them the Spirit of God sanctifying their soules and bodies stirring them up to holy duties guiding and leading and mooving them to holy actions they may from the sanctifying Spirit that is an earnest to them know what shall become of their bodies Hee hath given us the earnest of the Spirit To confirme this there is an excellent place in Ro. 8. 10 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his If Christ bee in you the body is dead c. It is a vile body it as good as dead it hath the sentence of death already it is dead in regard it is sentenced to death for sinne as a malefactor that hath his sentence But the Spirit is life in regard of righteousnesse What then if the sanctifying Spirit of Christ dwell in you Hee that raised Iesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies The same Spirit that sanctifies these soules of ours our bodies and quickens them to holy duties the same Spirit shall raise our bodies As the same Spirit that sanctified the blessed masse of the body of Christ that he carryed and raised his body the same Spirit that sanctifies our soules shall raise our bodies The Spirit of God when hee hath begun to sanctifie us he never leaves us hee goes along in all changes in life in death to the grave as God said to Iacob I will be with thee there The Spirit of God he will mold our dead bodies and make them like the glorious body of Christ the Spirit of God never leaves our soules or bodies Therefore if wee find the earnest of the Spirit if we find the worke of the Spirit or the comfort of the Spirit which is the tearme the Scripture gives Ioy in the Holy-Ghost and peace of conscience together with the Spirit sanctifying us especially in the time of trouble when God sees his Children have most need they have the earnest of the Spirit the beginnings of grace and joy the beginnings of heaven upon earth by this they may know as the first fruit is so likewise is the harvest as the earnest is even so is the bargaine as wee have it now in our soules so we shall also have it in our bodies and soules hereafter These three grounds Saint Paul hath why his hope of heaven was a good hope wee groane for it and wee are wrought for it wee are fitted for it There is no man can hope to be glorious in his body but his soule must be fitted for it it must be a fit jewell for so glorious a casket a fit inhabitant for so glorious a Temple as the body shall be the body shall be fitted for the soule and the soule for the body they are wrought for it And then hee hath given us the earnest of the Spirit What need I quote further evidences the Scripture being thus pregnant I beseech you often consider your desires whether you be content to live here alway or no to satisfie the vile lusts of your body or whether you desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ when you have done the worke that God sent you for into the world if wee be content to abase our selves for God here who hath provided so much glory for us hereafter and when the time comes we can desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ it is a good signe if wee have the beginnings of the new creature yee are wrought for it that our soules are fitted for a glorious body we have the earnest of the Spirit the same Spirit that sanctifieth our soules and that quickens our soules with joy and peace the same Spirit shall raise our bodies Comfort your selves you that are Christians though you bee weake with this that if you have but the earnest of the Spirit undoubtedly you shall have a glorious house instead of this tabernacle of dust Christ will change these vile bodies that they shall be fashioned like his glorious body I beseech you therefore oft thinke of this think of the time to come comfort your selves with things to come In 1 Thess. 4. Saint Paul would have us talke one to another often of this this should be the matter of our conference not onely the state of the Church and our owne estate here but how it shall be with us when we are gone hence how it shall be with us world without end hereafter we should conferre and speake and oft meditate and thinke of these things What can be grievous what can be over burdensome to that soule that knowes it hath the pledge and earnest of glory hereafter How doth it quicken the soule to any indeavour when once we know that how soever we abase our selves here yet we shall have glorious bodies hereafter It will quicken us to any indeavour to any thing for Christ therefore let us oft thinke of our estate to come let us set our thoughts foreward to the time to come Let faith make the times to come present and that will make us heavenly minded What made Saint Paul converse as if he were in heaven faith made the estate to come present and hope which is grounded on faith it lookes to Christs comming to change our vile bodies so faith and hope they make the soule looke upward they make it heavenly minded Our soules are dull and our bodies are dull in this world but as Iron if it be touched with a Load stone up it will so if wee get faith and hope to looke foreward what shall be done to us for the time to come the spirit of faith and hope if it touch the soule will carry our dull bodies and our dead soules upward Therefore let us cherish our faith and hope by often meditation of the blessed estate to come and thinke of these two things of the excellent estate of our bodies and soules then for if our bodies shall then be glorious like the body of Christ our soules much more the inhabitant which is the speciall part the soule shall be much more glorious Let us thinke oft of this glory as it is described in the Word it transcends our thoughts wee cannot thinke high enough of it and our interest and assurance of it And daily search our selves whether our hope be good or no that we have sound evidence that our title is good to glory Let us examine our selves by those signes I named before Where are our desires what worke hath the Spirit of God in us how doe we use these bodies of ours As we use them now wee must looke they shall be used hereafter Let our tongues be our glory now and they shall be glorâ—…ous tongues afterward to praise God in heaven their bodies that have beene glorious here shall be glorious in heaven Wee may read our estate to come by that we are here those that carry themselves basely and filthily and dishonourably here we may know what will become of them hereafter Let us oft thinke of the estate
Canaan and of heaven the benefits by Christ is the upshot of all this They died in faith He doth not say how otherwise they died because it is not materiall whether they died rich or poore great or meane God takes no great notice of that nor a Christian takes no great notice of it They died in faith Whether they died a violent or a peaceable death it is no matter they died blessed in that they died in faith They died in faith which in other phrases is to dye in the Lord to sleepe in the Lord because whosoever dies in faith dies in Christ. Faith lifts them up to Christ and they steepe in Christ. It is a happy thing to dye in Christ Now those that die in faith they die in Christ Blessed are those that dy in the Lord they rest from their labours saith the Apostle All these died in faith They continued in faith to death and then they ended their dayes in faith When death closed up the eyes of their bodies then with the eye of faith they looked upon Christ upon God in Christ reconciled to them the point is cleare that The grace of faith it is such a grace that it carries a Christian through all the passages of this life It inableth him to hold oâ—…t to the end to suffer those things that he is to suffer and in the end by it he dies and when all things else leave him in death when riches leave him when friends leave him when honour and great places leave him when his life sences leave him when all leave him yet faith will never leave him till it have put him in full possession of heaven and then it ceaseth when it hath done the worke it hath to doe which is to bring us to heaven then it is swallowed up in vision and sight and hope into fruition and enjoying of the thing hoped for It is a blessed grace that stands by us and goes along with us and comforts us in all the passages of this life and even in death it selfe in those darke passages it never forsakes us till it have put us in possession of heaven All these died in faith What is it to die in faith To die in faith as I said is to die in the Lord by faith and it lookes to the Time Past. Present To come To the time past to die in faith is to die in assurance of the forgivenesse of sins when by faith and repentance we have pulled oâ—…t the sting of sins past for faith looks upon Christ and Christ hath taken the sting of death in his owne body and death ever since hath beene stinglesse and harmelesse to his members he hath disarmed it death had nothing to doe to kill Christ now seizing upon him who should not have died who was our suretie death hath lost his sting so that to die in faith is to die in assurance of forgivenesse of sinnes past by Christ. For the present in the present instant of death to die in faith is to see God reconciled to us in Christ and with the eye of Stephen to see Christ ready to receave our soules to see Christ sitting at the right hand of God to breake through all that is betweene to see our selves sitting at the right hand of God in heavenly places with Iesus Christ This is to die in faith to see our selves there with our head where wee shall bee ere long Faith makes things to come present To die in faith is to die in assurance of that blessed salvation presently even at that instant of time at the parting of soule and body that Christ will receive our soules that are redeemed with his precious bloud that cost him so deare he will not suffer the price of his bloud to miscarry Faith apprehends that Christ will goe downe with us to the grave as God said to Iacob feare not to goe downe into Egypt I will goe with thee so God would not have us feare to goe down into the grave those darke cels and dungeons God will goe downe with us Our flesh shall rest in hope because Christ our surety was raysed out of the grave and sits in heaven in glory and majesty therefore our flesh rests in hope as it is Psalme 16. 5. Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption therefore our flesh rests in hope till the resurrection because GOD did not suffer his holy one to see corruption this is to dye in faith And for the time to come to die in faith is by faith to overcome all the horrour of death Death is a terrâ—…ble thing and of all the passages wherein we have occasion to use faith it is most exercised in death It requires more to die in faâ—…th then to live in faith for then the soule it lookes to the horrour of the grave it sees nothing there but dust and rottennesse It lookes to the panges of death sense and nature doth And likewise the soule so farre as it hath nothâ—…ng but nature in it it looks to the dissolution of two friends the body and the soule who have been long coupled together and their parting is bitter And then it looks to the parting with friends here with whom they have lived lovingly and sweetely In death nature sees an end of all imployment in this world of all the comforts of this life c. and therefore it is a terrible thing Now to die in faith is to die in conquering all these with a spirit above all these What doth faith in the houre of death It over-comes all these and all such like For when the soule by faith considers the horrour of the grave as the chambers of death faith considers they be but resting places for the body that it sleepes there a while till the day of the resurrection and then they meete againe And it considers that the flesh rests there in hope of a glorious resurrection and faith sees a time of restoring as Saint Peter saith There shall be a day of restoring of all things There is a day of refreshing and restoring to come when those eyes where with wee now looke up to heaven and those feeâ—…e that carry us about our callings and about the exercisâ—… of religion and those hands that have beene lift up to God that body that hath beene the vessell of the soule shall be restored thoâ—…gh it be turned to dust and rottennesse Faith seetâ—… the faithfulnesse of God that God in Christ hath taken these bodies of ours in trust 〈◊〉 know whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1. 12. and be is able to keepe that I have committed to him I have committed to him my soule my body my whole salvation I know he is able to keep that I have committed to him And I knâ—… that my Redeemer liveth saith Iob it was his comfort in all extremity that he should see him with his very same eyes And then for the
