—et vs pray that this hope may continually be confirmed in â—s and that according to this hope we may stand fast vntill â—he day of Christ Iesus The second thing which I note is that the Apostle saith â—hat hee hopeth that with all confidence and liberty to â—peake in the defence of the Gospel Christ shall be magniâ—ied and honored in his body whether it be by life that hee â—iue and preach the Gospell or by death that he be put to â—eath and seale the Gospell with his bloud Whence I obâ—erue another godly care needfull in euery Christian which â—s that God may be glorified in him whether he liue or die Glorifie God saith the Apostle in your body and in your spirit 1 Cor. 6.20 â—or they are Gods Where the Apostle by way of exhortaâ—ion commendeth this dutie vnto euery one of vs that we glorifie God both in our bodies and in our spirits by conâ—orming our whole man in all obedience vnto his will And why for both our bodies and our spirits they are Gods and â—hey are bought for a price by him that hath died for both â—hat wee should not henceforth in either liue vnto our selues but in both vnto his glory which died for vs and â—ose againe And let this be enough to warne vs to beware of dishonoring God in our bodies or in our soules either by shrinkâ—ng from a good profession or by giuing our members weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto any kinde of sin to serue â—t in the lusts thereof Neither let vs be so besotted as to â—hinke that we are not as well to be sanctified in our bodies â—s in our soules or that God is not as well to be glorified in our bodies as in our soules but let vs know that we are to be sanctified throughout in our spirit soule and body that God is to be glorified in our whole spirit and soule and body Let this therefore be our care that God at all be not dishonored by vs but that in our whole man hee may bee honored The last thing which here I note is how the Apostle was confirmed and strengthned in these his hopes and that was by his owne experience for he hoped that as alwaies 〈◊〉 now Whence I obserue how the hope of a Christian is nourished and increased It is begun and grounded vpon Gods promises made in Christ Iesus but it is strengthned and increased by obseruation of the Lord his goodnes toward vs in our owne experience So our Apostle also witnesseth Rom. 5.4 where he saith that tribulation bringeth forth patience and patience experience and experience hope .i. experience of the Lord his helpe in troubles confirmeth and strengthneth our hope in the Lord. Ye know the saying of Daâ—id The Lord said he that deliuered me out of the pawâ— of the Lion 1 Sam 17.37 and out of the paw of the Beare he will deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistim This should teach vs to obserue the mercies of the Lord toward vs and not to suffer them to slip out of our minde and thus to reason with our selues as alwaies the Lord hath beene good to vs so now he will LECTVRE XVII Verse 21. For Christ is to me both in life and in death aduantage NOw then that the Apostle had signified his hope that Christ should be magnified in his bodie and had added whether it were by life or by death implying that it was all one to him so that Christ were magnified in his body whether it were by life or by death he yeeldeth a reason thereof saying For Christ is to me c. as if he should haue said I heartily looke for and hope that Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death and so that Christ be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death all is one to â—â—e for Christ is to me c. .i. whether I liue or die Christ iâ—â—o me aduantage If I liue and Christ be magnified in my â—ody by preaching the Gospell and walking in his waies â—â—erein I count I haue great gaine and aduantage and if I â—ie now in my bands and Christ be magnified in my body â—y my constancie in the defence of the gospell and in suffeâ—ing for the gospels sake herein also I count I haue great â—aine and aduantage so that if Christ be magnified in my â—odie it is all one to me whether it be by life or by death â—ecause which so euer fall Christ and his glory is the thing which I count my vantage and gaine His glory by me is â—y glory the increase of his kingdom by me is the crowne â—f my reioycing the honor of his name by me whether it â—e by my life or by my death is to me in mine account a â—reat gaine Thus then I resolue the Apostles reason Christ and his glory is to me of that reckoning and regard â—hat whether he be glorified in my life or in my death I â—ount it a great gaine vnto me therefore it is all one to â—e whether he be glorified in my bodie by my life or by â—y death This sense and meaning of these words I folâ—ow both because being a reason of the former words iâ—â—hus best concludeth them in my iudgement as also beâ—ause the words themselues in the originall may very well â—arie this meaning if we vnderstand an ellipsis of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not vnvsuall Neither is this meaning of these worde vnsoâ—ting with â—he words that follow For hauing said that Christ and his glory was vnto him and in his account aswell in death as in â—ife euen both in death and in life an aduantage and gaine â—pon that occasion by a litle digression he first moueth the â—oubt whether were better for him to chuse
life or death â—f he should chuse the one vers 22. and secondly answeâ—eth that he knoweth not what to chuse but in this choise â—s in a strait betwixt two and thirdly setteth downe the reasons why the choise is so hard as 1. in respect of himselfe it were better for him to chuse death vers 23. and 2. in respect of them it were better that he chose life vers 14. Here is then the strait whether for his owne greater good he were now to chuse death or for their greater good hâ— were to chuse longer life This I take to be the order and meaning of these words generally thus farre Now let vâ— see what obseruations we may gather hence for our fartheâ— vse and instruction The first thing then which here I note is the reason wherefore the Apostle was so indifferent either vnto life or death which so euer God might be glorified by and it was because whether he liued or died if by either death or life he might gaine glory vnto Christ vnto him did accrew vantage enough Whence I obserue how a Christian becommeth indifferent vnto either life or death and that is thus if Christ be vnto him both in life and in death aduantage if he seeke no other gaine but this that Christ may be glorified in his body then he is indifferent vnto whatsoeuer it is whereby Christ may be glorified be it life or death This was it that made those three children mentioned in Daniel so indifferent either vnto life or death For when Nebuchadnezzar had called them and thundred out cruell threatnings against them if they should not worship the golden image that he had set vp Dan. 3.16.17.18 they said vnto him O Nebuchadnezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter Behold our God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs from the hote fiery fornace c. In which their answer they plainely shew that it was not life or death that they stood vpon but it was the glory of their God If God should deliuer them from death to his farther glory by their life they were willing to liue and againe if he should deliuer them vp vnto death to his further glory by their death they were also willing to die Life and death was indifferent to them by whether soeuer God would be glorified in them because the glory of God was all that they sought in life or in death The same is to be said of all those godly Martyrs that are dead in the Lord for the testimonie of a good conscience and for the defence of the truth of Christ Iesus to the shedding of their bloud They were willing no doubt to haue liued and they â—re willing also to die euen very indifferent vnto either 〈◊〉 or death And how so that they were indifferent vnto â—â—her Because if God were glorified in them whether it â—â—re by life or by death that was comfort enough ioy â—â—ough and gaine enough vnto them If they might gaine â—rie vnto God thereby came death or came life either â—â—s welcome vnto them And in so many of gods children â—here is this indifferencie vnto either life or death thus â—commeth to passe because of the aduantage which they â—â—ckon vpon by Gods glorie because as either life or death â—akes for Gods glory so they embrace either life if therâ—â— God may be more glorified and death if thereby God â—ay be more glorified Let this then teach vs euen so many of vs as feele not in â—â—r selues this indifferencie vnto either life or death to â—â—oke into the cause why it is that we are not indifferent vnâ—â— either And surely if we be not too partially affected toâ—ards our selues we shall finde that it is because this is the â—ast reckoning with vs that Christ be glorified in our boâ—â—es The pleasures and sorrowes of life and the terrors of â—eath these be the things that so affect vs that wee are not â—â—different vnto either but so heart set on the one that wee â—â—nnot brooke to heare of the other If as Iob speaketh Iob 21.8.9.10 â—ur seede bee stablished in our sight with vs and our generation â—â—fore our eyes if our houses be peaceable without feare and the â—â—od of God bee not vpon vs if our bullockes gender and faile not â—nd our Cowe calue and cast not her calfe If wee spend our â—ayes in wealth and haue all things at our desire then doe â—e so dote vpon these things that wee say with the foole in â—he Gospell Soule Luc. 12.19 thou hast much goods layd vp in store for â—any yeares liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime And â—uch a reckoning we make vpon the honors and pleasures commodities of this life that we could be content to liue with them euer but cannot abide to depart froÌ„ them Again â—f the rod of the Lord bee vpon vs and his countenance â—eeme to be turned away from vs if we be troubled on euery side with fightings without and terrors within if wee bâ— crossed in our substance and goods in our wife and chiâ—dren or in our owne bodies if wee bee in trouble sorroâ— neede sicknesse or other aduersitie if we be tryed by mockings and scornings by bonds and imprisonment then oâ—â— the other side we are so daunted with those things that wâ—â— are wearie of our liues and with Iob in his extremitie we câ—â— out Iob 3.11.12 and say Why dyed I not in the birth or why dyed I not whâ—â— I came out of the wombe 6.9.7.15 Why did the knees preuent me 〈◊〉 why did I sucke the breast O that God would destroy mee thâ— he would let his hand go and cut me off my soule chooseth rathâ—â— to be strangled and to dye then to be in my bones Yea and many times like vnto Achitophell and Iudas wee become our owne butchers One sort can heare of nothing but life and another sort wish nothing but death very fewe of vs that are indifferently affected to either life or death and all because we minde earthly things The preferments and pleasures and commodities of this life they are our aduantage and gaine If our desires bee filled with them then wee are nothing indifferent vnto death but all our delight is set oâ—â— life But if wee lacke them and instead thereof haue our drinke mingled with weeping then are we nothing indifferent vnto life but all our desire is of death and would God we were dead would God we were dead As for the glorie of God it neuer comes into our thoughts neither doe wee euer make account of life or of death as they doe make for the glory of the Lord for if we did then would we be indifferent vnto either as either should make for the glory of the Lord and not run vpon the one as carnall respects or terrors of death should moue vs. Well now that wee know these things let vs thinke or these things Let vs not set our hearts
on life for the loue of any earthly thing whatsoeuer neither let vs wish death for any thing of this life which wee want or for any crosse of this life which we suffer but let vs be indifferent vnto either as either may make for the glorie of Christ Iesus Let the glorie of Christ Iesus be all the vantage and gaine that wee make reckoning vpon either in life or in death and let it be â—â—â—h a vantage and gaine vnto vs if he be glorified in vs â—â—â—t we make no reckoning of it whether it be by our life â—â—y our death so that he be glorified in vs. Let his glory â—our glory his kingdome our kingdome and so let life â—eath be welcome vnto vs as thereby glory is gained vnâ—â— Christ Iesus Let vs set this downe with our selues to gloâ—â—e Christ Iesus in our mortall bodies and let vs not care â—â—ether it be by life or by death and that vpon this reckoâ—â—â—g that Christ is vnto vs in life and death aduantage Now to descend vnto the particulars the second thing â—â—ich here I note is that the Apostle saith that Christ is vnto 〈◊〉 in life aduantage Whereby he meaneth that if he liue â—â—d through life glorifie God in his bodie by preaching the â—â—spell of Christ Iesus and walking in his waies euen this â—â—rifying of Christ in his bodie by his life is vnto him adâ—â—ntage euen such an aduantage as that this only he counâ—â—â— his life if he glorifie God in this life Whence I obserue â—â—at vnto a Christian should be the greatest gaine of his 〈◊〉 which he should seeke and whereunto he should bend â—â—â—selfe in his whole life and that is the glory of Christ Ieâ—â—â— by a faithfull walking in the waies of his calling and by â—â—uiding for things honest before the Lord and before all â—â—â—n The glorifying of Christ in his bodie by liuing to his â—â—â—ry should seeme such a gaine vnto him as that all other â—â—â—ngs in his life should seeme but losse vnto him Whereâ—â—on it is that the Prophets so often remember vs that we â—â—re created formed and made for the Lord his glory Esay 43.7 â—â—â—t our blessed Sauiour exhorteth vs saying Mat. 5.16 Let your light 〈◊〉 shine before men that they may see your good works glorifie â—â—r father which is in heauen that our holy Apostle likeâ—â—se exhorteth vs saying Whether yee eat or drinke 1 Cor. 10.31 or whatâ—â—uer yee doe doe all to the glory of God Which places shew â—â—ainely thus much that the thing which wee are to seeke â—â—d whereunto we are to bend our selues in our whole life 〈◊〉 â—he glory of God euen that he may be glorified in our â—ortall bodies And the reasons are cleare for first the end wherefore we were created and made was as euen now we heard out of the Prophet the glorie of God that hee might shew his glory in vs and that we againe might glorifie him in the land of the liuing Secondly wee are not our owne but wee are bought for a price and therefore as the Apostle maketh the argument 1 Cor. 6.20 we must glorifie God euen him whose we are in our bodies and in our spirits henceforth we must not liue vnto our selues but vnto him and his glorie That dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Gods glorie that must bee the bent of our whole life and the vantage that we must seeke while we are at home in the body Now if yee aske how we are to glorifie God in our life I answer by walking faithfully in the waies of our calling whatsoeuer our calling be by keeping our vessels holy vnto the Lord and pure from all filthinesse of corruption by conforming our wills in all obedience vnto his will and by liuing soberly and righteously and godly in this present world All which our Apostle comprehendeth in a conuersation 1 Pet. 2.12 which becommeth the gospel of Christ And Peter in an honest conuersation where he saith Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of visitation That God may be glorified by vs this is a poynt which we must looke vnto And how may this be by hauing our conuersation honest that is by so walking and liuing as before was mentioned This then should teach vs so to looke vnto our wayes in our whole life that in nothing the Lord be dishonoured by vs. For if the glorie of God should be vnto vs the greatest gaine of our life while we liue herein the body then should we in all things seeke it and by no meanes doe any thing which may be to the impairing of it But doe wee in our whole life seeke the glory of our God as our greatest gaine Doe wee in nothing dishonour our God throughout our whole life If euery man should but looke how faithfully he walketh in the waies of his calling the minister the Lawyer the Physition the Souldier the Tradesman the Merchant the Countrie-man how carefull each of them in their calling are that God may be glorified by them if euery man shall but looke how watchfull he is ouer his owne body that it be not defiled with the corruptions which are in the world through lust what a conscience he maketh of all his waies that they bee framed in all obedience vnto Gods will and how desirous he is to leade a sober a righteous and a godly life in this present world if I say euery man shall but looke into himselfe and search and see how the case standeth with him touching each of these things each man shal finde in himselfe so many things whereby God is dishonoured as that I neede not to presse them to the shame of all that heare them Beloued the thing is too lamentable and too true if we will confesse a truth that whom in our whole life by all meanes we should glorifie against him our whole life is a continuall rebellion For what sin is it whereof if we dulie examine our selues we may not finde our selues guilty Looke vnto the first table Doe wee not trust vnto vncertaine riches and giue much honour to others which is due vnto God alone and so make other Gods vnto our selues besides him Doe not many in the worship of God vse superstitious rites and will-worships which God neuer commanded and so sinne against the second Commandement Doe wee not often abuse the name of God in periuries in blasphemous oaths in speaking of him lightly and vnreuerently and so take his name in vaine Doe wee not prophane the holy Sabbath many of vs with bodily labour on that day many with riotous banquetting on that day many with vnlawfull gaming on that day and most of vs with neglect of such holy duties as on that day were to be performed Looke also vnto the second Table Doe we not neglect nay
namely if Christ be vnto vs both in life and in death aduantage Secondly that the vantage whereof we are to make reckoning in our life is that Christ Iesus may bee glorified by our life And thirdly that the vantage whereof we are to make reckoning in our death is that Christ Iesus may be glorified by our death Now vpon this occasion that hee had said that hee was very indifferent vnto either life or death because Christ was vnto him both in life and in death aduantage the Apostle maketh a little digression and disputeth the poynt whether were better for him to choose life or death And first in this verse hee mooueth the doubt and answereth it in these words And whether c. Which words I know are diuersly read but the words bearing well this reading I follow it as both best opening the Apostles meaning and best sorting with that which followeth Now when hee saith Whether to liue in the flesh ye must vnderstand that to liue in the flesh and to liue after the flesh are much different For to liue after the flesh is to follow the filthie lusts of the flesh and to liue in the flesh is onely to liue in this fraile bodie The doubt then is whether to liue in the bodie were profitable for him and what to choose life or death were best for him And the answere is that he knoweth not what to choose life or death Being in his case in prison a man would haue thought this choise would not haue been hard Yet he being in prison saw such comfort in death and such ioy in life that hee knew not which rather to choose And such loue did hee beare towards the Philippians that weighing the great comfort which hee should haue by his death with the great profite which they should haue by his life he knew not what to choose Whence I obserue first the great loue which ought to bee in the Pastor towards his people and the great desire which he ought to haue of their profite and comfort Euen in case of his greatest comfort ioyned with their losse and heauines it should much perplexe him what to choose his or their present comfort Yee know that of Moses Exo. 32.32 where he prayed the Lord either to pardon his people their sinne or to raze him out of the booke of life And that of Paul Rom. 9.3 where hee wished himselfe to bee separated from Christ for his brethren which were his kinsmen according to the flesh They both knew the one that hee could not be razed out of the Booke of life and the other that hee could not bee seperated from Christ onely therein they shewed how greatly Gods glorie in the peoples good And true is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.5 that Loue seekes not her owne things but the things of others Whence yet I doe not inferre that the Pastor for loue of his people should in case of his saluation wish his own vtter rection rather then that his people should not be gained vnto Christ But this I say that euen in case of his and their saluation for the loue of his people hee is to be perplexed how soone to wish his saluation by his dissolution because howsoeuer his present comfort should bee gained by his present dissolution yet their saluation should be furthered by his longer continuance in the bodie A poynt which doth not much perplexe many Pastors For too many such there are as neither caring for their own saluation nor their peoples looke onely to fleece them but neuer care what become of them A point which might be much enlarged but not so fitly in this place If the vrging of it might concerne any here I beseech them in the feare of God to thinke further of it with themselues The second thing which here I obserue is this that if we bee at peace with God and keepe faith and a good conscience whatsoeuer our outward state be we haue such comfort and ioy on euery hand that neither we desire to die in respect of the griefes of this life nor to liue in respect of any feare of death The example of our Apostle is proofe enough to this purpose He lay in prison and of the brethren none assisted him but all forsooke him and many practised much against his constancie and against his life so that his outward state was very hard and such that in respect of the griefes of his life he might haue desired death and againe in respect of the feare of death hee might haue desired life Yet euen then such ioy and comfort he found on euery side which way so euer hee lookt to life or death that hee knew not whether of them to choose And where was the reason Though his case were hard yet hee was at peace with God and had faith and a good conscience Farre otherwise it is with many in our daie who see nothing but matter of discontentment and discomfort both in life and in death If either promotion fall not vpon them according to their desire or if crosses fall vpon them otherwise then they desire then they grow male-contented they care not to liue and yet they ioy not in death Such are they that minde earthly things but minde not the things of God Let vs seeke to be at peace with God let vs trust perfectly in Christ Iesus let vs keepe a good conscience in all things and this shall make both life and death comfortable vnto vs. LECTVRE XVIII PHILIP I. Verse 21. And whether to liue in the flesh were profitable for me and what to choose I know not NOw vpon this occasion that hee had said that he was verie indifferent vnto either life or death because Christ was vnto him both in life and in death aduantage The Apostle maketh a little digression and disputeth the poynt whether were better for him to choose life or death And first in this verse hee mooueth the doubt and also answereth it in these words And whether c. And secondly hee bringeth reasons for either part first that in respect of himselfe it were better for him to choose death verse 23. Secondly that in respect of the Philippians it were better that hee chose life verse 24. So that the strait was hard whether for his owne greater good he were now to chuse death or for their greater good he were to chuse longer life The words where the doubt is moued are diuersly read but they bearing well this reading I follow it as both best opening the Apostles meaning and best sorting with that which folâ—oweth The doubt is whether to liue in the flesh or in the bodie were profitable for him and what to chuse life or death but was in a wonderfull strait betweene the two Being in his case in prison a man would haue thought this choise would not haue beene hard Yet he being in prison saw such comfort in death and such ioy in life that he knew