pangs of death which nature trembles and quakes at faith considerâ—… of them as the pangs of Child birth Every birth is with pangs now what is death but thâ—… birth to immortality the birth of glory we die to be borne to glory and happinesse All our life time wee are in the wombe of the Church and here we are bringing forth glory now death I say it is the birth day of glory and a birth is with paine faith sees it is 〈◊〉 birth day it sees that presently upon it theâ—… shall be joy as with a woman after shee hath brought a man child into the world so it comforts it selfe against the pangs of death Again faith sees them short and sees the glory after to be eternall it is a little darke passage to an eâ—…nall glorious light Then for the dissolution and parting of â—…o friends soule and body faith sees that â—…is but for a whâ—…le and then that that parting 〈◊〉 a bringing in a better joyning for it brings â—…e soule immediately to her beloved our Saâ—…our Christ Iesus and faith sees that it is not â—…g till body and soule shall be reunited aâ—…ine for ever and they shall bee for ever with 〈◊〉 Lord. And then for friends faith sees indeed â—…at we shall part with many sweete friends â—…t saith faith we shall have better friends we â—…e to GOD we goe to the soules of perâ—…ct men we goe to innumerable company of â—…ngels wee goe to better company a great â—…ale And for all the imployments we have here â—…we have below faith sees that there wil be â—…rcise in heaven we shall praise God with â—…gels and all the blessed and glorious comâ—…ny of heaven So consider what you will â—…at is bitter and terrible in death faith conâ—…ers it it sees an end of it and opposeth to it â—…tter things because notwithstanding death â—…ts off many comforts yet it brings better 〈◊〉 is a blessed change it is a change for the betâ—…r every way faith sees that there is a betâ—…r place better company better imployment â—…tter liberty all better And which is more 〈◊〉 die in faith is to die in assurance that all is ours as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 death is ours Paul is yours Christ is yoâ—… death is yours This is our comfort whenâ—… dayes shall be closed up with death faith bâ—…lieves that death is ours that is it is for 〈◊〉 good for as I said it brings us to our wishâ—… haven it brings an end to all misery an 〈◊〉 our sinnes an end to our paine an end to 〈◊〉 vexations an end to our discomforts and to 〈◊〉 scandalls here below an end to all the temptâ—…tions of Satan The Lord will wipe all teares frâ—… our eyes then And it is the beginning of â—…pinesse that shall never end So indeed faiâ—… sees that the day of death is better than tâ—… day of birth when we come into misery 〈◊〉 not so good as when we go out of misery 〈◊〉 enter into happinesse This is to dye in faith 〈◊〉 the time past to see the forgivenesse of alâ—… 〈◊〉 sinnes to see the sting pulled out And for 〈◊〉 present to look to Christ ready to receiveâ—… soules and to see him present with us to coâ—…fort us to strengthen us against the pâ—…ngs 〈◊〉 death And for the time to come by â—…aith 〈◊〉 over-look the grave to over looke death 〈◊〉 all and to see all conquered in Christ 〈◊〉 our selves in heaven already with Christ 〈◊〉 thus a Christian being upheld with this grâ—… he ends his dayes in faith This should stirâ—… us up if this be so to 〈◊〉 this grace of faith above all graces to get â—…rance that we are in Christ Iesus that so 〈◊〉 may live with câ—…mfort and end our dayâ—… with comfort and live for ever happy in the â—…ord It is only faith and nothing else that â—…ill master this King of feares this gyant that â—…bdues all the Kings of the earth to him This â—…onster death hee out faceth all nothing can â—…ut face him but faith in Christ and that will â—…aster him As for your glorious speeches â—…f Pagans and morall civill men they are â—…ut flourishes vaine emptie flourishes their â—…earts give them the lie Death is a terrible â—…ing when it is armed with our sins and when 〈◊〉 is the messenger of Gods wrath and citeth â—…s before God it is the end of happinesse and â—…he beginning of torment When we looke â—…pon it in the glasse of the law and in the â—…lasse of nature it is the end of all comforts it â—…s a curse brought in by sinne It is a terrible â—…hing nothing can conquer and master it but â—…aith in Christ. Oh let us labour therefore to get it while wee live and to exercise it â—…hile we live that we may live every day by â—…aith It is not any faith that we candie by it must 〈◊〉 a faith that we have exercised and tryed â—…efore it is a tryed a proved faith that wee must end our dayes by For alas when death comes if we have not learned to live by faith before how can wee end our dayes in faith He that while he lives will not trust God with his children that will not trust God with his soule he that will not trust God with his estate but will use ill means and put his hand to ill courses to gaine by he that will not trust 〈◊〉 for his inheritance that will not cast his brâ—… upon the waters and trust GOD to see 〈◊〉 gaine he that will not doe this while he livâ—… how shall he trust God for body and soule 〈◊〉 all in death he cannot doe it It must beâ—… faith that is daily exercised and tryed wherâ—… by we must commit our soules to God wâ—… we dye that wee may dye in that faith tâ—… we may be able to say all the dayes of 〈◊〉 life I had experience of Gods goodnesse 〈◊〉 depended upon him and I have found him 〈◊〉 in all his promises I committed my selfe anâ—… my wayes to him and I found him good aâ—… gracious in blessing me I found him giving 〈◊〉 a good issue and now I am strengthened there by to trust GOD that hath beene so true 〈◊〉 mee all my life time I will trust him 〈◊〉 with my soule that hee will never failâ—… mee Let us all labour for this faith for thoâ—… it cannot be said of us that we die rich or thâ—… we die great in the world perhaps wee may die a violent death as there be diverse diseases that leade the body into distempers it 〈◊〉 no matter how we die distempered and in any estate so it may be said of us we die in ableâ—…sed faith But it may be objected that all Gods children die not in faith because some die raging and distempered and in such fits But we must know that they die in faith not with standing all that for then they are not â—…em selves
for all for this sickenesse of body and disquiet of mind and all annoyance and adversity and it is revealed before hand for our comfort that there shall be such a time that wee may make use of it that we may ground our patience upon it When Saint Paul exhorts to patience saith hee The Lord is at hand and Saint Iames saith The Iudge standeth at the doore Let us be patient in infamies and sufferings it will bee otherwise ere long Christ is at hand Againe that wee might continually be breathing out thankefulnesse to God Our whole life should be spent in thankefulnesse to God Even as the Angels in heaven that stand in the presence of God and the blessed spirits in heaven they spend that vigour that is in them they spend all that is in them in praising God in thanks and laud to God and sing Glory glory so before-hand knowing that ere long we shall appeare with Christ and appeare in glory let us thank him before hand As Saint Peter saith Blessed be God that hath begotten us againe to an inheritance immortall undefiled c. reserved in heaven for us Let us blesse God before-hand as if we were in heaven already Certainely if we hope to be with those that shall sit in heavenly places in heaven to prayse God we will begin it on earth for the life of heaven is begun on earth we are Kings now we are Priests now wee are conquerours now we are new creatures now we must praise God and begin the imploiment of heaven now for what they do perfectly that we begin to do In heaven we know there is no ill company we will abstaine from it now there is no defilement of sinne wee will conforme our selves to that estate wee hope for There is nothing but praising of God as much as may be wee will warme our hearts with the moditation of what God hath done what he doth and what he hath reserved for the time to come with that we have in hope The best things of a Christian especially are in hope for that which we have by Christ principally is not in this world therefore considering that the best things that Christ died for are in hope let us rejoyce in hope and in rejoycing have our hearts inlarged with praysing of God for that we hope for And be comforted in all the changes of this life all the changes for the time to come and in death it selfe which is the last change are not all degrees to make way for that glorious appearing with Christ for the soule at death goes to heaven and the body shall come after why should wee be loath to die when death is nothing but a change from misery to happinesse a change from the danger of sinning to an impossibility of sinning from a vale of misery to a place of happinesse from men to God from sinfull persons that trouble our peace and quiet to better company in heaven from actions that are sinfull to actions altogether free from sinne It is a glorious and blessed change every way wee shall have better company better place better imployment all glorious then till the time come that all the Elect be gathered together and then body and soule shall be for ever with the Lord 1 Thess. 4. Why then should we feare changes when all changes shall end in that that is better Is a labouring man loath to have his hire or a weary man loath to have rest is a King loath to be crowned is a partie contracted loath to have the marriage consummate why should wee bee loath to die Wee should be ashamed of our selves that we have bin so long in the Schoole of Christ and yet have not learned to unloose our affections from earth to beter things that wee stand in feare of death that makes way to the glory of the soule now and the eternall glory of body and soule after In a word wee are exhorted in the beginning of the Chapter to have our minds in heaven where Christ is and wee are exhorted after the text to mortifie our earthly members two necessary duties to have our conversation in heaven before we be there and to mortifie our earthly members to dye in our affections to earthly things before wee dye indeed would wee have strength put into our soules to performe both these Let us oft meditate of the things that are betweene these verses Let us consider that we are dead so we should bee more lively to God Consider that our life is hid with Christ that Christ shall appear ere long and wee with him in glory Wee should raise our thoughts to be with Christ and draw our souls up to Heavenly things for the more our affections are upwards the lesse they will bee below our affections are finice the more we spend them on heavenly things the lesse they will run on earthly As a man in a trance his thoughts are taken up with one matter that he is dead to other things so the soule which is taken up with the glory to come and with Christ it is dead to earthly things only it takes them for necessary use as having use of them in our travell but it useth the world as if it used it not And this issues from this principle that wee shall ere long appeare with Christ in Glory There is no man but will drowne himselfe too much with the things of the world that hath not this to raise up his soule I shall appeare ere long with Christ in glory and then these things will be consumed The last point is how these depend one upon another that because Christ shall appeare in Glory therefore we I will touch it a little because it is a point of faith that helpes our judgement a little It is a ground of Divinity that whatsoever is in us that are members it is in our head first for God is first and then Christ mediator and then we whatsoever is good is in us or shall be to us it is in Christ first He is justified from our sinnes for he was our surety for sinne hee was abased for them first therefore hee shall appeare then without sin to Glory Our sin was but imputed to Christ he became our surety for sin and he must be abased therefore we cannot bee glo rious here because of our corruptions Christ was surety for our sinnes in his first comming now his resurrection shewed that hee had satisfied for our sinnes the second time he shall appear in glory why are we justified from our sins because Christ our surety was acquitted We ascend gloriousâ—… to heaven where is the ground of it he ascended first and we ascend for him and in him We sit in heavenly places why because he is in heaven before hand as the Husband takes up a place for his wife why doth she goe into the countrey and take it up after because her husband hath gone before and taken it Our
and indeavours and labours to the contentment of it certainly this is forgotten which the Apostle saith here It is a vile and base body Againe is our body a vile body a base body as wee have it here then let us not make it more vile by intemperate courses as wicked persons doe they dishonour their bodies They are vile indeed make the best of them we can and they will end in dust but we ought not sinfully to make them more vile and base as many wretched persons doe by their loose and licencious courses of life Againe if our bodies be vile base bodies while we live here let us not offend God for any thing to gratifie our vile bodies let us doe as Ioseph did when his mistris tempted him he left his garment behind him rather so when we are tempted to any sinne let us rather leave our garments behind us let us leave our bodies they are but vile bodies let us be stripped of them rather then offend God It is pittifull to consider how this vile body as vile as it is and shall be in death how it tyrannizeth over the poore soule and how men wound their soules for their bodies How many are there that justifie errours that they condemne in their hearts to live a lazy idle a full a plentifull life and how many doe condemne those things those courses and those truths to please others and to live a large and idle life which they justifie in their very soules and all to please the flesh It is but a bad counsellor a bad solicitor I say it tyrannizeth over the poore soule Let us not offend God or conscience to breake the peace of it for any thing to gratifie this vile flesh This I thought good to touch concerning that Who shall change our vile bodies Change The action that Christ shall exercise about them is Change Christ will Change our vile bodies They are vile now they shall not be alwayes so but Christ will Change our vile bodies He will not give us other bodies for them but hee will change them in regard of quality For even as the great world was the same after the flood as it was before the flood and shall be when it is consumed by fire it shall be a new world for quality but the same for substance so this body of ours it shall be the same after the resurrection for substance that it is now it shall be altered for quality it shall not be changed for substance Therefore he shall change he shall not abolish our vile bodies This is the action that our blessed Saviour will exercise upon these vile bodies they shall be changed Man is the most changable creature in the world for soule and for body too Take him in his soule how many states is he in There is first the state of nature in perfection and then the state of corruption in originall sinne and then the state of grace in the new creature and then the state of glory So likewise he is changeable in his body hee was first taken out of the dust out of the dust God made this glorious creature of mans body he is a painefull creature in labour in sicknes and then from strength he is changed to old age and from thence to death and dust and from dust then he is changed againe to a more glorious estate then ever he was in the body is made like the glorious body of Christ hee is changeable in soule and in body But this is our comfort we shall change for the best all the changes of our bodyes serve for the last change after which there shall never bee any more change when they are changed once to be glorious they shall be for ever glorious a blessed change a blessed estate of a christian all his changes tend to a state that shall never change for after these bodies are once changed from base to bee glorious they shall be for ever glorious Who The person that shall change them is Christ â—…ho who shall change our vile bodyes In the person wee may consider the object and the action Christ shall change our vile bodyes hee that made us will make us againe hee that is the Image of God will refine us he will renew us in body and soule to be like God to be like himselfe and he that changeth our soules in this world will change our bodyes in the world to come His first comming was to change our soules to deliver them from the bondage of Satan his second comming shall be to deliver our bodies from the bondage of Corruption that is the day of the Redemption of our bodies as the Apostle cals it Rom. 8. So it is hee that shall change but of this I shall speake more afterward What is the patterne according to which this body shall be changed by this author of it Christ Jesus His own body he shall change our vile bodies That it may be made like or fashioned 〈◊〉 his glorious body He is both the câ—…se and the paâ—…e the efficient and the exempâ—… cause He is the patterne our bodyes shall be like his glorious body even as our â—…oules are like Christs 〈◊〉 for this is certaine wee are renewed in grace not to the Image of the first Adam but to the Image of the second Adam we are conformed in soule to the Image of Christ in â—…nesse and righteousnesse so likewise in the body we shall be conformable to the body of Christ the second Adam As we bare the Image of the first Adam in our first creation so wee must beare the Image of the second in our 〈◊〉 tion at the day of the resurrection The glorious body of Christ is the patterne of this transmutation and change But we most understand this as I said 〈◊〉 regard of quality and not in regard of equality our body shall be like his glorious body not equall to his glorious body There must bee a reservation therefore of difference in heaven betweene the head and the members the husband and the spouse our bodyes shall bee like his glorious body not equall to it To our capacity wee shall have full satisfaction and contentment for body and soule too and they shall have security to be in that estate for ever therefore though there be a difference of glory yet that difference is no prejudice to the glory wee shall have we shall have that that is fit for us Our body shall bee made like unto his glorious body Christ is our patterne Whence we see this point of Divinity cleare to us that Whatsoever is in us both for soule and body but here wee speake of the body whatsoever excellency is in us it is at the second hand It is first in our head first in Christ and then in us He is first the Sonne of God by nature wee are the Sonnes of God by Adoption hee is the predestinated Sonne of God to save us to be our head we are