their good in the former is signified his great desire to remoue out of the bodie and to dwell with the Lord in the latter is signified his great desire to abide in the bodie for their furtherance and ioy of their faith vnto the former his loue toward Christ constrained him vnto the latter his loue toward them constrained him for the former it was best for him for the latter it was most needfull for them and thus betweene the former and the latter he was so perplexed that he knew not what to chuse life or death death for his owne present good or life for their further good Now the thing which in the former reason I note is that the Apostle desired euen with a great desire to be loosed from the prison of his bodie or to depart out of the bodie and to be with Christ where he sitteth at the right hand of the throne of God and that he counted this better for him in respect of himselfe then to liue in the bodie Whence I obserue that a Christian in respect of himselfe is rather to desire to die then to liue to depart out of the bodie then to abide in the bodie Vnto the proofe of this point out of this place adde also that other of our Apostle where to the same purpose and in the same words almost he saith thus We loue rather to remoue out of the bodie 2 cor 5.8 and to dwell with the Lord. And that good olde Simeon ye know when once he had seene the Messias which was promised then hee desired with all his heart to die saying Luc 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation as if he should haue said now that I haue seene the promised Messias the sweet Sauiour of the world now indeed I desire rather to die then to liue Yea but was it not a great fault in Iob that he desired rather to die then to liue when in the bitternesse of his soule he cried and faid Why died I not in my birth Iob. 3.11.6 9 7.15 or why died I not when I came out of the wombe O that God would destroy me that he would let his hand goe and cut me off my soule chuseth rather to be strangled and to die then to be in my bones Yes indeede this was a great fault in Iob thus in impatiency to breake out and to search for death more then for treasures Neither is any man be his crosses or troubles neuer so great neuer so many through impatiencie and because he is weary of his life to wish rather to die then to liue much lesse is he with cursed Achitophel or traiterous Iudas to become his owne butcher and to cut off his owne daies for this were to repine against the highest and to take our owne matters out of Gods into our owne hands A Christian therefore in respect of himselfe is to desire rather to die then to liue but in no sort through impatiencie or because he is weary of his life Yea but is not death terrible euen vnto the godly and doe they not oftentimes so shrinke thereat that they are afraid of it Yes surely death in it selfe and in it owne nature is so terrible that Dauid being in great heauinesse and distresse by reason of Sauls cruelty expressed it thus saying Psal 55.5 The terrors of death are fallen vpon me Whereby he meaneth that he was so afraid of his enemies as if death had beene ready to seaze vpon him And surely but for Christ Iesus that hee hath seasoned it and that through him it is but a passage vnto a better life wee might all of vs euen the best of vs well feare death as the fruit of sinne and as the reward or wages of sinne How then doe we say that a Christian in respect of himselfe is to desire rather to die then to liue We must vnderstand that a Christian is to desire rather to die then to liue but how not simply rather to die then to liue but so as Paul did rather to die and to be with Christ then to liue He doth not say to die and to be ridd out of the miseries of this life for so many desire whose desire is not good and for whom it were better rather to liue in the bodie then to die but he saith to die and to be with Christ Are we not then while we liue here in the bodie with Christ and Christ with vs If wee will speake as the scripture vsually doth we are not While we liue here in the bodie we are in Christ by his spirit and Christ in vs by faith as appeareth by many places of holy scripture but in the vsuall phrase of the scripture then principally wee are faid to bee with Christ when after the separation of the soule from the bodie we doe in soule enioy the continuall presence of Christ in heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of the throne of God euen as the Apostle witnesseth where hee saith Whiles we are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 not from being in the Lord but from dwelling with the Lord in the heauenly places So that first our earthly house of this tabernacle must be destroyed before we can be with Christ where he is as he is man When then we say that a Christian in respect of himselfe is to desire rather to die then to liue the meaning is that he is rather to desire the separation of his soule from his bodie and in soule to bee with Christ where he is as man till he may both in soule and bodie bee there with him for euer then to liue in the bodie And the reasons are plaine and cleare as first because Christ is the husband and we the spouse if we belong vnto Christ As then it is better for the spouse to liue with her husband then to liue apart from her husband Eph. 5.32 so is it better for vs to be loosed and to be with Christ then to liue in the bodie secondly because heauen is our home and here we are but pilgrims and strangers As then it is better to be at home then where we are but pilgrims and strangers Heb. 11.13 so is it better for vs to be loosed and to be with Christ then to liue in the bodie thirdly because it is better for the soule to be ioyned vnto Christ then vnto a sinnefull bodie for as Dauid saith of Mesech and of the tents of Kedar Woe is me that I am constreined to dwell in Mesech Psal 120. â— and to haue mine habitation among the tents of Kedar so may the soule say of the bodie woe is mee that I am constrained to dwell in this sinfull bodie better it were for mee to be ioyned vnto Christ 4. Because the body is as a prison of the soule wherein it wanteth free libertie to doe what
because they are things not principally intended The Apostle desireth to be loosed and to be with Christ to bee loosed why that he might be with Christ Whence I obserue that the death of Gods Saints is nothing else but a departure of the soule out of the body vnto heauen where Christ sitteth at the right hand of the Throne of God Hee which at the first coupled soule and body together in death parteth them asunder and taketh the soule vnto himselfe to bee where he is till in the resurrection hee couple them againe â—ogether neuer after to be parted asunder Whereof all the godly in Christ Iesus at all times haue beene so thorowly perswaded that alwayes in death they haue done and doe after the example of Christ Iesus commend their soules â—nto the hands of him that gaue them saying as he did Faâ—her into thine hands I commend my spirit Luk. 23.46 So wee reade that that holy Martyr Steuen when hee was stoned called on God and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Act. 7.59 And in death it is the very ordinary praier of all Gods Saints Wherein they plainly shew their thorow-perswasion that in death their soules are receiued by the Father of spirits into the heauenly habitations there to be ioyned vnto Christ Iesus Contraâ—riwise the death of the wicked and vngodly of the earth is nothing else but a departure of the soule out of the body vnto hell there to be with the Deuill and his Angels Examples of both we haue in the begger and the rich man Luk. 16.22 whose deaths vnto the one was the departure of his soule out of his body into heauen but vnto the other the departure of his soule out of his body into hell Or if the persons of these proue not strongly enough take for example the death of the two theeues which were hanged with our blessed Sauiour on the Crosse vnto the one of which Iesus said that that day hee should be with him in Paradise Luk. 23.43 but vnto the other that railed on him his death doubtlesse was a downfall into hell Is then the dissolution of Gods Saints a passage of the soule out of the body vnto heauen there to be with Christ Farre be it then from vs to thinke that the condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts is euen as one condition vnto them that when man dieth hee returneth wholly vnto the dust and hath no more fruit of all the trauels that hee hath taken vnder the Sunne Thus indeede sensuall man following onely the iudgement of his weake sense and of his owne blinde reason thinketh and saith As the one dieth so dieth the other man and beast haue all one breath and in death there is no excellencie of man aboue the beast all goe to one place all to the earth as all came from the earth But the spirit of God hath otherwise taught vs in his holy word for doth not the Lord say that he is the God of Abraham Matt. 22.32 of Isaac and of Iacob And doth he not say that he is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Abraham Isaac and Iacob then are not dead but liuing Liuing How In their soules with God Dead they are in respect of the separation of their soules from their bodies But forasmuch as the earthly house of their Tabernacle being destroyed they haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2 Cor. 5.1 as the Apostle witnesseth euen of all the Saints of God therefore they are still liuing in their soules with God in the heauenly habitations Howsoeuer then the bodies of men be mortall and in death goe downe vnto the dust whence first they came yet their soules are immortall and in death returne vnto the Father of spirits whence they came But what needs more to this purpose then that which here our Apostle saith In death the sonnes of men are loosed that is their soules are separated from their bodies Now if the soule were mortall as the body what needed any loosing of the one from the other Surely both should fall together and not the one bee loosed from the other if the condition of both were one Euen this then that the soules in death are loosed from the bodies of men sheweth that the soules are immortall Againe in death the Saints of God are loosed that they may be with Christ After death then they are with Christ not in body for that descendeth vnto the graue there to rest vntill the resurrection In soule then In death then the soules of Gods Saints passe out of the body vnto heauen there to be with Christ And therefore farre be it from vs to thinke that in death as of beast so of man there is vtterly an end and an entire returne vnto the dust And yet so we liue a great many of vs as if we made no other reckning for do we not a great many of vs passe our dwelling here without feare in chambering and wantonnes in gluttony and drunkenesse in striefe and enuying Doe we not euen glut ourselues with sporting and pleasure and sundry delights of the flesh and say let vs be merry and take our fils of pleasure while we are here for when we are gone then all the world is gone with vs. Surely if a man may coniecture by our dissolutenesse of life a great many of vs either thinke that in death there is vtterly an end of vs or too little thinke what remaineth after death Beloued wee are bought with a price let vs therefore glorifie God both in our bodies and in our spirits We may not liue vnto our selues nor giue our members weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but we must liue vnto him that died for vs and rose againe and giue our members seruants vnto righteousnesse in holinesse Let vs so liue that in our liues wee thinke of death and let vs know that if we die the death of the Saints we shall die to liue for euer with Christ but if otherwise our part shall be in that lake that euer burneth Againe this may serue for the confutation of that foolish dreame of purgatorie The soules of Gods Saints they are loosed in death from the body and being loosed are with Christ The soules of the wicked they likewise in death are loosed from the body and being loosed do as it is said of Iudas Act. 5.25 go to their owne place euen the place of the damned Where then is Purgatorie They that trouble the Church with this fancie tell vs that of them that die some are perfect and iust men and they go streight vnto heauen others are desperately wicked and they goe streight downe into hell and others are neither perfitly good nor thoroughly badde and for these are Purgatorie But I demaund them touching this third sort of men haue they faith or no They grant they haue but a weake
thing which here I note is that the Apostle saith that he was sure of this that he should abide in the flesh and continue with all the Philippians yet for some time longer Whence I obserue that the Apostle in his first imprisonment at Rome was deliuered and restored vnto the Churches which before he had planted which I do the rather gather hence for that the two words which the Apostle vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew that he knew so certainly that he should be deliuered as hee could not otherwise but by the reuelation of the spirit And in the Epistle to Timothie in plaine words he professeth 2 Tim. 4.17 that he was deliuered out of the mouth of the lyon meaning of Nero. And the ecclesiasticall stories beare witnesse that after his first imprisonment by the space of ten yeares or thereabouts he preached the gospell and then returning to Rome againe was slaine by Nero about the 14. yeare of his reigne Which may serue to encourage the faithfull thus farre in their troubles that whatsoeuer be their troubles if it bee for his glory the Lord will deliuer them As he did with Paul so will he doe with vs as our farther tryall or present deliuerance shall be for his glory so will he try vs or deliuer vs. Let vs therefore in troubles be of good courage and let vs assure our selues of deliuerance if it be for his glory Onely let vs as himselfe exhorteth call vpon him in the day of our trouble Psal 50. and then his promise is we neede no reuelation for it that he will deliuer vs alwaies this condition vnderstood if our deliuerance bee for his glory And what else is it that we should desire but that he may be glorified in our bodies whether it be by life or death The second thing which here I note is the end wherefore he saith hee should abide and with them all continue which was for their furtherance and ioy of their faith that their faith by his ministerie might be furthered and so their ioy in the Holy Ghost increased Whence I obserue wherefore the Christians life in generall and the Ministers life in particular is preserued and continued here on earth and that is the Christians life in generall is preserued and continued for the glory of the Lord and the Ministers life in particular for the good of Gods church and of that people ouer whom they are set Be of courage Paul said the Lord vnto him Act. 23.11 for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem so must thou beare witnesse also at Rome as if hee should haue said howsoeuer the Iewes practise against thy life in Ierusalem yet feare not I must yet haue farther glory by thy life as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem and there brought â—lory vnto my name so shall thy life be preserued and conâ—â—nued to the farther glory of my name by thy testimonie of be at Rome And so is euery Christian when he is deliuered â—â—om any perill of sicknes enemies or the like to resolue â—ith himselfe that his life is preserued and continued for â—he farther glory of his God and euery Minister in partiâ—ular that his life is preserued and continued for the farther â—ood of Gods church and for the profit of his people by â—he worke of his ministerie The point is cleare enough â—nd needeth not any large confirmation This may serue first for the instruction of all Christians â—n generall and of the Ministers in particular Of all Christians in generall to teach euen all of vs to liue vnto the Lord and to the glory of his name to liue to doe good This is the end wherefore our life is preserued and continued here on earth and this being the end in our whole â—ife we are euer to be looking vnto this end Of Ministers â—n particular to teach them to spend willingly their whole strength and their life in the worke of their ministerie for the edification of the Church and the furtherance of their faith ouer whom the Lord hath made them ouerseers This is the end also wherefore they are preserued from all dangers and their liues continued vnto their people and this being the end in their whole life they are euer to be looking to this end What shall we say then vnto such Christians in name as liue vnto themselues and vnto their pleasures As would haue euery bodie to serue their turne and care not for others As desire to liue rather to get goods then to do any good For such there are as so liue as if they were to liue vnto themselues and not vnto the glory of God as if the life of others were to be for their good and their life not for the good of any others as if they were to scrape asmuch vnto themselues as they could not to do any good vnto any other Nay I adde further that such there are as so liue as if in their life they were to serue sinne in the lusts thereof as if they were to liue by the spoile and hurt and losse oâ— others as if they were to flie that which is good and to doe that which is euill And surely such are here iustly reproued as men neuer remembring that the continuance of their life should be for Gods glory or rather as men opposing themselues vnto euery thing that may make for Gods glory What shall we say likewise vnto such in the ministerie as feede themselues but not the flocke as seeke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christs as do more harme by their bad example of life then they doe good by their paines in teaching as either for idlenesse or daintinesse or other like reason will not put their hand vnto the Lord his worke to helpe forward the building of his house nay as destroy the faith of some which were to bee builded vp in Christ Iesus Is this the end wherefore they liue in the bodie wherefore their life is prolonged among their people Nay surely this also serueth for their iust reproofe as men abusing that vse which God giueth them of life But on the other side it serueth for the great comfort of all them be they Christians in generall or Ministers in particular whose life serues for the good of the Church For what greater comfort if wee be Ministers can we haue of our life then that by our life the Saints hearts be stablished in the faith the ioy of the faithfull be fulfilled the Church of Christ Iesus be builded the truth of Christ Iesus be maintained the mouth of all gaine sayers be stopped and our people kept a chaste spouse vnto the Lord Or what greater comfort can we haue of our life whatsoeuer we be then that by our life the Lord be glorified the good of our brethren procured and the common-wealth bettered Surely so may the Minister and euery Christian make account that he liueth if hee liue vnto God and to his brethrens