body of our blessed Saviour now in heaven is wondrous beautifull and so shall our bodyes be how deformed soever they be now Let us not stand therefore upon any present deformity of our bodyes now with yeares or sicknesse or other meanes they shall not alway be so we shall have beautifull bodyes Nay more then so the third indowment is we shall have glorious bodyes as we see Christ in the mount when hee was transfigured and Moses and Elias were with him his body was glorious they could hardly behold him And Christ in Revel 1. he appeares as the Sunne in his full strength his body is wondrous glorious now in Heaven and so hee is represented there If the very representation of him while he was upon earth was so glorious in the mount what is it in Heaven S. Paul could not endure the light that shined to him Act. 9. So shall our Bodies bee like the glorious Body of Christ. What a glorious time will it be when the glorious body of Christ shall appeare and all the Saints shall appeare in glory what a reflexion of beauty and glory will there be one shining upon another when Christ shall come to be glorious in his Saints Oh! the glory of the body of Gods children it shall put downe all created glory all the glory of the Sunne and Moone and all the glory of these inferiour bodies are nothing to the glory of the body of a Christian that doth abase his body here for Christ and the Churches sake You see then these bodies shall be perfect and beautifull and glorious bodies in regard of the Iustâ—…e of them And likewise in the fourth place they shall be immortall bodies bodies that shall never die unchangeable bodies there shall be no altoration no death no sicknesse all teares shall be wiped from our eyes they shall be immortall bodies that shall never die as Saint Peter saith Wee shall have an inheritance undefiled immortall c. This is cleare therefore I will not stand in the inlarging of it In the next place our bodies shall be powerfull and vigorous now they are weake as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. Our bodies are â—…wen in weakenesse but then they shall be able to ascend and descend they shall be strong even as the body of Christ wee shall have strong bodies as all imperfection so all weaknesse shall be taken away In the sixth place they shall be spirituall bodies that is they shall not stand in need of meat and drinke and sleepe and refreshings as now they doe but Christ will be all in all to them he will be instead of meat and drinke cloathes yea and in stead of the Ordinances that we stand in need of here the Word and Sacraments he will be all in all And our bodies shall be spirituall in another regard because they shall be subject to the spirit whereas now our very spirits are flesh because the flesh rules and tyrannizeth over them so our soules follow our bodies the soule of a carnall man is flesh but then out flesh our bodies shall be spirituall not that they shall be turned into spirits that is not the meaning but spirituall bodies obedient and obsequious to the very guidance of the soule to a sanctified and glorious soule these shall be the indowments of our bodies They shall be perfect bodies beautifull glorious shining bodies immortall unchangeable bodies powerfull strong and vigorous bodies ready to moove from place to place and spirituall bodies they shall stand in need of no other helpe and they shall be obedient altogether to the spirit You see now how these vile bodies draw away our soules then all imperfections shall be taken away wee shall have purged bodies and purged soules Thus you see wherein the glory of the body shall consist Let us therefore often seriously thinke of these things and let me renew my former exhortation let us be content to make our bodies here vile for Christs sake that they may be thus glorious Let us abase them in labour and paines in our calling in suffering we doe no more then he did for us first Was not his body first vile and then glorious and doe we thinke that our bodies must not be vile before they be glorious not onely vile whether we will or no but we must willingly make them vile we must be willing to be disgraced for Christs sake to carry his death about us to die daily in the resolution of our soules How was he abased before he was glorious hee tooke on him our bodies at the worst not in the perfection as it was created but hee tooke the body of man now fallen Againe what paines did hee take in this body and how was he disgraced in this body that sacred face was spit upon those blessed hands and feet were nayled to the Crosse that blessed head that is revereâ—…ced of the Angels it was crowned with thornes How was his body every way in all the parts of it abased and made vile for us he neglected his refreshings for us it was meate and drinke to him to doe good If he became vile for us if he abased his body for us certainely wee should be ashamed if wee be not content that our bodies should be made vile for him that afterwards they may be made like his glorious body Away with these nice Christians that are afraid of the wind blowing on them or the Sunne shining upon them that are afraid to doe any thing or to suffer any thing and so in sparing their bodies destroy both body and soule Consider whoever thou art this is not a life for thy body this present life is a life for the soule we come now to have the Image of God in our soules in this life especially and to have in our soules the life of grace here but the life and happinesse of our body is for this second comming of Christ the glory of the body this life is not a time for the body doe what wee can it will be a vile body cherish it set it out how thou canst those painted sepulchres that would out-face age and out-face death and by colours and complexion c. hide those furrowes that age makes in the face they are but vile and age and death will be too good for them to dust they will Why should we regard our bodies this life is not for them though we 〈◊〉 dainty of them Let us use this body here so as it may be glorious in the world to come we should suffer our soules to rule our bodies and to doe all here that both body and soule may be glorious after For indeed all that the body hath here it is beholding to the soule for why therefore should it not be an instrument for the soule in holy things doth not the soule quicken it hath it not its beauty from the soule when the soule is gone out of the body where is the life where is the
to come and of our interest in it and both these together the excellency of the estate and our interest in it without deceiving of our soules what life will it put into all our carriage what will be grievous to us in this world when our soules are thus settled Oh let us spend a few dayes fruitfully and painfully here amongst men and doe all the good we can and use these bodies of ours to all the happy and blessed services we can why wee shall have glory more then we can imagine Let it comfort us in the houre of death what death soever we die or are designed to Now you know the sickenesse is abroad and alas those bodies especially are vile bodies that are under the visitation so then that their dearest friends dare not come neare them yet let this comfort us they are vile bodies for a time put case wee die the death that may hinder the comforts of this life Those that die in much honour and pompe and have their bodies imbalmed doe all what they can with the body it will come to dust and rottennesse it will be vile in death or after death at one time or other and those that die never so vile and violent a death for Gods sake those that die of this base death that they are deprived of much comfort yet let it comfort them Christ will transforme their vile bodies to be glorious They talke much of the Philosophers stone that it will change metals into gold here is the true Stone that will change our vile bodies to be glorious Let us die never so base or violent a death let us comfort our selves in our owne death if it be thus with us and in the death of our friends these vile bodies when they are most vile in death they shall be made like the glorious bodie of Christ. Let us oft thinke of these things FINIS BALAAMS VVISH In one Funerall Sermon upon NVMB. 23. 10. BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE PRO. 13. 4. The soule of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing LONDON Printed by E. Purslow for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes head Alley in Pater-Noster-Row 1639. BALAAMS VVISH NUMB. 23. 10. Let me dye the death of the Righteous and let my last end be like his THe false Prophet Balaam goes about to curse where God had blessed but God reveales his wonders in his Saints by delivering of them and keeping them from dangers when they never thinke of them they never thought they had such an enemy as Balaam The Church of God is a glorious company and the great God doth great things for it so long as they keepe close to him their state is impregnable as wee may read here neither Balak nor Balaam that was nired to curse them could prevaile but the curse returnes upon their own head These words I have read to you they are Balaams desire Balaams acclamation Diverse questions might be moved concerning Balaam which I will not stand upon but come directly to the words wherein are considerable these things First that the righteous men die and have an end as well as others Secondly that the state of the soule continues after death it was in vaine for him to desire to dye the death of the righteous but in regard of the subsistence of the soule Thirdly that the estate of righteous men in their end is a blessed estate because here it was the desire of Balaam oh that I might dye the death of the righteous Fourthly there is an excellent estate of Gods people and they desire that portion oh let mee dye the death of the righteous These are the foure things I shal unfold which discover the intendment of Balaam in these words For the first I wil touch it briefly so go on The righteous dye and in the same manner outwardly as the wicked doe For Christ in his first comming came not to redeeme our bodies from death but our soules from damnation his second comming shall be to redeeme our bodyes from corruption into a glorious liberty Therefore wise men dye as well as fooles those whose eyes and hands have beene lift up to God in prayer and whose feet have carried them to the holy place as well as those whose eyes are full of adultery and whose hands are full of blood they dye all alike in manner alike ofttimes it is the same in the eye of the world Death comes upon good and bad but to the good for their greater glory for the shell must be broken before they come to the pearle death it fits them for the blessed life after the body lying a while in the grave the soule being in the hands of God and death now it makes an end of sinne that brought in death and it makes us conformable to the son of God our elder brother that dyed for us The point is pregnant and full of gracious and serious meditations It should enforce this excellent duty that considering we have no long continuance here therefore while we are here to doe that wherefore we come into the world As a factor that is sent into a place to provide such goods before hand let us consider that here we are sent to get into a state of Salvation to get out of the state of nature into the state of grace to furnish our soules with grace to fit us for our dissolution to come let us not forget the main end of our living here considering we cannot be here long let us doe the worke that God hath put into our hands quickly and faithfully with all our might And let it enforce moderation to all earthly things the time is short therefore let those that use the world be as if they used it not c. Those friends that have bin joyned together will part therefore let us use our bodies and soules so that we may present them both comfortably to God Let us begge of God to make a right use of this fading condition But I hasten The second point is this that The estate of the soule continues after death For here he wisheth to die the death of the righteous not for any excellency in death but in regard of the subsistence and continuance of the soule after death Scripture and reason and nature enforceth this that the soule hath a subsistence of it selfe distinct from the life it communicates to the body There is a double life a life proper to the soule and the life it communicates to the body now when the life it communicates to the body is gone to dissolution it selfe hath a life in heaven And indeed it is in a manner the whole man for Abraham was Abraham when he was dead when his soule was in heaven and his body in the grave it is the
whole man And it discovers indeed that it hath a distinct life and excellency in it selfe by reason that it thwarts the desires of the body when it is in the body Reason if there be no grace in the soule that crosseth the inclination of the body grace much more And we see oft-times when the outward man is weake as in sicknesse c. then the Understanding Will and affections the inward man is most sublime and rapt unto heaven and is most wise Take a man that hath been besotted all his life time that hath beene drunke with the pleasures of a carnall life that hath beene a covetous wretch an earth-worme that enjoyes not heaven but lives as his wealth and lusts carry him in slavery yet at the houre of death when hee considers that he hath scraped together and considers the way that his lusts have lead him and that all must leave him now he begins to be wiâ—…e and speakes more discreetly hee can speake of the vanity of these things and how little good they can doe Indeed many way the most men are not wise untill that time therefore the soule of it selfe hath a distinct being because when the body is lowest it is most refined and strong in its operations Likewise it appeares by the projects that it hath of the time to come the soule especially of men that are of more elevated and refined spirits it projects for the time to come what shall become of the Church and Common-wealth what shall become of posterity and of reputation and credit in the world Certainly unlesse there were a subsistence of it selfe it would never looke so much before hand and lay the grounds of the prosperity of the Church and Common-wealth for the time to come I will not stand further on it but rather make some use of it Let us know which is our best part namely the soule that hath a being after death that we doe not imploy it to base uses for which it was not made nor given us doe we thinke that these soules of ours were made and given us to scrape wealth to travell in our affections to base things worse then our soules are they not capable of supernaturall and excellent things are they not capable of grace and glory of communion with God of the blessed stampe of the Image of God Let us use them therefore to the end that God gave them And let us not deserve so ill of our soules as to betray them to cast them in the dirt to lay our Crowne in the dust This is our excellency what can keepe our bodies from being a deformed loathsome thing if the soule be taken away yet so we abase this excellent part oft times we abase it to serve the base lusts of the body which is condemned to rottenesse What is the life of most men but a purveying and prouling for the body The lusts of the body set the wit and affections on worke to proule for it selfe what a base thing is this Were our soules given us for this end and especially considering this that our soules are immortall that they shall never die but be for ever let us not altogether spend this precious time that is given us to save our soules and to get the Image of God stamped upon them I say let us not spend this precious time in things that will leave us when our soules shall live still let us not carry the matter so that our soules shall out-live our happinesse All worldlings and base creatures they out-live their happinesse for where do they plant it in the base things of this life all their life long they are prouling for those things that they must leave when they die whereas their soules shall not die but everlastingly subsist What a misery is this that these soules of ours shall have a being when the things wherein we placed our happinesse and abused our soules to gaine them they shall have an end The soules of such men that seeke the things of this life shall have a being in eternall misery Indeed so it is for these soules of ours the same degree they have in excellency if they be used as they should if we doe not abase them the same degree they shall have in basenesse and misery if wee abuse them and make them slaves to earthly things For as the Devils the same degree they had of excellency when they were Angels the same degree they have in misery now they be Devils The more excellent the creature is when it keepes its excellency the more vile it is when it degenerates so these soules of ours that next to Angels are the most excellent creatures of God the more excellent it is if it get the Image of God stamped upon it and the new creature and have the life of grace the more cursed is the state of the soule if it subsist to everlasting misery It were happy if the soules of such creatures were mortall that labour for a happinesse in this life Oh! that we would thinke of this Most men in the bosome of the Church which is lamentable to thinke they live as if they had no soules They overturne the order that God hath set that hath given us our bodies to serve our soules they use all the strength and marrow of their wits all the excellencies in their soules for the base satisfaction of the lusts of the body so much for that point The third is that There is a wide broad difference betweene the death of the godly and of the wicked The godly are happy in their death for here we see it is a matter desirable This caitiffe this wretched man Balaam Oh! saith he Let me die the death of the righteaus and let my last end be like his It being the object of his desire it is therefore certainly precious the death of the righteous And indeed so it is holy and gracious men they are happy in their life while they live they are the sonnes of God the heirs of heaven they are set at liberty all things are theirs they have accesse to the Throne of grace all things worke for their good they are the care of Angels the Temples of the Holy-Ghost Glorious things are spoken of these glorious creatures even while they live But they are more happy in their death and most happy and blessed after death In their death they are happy in their disposition and happy in condition Happy in their disposition what is the disposition of a holy and blessed man at his end His disposition is by faith to give himselfe to God by which faith he dies in obedience he carries himselfe fruitfully and comfortably in his end And oft times the nearer he is to happinesse the more he layes about him to be fruitfull Besides his disposition he is happy in condition for death is a sweet close God and he meet grace and glory meete he
is in heaven as it were before his time What is death to him The end of all misery of all sin of body and soule it is the beginning of all true happinesse in both This I might shew at large but I have spoken somewhat of this point out of another Text. They are happy in their death for their death is precious in Gods sight the Angels are ready to doe their attendance to carry their soules to the place of happinesse They are happy in their death because they are in the Lord when death severs soule and body yet notwithstanding neither soule nor body are severed from Christ They die in the Lord therefore still they are happy Much might be said to this purpose and to good purpose but that the point is ordinary and I hasten to presse things that I thinke will a little more confirme it They are blessed in death And blessed after death especially for then we know they are in heaven waiting for the resurrection of the body There is a blessed change of all for after death we have a better place better company better imployment all is for the better There are three degrees of life The life in the wombe this world heaven The life in the wombe is a kind of imprisonment there the child lives for a time The life in this world it is a kind of inlargement but alas it is as much inferiour to the blessed and glorious life in heaven as the life in the wombe is narrower and straiter and and more base then this life wherein wee behold the blessed light and enjoy all the sweet comforts of this life They are happy after death then the Image of God is perfect in the soule all graces are perfected all wants supplied all corruptions wrought out all enemies subdued all promises accomplished waiting their time for the resurrection of the body and then body and soule shall sit as Judges upon the wretches that have judged them on earth and they shall be both together for ever with the Lord. I might enlarge the point much it is a comfortable meditation And before I passe it let us make some use of it If godly men be blessed and happy not onely before death in the right and title they have to heaven but in death because then theâ—… are invested into possession of that that makes them every way happy Therefore this may teach us who are truly wise A wise man is he that hath a better end then another and works to that end A true Christian man he hath a better end then any worldling his end is to be safe in another world and hee works and carries his forces to that end Let my last end be like his saith Balaam insinuating that there was a better end inregard of condition and state then he had aymed at A gracious man his end is not to be happy here his end is to enjoy everlasting communion with God in the heavens and hee frames all his courses in this world to accomplish that end and he is never satisfied in the things that make to that end A worldling he hath no such end he hath a naturall desire to be saved as wee shall see afterwards but a man may know that it is not his end for hee workes not to it He is not satisfied in prouling for this world he is not weary of getting wealth hee is not satisfied with pleasure so that his end is the things of this life Therefore let him be never so wise he is but a foole for he hath not the true end nor workes to it Wicked men are very fooles in the manner of their reasoning for they will grant that there is a happy estate of godly men in death and after death better if it be so why doe they not worke and frame their lives to it Herein they are fooles because they grant one thing and not another which must needs follow they doe beleeve there is such a happinesse to Gods children and yet seeke not after it If there be such a blessed estate of Gods children in death and after death I beseech you let us carry our selves so as that wee may be partakers of that happinesse let us labour to be righteous men labour to be in Christ to have the righteousnesse of Christ to be ours to be out of our selves in Christ in Christ in life in Christ in death and at the day of Judgment in Christ not having our owne righteousnesse as the Apostle saith but his righteousnesse and then the righteousnesse of grace and of a good conscience will alway goe with the other For this makes a righteous man to be in Christ and to have his righteousnesse and to have his spirit and the beginnings of the new creature in us Let us labour to be such as may live and die happily and blessedly and be for ever happy So much for that third point That which I intend mainly to dwell on is the last and that is this that Even a wicked man a wretched worldling may see this hee may know this happinesse of Gods people in death and for ever and yet notwithstanding may continue a cursed wretch Balaam here wishes Oh that I might die the death of the righteous and that my last end might be like his It was a strange speech of such a man as this was that his soule should be rapt up in this manner but indeed Balaam was scarse himselfe hee scarce understood what he said no more then the beast that carryed him But God will sometimes even stirre up the hearts of wicked men to a sight and admiration of the excellent estate of Gods children why For diverse reasons Among the rest for this that he may convince them the more of their owne rebellion when they see a more excellent estate then they are in if they will not take the course to partake of it Therefore at the day of Judgement it will justifie the sentence of damnation upon such wretches and they may pronounce selfe condemnation upon themselves Oh! what a terrour will it be when they shall thinke I had a better estate discovered I heard of it in the ministery of the Word and Gods Spirit revealed an excellent estate and I might have gotten it if I had improoved the blessed meanes that God made me partaker of and now I am shut out for ever and ever from communion in that estate To convince wretched men I say and to justifie the just sentence of damnation upon them that their hearts may goe with the sentence at the day of Judgement God thus enlightens them oftentimes that they see better courses if they had grace to take them What a thing is this that a wicked man should see such an estate and not take it And what serves that knowledge for but to damne them the more This is the estate of many men that live in the bosome of the Church and