of â—od in him Here then is an exceeding great comfort for euery faithfull Christian soule Christ hath fulfilled the law for vs and his â—bedience vnto the law is now made our righteousnes so that â—ow there is no condemnation vnto them that are in Christ â—esus Whatsoeuer the law required of vs all that he hath â—ulfilled in his owne person that so the righteousnes of the â—aw which was impossible for vs to performe might be imâ—uted vnto vs and we deliuered from the bondage of the â—aw He made himselfe subiect vnto the law that by fulfilling â—f the law for vs he might free vs from all feare of condemnaâ—ion by the law Doth then the law present before thine eyes 〈◊〉 curse and condemnation if thou doest not continue in all â—hings that are written in the booke of the law to doe them â—nd doth thine owne conscience tell thee that in many things â—hou hast offended and many waies thou hast transgressed â—he law of thy God Be not troubled nor feare Cast thy â—urthen vpon Christ Iesus He hath fulfilled the law not for himselfe but for thee that his obedience might be imputed for righteousnesse vnto thee Againe knowest thou that nothing that is vnpure or vncleane hath at any time entred into Gods sight and wouldest thou be presented pure and vnblameable before him in that day Here is the garment of thy elder brother Christ Iesus in this his obedience thou shalt appeare righteous before thy God in that day Thine owne obedience thine owne works thine owne righteousnes seeme it neuer so great and goodly must vanish as a morning cloud in that day for euen thy best righteousnesse is but as the menstruous cloathes of a woman as the Prophet speaketh The cloke where withall thy nakednes must becouered is the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus which righteousnesse is made thine owne if thou by a true and liuely faith lay hold on him where he sitteth at the right hand of the Father in the highest places What greater comfort can there be vnto thine afflicted soule then this both to be deliuered from the curse of the law for not keeping it and to be presented pure before thy God a that day And all this comfort thou maiest haue by this obedience of Christ Iesus And as this obedience of Christ Iesus vnto his Fathers wiâ—â— to fulfill the law for vs may iustly minister this comfort vnto vs so may it further teach vs to yeeld all obedience vnto the will of our heauenly Father For howsoeuer we be freed from the condemnation of the law because Christ hath fulfilled the law for vs yet are we not freed from the performance of our obedience vnto the morall law of God but euen by thâ—â— example of our Sauiour Christ we are more straitly tied therevnto 1 Joh. 2.6 For he that saith he remaineth in Christ ought euen so to walke as he hath walked in all humilitie and in all obedience to his heauenly Fathers will He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandments 4. is a liar and the truth is not in hiâ—â— but he that keepeth his word in him is the loue of God perfect indeed and hereby we know that we are in him and that we loue him if â—e keepe his commandements 5. As therefore Christ walked in the law and performed all obedience vnto his Fathers will so remember thou to walke with thy God and to keepe his commandements with thine whole heart Beware that thou dissemble not beware that thou present not thy selfe in the assembly of Gods saints to heare his word or to receiue his holy sacrament either for fashions sake or for feare of the law onely to saue thy purse for so thou purchasest vnto thy selfe a fearefull iudgement Beware how thou dalliest with thy God for he seeth not as man seeth Well thou maiest dissemble with man but he searcheth the heart and the reynes and he knoweth all thy thoughts long before they be conceiued by thee Let thy heart be sound with thy God and his commandements let them be in thy heart to doe them And so much of Christ his obedience It followeth And became obedient euen vnto the death His death being likewise a part of his voluntarie obedience vnto his Fathers will for both in fulfilling the law and in suffering death for vs he shewed his obedience vnto his Father and wrought the works of our redemption Here then is the third doctrine touching Christ which I proposed to be obserued which is touching his death vnder which name I vnderstand not onely the separation of his soule from his bodie but all the paines and agonies which he suffered both in soule and bodie For as it was written of him He bare our infirmities Esay 53.4 and caried our sinnes he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities he made his soule an offering for sin the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed as thus I say it was written of him so thus he suffered and was obedient vnto the death Will you then see what manner of death Christ suffered He suffered not onely a bodily death and such paines as follow the dissolution of nature but he suffered likewise in his soule the wrath of God for the sinnes of the world lying so heauy vpon him that it wounded his flesh and his spirit also as the scripture speaketh euen to death For if he had suffered no more but in bodie then he ouercame no more but a bodily death and then were our state most miserable but our sinnes hauing deserued not the bodily death onely but euen death both of body and soule by the death which he suffered he ouercame death and the power of it both in our bodies and in our soules Whence was it that when his death approched he began to be in sorrow and heauinesse Whence was it that he said vnto his Disciples my soule is very heauy euen vnto the death Whence was it that so often he fell on his face and praied that if it were possible that cup might passe from him Whence was it that an Angell appeared from heauen vnto him to comfort strengthen him Whence was it that as he praied his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground Was not this and all this euen from the paines which he felt in his soule by reason of the wrath of God against sinne Can we thinke that all this came to our Sauiour Christ for feare of a bodily death Haue his seruants that receiue of his fulnesse so despised this death of the body that either they wisht for it to be with Christ or reioyced in the middest of it before the persecutor and did our Sauiour himselfe so feare and tremble at the remembrance of it Did the Apostles sing in prison and reioyce when they were whipt and scourged Did Paul glory in the tribulations which he suffered and did our
minde of Christ his resurrection so to awaken them â—rom the dead sleepe of sinne vnto holinesse of life More â—laine to this purpose is that of the same Apostle where he thus saith Rom. 6.4 We are buried with Christ by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life In which words most plainely ye may see how the Apostle presseth the similitude of Christ his resurrection to proue that we ought to walke in newnesse of life But in this place most worthy our consideration it is how the Apostle maketh Baptisme a resemblance of Christ his death and resurrection and so by an argument from our Baptisme proueth that we ought to walke in newnesse of life By baptisme saith the Apostle we are buried with Christ into his death that at he died for sinne so we by the power of his death should die vnto sinne againe in baptisme we are baptized into Christ his resurrection that as he was raised againe from death vnto life so we should rise from sinne wherein we are dead vnto newnesse and holinesse of life Want yee then motiues to perswade you vnto newnesse of life Behold Christ is risen againe behold we are baptized into Christ his death and resurrection therefore we ought to walke in newnesse of life Art thou then a Christian and yâ—â— wantest thou proofe that thou oughtest to walke in newnesse of life Looke backe into thy Baptisme Wast thou not there visibly receiued into the Church of Christ and communion of Gods saints Wast thou not there sacramentally adopted into the number of the sonnes of God Was not there thy name registred amongst the children of the most high Diddest thou not there receiue presse money to fight vnder the banner of Christ Iesus Diddest thou not there promise vnto the Lord thy God in the congregation of his Saints to forsake the world the flesh the Deuill Did not thy God there make a couenant with thee that he would be thy God and thou againe with him that thou wouldest be his childe Wast thou not there sacramentally borne againe of water and of the spirit as at the first thou wast naturally borne of flesh and of bloud In a word wast thou not baptized into Christ Iesus euen into Christ Iesus dead and risen againe from the dead Wast thou not baptized into Christ his death that thou mightest die vnto sinne Wast thou not baptizeâ— into his resurrection that thou mightest liue vnto God Yeâ— men and brethren if you looke backe into your baptisme yee â—hall finde euery of these things true in euery one of you And â—herefore we bring litle children to be baptized that here they may receiue the seale of that great couenant whereby God is â—heir God and they his people that here they may be visibly â—eceiued into the Church adopted into the sonnes of God â—egistred amongst his children and receiue as it were presse-money to fight vnder the banner of Christ Iesus against the world the flesh and the Deuill that here they may be baptiâ—ed into Christ Iesus euen into the death and resurrection of Christ Iesus And want we yet a sufficient reason to perswade â—s vnto newnesse and holinesse of life Surely we want no â—ufficient reason to perswade vs but yet this reason is not suffiâ—ient to perswade vs and preuaile with vs. The Ministers of God may lift vp their voices and cry daily Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that â—eepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee life They may cry till their hearts bleede within their bodies nay â—hey may cry till the breath goe out of their bodies Know yee â—ot that all yee that are baptized are baptized into Christ his death and into Christ his resurrection that yee might die vnto sinne â—nd liue vnto God But who doth heare Whose hearts are â—o pricked that they cry Men and brethren what shall we doe Sound a trumpet in a dead mans eares he moues not he â—eares not And surely so dead are we in our sinnes that how â—owde and often soeuer the trumpet of Gods voice sound vnto vs a retrait from sinne and wickednes vnto newnesse and â—olinesse of life yet we heare it not we are not at all moued â—herewith O my brethren the very meditation of our bapâ—isme with our selues and the seeing of the same administred vnto others should sufficiently preach vnto vs mortification â—rom dead workes and sanctification in holinesse of life â—specially baptisme being so notable a resemblance of Christ â—is death and resurrection as that it doth most liuely repreâ—ent vnto vs 1. our remission of sins by the death of Christ â—n that our soules are so clensed by the spirit from the filthines â—f sinne euen as the filth of the bodie is washed with water â— our regeneration and new birth by the power of his resurâ—ection in that after the washing by the spirit wee rise againe cleansed by the same spirit Let these things men and brethren sinke deepe into your soules Let the meditation of your baptisme call to your remembrance the death and resurrection of Christ and let all these stirre you vp vnto neâ—nesse and holinesse of life that as he was exalted rising from death vnto life so yee may be exalted rising out of your sâ—â—â— to liue in righteousnes and true holinesse The second thing which Christ his resurrection may teach vs is that our bodies also howsoeuer they be turned into duâ—â— torne of beasts or deuoured of fishes yet shall rise againe at that day For his resurrection is a most certaine and sure pledge of our resurrection and therefore is he called the first fruits of them that sleepe because as in the first fruits which were offered by the law 1 Co. 15.20 all the rest of the corne was sanctified so in Christ his resurrection we haue a most sure pledge of our resurrection But yet this withall thou must note that vnlesse thou haue part in the first resurrection thou shalt neuer haue part in the second .i. vnlesse thou first in this life rise from sinne in newnesse of life thou shalt neuer rise againe after this life into glory but onely vnto euerlasting condemnation which is called the second death Vnto you therefore I say as Paul spake to the Romanes If the spirit of Christ that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you Rom. 8.11 then he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies And by this yet know that the spirit of Christ dwelleth in you if yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit and walke after the spirit iâ— newnesse and holinesse of life O striue to haue your second resurrection into glory assured vnto you by your first resurrection in newnesse of life Blessed and holy is he that hath pâ—â— in the first resurrection Apec 20.6 for on such the second death hath no
But we see he vsed no such speech but as it pleased the Lord to vse these meanes in restoring him to health so he with all thankfulnes vsed the meanes and was restored vnto health Let vs therefore know that it is the Lord onely that deliuereth from death and restoreth vnto life and health and that this he doth sometimes without meanes and most commonly by meanes Let vs therefore in the bed of our sicknesse call vpon the Lord and let vs not neglect the meanes which he hath ordeined for the recouerie of our health Let vs onely trust in the Lord and let vs know that if the meanes be helpfull vnto vs it is because of the Lord his blessing vpon them He blesseth the meanes and therefore we are healed by the meanes so that he healeth and therefore we are healed Now what is the cause wherefore the Lord hauing visited vs with sicknesse doth againe raise vs from the bed of our sicknesse and restore vs vnto health This is not for any thing in our selues but for his owne mercies sake as the Apostle plainely sheweth when he saith but God had mercy on him for it is as if he had said but God for his mercies sake restored him vnto health Whence I gather this note that restoring vnto health is a mercy of the Lord. Which is farther proued vnto vs by that song or psalme of thanksgiuing which Ezechias made after his restoring vnto health where he saith Esay 38.17 Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption It was thy pleasure or it was thy loue to deliuer my soule c where that is ascribed to Gods loue whence his mercy floweth which in our Apostle is ascribed vnto Gods mercy So that restoring vnto health is a louing mercy of the Lord. What shall we say then When wicked and vngodly men are restored vnto health is this a louing mercy of the Lord towards them Yes surely â—or albeit so their sinne and consequently their iudgement be increased yet this not comming from this mercy of lengthning their daies but from their owne corrupt nature we are to account that health and life and wealth and whatsoeuer else they haue are temporall mercies of the Lord vpon them Howbeit the mercies of the Lord in restoring his children vnto health and in restoring the wicked vnto health are much different His mercy wherein he restoreth the wicked vnto health is a generall mercy whereby he taketh pitie vpon all men proceeding from such a loue as whereby he maketh his sunne to arise on the euill and the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust But his mercy wherein he restoreth his children vnto health is a speciall mercy whereby he taketh pitie vpon his children proceeding from that loue wherewithall he loueth vs in Christ Iesus by that the wicked are only restored vnto bodily health by this the children of God are so restored vnto bodily health that farther in soule they are more quickned then before by that the iudgement of the wicked is increased for that they abuse their health whereunto in mercy they are restored vnto the dishonor of God by this Gods name is more glorified in his children for that they vse their health whereunto in mercy they are restored to the praise of the glory of Gods grace In a word by that the wicked are made more inexcusable by this the children of God are made more fruitfull in good works and more assured of Gods loue Albeit then it be a mercy of the Lord both to the godly and likewise to the vngodly that they are restored vnto health for that the Lord might in iustice haue suffered his rod to lie longer vpon them if he had dealt with them in weight and measure yet is it such a speciall mercy proceeding from such a speciall loue which hee vouchsafeth vnto his children in restoring them to health as that the wicked and vngodly haue no part or portion at all therein Is it then such a speciall mercy vnto Gods children that they are restored vnto health Were not death rather a speciall mercy of the Lord vnto them or had not death then beene a speciall mercy unto Epaphroditus Surely it cannot be denied but that it is a speciall mercy of the Lord vnto his children if when he hath exercised them with his rod and prepared them by sicknesse vnto himselfe he take them by death out of the miseries of this life and translate them into the kingdome of his Sonne Ap. 14.13 For so saith the Spirit Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord and why for they rest from their labours and their works follow them They rest from their labors What is that that is by death they are deliuered and freed from such griefes and sorowes and labours and troubles and reuilings and persecutions and hatreds and other manifold calamities wherevnto this life is subiect yea from that grieuious yoke and heauie bondage of sinne which made the Apostle to crie Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Againe their works followe them What is that That is their good deeds which they did in the the loue of God and in the loue of his truth after death acompanie them and they receiue that crowne of glory which the Lord in mercie hath promised to all them that loue and feare him walke in his waies So that whether we respect the end of wretched miseries or the perfect fruition of euerlasting happinesse which the children of God haue by death it cannot be denied but death is an especiall mercy of the Lord vnto them And in these respects death then had been a speciall mercy of the Lord vnto Epaphroditus and in these respects I doubt not it was that Paul desired in the former chapter to be dissolued and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 euen that hee might bee freed from the miseries of this life and that hee might bee ioyned with his head Christ Iesus to raigne with him in his kingdome for euer in the time appointed of the Lord. But as death so likewise life and restoring vnto health is a speciall mercy of the Lord vnto his children because so they are made farther instruments of his glory who hath restored them vnto health For being restored vnto health both they consider the mercifull goodnes towards them and so breake out into his praises who hath done great things for them Esay 38.18 whereas the graue cannot confesse the Lord neither death can praise him but the liuing the liuing as saith Ezechias they confesse him and sing praises vnto his name againe being restored vnto health they consider that the Lord hath reserued them for his farther glory to be manifested in them or by them and therefore their studie and care is so to lead their liues as that Gods name may be glorified in