the deed 2 102 Who are truly wise 2 83 Word sâ—… Tremble Christians course opposite to the world 2 39 World how to be used 2 75 Workes see covenant Z How to know God is our God by our Zeale 2 128 FINIS Artis est celare artem Non ex personis probamus fidem sed ex fide personas Tertul. Novemb 5. Ioshua 6. 1 King 16. 34. Numb 14. Doct. 1. Men naturally trust to somewhat Rom. 10. Issue of false confidence dangerous 2 Cor. 10. 3 things in man by nature 1 False reasonings 2 Proud thoughts 3 Fore-casts of danger Vse Trial of our trust Observ. 2. God overturnes vaine confidence in the creature Proverb 6. Isay 50. Vse Ier. 20. Observ. 3. God dothit by weake meanes Reason That God may have the glory Digression Quest. Answ. Observ. 4. It is by faith in the use of means Rom. 4. Quest. Answ. Faith said to doe that which God doth Why only faith is named 1 Kingdom of Sathan resembled by wals of Iericho 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Coloss. 2. 2 Our owne corruptions 3 The Kingdom of Antichrist Luther Edward 6. The means to cast down the wals of mystical Iericho 1 The preaching of the word Quest. Answ. How to prevent the building the wals of spiritual Iericho 1 2 2 Thess. 2. 3 4 5 6 How to prevent our own destruction Ezek. 17. Isay 10. Gen. 15. Vse To set against Popery by faith Luther To set against our corruptions by faith Quest. Why God doth not subdue corruption at 〈◊〉 Answ. Quest. Answ. How to strengthen faith in the fall of our corruptions Iudg. 5. 3 4 Difference betweene Christians and others To labour for faith To try if vve have faith Scope of the words Blessing of Ministers to be regarded Custodes utriusque tabulae Not to curse particular persons Why God would not have Iericho built againe As a monument of Gods mercy and justice 2. It was dedicate to God 3 For terrour to the rest of the people 4 To draw others to come in 5 God would have it so The specification of the curse 1 King 16. 34. 3 God threatneth before he strike 1 Cor. 11. 32 To move us to turne to him Punishment proportionable to the sin Death of the First-borne a great judgement Why God sometimes punisheth parents in their children Quest. Answ. 1 King 16. 34. The words handled by way of Analogie Men build Iericho againe By retaining Iewish Ceremonies August 2 By reviving old heresies 3 By breaking statutes and wils 4 By upholding Popery Quest. Answ. How Popery sprang up How it is pulled downe Quest. Answ. How this Jeri cho is built againe Quest. Answ. How to stop the building of this Iericho 1 Knowledge of their tenents 2 Of their practise 2 â—…im 4. 2 To instruct young ones in grounds of divinity 3 To set up lights in darke place 4 To cherish good learning 5 To labour for Vnity 6 To be thankefull 7 To set against our corruptions Application concerning the feast of the nativity To consider our course of life Christs sentence unavoidable To tremble at Gods word Observ. God shewes himselfe to the understanding creature Man must not appoint how to serve God The knowledge of God by the creatures insufficient Observ. 2. God is willing to be known That God doth not shine on us is our owne fault Observ. 3. Gods goodnes communicative Or else he had not created the world Gods willingnesse to bestow his goodnesse Quest. Answ. No envie in God Two things wherein we are like God August Observ. The ground of obedience application 1 Gods truth belongs to all 2 Ground of necessitie of application A principle of Application Vse To beg the spirit of application Deut. 29. Danger of not applying the word 1 We dishonour God 〈◊〉 We rejoyce the Devill 3 We injure our selves We seeke God by his strength Davids obedience 1 Present 2 Pliable Psal. 110. Act. 4. 3 Perfect or sincere 4. Professed or resolute 5 Perpetuall Observ. Obedience to God sutable to his command 1 Pet. 3. To alleage the promise to God 1. In trouble Psal. 50. 2 In want 3 For acceptation Prov. 3. Prov. 13. 1 Pet. 4. Psal. 119. Nehem. 1. Psal. 119. What implied by seeking Ground of seeking Christians are seekers Psalme 24. Presence of God 1. Every where In the creatures 3 In necessitie 4 In the issue of all 5 In the Ordinances Revel 1. In seeking Gods face there is 1. Observance Prov. 29. 26. Psalme 62. 2 Dependance 3 Seeke Gods favour Psalme 4. To pray to him 5 To seeke him in his ordinances Use. Direction to seeke Gods face 1. Know him and our selves To know God in Christ. 2. Seeke Gods favour first 3 With pure consciences Psalme 66. Psalme 24. 3. Gen. 32. Seeke God in extremity Psal. 46. Psal. 23. Difference of men in extremitie To seeke God in his ordinances Prov. 1. To seeke God betimes Psalm 63. Incouragements to seeke Gods face Philip. 4. One faith from the beginning of the world Perseverance in faith Doct. Faith carries a Christian through all the passages of his life Quest. Answ. To die in faith what 1 In respect of the time past 2 The time present Psal. 16. 5. 3 The time to come Faith overcomes all that is terrible in death The horror of the grave 2 Tim. 1. 12. The pangs of death Parting of soule and body Losse of friends Company and imployment 1 Cor. 3. 16. Use. To labour for faith Death terrible Object Answ. Christians die in faith notwithstanding distempers Christians may want feeling As men live so they die God deales with men by promises Faith lookes on God by the promise Why he saith promises Promises to be oft thought on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser. God doth not reveale all things at all times To comfort all ages of the Church To be thankfull for what wee have Vnthankefulnesse Order of Gods Spirit working The eye of faith Things affect as present What kind of eye faith hath Faith sees afarre off 1 In regard of place 2. Time 1. Past. 2. To come Sight of faith quicke Things requisite to sight 1 Cor. 2. 10. 11. Quest. Answ. Sight of faith necessary Quest. Answ. Faith lookes to Gods power and truth Use. To labour for strong sight of faith Quest. Answ. Three things in a strong sight 1 When the thing seene is farre off 2 When there are clouds betweene 3 When there is little light To helpe the sight of faith 1 Take heed that Satan blind not Simile 2 Desire God to open our eyes 3 Get a sight of corruption Perswasion followes sight Sight convinceth Especially with taste Perswasion supernaturall Perswasion what Degrees to perswasion 1 Conjecture 2 Opinion 3 Knowledge from argument 4 Perswasion from authority of the speaker And some experience Degrees in this perswasion 1. In generall 2. Particular Spirituall perswasion necessary Quest. Answ. Sound perswasion is with particular interest Conviction double Quest. Answ. Particular perswasion sometimes weake God suspends
the knowledge of being in a good estate 1 To humble us Quest. Answ. How to know Gods children in losse of assurance Psalme 73. Vsually Gods children have particular perswasion Quest. Answ. If perswasion be not supernaturall 1 There will not be obedience 2 No holding out 3 No fruitfulnes Quest. Answ. Perswasion wrought by the spirit Quest. Answ. How the spirit perswades The manner of working this perswasion 1. Sweetly 2. strongly A strong work to perswade the soule Deut. 29. Use. To labour for spirituall perswasion 2 Cor. 2. 10 11. To begge the spirit Luke 11. Use. To desire God to perswade us God perswades with enlightning Evidence that we are not perswaded Faith makes much of what it hath Imbracing followes perswasion Triall of our estate by imbracing 2. Branches of faith To trie our està te by our affections Faith carries the whole soule The soule made for heavenly things Love of earthly things abaseth the soule What quiets the soule Micah 2. Want of faith scene by want of affections How to know nature is corrupted To shame our selves in want of affections To pray for affections Quest. Answ. What affections imbrace good things Gen. 17. 3. Quest. Answ. How this imbracing is wrought 1. By supernaturall knowledge To let goe other things Keepe the affections tender To meditate of Gods love in Christ. The excellency and necessitie of the good we hope for The hopefulnesse of them Iohn 17. Case Sol. Why the affections of Gods children are somtimes dead Scope of the words Difference betweene pilgrims and strangers Doct. Gods people strangers on earth Christians borne anew from heaven Heaven a Christians Country 1 Chron. 29. 15. August Christ a stranger on earth Iohn 1. We must have affection of strangers The Patriarchs strangers 1. In their owne esteeme Psal. 39. 12. 2. In Gods esteeme 3. In the worlds esteeme Object Answ. Wicked men how strangers here The carriage oâ—… him that is a stranger 1. He is going toward his country 2. Hee is contented Jerem. 45. 3. Patient 4. Thankefull The way to heaven smoother to some 5. He is glad of company 6. They minde their journies end 7. Though he step out of his way he comes in againe 8. He provides for all incumbrances 9. Inquires of the way 10. He useth things as they may help in his journey Indifferent things Apparent sins I Peter 2. 11. Hâ—… values not himselfe by outward things Dependance of the words A Christian dead how Life of a Christian hidden Psal 73. 7. Object Answer Question Answer 2 Cor. 4. Question Answer Iohn 17. 2 Thess. 1. 10. Rom. 8. Quest. Answer 1 Cor. 15. Quest. Answer Simile 1 Tim. 6. 13. 2 1 Pet. 1. 1 Thess. 4. Simile Simile Simile Iohn 14. 1. Quest. Answer Revel 1. Act. 9. 1 Cor. 15. Rom. 5. 1. Quest. Answer Rom. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 1 Thess. 4. Observ. 1. The righteous die as well as the wicked Vse 1. To improoveâ—… the short time of life Vse 2. To use the world moderatly Observ. 2. The soule continues after death Life of the soule double 1 Reason It crosses the desires of the bodie 2 Reason It operates most in the bodies weakenesse 3 Reason It projects for the time to come Vse To use our soules to the end they were given Worldly men out live their happinesse Observ. 3. Great difference between the death of the godly and the wicked 1 The godly happy in life 2 In death 1 In disposition 2 In condition * See the Sermons on Philip 3. 21. 3 After death Three degrees of life Vse Who truly wise Godly mans end what Vse 2. To labour to partake of this happinesse Righteous man who A wicked man may know the happy estate of Gods children Reason 1. To justify God in their condemnation Reason 2. To restraine their malice Degrees of wicked men Vse Not to refuse all that ill men say Vse 2. To go beyond wicked men in our desires Difference of desires in true Christians others 1 They are notâ—… constant 2 They are not from an inward principle 5 They are not growing desires Cant. 1. 6 They are not strong Desires the best character of a christian 7 They desire happines not holinesse Wicked men desire not heaven aright Simile Conviction of such as come short of Balaam Directionshow to have holy desires 1 Beg the spirit of revelation Simile See what hinders good desires To â—…cherish good motions To renewe our covenants Question Answer Quest. Answer Why men want comfort in death Objection Answer When God accepts the will for the deed Objection Answer God leaves not good desires Gal. 2. Zach. 13. Gen 15. 1. Psal. 84. 1. The Arke a figure of Baptism in divers respects 2. Parts of the Text. 2. Parts of Baptisme The Devill carries to extreames Men prone to give too much to outward worship Psal. 50. Isay 1. Isay ult Reason outward performances easie and glorious 2. They dawbe Conscience Vse To performe inward service 2 Tim. 3. Vse 2. Ministers duty Christ the foundation of the Covenant of Grace Observ. There must be somewhat in us to make use of that is in Christ. Reas. 1. From the nature of the Covenant Reas. 2. Where agreement is there is a like disposition Vse To search our hearts for the evidence of our estate Covenant of grace why so called Demand of conscience proceedes from the answer of it Good conscience what Three degrees of a good conscience A troubled good Conscience 2. A peaceable good Conscience 3. A gracious good Conscience Heb. 13. Double ground of comfort Quest. Ans. How to know a good Conscience though troubled 1. If it answer God in trouble 2. By allowing Gods truth 3. By acknowledging Gods goodnesse Psal. 73. Quest. Ans. A man may know when he doth things graciously Ans. How to know what we doe from a good Conscience 1. It answeres towards God 2. From an inward principle Object Ans. Why Children are Baptised Simile Baptisme binds when we come to yeares Covenant in Baptisme Those that live in sins against Conscience renounce their Baptisme Exhortation to get this answer of a good Conscience Marke 9. Cant. 6. Psal. 51. How to get the answer of a good Conscience To make use of our Baptism 1. Against temptations to sin 2. In temptations to discouragment Ier. 3. 2. To distrust Comfort from the answer of a good Conscience Levit. 26. Verse 5. Psal. 41. Gal. 4. Psal. 109. Colos. 3. Simile Prov. 12. 18.
there be a sutablenesse of obedience to the word thereafter as the word is Let us have a spirituall desire to these things to imitate the holy man of God as we desire to share in his comforts I will follow this point of the answerablenesse of obedience a little further and then come to the particular of seeking Let our obedience bee every way answerable first let the heart thinke what God saith what God commands and promiseth let the heart take the word of God the second time and ruminate on it and goe over it againe Let us looke into the word and see what is commanded and what is promised and then let the heart goe over it againe And then upon that all eage it to God Put case a man be in trouble Lord thou hast commanded Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will bâ—…re thee Psal. 50. Let the heart thinke of it and goe over that incouragement it is rather an incouragement then a command though indeed God lay a command on us to be good to our own soules it is a duty to love our selves Therefore he commands us to goe to him to seeke his face as though wee wronged him by disobedience when wee injure our selves by our peevishnesse as indeed we doe God loves us better then we love our selves let us thinke of the command and invitation thou hast commanded mee Lord and incouraged mee to come I am now in trouble experience teacheth me I come to thee thou hast said He that sitteth in darknesse and seeth no light let him trust in the name of the Lord. I am in darkenesse and see no light now I trust in thy name let the heart thinke of the promise and then alleage it to God and come with an obedient answer and cast it self upon him and trust in him We are in want perhaps and see no issue no supply thinke of Gods gracious promise I will not faile thee nor forsake thee I come to thee and claim this promise I am in covenant with thee c. So wee should take the promise thou hast said At what time soever a sinner comes to thee with a repentant heart thou wilt forgive his iniquities and though his sins were 〈◊〉 scarlet thou wilt make them as snow and white as wooll my soule thinkes of that command and I come to thee Thou hast bid all that are wearie and 〈◊〉 laden in soule that are troubled in conscience with the sense of their sins to come unto thee my heart thinkes of thy command and invitation I come to thee I am weary and heavie laden First let us thinke of the incouragement that is our warrant and then yeeld present obedience And then what will bee the issue what will spring from it when the heart and obedience joyn with the command that there is a meeting that they concentrate the heart and obedience God bids the heart obey the heart saith I doe obey when these meet the issue must bee exceeding comfortable it cannot be otherwise When the obedient heart meets God in his command in his promise In all perplexity of busines Commit thy way to the Lord and hee shall establish thy thoughts Prov. 3. Prov. 13. and other places Lord I commit my wayes to thee establish my thoughts and designes agreeable to thy will because thou hast bid mee commit my wayes to thee In the houre of death let us commend our selves to God as to a gracious and mercifull Creator 1 Pet. 4. Lord I commend to thee my soule who art the Creator of my soule and the Redeemer of it here is an obedience answerable what can be the issue of it but comfort Therefore let us learne by the example of this blessed man that when he had but a hint from God seeke yee my face answers Thy face Lord will I seeke Faith will see light at a little crevice when it sees an incouragement once a command it will soone answer and when it sees a promise halfe a promise it will welcome it it is an obedient thing The obedience of faith it beleeves and upon beleeving it goes to God As the servants of the King of Assyria they catch the word presently Thy servant Benhadad so faith it catcheth the word To put God in mind it is an excellent thing with the Prophet whosoever penned the 119. Psalme whether David or some other Remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust As it is Nehem. 1. Remember Lord hee puts God in mind of his promise and so it is good often to put God in mind Lord thou hast made such and such promises I know thou canst not deny thy selfe if thou shâ—…uldest deny thy word thou must deny thy selfe thy word is thy selfe Remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust If I be deceived thou hast deceived mee for thou hast given me this promise and this command This is an excellent way to deale with God as it were to wrastle with him By tâ—… promise thou hast quickned me Psal. 119. Wheâ—… I was dull and dead hearted then I thought oâ—… such and such a promise I alleage that promise and apply it by a spirit of faith and that quickned me And indeed as I said God hath made us fit to answer him and wee should study in all things to returne unto him by his spirit whatsoever God doth the heart should returne back againe love for love knowledge for knowledge seeking for seeking chusing for chusing He begins with us he chuseth us he loves us he seekes us and wee if ever we intend to be friends with God and to entertaine a holy communion as all that shall be saved must doe we should labour to have our hearts to returne to God what wee find from God first Thy face Lord will I seeke To come more particularly to this seeking which is the particular of the obedience and of the application Thy face Lord will I seeke Seeking implies that our happinesse is out of our selves it implies that there is somewhat in our selves in the application to which there must be some happinesse therefore wee goe out of our selves to seeke It is a motion and it is out of an apprehension of some want a man seekes out of some want or out of some losse or out of some duty Ether hee hath losse and therefore hee seekes or else hee wants and therefore he seeks or else he owes respect and dutie and therefore he seekes it is somewhat without a man that moves his seeking God need not seeke the creature hee hath all fulnesse in himselfe Indeed his love makes him seeke for our love to bee reconciled to him But the creature because his happinesse is out of himselfe in communion with God the Fountaine of all good he must seeke Christians must be Seekers This is the generation of Seekers Psal. 24. All mankind if ever they will