them and by them A good nature yee know reioyceth in euery opportunitie that is giuen him whereby he may shew himselfe thankfull and dutifull though it be to his trouble and cost Euen so the children of God though this life be full of trouble and griefe yet when their health is restored and their daies lengthned they reioyce in the opportunitie that God hath giuen them to doe good in the Church or in the common-weale and are carefull therein to shew themselues both thankfull and dutifull vnto their God For answer then vnto the point in man we are to consider briefly these two things the good of himselfe and the good of others vnto the glory of God In respect of the good of himselfe death is a speciall mercy of the Lord vnto euery childe of God because then they rest from their labours and their workes follow them And therefore the Apostle said it is best of all to be loosed and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 But in respect of others and of the glory of God it is a speciall mercy of God vnto his children to be restored vnto health because so they are made farther instruments of his glory and of the good either of Church or of Common-wealth And therefore the Apostle addeth 24. neuerthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you Albeit then death had been a speciall mercy of the Lord vnto Epaphroditus in respect of the good of himselfe yet in respect of the Church at Philippi it was a speciall mercy of the Lord as our Apostle here saith that he was restored vnto health Neither yet would I so here be vnderstood as if I thought or taught that it is a speciall mercy of the Lord vnto his children to be restored vnto health onely in respect of the good of others and not at all in respect of the good of themselues for albeit death bee so a speciall mercy of God vnto them in respect of the good of themselues for that thereby they are freed from the troubles of this life and receiued into euerlasting ioy and blisse yet is health also and life a speciall mercy of the Lord vnto them euen in respect of the good of themselues because the oftener they passe through the fire the more they are purified and made the finer gold the more they are boulted and sifted the finer flower they will be Albeit therefore by life they haue moe troubles yet because by troubles they are made more glorious therefore is life and restoring vnto health a speciall mercy of God vnto his children not only in respect of others good but in respect also of the good of themselues Are then both death and recouerie of health speciall mercies of the Lord vnto his children If then we be the children of God let not our hearts be troubled nor feare in the bed of our sicknesse If it please the Lord by death then to cut off our dayes this let vs know that in mercy towards vs he doth it that so we may not see the euils that are to come that so we may haue rest from all our labours and from all the troubles of this life and that so wee may be euer with our head Christ Iesus and haue the full fruition of those ioyes which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to thinke of And againe if it please the Lord to restore vs vnto health let vs know that in mercy likewise he doth it that so we may confesse his name and sing praises vnto him in the land of the liuing that so wee may be further instruments of his glory in doing good vnto others either in in the Church or in the Common-wealth and that so being further tried wee may be further purified to returne as fine gold out of the fire Hath any of vs then cause to mourne for them that doe already sleepe in the Lord Let vs mourne but not as men without hope for the Lord hath had mercy on them and in his mercy towards them hath deliuered them out of prison into a most glorious libertie and hath brought them from a most troublesome sea of miseries vnto the most happy hauen of euerlasting blessednesse Againe hath any of vs beene restored from sicknesse vnto health Let vs remember that the Lord herein hath had mercy on vs as hee had on Epaphroditus For this mercy let vs shew our selues thankfull vnto the Lord and our thankfulnesse vnto the Lord let vs testifie vnto the world by walking worthy of this mercy He hath reserued vs vnto his further glory Let vs glorifie God both in our bodies and in our spirits for they are Gods Let vs be faithfully and painfully and carefully occupied in the workes of our calling whatsoeuer it be vnto the glory of our God And in particular as this time requireth as God hath had mercy on vs by restoring vs vnto health and bringing vs from the gates almost of death vnto life so let vs take pitie and compassion on our poore distressed brethren and by our morsels of bread and other releefe let vs saue their liues from death As our liues were precious in Gods sight so let their liues be precious in our sight who happily are as deare vnto God as wee are For know this that blessed are they that consider the poore and needie c. Psal 41.1.2.3 And not on him onely but on mee also Wee haue heard of Gods mercy on Epaphroditus in restoring him vnto health which was both a worke of the Lord and a worke wherein the Lord shewed his mercy on Epaphroditus Now see the riches and the bountifulnesse of Gods mercy herein for in restoring him vnto health Gods mercy was not shewed on him alone but on the Apostle Paul also The note which hence I gather is this that in the mercies of the Lord vpon his children there is oftentimes a blessing not for them alone in particular but for others of his children also So sometimes hee sheweth mercy on the childe and keeâ—â—h him aliue for his parents sake to be their staffe of comfort in their old age and againe sometimes he sheweth mercy vpon parents and keepeth them aliue for their childrens sake to bring them vp in the feare of God and in the knowledge of his will So likewise sometimes he sheweth mercy on the Pastor and from sicknesse restoreth him to health for his peoples sake both that they may be kept safe from scattering by the Wolfe and that they may bee taught in the wayes of the Lord and againe sometimes he sheweth mercy on the people for their Pastors sake lest that punishment which should iustly light vpon them should bring too much sorrow vpon him So we reade that he shewed mercy vnto that good King Ezechias being sicke vnto death 2 Reg. 20.1 in restoring him vnto health neither vnto him alone 7. but euen therein likewise he shewed mercy vnto the
he hath an Obadiah to hide and feede his Prophets and in sinnefull Sodome hee hath a righteous Lot whose soule is daily vexed with their vnlawfull deeds Farre be it therefore from vs to condemne where the Lord hath not condemned Who are his he onely knoweth but that in all places he hath those that are his we are not to despaire yea euen at this day in Caesars Court and in sinnefull Rome it selfe The third thing which I note is that the Apostle saith that many of the brethreÌ„ in the Lord were emboldned through his bands and durst more franckely speake the word Whereby hee meaneth that through his constancie in his bands sufferings many Pastors teachers were emboldned to professe and preach the gospell more freely then before Whence I obserue another notable fruite and persecution of Gods Saints namely the emboldening of others to the profession of the gospell more freely Which as it serueth very notably for the proofe of the maine poynt that the persecution of Gods Saints rather furthereth then hindereth the gospell so may it be a strong consolation for the children of God against the time of persecution It may bee that some of vs in the time of the peace of the gospell may doubt how wee shall stand in the time of persecution and feare that when the tryall shall come we shall not quit our selues like men But let vs plucke vp our hearts and be of good comfort When wee shall see the constancy of other of Gods Saints in their sufferings then shall we also be emboldened freely to professe the truth of Christ Iesus the Lord shall turne the constancie of them in their sufferings for the hope of their profession vnto our encouraging and emboldening to make a good profession Thus we finde it to be in Ioseph of Arimathea of whome it is said Mat. 27.57 that he had beene the Disciple of Iesus before his Passion But he shewed it not till then and then hee went euen to Pylate himselfe and professed himselfe his Disciple and begged his bodie and entombed it The like we finde to be in Nicodemus of whome it is said Ioh. 19.39 that till the death and passion of Christ Iesus he onely came vnto him by night for feare of the Iewes But then he professed himselfe and ioyned with Ioseph of Arimathea to burie him most honourably By whose examples as also by the example of these heere mentioned in our Apostle yee see how the Lord by the sufferings of his Saints giues that boldnes and courage vnto others of his children which neither themselues felt nor euer any saw in them before Let vs not therfore feare how we shall stand when persecution commeth but let vs depend on the Lord who alone giueth strength and perseuerance and he will strengthen vs to stand LECTVRE XIV Verse 15. Some preach Christ euen through enuie and strife and some also of good will 16. The one part preacheth Christ of contention and not purely supposing to adde afflictions to my bands 17. But the other of loue knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospell 18. What then yet Christ is preached all manner of wayes whether it be vnder a pretence or sincerely I therin ioy yea and will ioy NOw followeth the amplification of the latter effect and fruit of the Apostles bands which was the third thing noted in the former part of the Apostles narration set downe in these words Some preach Christ c. In which words the Apostle sheweth that of those brethren in the Lord which through his constancie in his bands were emboldened to preach Christ more frankly then before all of them did not preach Christ with the same minde nor vpon the same motiue nor for the same end but some with a corrupt minde moued through enuy and strife and to the end to adde more afflictions to the Apostles bands and others of a good minde moued through loue and to the end that with the Apostle they might defend the gospell So that here is set downe a distribution of such as preached Christ according to the diuersitie of the mindes wherewith of the motiues wherevpon and of the ends wherefore they preached Christ The distribution is this that some preached Christ sincerely and others not sincerely set downe ver 15. The minde wherewith the motiues wherevpon the end wherefore the worse sort preached Christ is set downe vers 15.16 Likewise the minde wherewith the motiues wherevpon the end wherefore the better sort preached Christ is set downe vers 15.17 Touching their mindes the better sort preached Christ of good will and a good minde toward the Apostle and toward the Gospell but the worse sort preached Christ not purely but of a corrupt and bad minde toward the Apostle Touching their motiues the better sort preached Christ euen vpon loue towards the Apostle and towards the Gospell but the worse sort preached Christ vpon enuie toward the Apostle and to stirre strife and contention in the Church among the brethren Touching their ends the better sort preached Christ to helpe the Apostle in the defence of the gospell knowing that he was appointed of God for the defence of the gospel but the worse sort preached Christ to adde more affliction to his bands thinking by the contentions which they raised in the Church both to greeue him and to exasperate Nero against him Thus I resolue the order and meaning of these words The thing which hence I obserue is the great difference of such as preach Christ in the Church of God For not to speake of such as set abroche false doctrine in the Church whereby either the foundation of our faith is either pluckt downe or shaken or the Church is burdened with â—aine traditions and commandments of men which are not â—fter God as the Apostle in his day so we in our day may â—ee that of those that preach Christ truly and soundly for â—octrine some preach Christ as they should and others â—therwise then they should some may be called good and â—thers bad preachers of Christ Which difference of Preaâ—hers as then it did so now it doth come to passe through â—he diuersitie partly of the mindes wherewith they preach â—artly of the motiues which cause them to preach and partâ—y of the ends wherefore they doe preach For in some it is â—ery cleare that they preach the glad tidings of your saluaâ—â—on vnto you of a very good minde towards God towards â—ou and towards the gospell of Christ Iesus only desiring â—nd that from the ground of their hearts the glory of God â—â—e saluation of your soules and the growth of the gospell â—f Christ Iesus But in others it is greatly to be feared that â—â—ey preach Christ of a naughty and bad minde affecting â—ther their owne glory then the glory of God seeking raâ—â—er their owne things then the things which are Iesus â—hrists hunting after yours rather then you minding any â—â—ing else rather then
it would and should As then it is better to be out of prison and to liue at libertie so is it better to die and to be with Christ than to liue in the body 5. Because in the body wee only know in part beleeue in part loue in part liue in part ioy in part and are blessed in part with all such graces of the spirit but when wee remoue out of the body then that which is in part shall be abolished As then it is better to know to loue to liue to ioy c. perfectly than only but in part so is it better to be loosed and to be with Christ where all these shall be perfected than to liue in the body where they are neuer but in part Lastly to passe ouer the rest in silence because it is better to be with God than with men in heauen than in earth in a state freed from sorrow sinne and temptation than in a state subiect to them all Job 14.1 for man that is borne of a woman is but of short continuance and full of trouble as Iob speaketh yea his life is as a warfare 7.1 Matt. 6.34 as the same Iob speaketh and as our Sauiour speaketh euery day of his life bringeth griefe enough with it neither hath his griefe an end till his life haue an end But blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Ap. 14.13 euen so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them They rest from their labours inasmuch as all teares are wiped from their eyes no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor paine doth take hold of them and their workes follow them inasmuch as they are had in remembrance before God when all other things of our life leaue vs and forsake vs. I spare to enlarge this point further at this time Ye may easily conceiue what might be added Let this serue for a iust reproofe of them that are vnwilling to die For come now and let vs reason the case together What man is there among you that if hee were clothed only with ragged and torne and patched and worne and bad cloathes would not be willing to be vncloathed of them and to be cloathed with better And what else is this mortall and corruptible body but as ragged and rotten cloathes wherewith wee are cloathed Why should wee not then be willing to be shifted of those cloathes of this mortall and corruptible body and to bee cloathed with our house which is from heauen euen with incorruption and immortalitie Againe what man is there among you that if hee were in prison would not be willing to be set at libertie or being in a place where he is but a stranger would not be willing to be at home And what else is this sinfull bodie but as a prison of the soule wherein it is so shut that it hath no libertie till it returne vnto him that gaue it Or what else is this world but as a place wherein wee wander as pilgrims and haue no abiding Citie Why should wee not then be willing to remoue out of this prison of the bodie and to bee receiued into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God or to loose anchor from this land wherein wee are but strangers and by death to saile towards heauen where is our home and our abiding Citie Where should the members ioy to be but with their head Where should the spouse desire to bee but with her husband Where should man whose breath is in his nostrils delight to bee but with him that is his life to see him as hee is and to liue in his continuall presence Surely whosoeuer thou art that art vnwilling to die thou doest not yet conceiue nor beleeue the blessed estate of them that die in the Lord thou hast not yet throughly learned this lesson that Christ is the husband of the Church that Christ is the life of his body that in the presence of Christ there is fulnesse of ioy and life for euermore for then wouldest thou willingly desire with the Apostle to bee loosed and to bee with Christ which is farre the best If the condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts were euen as one condition vnto them so that in their death there were indeed no difference or if after death there remained nothing but a fearefull expectation of iudgement then indeed thou haddest some reason to be vnwilling to die But now that Christ by death hath triumphed ouer death and made death vnto thee if thou belong vnto him a passage vnto life without death vnto ioy without sorrow vnto all blessednesse without any miserie why shouldest thou bee vnwilling to die Nay now a chip for death nay now most welcome death And so beloued let it be to euery one of vs. If wee belong vnto Christ there is no cause why wee should feare death and great cause there is why wee should embrace death Let vs therefore neuer feare death nor be vnwilling to die but whensoeuer the Lord his will is let vs be willing to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all LECTVRE XIX PHILIP 1. Verse 23. Desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all NOw to proceed Against this which hath beene said it may be obiected that as no man is to put asunder the things which God hath coupled together as the soule and the body so no man is to desire that the things which God hath coupled bee sundred and therefore no Christian is to desire to die Whereunto I answer that it is true that no Christian is to desire simply to die nor to die to this end only that he may be rid of the miseries of this life nor to die otherwise than when the Lord his will is but yet he may desire to die and to be with Christ to die to this end that hee may bee with Christ to die when the Lord his will is and when his death may be for his glory 1 Reg. 19.4 So it is to be vnderstood of Elias that he desired to die when he praied and said It is enough O Lord take my soule for I am no better than my fathers And so wee say that a Christian may desire to die when the Lord his will is not for that death in it selfe is to be desired but because he desireth to be with Christ So that the thing which a Christian desireth simply and in it selfe is to bee with Christ neither doth he otherwise desire to be loosed but that he may be with Christ and so wee say he may desire to be loosed when the Lord his will is And thus much for this which is the chiefe point in these words whence ye see that a Christian in respect of himselfe may desire rather to die than to liue Other things there are which may not vnfruitfully bee noted in these words which I will only briefly touch
dehortation And in nothing feare c. but is thus to bee vnderstood in true coherence with that which went before Let your conuersation c that whether c I may heare and see that yee continue in one spirit and in one minde fighting c and that in nothing yee feare your aduersaries For so wee are to vnderstand the Apostle that hauing exhorted the Philippians to such a conuersation as becommeth the gospell of Christ he doth particularly specifie some things whereby they might giue proofe vnto him of such a conuersation as namely if hee might heare or see that they continued in one spirit and in one minde fighting together c and in nothing fearing the aduersaries or being in nothing afraid of the aduersaries Thus then I read these words not by way of dehortation but as depending on the former words and in nothing fearing the aduersaries or and being in nothing afraid of the aduersaries The Syriac interpreter readeth in nothing feare our aduersaries our reading is in nothing feare your aduersaries But in the originall is neither read our nor your aduersaries but as I said before in nothing fearing the aduersaries or fearing them that oppose themselues The meaning is that if he might heare or see that both they stood fast by the power of the spirit against the aduersaries of the truth and that they ioyntly fought together against the aduersaries of the truth as men knit together in one minde and likewise that in nothing they feared them that opposed themselues against the truth and the professors thereof this should bee a good proofe vnto him that their conversation was such as became the Gospell of Christ Hence then I obserue a third speciall part and marke of such a conuersation as becommeth the Gospell of Christ which is christian courage against the aduersaries of the truth and of the professors thereof If in nothing we feare the aduersaries of the Church and of the truth but take a good courage against the Dragon and his Angels this is a good note of such a conuersation as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Whereunto the Holy Ghost seemeth to giue so many testimonies as he doth often disswade all feare of whatsoeuer and whomsoeuer exalt themselues against God Feare yee not them saith our blessed Sauiour Mat. 10.28 which kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell Mat. 10.28 In which place our blessed Sauiour putteth the very extremitie of that which any aduersarie can doe against vs. For what can any cruell tyrant or bloudy persecutor doe more then kill the bodie Nebuchadnezzars rage and furie against those three seruants of the Lord Shadrach Mesech and Abednego can no more but take hold of their bodies and cast them into an hote fiery furnace And the Deuill himselfe when he would wrecke his malice vpon Iob Job 1. 2. what could he doe more then touch him in his goods and in his bodie Assault the soule the Deuill may by many tentations and poyson the soule Heretiques may by their damnable heresies but none of them all can kill the soule neither can any of them all preuaile farther either against the soule to infect or defile it by heresies or other pollutions or against the bodie to kill or to afflict it then they haue power from God The Iewes in their rage may stone Steuen to death Act. 7.59 but though Nebuchadnezzar in his rage command the furnace to be hot seauen times hotter then it was wont Dan. 3.19.21.27 and cast Shadrach Meshech and Abednego into the middest of it yet not one haire of their heads shall be burnt nor their coates singed nor any smel of fire come vpon them And why but because the Lord giueth power ouer the one and not ouer the other The very extremitie then which any aduersarie can doe against vs is to kill the bodie and that if the Lord giue leaue they may doe yet saith the Lord feare them not seeing they can doe no more feare them not Yea but they are many and we but few how should we but feare them Nay though they be many and wee but few Luc. 12.32 how should we feare them seeing our great Captaine Christ Iesus hath said vnto vs Feare not little flocke Wherein he implieth that the aduersaries are many and wee but few yet saith he little flocke feare not And shall hee bid vs not feare and shall we feare Elisha we read feared not the King of Syria 2 Reg. 6.16 nor all his horses and charets nor his mighty hoste because he knew that they that were with him were mâ—e then they that were against him Be we nener so few we are to take vnto vs that weapon of faith whereof we spake before and to beleeue that God is with vs and then we are not to feare but with good courage and comfort to say If God be with vs who can be against vs Rom. 8.31 for surely if he be with vs none shall be able to preuaile against vs. Yea but they are mighty powerfull and strong Yea but God that dwelleth on high is mightier and be the aduersaries that oppose themselues against vs tyrants or heretiques or spirituall wickednesses which are in the high places his power is enough to â—quell them and to turne all that they can doe against vs to the furtherance of his Gospell and to our saluation And why are they mightier and stronger then we Is it because they are moe then we One God and Sauiour of vs all Christ Iesus enow for them all If he goe forth with our armies nay if he goe forth with vs alone with thee or with me hell gates shall not be able to preuaile against vs. What then Are wee desperately to runne vpon their pikes and to put our selues in danger or securely to walke and onely contemne them No these are extremities on the other side and either to runne our selues into danger when we neede not or to wish assaults by Satan grapling with heretiques persecution by tyrants or on the other side to sleepe the matter when such aduersaries lay their batteries against vs what else is it but to tempt the Lord by willfulnes and securitie We are to feare them so that we auoide them and runne not our selues into the danger of them when we neede not and we are so to feare them that we take heede that we be not circumvented by them For our blessed Sauiour himselfe so feared that hee runne not himselfe into the danger either of any other aduersarie or of the Deuill when he was tempted but was led aside by the spirit into the wildernes to be tempted of the Deuill Mat. 4.1 and so he feared that he tooke heede of being circumvented either by any other aduersarie or by the Deuill and therefore returned vpon his false allegations of scriptum est true allegations
shall also raigne with Christ That persecution then causeth perdition to the aduersaries and saluation vnto vs it is of God who in iustice rendreth vnto them as they haue deserued and for his promise sake rendreth vnto vs as he hath promised For this yee must here note and vnderstand that persecutions afflictions sufferings and wrongs by aduersaries are in themselues and in their owne nature punishments of sinne as is also death and hereby God in iustice might punish our sinnes and our iniquities for if hee should bring vpon vs the bloudy persecutions of such Tyrants as were Nero Domitian and the rest of those cruell persecutors in the Primitiue Church he might thus plague vs for our offences and himselfe be iust in all his wayes and holy in all his workes But vnto vs his beloued ones and his redeemed these things are not that which in themselues and in their owne nature they are and which in Gods iustice they might be vnto vs euen punishments of our sinnes but onely fatherly corrections and louing chastisements whereby in mercy God exerciseth vs represseth sinne in vs and bowlteth the branne of corruption out of vs here in the body of this flesh And as vnto vs in mercy death is made of God not that which in it owne nature it is a punishment of sinne but an entrance and passage vnto life so in mercy hath hee promised that afflictions persecutions and the like shall be vnto vs not that which in their owne nature are the beginnings of greater miseries but fore-runners of our saluation in the day of Christ Iesus It is not then of the nature of suffering persecution yee see but it is of God that persecution betokeneth vnto vs saluation that saluation is recompenced vnto vs which are troubled He in mercy hath promised that so it shall be and therefore so it shall be and it is a righteous thing with him that it be so The vse which our Apostle here teacheth vs to make hereof is as of the former not to feare persecution by the aduersaries which oppose themselues against the truth and against vs for the truths sake for seeing God turneth their persecution and rage against vs to their perdition and to our saluation why should wee feare them Whatsoeuer therefore they practise against vs let vs rest and repose our selues in our God He shall stretch out his hand vpon the furiousnes of our enemies but his right hand shall saue vs he shall recompense the aduersaries their wickednes and destroy them in their owne malice but hee shall wipe all teares from our eyes and after wee haue drunke of the brooke in the way lift vp our head aboue all our aduersaries Againe is it of God that persecution causeth vnto vs saluation This then may farther teach vs that by suffering persecution we doe not merit saluation For if it be of merit that our sufferings bring saluation vnto vs then it is not of God but the cause is in our selues and if it be of God then is it not of merit nor is the cause of our saluation in our selues Not according to the workes which we doe or sufferings which we suffer but according to his mercy he saueth vs for neither haue we wherein to reioyce by works nor are any sufferings of this present time worthy of that glory which shall be shewed vnto vs nor is there any other name vnder heauen whereby we may be saued but onely by the name of Christ Iesus He that reioyceth therefore let him reioyce in the Lord of whom it is that our persecutions and sufferings worke vnto our saluation And let this bee spoken of this third motiue or reason whereby yee see that we are not to feare the aduersaries because God recompenseth their persecution vnto them with perditiâ—n and vnto vs with saluation It followeth For vnto you it is giuen c. These words are both a proofe of that which went immediatly before and a fourth motiue likewise to perswade the Apostles former intendment Immediatly before he had said that God in persecution gaue them a token of their saluation The proofe here is Vnto you it is giuen of God by grace to suffer for Christ his sake therefore in suffering God giueth you a token of your saluation or thus sufferings for Christ are testimonies of grace vnto you of God therefore they are arguments and tokens of saluation vnto you of God And as thus these words serue for proofe of that so are they a notable motiue to perswade the Philippians not to feare the aduersaries for thus out of the Apostles words I frame the motiue Who will be afraid of a singular gift of God but to suffer for Christ his sake is a singular gift of God to you therefore yee are not to feare persecution by the aduersaries And that to suffer for Christ his sake is a gift of God hee sheweth à pari from the like as to beleeue in Christ is the gift of God so to suffer for Christ both gifts of God and vnto whom the one is giuen the other may not seeme strange For vnto you it is giuen to wit by grace for so the word signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for â—hrist that is in Christ his cause not only that yee should beleeue in him as others professe they doe but also to suffer for his sake which many others shrinke to doe Euen both these faith in Christ and persecution for Christ his sake are the gift and grace of God towards you Here then first I note that the Apostle saith it was giuen by grace vnto the Philippians to beleeue in Christ Whence I obserue that faith in Christ is the gift of God by grace Which also Christ himselfe teacheth vs where he saith No man can come vnto me except it be giuen him of my Father Joh. 6.65 Whereby hee meaneth that no man can come vnto him that is can beleeue in him and his Gospell except it be giuen him of his Father For so by comming vnto him diuers times in that chapter is meant beleeuing in him aâ— when it is said He that commeth vnto me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me which expoundeth the former 35. shall neuer thirst and againe Him that commeth vnto me I cast not away which is all one with that 37. He that beleeueth in me shall not perish So that it is cleare that when our Sauiour saith that no man can come vnto him except it be giuen him of the Father the meaning is that no man can beleeue in Christ except it be giuen him of God And to the Hebrues Christ Iesus is called the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 And wherefore was it that when Christ preached and when his Apostles and Disciples preached some beleeued and others beleeued not but because vnto some he gaue grace to beleeue and not vnto others For only they vnto whom it is giuen of God to beleeue doe
Sauiour in such like paine crie in the bitternes of his soule my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Nay my brethren that which made Christ to be heauie would haue crusht his Apostles in pieces that which made him sweat bloud in the garden would haue sunke them into hell that which made him crie would haue held both men Angels vnder euerlasting woe and lamentation Besides his bodily death therefore and the paines that followed thereupon hee felt in his soule most grieuous paines through the wrath of God which was vpon him for our sins And thus ye see what death he suffered for our sakes when he was made obedient to the death The fruites and benefits which wee receiue by Christ his death are these 1. By his death we are freed from that death which is both of body and soule haue the victory ouer that death which is the reward of sinne as witnesseth the Apostle For our Sauiour by his death hath pulled out the sting of death Heb. 2.14 Rom. 8.1 and on the crosse hath triumphantly said O death where is thy sting ô graue where is thy victorie and therefore when we feele the pangs of death approach wee should not feare but be full of hope considering that our death is now changed by the vertue of Christ his death and is the entrance into an euerlasting â—ife 2. By Christ his death we haue remission and forgiuenesse of our sinnes as saith our Sauiour himselfe where in the institution of his supper Math. 16.28 this my bloud which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes For the remembrance of which his blessed death and fruits of his passion he hath ordained this holy Sacrament of his supper to be continued in his Church for euer In which holy supper the death and passion of our Sauiour is so liuely represented vnto vs a if we had seene it with our eies the bread betokening the body the wine the bloud of our Sauiour Christ the breaking likewise of the bread signifying the breaking of his body with those vnspeakable torments which he suffered and the pouring out of the wine the shedding of his most precious bloud when his blessed side was gored with the speare of a souldier our eating of the bread and drinking of the wine assuring vs of our incorporation into Christ to be made partakers of all the benefits of his passion When ye come therefore to this holy Supper remember that ye are called hither to continue the remembrance of his blessed death and passion vntill his blessed comming againe Repent you earnestly of your manifold sinnes for the remission whereof Christ shed his owne hearts bloud Loue one an other euen as he hath loued vs who laid downe his life for vs. And haue faith in Christ Iesus whom God hath set foorth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud By faith in Christ Iesus we receiue remission of our sinnes and all other benefits of his death and passion By loue of our brethren we testifie our loue of God who sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes And with the contrition and sorrow of our hearts for our sinnes the Lord is better pleased then with all burnt offerings and sacrifices These are the things which the Lord requireth of vs euen faith repentance and loue and as at all times so at this time especially when we come to the receiuing of these holy mysteries let vs thinke of these things He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation crucifying againe vnto himselfe the Lord of glory and King of our peace But hee that examineth himselfe and so eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cuppe is made one with Christ and Christ with him and Christ shall raise him vp at the last day so that he shall neuer see death because he belieueth in him who died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification It followeth Euen the death of the crosse The most shamefull death that they could put him vnto Here then is the fourth and last point which I noted in these words which is the kinde of his death whereunto he submitted himselfe The kinde of his death was he was crucified betweene two Theeues where he was mocked of all sorts of men where in feeling of the whole wrath of God vpon him he cried out my God my God why hast thou fâ—â—saken mee where hauing performed all things that were written he said it is finished and so commended his spirit into the hands of his Father Whence 1. we may learne with bitternesse to bewaile our sinnes for which Christ was thus cruelly nailed on the crosse and there suffered the whole wrath of God 2. To crucifie our flesh and the corruption of our nature and the wickednesse of our hearts Gal. 3.24 For they that are Christs crucifie the flesh with the affections and the lusts 3. It may teach vs that when wee suffer any iudgement crosse or calamity in body or in minde wee doe not suffer them as any curses of God but as the chasticements of a louing father For Christ Iesus in his crosse being accursed for vs hath deliuered vs from all curse Beloued let vs thinke of these things mourning for our sinnes mortifying the deedes of the flesh and comforting our selues in the crosse of Christ Iesus who abased himselfe for vs fulfilled the whole law for vs died for our sinnes and was nailed to the crosse for our iniquities O Lord teach vs to humble our selues both before thee and one vnto another teach vs to doe thy will teach vs to die vnto sinne that we may liue vnto thee and daily more and more crucifie the old man in vs that being renued in the spirit of our mindes we may henceforth serue thee in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life LECTVRE XXIX PHILIP 2. Verse 9.10 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him and giuen him a name aboue euery name that at the name of Iesus c. IT remaineth now that we proceed from the description of Christ his humility vnto the description of his exaltation into glorie after his humiliation here on earth set downe in these words Wherefore God hath also c. In which words the Apostle 1. in generall setteth downe Christ his exaltation into glory as a consequent or effect following his humiliation and obedience vnto the death when he saith Wherefore â—od hath also c. Him euen Iesus who was crucified him â—ath God raised vnto life set him at his right hand and made â—im both Lord and Christ 2. The Apostle setteth downe a â—ore particular specification and explication of Christ his exâ—â—tation into glorie 1. when he saith and giuen him a name c. Whereby is meant that God hauing raised him from the â—ead hath giuen him such maiestie and glorie in the heauenly â—aces that he hath appointed him Lord ouer all things and â—ade him head vnto the Church
blessed Apostle Paul who hath registred such a dangerous fight in himseâ—fe betweene the flesh and the spirit that it made him cry out O wretched man that I am Rom 7.24 who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death And yet because in his inner man and in his spirit he delighted in the law of God he addeth immediatly in the next words following 25. I thanke my God through Iesus Christ our Lord to shew that in the strife the flesh tooke the foyle he by the power of his Lord Christ did stand The assaults of the flesh made him to cry O wretched man c. and the conquest of the spirit made him to adde I thanke God c. Such a strife fight the blessed Apostle had in himselfe and such a strife fight all the children of God haue within themselues this striuing in them is a witnes vnto them that they are the sonnes of God For to turne a litle aside vnto the sonnes of Belial children of disobedience what strife or fight at all is there in them betwixt the flesh and the spirit what denying of vngodlines and worldly lusts what care to subdue the flesh vnto the spirit what flying of the corruptions which are in the world through lusts what loue of God or good men what desire to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world is in them at all Nay contrariwise they delight in vnrighteousnes sell themselues to worke wickednes they commit sin euen with greedines gladly giue their members seruants to vncleannes and to iniquitie to commit iniquitie they hate to be reformed and cast the word behind their backs they refuse to hearken to instruction and stop their eares at the voice of the charmer charme he neuer so wisely And therefore the Apostles calleth them a naughty and crooked nation because they quite peruert the straight waies of the Lord giuing their members as weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sin which should be giuen as weapons of righteousnes vnto God So farre they from striuing against sin and from a desire to walke holy without blame Onely they that are the sonnes of God feele this strife and this desire within themselues and this very strife against sin and desire to walke after the spirit without blame in loue shewes plainely that we are the sons of God Thus then yee see what should be our studie in the whole course of our life to wit as that we may be blamelesse that we may be pure so that we may be knowne to be the sonnes of God euen vnto those amongst whom we liue Ye see likewise how this may be known not vnto others only but vnto our selues both vnto our selues others euen by the spirit of sanctification Rom. 8 16. which both witnesseth vnto our spirits that we are the sonnes of God and which by the fruits and effects which it worketh in vs sheweth asmuch vnto others And howsoeuer our sanctification here in this life be vnperfit yet yee see that our very striuing against sinne and our desire to be holy and without rebuke plainely doth and may shew both vnto our selues and vnto others that we are the sonnes of God Comfort then thy selfe ô thou afflicted soule whosoeuer thou art that so gronest vnder the burthen of thy sinnes that thou wantest this sweet comfort of thy soule For tell me doest thou feele in thy selfe a striuing against sinne art thou touched with remorse and compunction of heart for thy sinnes doest thou desire to lead a life according to Gods will and hast thou a longing after this comfort that thou art the childe of God Whatsoeuer be thine infirmities how crimson-died so euer thy sinnes be whatsoeuer doubts else thou callest yet doubt not thou art the sonne of God and vnto thee belongeth the inheritance of the sonnes of God For it is the spirit euen the spirit of sanctification that filleth thy heart with good desires with desire to flie that which is euill Phil. 1.6 and with desire to doe that which is good and be that hath begun this good worke in thee will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ when thou shalt be crowned with glory and immortalitie in the highest heauens As for the wicked and vngodly of the earth which wallow in their wickednesse and make a mocke of piety and religion which haue not God in all their thoughts nor make mention of his name with their lips vnlesse it be to blaspheme and dishonor his holy name they haue no part in this comfort this reioycing in the spirit belongeth not vnto them But for vs beloued let vs labour and striue to haue this comfort sealed vnto our soules that we are the sonnes of God by our striuing against sinne and our carefull endeuour to walke without rebuke Yea let vs so looke vnto our steps and take heede vnto our waies let vs so decline the pleasures of sinne and delight our selues in the law of the Lord that men seeing the mortification of our earthly members and the integritie of our conuersation may haue nothing concerning vs to speake euill of but may say that God is in you indeede and so may glorifie him in the day of visitation Yea but yee will say againe vnto me how can we thus liue Is it not a naughty and crooked nation a froward and wicked people with whom we liue Can a man touch pitch and not be defiled therewith or walke amongst thornes and not be pricked therewith True wee liue amongst wicked men whose hearts are set on mischiefe euen as the Apostle here saith that the Philippians liued in the middest of a naughty and crooked nation Yet the Apostle yee see writeth vnto them to walke so both before God and with their neighbour that they might be blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middest of a naughty and crooked nation Which teacheth vs thus much that howsoeuer the whole wolrd lieth in wickednes as the Apostle speaketh 1 Ioh. 5.19 yet may we liue in the world and amongst the enemies of the light as children of the light and as the sonnes of God shewing our selues to be so euen vnto them by walking with all care to be without rebuke amongst them Otherwise no doubt the Apostle would haue bid them to get out from amongst that naughty and crooked people that so being separated from them they might not be defiled with their vncleane conuersation whereas now he warneth them so to order their steps that they may be knowne to be the sonnes of God by walking with all carefulnes to be without rebuke in the middest of a naught crooked nation There is great danger indeed that we shall be defiled with pitch if we touch it that we shall be pricked with thornes if we walke in the middest of thornes Proofes hereof there are too too many in all places Ioseph being caught in the waies of
God submit themselues vnto his will who will dislodge them when it seemeth best to his godly wisdome and in the meane time let them this know and therein comfort themselues that howsoeuer their fight bee long and great yet that the Lord hath so done with their enemies as Iudah dealt with Adonibezek Judg. 1.6 euen cut off the thumbes of their hands and feet that is so abated their power and broken their strength that though they continually assault them yet can they neuer preuaile against them This therefore I doe not say as if I liked that any should desire to die before his time appointed of the Lord come but rather to lesson vs in this that when our glasse is runne and our time appointed of the Lord come we should not then be vnwilling to lay downe our liues but rather bee then glad and reioyce that our warfare is at an end and that wee shall be ioyned with our head Christ Iesus A man would thinke wee should greatly desire to be deliuered from these miseries whereunto this life is subiect rather to triumph ouer our enemies then to liue still at the staues end with them rather to raigne with Christ in the valley of blessing where there is peace and ioy and life for euermore then to fight vnder Christ in the valley of teares where hee shall beare away many strokes though not any deadly wounds because his life is hid with Christ in God What then should bee the cause why wee should not most willingly lay downe our liues in the time of death Surely in my iudgement it is because in the time of our health wee minde too much earthly things and set our affections too little on the things that are aboue For if in the time of our health our conuersation were in heauen as it should bee wee would most patiently and willingly looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie and when death approched we would cry with the Apostle Come Lord Iesus come quickly To conclude this point therefore when our time appointed of the Lord comes let vs willingly lay downe our liues and let vs be glad and reioyce that our warfare is at an end And to the end that in the time of death we may do so let our conuersation in the meane time in the time of health be in heauen let vs set our affections on the things that are aboue and not on the things which are on the earth For he longed after all you c. In these words the Apostle setteth downe the cause why he now presently sent Epaphroditus vnto the Philippians and did not stay him till either Timothie or himselfe should come vnto them The cause was as appeareth by the Apostle because Epaphroditus greatly longed it is not said after his owne people and them of his owne familie but because he longed after the Church at Philippi neither so onely but after all the Church at Philippi neither did he onely long after them all but so he longed that he was full of heauinesse till he might come vnto them And why did he so long after them that he was full of heauinesse till he might come vnto them The Apostle saith because the Philippians had heard of his sicknesse Epaphroditus then longed after all the Church at Philippi and was full of heauinesse till he might come vnto them and therefore the Apostle sent him presently vnto them and againe Epaphroditus knew that the Philippians had heard of his sicknes and therefore he longed after them all and was full of heauinesse till he might come vnto them To knit vp then both the causes in one and to gather the summe of all the cause why the Apostle sent Epaphroditus now presently vnto them was because Epaphroditus hauing heard that the Philippians knew of his sicknesse longed greatly after them all and was full of heauinesse till he might come vnto them and comfort them ouer his sicknesse lest they should be swallowed vp of too much griefe for both Pauls bands and his sicknes Here then I note what mutuall loue and affection there should be betweene the Pastor and his people euen the like that was betweene Epaphroditus and his people of Philippi The Pastor his sicknes or sorrow whatsoeuer should be the peoples sorrow and heauinesse of heart and againe the peoples trouble of minde or affliction of bodie should be the Pastors anguish of soule and vexation of spirit So it was betweene Epaphroditus and his Church at Philippi as here we see and so it was betweene Paul and all the Churches at least on his part as himselfe witnesseth saying that such was his care of all the Churches 2 Cor. 11.29 that if any were weake he was also weake and if any were offended he also burned And I wish I could truely instance in the like affection betweene many Pastors and their people in this our day But such examples are not euery where with vs nay in too many places with vs the Pastor cares not if he may haue their fleece though hee neuer see or heare of his people and flocke and againe in too many places the people care not if they may haue their forth in their owne delights and desires though they neuer see or heare of their Pastor Yea so farre are they from this sympathie and mutuall loue and affection one towards another that so the one may haue his profit and the other their pleasure they are not much touched without any further respect either of other Well it should not be so but the ioy of the one should be the ioy of the other and the griefe of the one should be the griefe of the other Now here happily it may be demanded why either Epaphroditus or the Philippians should be so full of heauinesse and take the matter so much to heart seeing his sicknes which was the cause of all this heauinesse came vnto him by the will of God and his gracious prouidence Whereunto in one word I answer that this mutuall heauinesse one for another was onely an argument of their mutuall loue one of another not any argument of their ignorance or doubt of Gods prouidence in his sicknesse Our Sauiour Christ as we read groned in the spirit and was troubled in himselfe Joh. 11.33 and wept for the death of Lazarus This shewed his great loue of Lazarus as the Iewes very well gathered saying behold how he loued him 36. but will any man gather hence that he knew not or doubted of Gods prouidence in his death Nay himselfe plainely said in the beginning of that chapter that that sicknes was not vnto death but for the glory of God that the sonne of God might be glorified thereby So that albeit he knew that his death was by Gods prouidence God so prouiding that his Sonne might thereby be glorified yet such was his loue towards him that
better vpon vs that wee subdue not the flesh vnto the spirit that we serue sinne and giue not our members seruants vnto righteousnesse in holinesse it is a plaine argument of the want of faith in vs. And therefore our Sauiour made it an argument against Iudas that hee beleeued not because he would betray him Ioh. 6.64 But there are some of you saith our Sauiour that beleeue not For saith the Euangelist Iesus knew from the beginning who they were that beleeued not and who should betray him Where the argument is that Iudas had a traiterous heart therefore he beleeued not In like manner let vs make the argument against our selues Our hearts are sett on mischiefe we drinke iniquitie like water wee die not vnto sinne but wee suffer sinne to raigne in our mortall bodies wee liue not vnto God in righteousnesse but wee giue our members seruants vnto vnrighteousnesse wee feele no vertue at all of Christ his death or resurrection in our selues therefore we beleeue not The conclusion is hard but if it bee altered the premisses must be altered Let vs cease to doe euill and learne to doe well let vs die vnto sinne and liue vnto God let vs mortifie our earthly members and be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse and then shall wee haue a good testimonie vnto our selues of our righteousnesse by faith In a word iustification which is by faith and regeneration which is by the spirit killing our old man and quickening our new man are so linked the one with the other as that they are affirmed and denied both together For if we be iustified by faith then are we regenerate by the spirit and if wee be regenerate by the spirit then are we iustified by faith And againe vnlesse wee be iustified by faith wee are not regenerate by the spirit and vnlesse we be regenerated by the spirit we are not iustified by faith As therefore we desire to haue our iustification by faith sealed vnto our soules so let vs desire to know and to feele in our selues the vertue of Christ his death and resurrection by dying vnto sinne and liuing vnto God in righteousnesse and true holines It followeth And the fellowshippe of his afflictions c. This is the next vantage which the Apostle reckons vpon by renouncing all his owne workes as losse and dung and reioycing onely in Christ Iesus the knowledge in himselfe of Christ his afflictions euen such as he did suffer in the daies of his flesh and such as he doth daily suffer in his members And the reason he addeth why he would know in himselfe the fellowship of Christ his afflictions namely so to be made conformable vnto Christ his death It is then as if the Apostle should haue said I make no reckoning of mine owne righteousnesse by workes but my desire is that being iustified by the righteousnesse of Christ through faith in such afflictions as Christ suffered in his owne person for the glory of God and the good of his Church and such as still hee suffereth in his members for his owne glory the good of his Church I may haue fellowship and bee partakers with them because I desire to be made comformable vnto Christ his death i. like vnto Christ who is dead and through many afflictions is entred into his kingdome What then did the Apostle desire outward afflictions in his body yea hee counted it a great vantage to suffer afflictions such as Christ had suffred in his own person and such as hee did suffer in his members for the glory of Christ and the good of his Church Hence then I obserue that affliction and trouble for Christ his sake and the good of his Church should not seeme grieuous vnto God his children but rather they should count it a vantage vnto them to be afflicted for his sake Thus the holy Ghost almost euery where teacheth vs. Mat. 5.12 Reioyce saith our Sauiour and be glad when men reuile you and persecute you and speake all manner of euill sayings against you for my sake falsly And the Apostle Iames Iam. 1.2 Count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into tentations i. afflictions and tribulations whereby ye are tempted And the Apostle Peter Thinke it not strange concerning the fiery triall 1 Pet. 4.13 which is among you to proue you but reioyce inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ his sufferings c. And lest the holy Ghost should seeme without all reason to will vs to reioyce in afflictions and to count them vantage vnto vs hee hath set doâ—ne many reasons why afflictions should not daunt vs or seeme grieuous but rather ioyous vnto vs. As 1. affliction hath been alwaies the lot of Gods children It beganne we see euen with Abell Gen. 4 8. whom his brother Caine slew Iacob and Ioseph the children of Israell Dauid Iob the Prophets the Apostles of Christ what afflictions suffered they Reioyce saith our Sauiour when they persecute you for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you yea such persecutions and afflictionâ— both Patriarches and Prophets and Apostles and all the holy men of God haue suffered 2. Afflictions are profitable instruments which God vseth thereby to draw vs to the obedience of his will Hos 5.15 For so saith the Lord by his Prophet In their affliction they will seeke mee diligently Ier. 31.18 So saith Ieremy that before the Lord corrected and chastised him by afflictions he was aâ— vntamed calfe Ps 119.67 71. And Dauid before I was afflicted I went wrong but now I keepe thy word And againe it is good for mee that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes 3. Afflictions are a token of Gods loue and fauour towards vs. For as the Apostle saith Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth Sometimes we wander astray out of the right way wherein we should walke and then as a good shepheard he sends his dog after vs to pinch vs and to ranke vs in our right order againe 4. Afflictions make wâ— like vnto Christ as both the Apostle sheweth here and in the Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 8.29 for as Esay had prophecied of him so he was full of sorowes he wanted no sorowes but he was full of sorowes 5. The afflictions of Gods children they are Christ his afflictions whereinsoeuer they suffer hee suffereth â—th them And therefore when Saul persecuted them that â—lled vpon his name he called vnto him from heauen sayâ—ng Saul Saul why persecutest thou me because he persecuted â—is children he counted that he persecuted him 6. It pleaseth â—he Lord through afflictions to bring his children vnto the â—ingdome For it is ordained that through many afflictions â—e should enter the kingdome No chastising Heb. 12.11 saith the Apoâ—tle for the present seemeth to be ioyous but grieuous but afterward 〈◊〉 bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse vnto them which are â—ereby
vantage vnto him 1. Because in afflictions he had fellowshippe with Christ 2. Because by afflictions he was made like vnto Christ Whence I gather these two obseruâ—tions 1. That in afflictions we haue fellowshippe with Christ 2. That afflictions make vs like vnto Christ For the first that in our afflictions we haue fellowship â—ith Christ it is plaine both because he suffered the like afflictions before vs and because in all our afflictions he suffereth with vs. For what affliction is it that we suffer Is it pouertie persecution hunger agonie in soule punishment in body Are we reuiled slandered mocked tempted by the Deuill Doth the wicked band themselues against vs vniustly accuse vs vniustly condemne vs vniustly put vs to death Are they of thine houshold thine enemies doe they that eate bread at table with thee lift vp their heeles against thee and betray thee into the hands of the wicked and vngodly All this way our Sauiour Christ hath walked before vs he hath drunke of all these cuppes and hath seasoned them vnto vs. Neither did he onely suffer these and the like afflictions before vs but as the head with the members still hee suffereth these and the like afflictions with vs. How many how great how aboue measure were Pauls troubles by sea by land of friends of enemies in body in spirit yet calleth he them all the afflictions of Christ because in them all Christ suffered with him Lazarus likewise in all his pouertie sicknesse sores griefes and miseries suffered nothing wherein Christ was not partaker of his griefe And if all the paines and miseries of that patient Iob were now vpon any of vs we should feele nothing which Christ felt not with vs. For can any member of the body suffer and not the head suffer with it Nay so long as this mysterie is which is for euer that Christ is the head and we the body so long if the body or any member of the body be hurt shall Christ which is the head be touched with the point of it O what a great comfort must this needes be vnto all the children of God here is a notable seasoning of all our afflictions If we be poore sicke persecuted imprisoned banished whipped c. in euery crosse that we beare the loue of Christ is sealed vnto vs in euery suffering that we suffer Christ suffereth with vs. As therefore the Apostle exhorteth Let vs reioyce in all our sufferings 1 Pet. 4.13 inasmuch as we are partakers of Chrâ—â—â— his sufferings 2 Cor. 4.10 For as Paul saith If we suffer with Christ we shall also raigne with Christ and if we beare about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Iesus the life also of Iesus shall be made manifest in our mortall bodies My 2. obseruation was that afflictions doe make vs like vnto Christ He was consecrated the Prince of our saluation through afflictions For taking our nature vpon him he filled it with the fulnesse of miseries with all sorowes of flesh with all anguish of minde with persecution with death with sin with condemnation Rom. 8.29 with hell And those whom God hath foreknowne he hath also predestinate to be made like vnto the image of his sonne like vnto him in many afflictions that at the last they may be like vnto him in eternall glory Do sorowes then come thicke vpon vs the moe the better because the moethe liker vnto Christ who was full of sorowes as Esay had prophecied of him Doe we in agonies and bitternesse of sorowes descend into hell Christ hath also descended and herein we are like vnto him If God haue giuen vnto vs pouerty cold nakednesse and much affliction if we feele many troubles to rest vpon vs if we feele that greatest trouble of an affrighted soule and a minde oppressed let vs thinke with our selues how good is God vnto vs thus to make the image of his onely begotten sonne to shine in vs that wee carying his image in vs may die with him and also reigne with him in the due time which he hath appointed Let vs looke into all that euer we haue euen into what thing soeuer pleaseth vs best â—to our goods lands possessions buildings riches honour â—ealth fauour authoritie friendship wife children and the â—ke in all these things we cannot behold the liuely image of Christ nor by any of these things are we made like vnto Christ Affliction and troubles humiliations and crosses â—hese are the things that make vs like vnto CHRIST and â—he greater that our afflictions are the liker wee are vnto Christ Let this then teach vs with patience to beare whatsoeuer â—rosse doe befall vs. We are full of griefe but we are chastiâ—ed of the Lord because we should not be condemned with â—he world we die with Christ but because we should liue with him we suffer with Christ but because we should reigne with him we weepe with Christ but because that Christ should wipe all teares from our eyes we are afflicted on eueâ—y side with Christ but because we should be like vnto him in all afflictions and so be glorified with him in the day of glory Let vs therefore runne with patience the race that is set before 〈◊〉 looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for â—heâ—y that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Let vs approue our selues in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons in tumults in labors and let vs commit our soules vnto God in well-doing as vnto a faithfull Creator Yea let vs reioyce in afflictions inasmuch as they are a vantage vnto vs inasmuch as in our afflictions we haue fellowship with Christ inasmuch as afflictions make vs like vnto Christ Now if the question be asked whether seeing afflictions are such a vantage vnto vs as that therein we haue fellowship with Christ and thereby we are made like vnto Christ whether I say we are to wish and desire afflictions and crosses I answer that we are to wish them if by that meanes we may attaine vnto the resurrection of the dead For we are to wish and we are to iudge all things without Christ to be but dung that we may attaine vnto the resurrection of the dead If therefore by the meanes of affliction or by any meanes we may attaine vnto the resurrection of the dead we are to wâ—â— that meanes whatsoeuer it be We are not therefore simply to wish for afflictions and crosses being corrections and chastisements for our sinnes but if the will of God be so that wâ— suffer afflictions we are to reioyce inasmuch as we are partaker of Christ his sufferings thereby made like vnto Christ and we are to wish if by that or any meanes we may attaine vnto the resurrection of the dead When therefore the Apostle saith here if by any meanes this if implieth not any doubting in
of the Lord yet haue I often turned out of the way of his commandements though I haue affected the things which are aboue yet haue mine affections beene too much diuided betweene the things which are aboue and the things which are on earth Well let not thy soule be troubled nor feare Doest thou see and know and acknowledge thus much Dauid saith that he confessed his sinne vnto the Lord Psal 32.5 and so he forgaue the punishment of his sinne Feare not then but that he who hath opened thine eyes to see and thy heart to acknowledge thy weaknesse and imperfection will pardon this weaknesse and imperfection whatsoeuer it is Againe feelest thou some seedes some beginnings of these things in thee Who is it that hath sowen and begun these things in thee Euen that God that hath said I will not faile thee nor forsake thee and therefore will performe that good worke which hee hath begun in thee vntill the day of Iesus Christ and will cause those holy seedes to bring forth their fruit in due season Yea comfort thy selfe herein if it be with thee as thou sayest that thy conuersation hath beene in heauen For art thou sorrie that thou hast more minded earthly things then thou shouldest that tentations haue so nighly surprised thee that thou hast so often turned aside from the law of thy God that â—hine heart and affections of thy soule haue beene more diuided twixt heauen and earth then they should And doest thou deâ—iâ—e in thy soule daily more and more to be weyned from â—â—â—nding earthly things to be strengthned against tentations â—o be conformed in thy will vnto Gods will and to walke with â—hy God with a perfect heart This also is a sure token that â—hy conuersation is in heauen for where the perfection of that which should be is wanting there an holy desire and affection vnto that which should be is accepted If therefore in searching out thy heart and thy reines for the triall of these points thou finde it to be with thee as thou sayest thou hast great cause of comfort and ioy in the spirit But if in triall it appeare that as thou hast liued in the flesh so thou hast walked after the flesh neglecting the Law of God yeelding thy selfe captiue vnto the law of sinne setting thine affections on the things which are on earth and neuer minding the things which are aboue then surely thou art a stranger from the life of God and the way that thou walkest leadeth vnto hell Looke therefore well vnto it and let euery man haue that care of his wayes that howsoeuer hee liue here in the body yet in minde and affection he may haue his conuersation in heauen And to this end weyne your selues daily more and more from the loue care of these earthly things He that weepeth through aduersitie 1 Cor. 7.30 let him be as though hee wept not he that reioyceth through prosperitie let him be as though hee reioyced not hee that buyeth as though he possessed not hee that vseth this world as though he vsed it not 31. for the fashion of this world goeth away and all things in the earth are but meere vanitie Take vnto your selues the whole armour of God wrestle harder and harder daily against all tentations and assaults of the Deuill fight a good fight stand fast quit your selues like men resist the Deuill and hee will flie from you Conforme your wils daily more and more vnto Gods will yeeld your selues daily more and more to bee gouerned by his lawes order your steps so heere in his waies as hauing right into that City whereof also ye shall haue possession And though yee liue heere in the flesh yet ascend in heart in minde and in soule into heauen let your thoughts and desires and affectâ—ons bee setled there your faith your hope and your louâ— let them bee rooted and grounded there And then amongâ—â— other benefits this shall not be the least that death shall noâ— come hastily vpon you yea yee shall chearefully thinke vpoâ— death death shall be vnto you an aduantage and when thâ— will of God is yee shall desire to bee loosed and to bee witâ— Christ to remoue out of the body and to dwell with thâ— Lord. For what is the cause why wee so feare death why weâ— are so loth to die Here it is because in the dayes of our flesh we haue not had our conuersation in heauen Our mindeâ— were set vpon earthly things and therefore we are loth to parâ— with them We neuer fought against any tentation nay thâ— strong man possessed vs in such peace that wee neuer knew what tentation meant and therefore wee know not where to liue better then here We regarded not to submit our selues to the lawes of God to be gouerned by them and therefore wee shrinke at death for feare of a iudgement We neuer ascended into heauen in our hearts or soules wee neuer raised our thoughts our desires or our affections so high wee neuer tasted in our selues any sparkle of those ioyes which are prepared to be shewed in the last time and therefore wee long not after heauen but we rather loue to liue here on earth These are the things I say that make vs shrinke at death and loth to die Let vs then hearken vnto these words of exhortation and let vs haue our conuersation in heauen If we shall then shall death be welcome vnto vs and wee shall accept it as the end of our pilgrimage and as the way to our abiding Citie Ierusalem which is aboue and vnto Christ which is our life For the more we ascend while we are in the body in our soules and spirits in our meditations and desires in faith and hope into heauen the more will wee desire to remoue out of the body that we may for euer dwell with the Lord and therefore we will the more cheerefully open vnto death when hee knockes at our doores I heare that the example of this our sister may be a good prouocation to stirre you vp vnto these things for they that were with her giue her this testimonie that in this time when the Lord had laid his hand vpon her she quickly set apart all minde of earthly things patiently â—â—bmitted her selfe vnto the will of the Lord willingly set her â—ections on the things which are aboue and desired nothing more then to heare and thinke of her Lord and God her Saâ—iour and Redeemer I beseech almightie God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that both her exampâ—e and the words â—hich ye haue heard this day with your outward eares may so preuaâ—le with you that in this life ye may walke as citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem hauing your conuersation in heaâ—en weyning your selues from the world and the things that â—â—e in the worâ—d manfully fighting against all tentations and assaâ—lts of the deuil conforming your selues in all obedience vnto the lawes of his kingdome and while ye
liue here in the body climing vp into heauen that when death comes and ye must remoue out of the body ye may dwell for euer with the Lord and be receiued into the full possession of that inheriâ—ance immortall and vndefiled which is reserued in heauen for you LECTVRE LXXII PHILIP 3 Verse 20.21 From whence also wee looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body c. FRom whence This is the second Christian profession which the Apostle maketh in behalfe of himselfe and such others as walked as he did and it is of their expectation of Christ his second comming to saue them Which also yeeldeâ—h a reason why they haue their conuersation in heaâ—en Our conuersation saith the Apostle is in heauen And why so From heauen we certainly looke and wait for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ when hee shall come as a swiâ—â— Iudge against all them that haue made their bellie their Goâ— but as our Sauiour to giue vnto vs an inheritance among theâ— that are saued therefore our soule-conuersation is in heaueâ— where now Christ is and whence he shall come in that day tâ— saue vs. In that the Apostle saith from whence hee noteth thâ— place whence Christ his second comming shall be and consequently the place where now he is according to his humanitieâ— for there now he is whence at that day hee shall come sittinâ— now in glory at the right hand of the throne of God in heauen whence hee shall also come in glory to iudge both thâ— quicke and the dead Againe in that he saith from whence alsâ— wee looke for the Sauiour he signifieth their patient expectation and waiting for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ when he shall appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation 〈◊〉 for Christ being then already descended from the bosome oâ— his Father and hauing offered vp himselfe without spot vnto God to take away the sinnes of such his chosen children aâ— through faith in his bloud haue their consciences purged from dead workes to serue the liuing God now they waited and looked for the promise of his second comming when he should come in the clouds to be glorified in his Saints but to render vengeance vnto them that know not God nor obey the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ Againe in that he saith from whence also wee looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ he noteth the person of him whose second comming from heauen in the clouds they waited and looked for which is the Lord Iesus Christ the Sauiour The Lord who is to be feared hauing all soueraigne power giuen vnto him in heauen and in earth The Lord Iesus who is to be feared and loued hauing laid downe his life for vs to saue vs from our sinnes and to free vs from condemnation the due desert of our sinne The Lord Iesus Christ who is to be feared loued and reuerenced hauing as our Priest reconciled vs vnto God and as our Prophet instructed vs in the will of God Vnto all which the Apostle addeth this that further he calleth him the Sâ—uiour for that then in his second comming he should not only saue them and free them from sinne and condemnation which he did at his first comming in his humilitie but shouâ—d â—â—ue them and free them from death and corruption and â—ring them into the full possession of that inheritance purâ—hased in heauen for them So that yee see the generall point â—ere spoken of is Christ his second comming in glory the â—articular points are the place whence the second comming â—hall be the patient expectation and waiting of the faithfull â—or the second comming and the person of him that shall â—ome in this second comming which the faithfull so looke â—or Now let vs see what notes and obseruations wee may gaâ—her hence whereof to make some further vse and instruction â—or our selues The first thing which I note is the Apostles Christian proâ—ession which he maketh in the behalfe of himselfe and such others as walked so as he did touching the place whence they waited for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ They looâ—ed for the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ from heauen â—here they had set their affections where they had their soule-conuersation Hence then I obserue a ground of that point of an article of our faith wherein we beleeue that Christ shall come from heauen with glory to iudge both the quicke and the dead Whereunto also the Scriptures giue witnesse often elsewhere as where the Angels told the Apostles saying Act. 1.11 This Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come as yee haue seene him goe into heauen and againe where the Apostle saith that the Lord shall descend from heauen with a shout 1 The. 4.16 and with the voice of the Archangell and with the trumpet of God and againe where our Sauiour himselfe tels his disciples Mat. 24.30 that the sonne of man shall come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glory But what needeth further proofe of this point It is a thing which wee all beleeue and confesse that Christ being ascended into heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of the throne of God shall come againe from heauen in his appointed time with power and great glory so that euery eye shall see him yea euen they which pierced him thorow and shall render vnto euery man according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill The vses which we are to make hereof are these First to beware of such false teachers as tell vs that the body of Christ is not only in heauen but in earth also in euery Kingdome in euery City in euery parish in euery loafe iâ— euery peece of bread and cup of wine where the sacrament iâ— receiued For doe wee looke that he shall come from heauen the second time with power and great glorie And shall weâ— not thinke that now he is there whence then hee shall come True it is that Christ as hee is God is not in heauen alone oâ— limited vnto any place but filleth all places being infinite and incomprehensible But as he is man so is he there alone whence hee shall appeare the second time vnto saluation for so it is written Act. 3.21 that the heauens must containe him vntill the time that all things bee restored And wat else is it but to destroy the nature of a true body to say that it may bee in diuers places at one time Let this for this time suffice vs Wee looke for Christ as he is man from heauen therefore as hee is man he is in heauen the heauen must containe him till all things be restored therefore he is alone in heauen hee hath a true body therefore hee cannot be in diuers places at once Beware therefore of such deceiuers that yee giue no place vnto their errour and trust perfectly that Christ sitteth at
Heb. 9.28 as saith the Apostle the second time vnto saluation Is the message then of Christ his second comming gladsome vnto you Is the remembrance of it ioyfull vnto you It is a sure token vnto you that ye belong vnto Christ Iesus and it is a notable fruite and effect of your faith and hope in Christ Iesus It may be that some of you looking more vpon your selues and your owne sinnes then vpon Christ and the bowels of his mercies and being more sharpe and seuere toward your selues then quick-sighted to looke toward Christ Iesus may feele some appalling in your selues or at least not that cheerefulnesse in expectation that should be But let not your harts be troubled nor feare Ye looke not only vpon your sinnes or so on Christ as only a seuere iudge and so despaire in your selues and vtterly abhorre his comming but yee looke for him though not without hope yet without that cheerefulnes which ye ought In this weaknesse the Lord will perfit his praise and vnto these beginnings hee will giue a good issue Only let my counsell be acceptable vnto you turne away your eies from your selues and cast them vpon Christ Iesus He shall be your iudge that is your Sauiour He hath bidde you looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere Joh. 5.24 And he hath said it that hee that belieueth in him hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life Tit. 2.13 Waite therefore patiently and cheerefully for the Lord for the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all c. The third and last thing which heere I note is in the person of him whom the Apostle saith that they looke for from heauen which is the Lord Iesus Christ the Sauiour Wherein I obserue a reason both why wee should walke in this like as citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem hauing our conuersation in heauen and why wee should looke and long for the second comming vnto iudgement For why should it seeme strange vnto any man that liuing here in the body wee should haue our soule-conuersation in heauen Is not our Lord and King mightie in power to saue and defend vs and to reuenge vs of our enemies in heauen Is not our Iesus who not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie hath saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renuing of the holy Ghost in heauen Is not our Christ the Mediator of the new Testament that hath reconciled vs vnto God maketh continuall intercession for vs and teacheth vs outwardly by his word and inwardly by his spirit in heauen Is not our Sauiour who in that day shall make vp the full complement of our saluation in heauen where then should our conuersation be but in heauen where should the body be but where the head is where should the spouse be but where the bridegroome is not one of vs all but we are stung with fierie Serpents cursed sinnes and noysome lusts which fight against the soule If wee will be healed and liue we must looke vp vnto the brasen Serpent lift vp for that purpose In heauen is our brasen Serpent euen the Lord Iesus Christ We must therefore while we are in the body lift vp our eies vnto him and haue our soule-conuersation in heauen if now we will be healed of our infirmities and if when we remoue out of the body we will dwell with the Lord. And as this should bee a sufficient reason to moue vs to haue our whole conuersation in heauen so should it also moue vs to looke and long for the second comming vnto iudgement For shall our Lord and King come which shall tread downe â—he Deuill and all enemies vnder his feete and leading captiuitie captiue shall make vs to triumph in the heauenly places Shall our Iesus come then to be our iudge that first came to saue his people from their sinnes Shall our Christ come that offered himselfe vpon the crosse for vs and opened his fathers will vnto vs Shall our Sauiour come to saue vs from death and corruption by glory which first saued vs from sinne and condemnation by grace What cause then haue wee to hearken vnto the counsell of Iames Iam. 5.7 exhorting to bee patient vnto the comming of the Lord yea what cause to crie with the soules vnder the Altar Apoc. 6.10.22.20 How long Lord holy and true dost thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth Yea to crie with Iohn Come Lord Iesus come quickely Vnto this which hath beene taught the example of our brother lying here before vs may as I heare be a good prouocation My selfe knew him not and therefore I can say the lesse of him But by the report of them that knew him hee was very studious and for his time had profited well in the knowledge of such Arts as he applied himselfe vnto He was also as I heare religiously affected and godly minded hauing in good measure while hee was in the body his conuersation in heauen And in the time of his sicknesse willingly submitted himselfe vnto the will of his God as one that looked for the blessed hope and appearing of the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ in whom his soule reioyced and in the merits of whose death and passion his heart was comforted The Lord grant that wee may all liue in his feare and die in his fauour LECTVRE LXXIII PHILIP 3. Vers 2â— Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working c. IT remaineth now that wee proceede vnto the third and last branch where the Apostle in the behalfe of himselfe and such others as walked as he did maketh Christian profession of their certaine hope of the glorification of their vile bodies by the powerfull working of Christ Iesus set downe in these words who shall change c. They had their conuersation in heauen looking for the Sauiour from heauen euen the Lord Iesus Christ and from heauen they looked for the Lord Iesus Christ knowing that then hee should change their vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body c. The generall point then here spoken is the glorification of our vile bodies in the day of Christ by the power of Christ The particular circumstances which here the Apostle noteth are these 1. who shall glorifie vs namely the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change c. 2. What he shall glorifie in vs namely our bodies whose soule-conuersation hath beene in heauen 3. the condition of our bodies what now they are namely bodies of vilenesse basenesse and abiectnesse i. Vile base and abiect bodies subiect to corruption sinne and all kinde of vanitie 4. The time when he shall glorifie our vile bodies namely in that day when he shall come in the cloudes of heauen to iudge both the quick and
the dead which I note out of this that he saith who shall change to wit in that day when he shall come from whence they looke for him 5. The manner how he shall then glorifie our vile bodies namely not by changing the substance of our bodies in the forme or feature or lineaments or members of them but by changing our vile bodies .i. our bodieâ— which were created of God holy and good but are now deâ—â—led with our vilenesse by changing these vile bodies and fashioning them in qualitie like vnto his owne glorious body so that of mortall they become immotall of corruptible incorruptible of naturall spirituall of weake glorious 6. And lastly the meanes whereby he shall thus glorifie our vile bodies namely by that diuine power and effectuall working whereby he raised his owne body from the graue and whereby he is able to doe what he will euen to subdue all things vnto himselfe These be the particular circumstances of this third branch of the Apostles reason Which noting of them in this sort that we haue done may serue also for the explication and opening of the meaning of these words Let vs now therefore see what profitable notes we may gather hence for our farther vse and instruction The first thing which I note is who it is that shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie which is the Lord Iesus Christ The obseruation then hence is that after we haue slept in the dust Christ Iesus shall raise vs againe by his power and make our vile bodies like to his glorious body He it is that being one God with the Father from before all beginnings in the beginning of time created vs formed vs and made vs and breathed into vs the breath of life and made vs liuing soules All things saith Iohn was made by it Ioh. 1.3 namely by the incarnate word of God by the euerlasting Sonne of the Father and without it was made nothing that was made And the Apostle saith that by the Sonne of God were all things created which are in heauen and in earth Col. 1.16 things visible and invisible by him I say not onely as an instrument but as an efficient cause For as the Apostle saith of him Ro. 11.36 and through him and for him are all things He likewise it is that in the fulnesse of time came into the world to redeeme them which were vnder the law and to saue his people from their sinnes When the fullnesse of time was come saith the Apostle God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman Gal. 4.4.5 and made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law And againe This is a true saying 1 Tim. 1.15 and by all meanes worthy to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners And therefore was his name called Iesus Mat. 1.21 because he should saue his people from their sinnes He also it is that in the end of times shall raise our bodies out of the dust and make them like vnto his glorious body Joh. 5.28.29 For the houre shall come saith Iohn in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation And in the chapter following 6.54 Whosoeuer eateth my flesh saith Christ and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day And our Apostle in this place from heauen we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body c. So that he that in the beginning of time created vs and made vs and in the fullnesse of time redeemed and saued vs shall also in the end of time raise vs vp out of the dust of death and glorifie vs with himselfe Whereof also he gaue vs a sure testimonie when he raised vp himselfe from the dead no more to returne vnto the graue And therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.14 He which hath raised vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs vp also by Iesus and set vs with the Saints Let this then serue to confirme and strengthen vs in the point of our resurrection and glorification Christ Iesus hath taken it vpon him that he will raise vs vp at the last day and glorifie vs with himselfe Let vs then lie downe in peace and commit that to him and he shall bring it to passe For is the glory and strength of Israel as a man that he should lie Hath he said it and shall it not be done Let the Sadduces denie the resurrection Act. 17.18 let the Philosophers and disputers of Athens mocke at Paul when they heare him preach the resurrection let the profane Atheist scoffe and iest at the resurrection of the dead and their glorification with the Saints yet let vs with Martha know that our brethren and we shall rise at the last day Mat. 9.25 He that raised the Rulers daughter from death to life in the house he that raised the widowes sonne from death vnto life as they were carying him out to be buried Luc. 7.15 he that raised vp Lazarus from death vnto life Ioh. 11.44 hauing laid foure daies in the graue shall also raise vs vp and shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Let vs therefore hold fast this hope vnto the end without wauering and let vs lay this vpon Christ Iesus who will surely doe it and will not faile The second thing which I note is the time when Christ shall change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body The time is in that day when the faithfull looke that he shall come in the clouds of heauen to iudge both the quicke and the dead Which I gather from this that he faith who shall change c ioyned with that he had said before from whence also we looke c. For the meaning is that from heauen they looke for the second comming of Christ who then in his second comming shall change c. The obseruation then hence is that in the last day when Christ shall come in the clouds of heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead then shall he raise vp the bodies of them that haue slept in the dust and glorifie them with his owne selfe Which point of the time of our second resurrection and glorification of our bodies the Holy Ghost often precisely noteth as where it is said The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice c Ioh. 5.28.6.54 and againe where Christ saith I will raise him vp at the last day 1 Co. 15.23.51.52 and againe where the Apostle saith that they that are of Christ at his comming shall rise againe and againe where he saith
we shall not all sleepe but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet All which places plainely shew the time of the resurrection and of the glorification of our bodies to be in the last day at the second comming of Christ vnto iudgment In the meane time they shall sleepe in the dust and make their beds in the graue Iob 17.14 they shall say to corruption thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother and my sister This should teach vs patiently with the faithfull children of God to waite and looke for the second comming of Christ Iesus yea euen to long and reach after it because then these crackt and fraile vessels shall be in better case then now they be Now they are vile and rotten and naught but then shall they be changed made like vnto Christ his glorious body and then shall they be vnited to the soules to receiue that blessed inheritance which God the Father of old hath prepared God the Sonne of late hath purchased and God the Holy Ghost doth daily seale in the hearts of Gods children That is the time for our full deliuerance our full redemption when al things shall be subdued vnder him And till that time after that death once destroy these bodies the graue shall be our house and we shall make our bed in the darke The third thing which here I note is what it is that Christ in that day shall raise vp againe and glorifie namely our vile body Whence my first obseruation is that since sinne entred into the world and death by sinne such is the condition of our bodies here that they be vile subiect to all infirmities miseries mortalitie corruption and all kinde of vanity The experience whereof is so common and so well knowne vnto vs all that it shall not be needfull to proue it vnto any of vs How many aches infirmities diseases are we troubled withall in our bodies What wounds and swellings and sores full of all manner of corruption are our bodies subiect vnto What labours what perils what watchings fastings cold nakednesse imprisonments how many kinds of death are they subiect vnto How soone are they cut downe like grasse How soone doe they wither as the greene herbe How soone doe they returne vnto the dust whence they first came Or what priuiledge here haue the bodies of them that come of noble houses of honourable parents of the bloud royall None at all but their bodies are as vile as here the Apostle meaneth as subiect to diseases as needing all helps for health is vnable to endure labour heat cold hunger thirst as vnable to want sleepe rest foode apparell as soone cut downe by the hand of death as soone deuoured by the wormes as soone turned vnto the dust as the bodies of other men And therefore our bodies without exception in the holy scriptures are called and likened vnto grasse the flower of the field to earthen vessels to earthly houses to tabernacles to dust and â—athe c. All flesh is as grasse 1 Pet. 1.24 and all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower falleth away Yea looke what Iobs bodie was that all our bodies are if the Lord shall lay his hands vpon them Yea this shall be the state of our bodies to be thus vile as the Apostle speaketh till they bee changed and made like vnto his glorious body This should teach vs to plucke downe our sailes and to abate the great daintinesse of our bodies whereunto we are growne Such silks and veluets such ruffes and lawnes such frizling and painting such chaines bracelets and rings as now commonly we vse what else is it but to cloth and adorne proud rottennesse Such choice of meats daintinesse of fare variety of dishes as in this heauy time of dearth and famine is some where vsed what else is it but to feede the neuer satisfied belly Nay are not some growne so nice that they may not suffer the winde to blow vpon them nor the sunne to shine vpon them Is it not for some so hot in summer and againe so cold in winter that they can finde no time to come to heare euen the holy word of God And what else is it that we doe thus cherish but a vile body subiect to all kinde of vanity The beginning whereof what is it but earth the being whereof what is it but as from the earth the end whereof what is it but to the earth And yet what curiositie in clothing and what daintinesse in feeding this vile body An allowance there is and meete there should be that according to each mans degree there be both costlinesse in clothing and daintinesse in feeding But in each degree there is such excesse of decencie as that it may be thought that no degree considereth what a vile body it is that they cherish How much better were it that we should consider our selues and that we should moderate our selues in these things each man according to his degree Let vs therefore whether we eat or drinke or cloth our selues remember that the bodies which we cherish are but vile bodies dust and ashes euen very rottennesse and subiect to all kinde of vanity My second obseruation hence is that Christ in the last day shall change our bodies not our soules and raise vp our bodies not our soules For our soules in their very deliuerance from the contagion of our bodies are purged and cleansed from euery spot of sinne and immediatly translated into heauen and there abide till the last iudgement They die not nor sleepe nor wander vp and downe as some doe foolishly imagine but being spirituall substances they liue and abide for euer aswell out of the body as in the body Which appeare as by the soules of the rich man and Lazarus Luc. 16.23 the one of which had immediatly ioy in Abrahams bosome the other suffered woe and torments in hell immediatly so doth it also appeare by that vision of Iohn Apoc. 6.9 where he saw the soules vnder the Altar c for there the present state wherein they are after their departure out of their bodies vntill the last iudgment is described namely that they are vnder the Altar .i. that they remaine continually vnder the hand of our Lord Iesus and that they be in ioyfull rest vnder his custody and protection Our soules then are not changed or raised vp in the last day but our bodies euen as we make confession in our Creede when we beleeue the resurrection of the body For therein we confesse that we beleeue that in that day when the Lord shall descend from heauen with a shoute and with the voice of the Archangell and with the trumpet of God he shall raise againe these selfe-same bodies out of the dust of death and vnite them vnto our soules that in soule and body wee may liue for euer with
Dan. 12.3 that they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer Matt. 17.2 And a glimpse of it Peter Iames and Iohn saw when Christ was transfigured in the mount before them 1 Cor. 15. And the Apostle at large shewes the whole manner of it to the Corinthians First then hence wee learne that the body of Christ is not so deified or glorified as that the essentiall properties of God are communicated to it as to be omnipotent infinite present euery where c. For this being true that our bodies shall be made like vnto his glorious body then our bodies also should then be omnipoteâ—â— infinite euery where c. which no man will say They erre therefore that maintaine the body of Christ to be really present euery where Secondly hence we may learne not to be dismaied at whatsoeuer sicknesse danger or death It may be that thus our bodies may be turned into the graue and that death haue there dominion ouer vs for a season but in the last day our bodies shall be taken out of the power of death and made like vnto Christ his glorious body Thirdly hence we may receiue great comfort that we haue such a Sauiour as will thus change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body Hee will be a perfect Sauiour and therefore as he receiues our soules at their deparâ—ure out of our bodies to keepe them safe vnder his custodie â—and protection so will hee also in the last day change our vile â—odies and make them like vnto his glorious body that so he may be a perfect Sauiour both of our soules and bodies The fift and last thing which from these words I note is â—ouching the meanes whereby Christ in that day shall glorifie â—ur vile bodies For here is the doubt which the carnall man â—akes He cannot see nor conceiue how the bodies which are â—urned into dust and ashes which haue beene some torne in â—eeces by the beasts of the land some deuoured by the fishes of the sea some eaten vp by the fowles of the aire how they â—he same in substance should possibly be raised vp againe and â—lorified To meet then with this my obseruation hence is â—hat Christ by that diuine power and effectuall working â—hereby hee raised vp his owne body from the graue and â—hereby hee is able to doe what hee will euen to subdue all â—hings to himselfe shall raise our bodies in that day euen the â—elâ—e same in substance that wee laid downe and shall glorifie â—hem Christ he is the first-fruits of them that sleepe and by â—is resurrection he hath sanctified all the elect thereunto and 〈◊〉 according to the working of his mighty power hee raised â—imselfe from the dead so by the same working of his mighâ—ie power shall he also raise vs vp It may be that this may â—eeme impossible with men Luk. 18.27 but the things that are impossible â—ith men are possible with God And why should it seeme so imâ—ossible Can the potter make a new vessell of the same lumpe 〈◊〉 clay if the first fashion did dislike him and is not God â—uch more able out of our dust to raise againe our dead boâ—â—es Can the Goldsmith by his Art sunder diuers metals â—ne from another or the Alchymist draw one metall out of â—â—other and is not God much more able to distinguish the â—ust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts and the dust of â—ne mans body from another and to draw out our bodies â—oâ— whencesoeuer they lie Was God able in the beginning 〈◊〉 create all things of nothing and is hee not much more able 〈◊〉 make euery mans body at the resurrection of his owne matter Againe shall napkins be brought from Pauls body and diseases depart from them shall the shadow of Peter helpe the weake and sicke shall Elizeus his bones giue life to a dead corpes cast into his graue and shall not Christ much more by his diuine power change these vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body Hee that doubteth of his power shall be drencht vp of his maiestie Take this one proofe further from our daily experience At night wee lie downe and sleepe and in the morning wee wake and rise vp againe Our death what else is it but as a sleepe and our resurrection what else but as it were an awaking againe And as in the one it is so in the other the mighty power of God shall be seene when by his power hee shall raise vs vp out of the sleepe of death and glorifie vs with himselfe in the kingdome of hiâ— Father This then may serue vs to meet with all doubts against this point of the resurrection and glorification of our mortall and vile bodies He which is willing hath also power to doe it and by his power hee shall raise vs vp in the last day and shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body We are not therefore to doubt of it lest so wee also denie his power but rather wee are to comfort oâ—â— selues in this that he who by his power is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe will also by his power raise vp our bodies in the last day and will change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Laus omnis soli Deo THE FOVRTH CHAPTER LECTVRE LXXV PHILIP 4. Verse 1. Therefore my brethren beloued and longed for my ioy and my crowne so continue in the Lord ye beloued 2. I pray Euodias and beseech Syntiche c. MAny and notable and most worthy our continuall meditation haue bin the points which we haue heard by occasioÌ„ of the things contained in the former Chapter as touching necessary watchfulnesse against false teachers together with certain marks of such ver 2.19 touching the true circumcision of the Spirit ver 3 touching the vanitie of all confidence and reioycing in any thing without Christ ver 4. to 9 touching iustification by the alone righteousnes of Christ Iesus through faith in his bloud v. 9 touching sanctificatioÌ„ by some sence of the knowledge of Christ and of the vertue of his resurrection in our selues c. and by an holy acknowledgement of imperfection and pursuite after perfection ver 10. to 15 touching Christian perfection ver 15 touching the sole rule of mans life ver 16 touching an holy imitation v. 17 touching euill and vngodly walkers ver 18 19 touching an holy conuersation ver 20 touching the expectation of the faithfull for Christ his second coming v. 20 touching the glorification of our vile bodies in the day of Christ by the power of Christ ver 21 some of which the Apostle purposely disputeth and others by occasion he toucheth For in that Chapter ye may remember that the Apostle instructeth the Philippians touching circumcision and
the Scriptures vse to double and redouble his speech euen to shew both the needfulnes of his speech and the difficultie in respect of man of enforcing his speech In the Psalme how often doth the Prophet exhort the faithful vnto the praises of the Lord euen before all the people that they their posteritie might know them Psal 107. saying O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men Euen foure seueral times in that one Psalme And wherefore but to shew how needfull it was they should do so and how hardly men are drawne to do so How often likewise doth our Sauiour exhort his disciples vnto humilitie meeknes Mat. 11.29 sometimes saying vnto them Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart sometimes telling them that whosoeuer among them would be great 20.26 should be seruant vnto the rest sometimes washing their feete Ioh. 13. c. thereby to teach them humilitie And wherefore doth he so often beate vpon it but to shew how needfull it was they should be humble and meeke and likewise how hard a thing it is to draw men vnto humilitie and meeknesse How often likewise doth the holy Ghost exhort to the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man No part of Scripture throughout the whole Bible wherein the holy Ghost doth not speake much though not haply in these words yet to this purpose And wherefore else is it but to imply both how needfull a matter it is to be perswaded and how hard a matter it is to perswade the mortification of the old man and the quickening of the new man And to let other instances passe in the point whereof we now speake how oft doth our Sauiour exhort to reioyce and be glad in persecution Mat. 5.12 because of the reward laid vp for vs by God in heauen Luc. 10.20 to reioyce because our names are written in heauen by the finger of Gods own hand Ioh. 16.33 to be of good comfort because he hath ouercome the world that is to reioyce in the Lord And wherefore but to shew how needfull it is to reioyce in the Lord and how hard it is to perswade this reioycing So that by the vsuall course of the Scripture it appeareth that our Apostle doubling and redoubling this his exhortation thereby sheweth both how needfull and withall how hard a matter it is to perswade this constant reioycing in the Lord to reioyce in the Lord alwayes so needfull that it must be perswaded again and again and withall so hard to be perswaded that it cannot be too much vrged beaten vpon But it wil not be amisse yet a litle more particularly to looke into the reasons why it is so needfull to reioyce in the Lord alwayes and why we are so hardly perswaded to reioyce in the Lord alwayes Who seeth not that considereth any thing what mightie enemies we haue alwayes to fight withall the flesh within vs to snare and deceiue vs the world without vs to fight and wage warre against vs and the diuel euer seeking like a roaring Lion whom he may deuoure Who seeth not what fightings without what terrors within what anguishes in the soule what griefes in the bodie what perils abroade what practises at home what troubles we haue on euery side When then Satan that old dragon casts out many flouds of persecutions against vs when wicked men cruelly disdainfully and despitefully speake against vs when lying slandering and deceitfull mouthes are opened vpon vs when we are mocked and iested at and had in derision of all them that are about vs when we are afflicted tormented and made the worlds wonder when the sorrowes of death compasse vs and the flouds of wickednesse make vs afraid and the paines of hell come euen vnto our soule what is it that holds vp our heads that we sinke not how is it that we stand either not shaken or if shaken yet not cast downe Is it not by our reioycing which we haue in Christ Iesus Yes verily we lift vp our eyes vnto heauen and we are of good comfort because he hath ouercome the world we lift vp our eyes vnto the Lord and we reioyce in him because he shal giue a good end vnto all our troubles and shall wipe all teares from our eyes In Dauids troubles he was all his stay as himselfe euery where almost protesteth and when the Apostles were persecuted beaten and cast in prison they reioyced because of their strong consolation in Christ Iesus And so it is with all the faithfull children of God whatsoeuer flouds do beate vpon them whatsoeuer causes of sorrow do ouertake them yet do they stand and quaile not because of the reioycing they haue in Christ Iesus On this rocke all the surges of the sea of this world are broken Againe when others of vs are assaulted by that mightie Prince of darknesse when we are tried by mockings scourgings by bonds and imprisonment when we feele the smart of losse or hurt in bodie goods or name when the Beast of Spaine and with him that false Prophet of Rome thunder out threatnings and imagine all kind of mischiefe against vs whē the paines of death take hold of vs and multitude of sorowes beset vs round about why is it that our hearts do faile within vs how is it that we fall from our former loue and that feare commeth vpon vs as vpon a woman in her trauell Is it not through our want of reioycing in the Lord Yes verily we feele not in our soules the treasures of mercies that are hid for vs in Christ Iesus which should keepe vs standing against all batteries and assaults whatsoeuer and therefore we are not onely daunted and dismayed with these things but are quite affright and vtterly ouercome of them If any one of Iobs afflictions lie vpon vs we breake out into all the impatiencies that he did but we cannot lay hold of any such comforts as he did If death seize vpon sonne or daughter or any deare vnto vs 2. Sam 18.33 we breake out into like outcries with Dauid saying Absalon my sonne my sonne Absalon would God I had died for thee O Absalon my sonne my sonne but though Ioab would yet can he not comfort vs as he did Dauid Est 6.12 If Haman do but feare the Kings displeasure he hastes him home mourning and couers his head and will not be comforted and if Ahitophel do but see that his counsell be not followed 2. Sam. 17.23 he saddles his asse and rides home and hangs himselfe And this it is when men haue not their comfort in God whatsoeuer do befall them in this life If this or that thwart them by and by they are cast downe And why euen because they haue not learned to reioyce in the Lord alway Very needfull then it is ye see that we reioyce