thing A man may say to such a soule it shall finde peace at the length for Gods wayes are unsearchable GOD hath cause and reason why he keepes such a soule under for a time and withholds some sense and perswasion but usually GODS comforts come more abundantly to such a soule he reserves it for the time of affliction or the houre of death The truth is it is a constant rule that though it may be thus with some in some cases yet ordinarily Gods children may be perswaded of their particular condition yea and they ought to labour after this perswasion and assurance that their soules may be filled with marrow and fatnesse and that they may joy in God and have boldnesse to come before God in prayer that they may be fruitfull in all holy duties that they may be strong to suffer afflictions and to resist temptations Therefore though God sometimes in his wise dispensation suffer them to be hindred yet not withstanding this is a thing that is both attainable and that they ought to labour for and never give their hearts rest till they attaine to it I say wee ought to labour for it for the soule is never in such a frame as it ought to be but when it hath gotten some assurance of Gods love But I must adde this we must labour that this perswasion be supernaturall by the spirit of God both of the truths in generall of the promises in generall and of our interest in particular in them we must labour that it be by the spirit to our spirits that the spirit may seale them to our spirits For it is not sufficient to know the word of God to be the word of God and the promises to be the promises because we have beene brought up in them and can say them by heart and it were a shame for us to conceive the contrary that is not sufficient for that will deceive us Wee must labour as I said of knowledge that we may be supernaturally convinced so also that is from that knowledge that it may be spirituall or else it will deceive us How doe we prove that To make it a little clearer because it is a point of some consequence even as I shewed of what consequence the sight of faith is so I may say of this perswasion We must labour therefore to know how we come by this perswasion and whether it be such as we can hold out in whether it be such by which wee can stand out in the time of temptation If there be nothing but that argument of breeding and of generall light of discourse that we see one thing how it followes from another I say it will deceive us because constant obedience will never follow upon such a perswasion nor constant holding out to death nor constancy in death if the conscience be once awaked neither will wee be fruitfull in our lives and conversations To make this cleare If the soule be not perswaded by the spirit of God together with the spirit of the Scripture for the same spirit that is in the Scripture must be in our spirit working our natures sutable to the Scriptures to be holy if we doe not by that spirit by which the Scripture was endited know those truths we shall never be obedient to them not constantly For what is the reason that men when they are told God doth forbid you to take his name in vaine God forbids you to seeke after earthly things God forbids you by the Scriptures to defile your vessels he forbids you to seeke these things below he forbids you these courses Now a man that hath knowledge that is not supernaturall that hath it not by the spirit he heares these things with a kind of scorne and despiseth them as nicities he never maks scruple of these things because he knows they are forbidden or commanded of God because he heares so but he hath not knowne by the spirit of God that penned the Scriptures that these indeed are Gods divine truths the spirit hath not sealed these truths to his soule this is Gods word he hath not felt it in converting his soule in mortifying his corruptions in raising him being cast down in working wonders in his conscience in bringing all into a spirituall subjection When he hath not felt the word worke thus for all his generall knowledge by education and breeding and reading he may be a disobedient wretch and live and die a rebell and bitter opposite against the power of grace because he hath not knowledge of the word of God and of particular truths by the spirit of God it is no perswasion of the spirit And this is that that men wonder at that know not the mystery of these things to see great Schollers men of great knowledge perhaps Divines that are Preachers to others to see such an one vicious to see him carnally disposed as others when a man seeth this hee thinkes what doe you talke of the word of God if there were such a thing men that know these things must needs lead their lives after the rule It is no wonder the devill hath knowledge enough but he is no divine at all because he hath it from his nature being a spirit so a man may be a devill incarnate he may have knowledge of these things and yet no true divine But hee that is taught by the spirit of God the things in the word of God the spirit workes a taste in them Historicall truths are knowne by their owne light there is no such need of the spirit to discover them but the promises and threatnings and such things are knowne by the spirit a man feeles the power of the word of God then a man is convinced otherwise if the spirit doe not reveale these things a man will never obey but be rebellious And as there will be no obedience so there will be no holding out in time of perill and temptation The perswasion that a carnall man hath that is not a sanctified perswasion it will not hold out in the houre of death in the time of temptation in strong temptation either on the right hand by preferments and favours or on the left hand by threatnings and persecutions it is but a seeming perswasion when any thing comes that is stronger than it it will not hold when there is afflictions and persecutions in the Church we see many excellent learned men hold not out in their profession Why they were drawne to the profession of Religion by dependance on such kind of men or they only followed religion as they saw reason for it or they have been so bred in it c. Now reason may bee brought against reason when men have no other motives then these when persecution comes that they must loose their preferments or their friends or their life they fall away altogether because that perswasion that they seemed to have before it was no spirituall perswasion wrought from intrinsecall
grounds of divine truth that hath a majesty and a spiritualnesse in it selfe but it was meerely wrought out of forraine grounds Now we see a meaner man that hath his knowledge wrought by the spirit of God the same spirit seales that knowledge to him with the word of God that indited the Scripture and acted the holy men of God that wrote the Scriptures As his portion is incomparably great so he is perswaded of his interest in those good things the same spirit that convinceth him of the truth and of the certainty of the things it convinceth him likewise of his part in them and this supernaturall perswasion together with his interest in those good things perswaded of sets downe the soule so as it will not move he holds out in persecution because he hath felt the worke of divine truth in his soule he hath found the spirit of God casting him downe and raysing him up to comfort therefore he holds out in his perswasion in all tryalls and never apostatizeth from that estate and condition And so for unfruitfulnesse in conversation notwithstanding all those motives we have in the word of God a man that is not convinced spiritually of those excellent things he goes on deadly as if there were no motives because the spirit of God hath not sealed them to his spirit hee hath not given him an apprehension of the divine incouragements wrapped up in the promises in the Scripture and when death and danger come for the most part such men are desperate notwithstanding all their learning and knowledge literall that they have For it will not hold water all knowledge that is not wrought by the spirit of God sealing divine truth to the soule with some evidence of the power of it it will not hold out in the tryall all Especially when Satan with his fiery darts comes with strong temptations for the soule never felt the working power of the word It feeles then the temptation it apprehends the poysonfull fiery temptation but it hath not so inwardly digested the truths of the spirit and therefore is surprized with the horrour and spaire there is not wrought in heart an deexperimentall feeling of knowledge and therfore the heart cannot beat backe the temptation When the Devill shall come and tell men you have beene thus and thus and they have not felt the truth of that they seemed to believe conscience tels them it is true I have heard and read such and such things I never believed them they never sunke deepely into my heart when temptation shall bee nearer the soule then the truth shall bee when temptation presseth sore they are swallowed up of despaire therefore let us labour that our generall knowledge from the word and our particular knowledge and perswasion that it may be spirituall Now how doth the spirit worke this particular perswasion I answer the spirit of God workes it in the soule together with the word the spirit and the word goe together All the men in the world cannot perswade the soule without the spirit of God joyne Paul preached but God opened Lidia's heart We have it not of our selves it must come from without from Gods spirit opening our eyes and perswading and convincing our hearts God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Sem no creature can do it it is passive it is said here they were perswaded That perswasion that is sound that carries a man to heaven by which hee dies in faith 〈◊〉 must be from the spirit of God All the words of the ministery and all reasons nothing will do it but God God must perswade thesoule Now what doth the spirit here The spirit enlightens the understanding which I spake of before it opens the understanding in perswasion it doth propound arguments and motives from the excellency of the things promised and the priviledges of religion and the good things we have by Christ c. and together with propounding these excellent incouragements and motives the spirit strongly works upon the disposition upon the will and affections it works upon the soule and so doth perswade and convince And thereupon comes imbracing which I shall have occasion to speake of afterward The soule being perswaded imbraceth Now this perswasion is not only by propounding of arguments by the word and spirit but likewise a working upon the will from whence there followes an inclination of the will and an imbracing of the things wee are perswaded of For let all the arguments in the world bee brought to a man to perswade him that God will be mercifull to him in Christ tell him of the free offer Whosoever will let him come in all that will a large offer let him joyne to that offer of mercie the inviting Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you a sweete inviting Ioyne with the invitation a command it is his command that wee should believe in his son Iesus let him strengthen that command with the threatning he that believes not is damned already Let a man remove all objections that the soule can make of its unworthines Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you though you groane under the burden of your sinne Let a man object againe I have nothing worthy in my selfe Why come and buy though you have no money Let him strengthen all these proposalls with examples of the mercy of God to Manasses to Peter to Paul a persecutor to Mary Magdalen and the like let all these arguments be wondrous effectually propounded the soule will not yeeld unlesse Gods spirit joyne with these arguments and all in that kind and convince the soule of our particular interest in these things and perswade the will to imbrace these things offered That God hath reserved in his own power to bring our hearts and the promises together to bring our hearts and divine truths together Let there be never so much set before us in the ministery he hath reserved this prerogative and authority that our hearts and the truth should close together to imbrace them in hearing All things depend upon the spirit when we doe not regard the spirit in hearing and reading c. Let all the things the Scripture hath be propounded and set on with all the excellency and eloquence that may be GOD hath reserved it to himselfe by his spirit to give faith to perswade our soules that these belong to us and to incline and draw the will I have shewed you then the kinds of perswasion generall and particular and how it is wrought by the spirit that unlesse this perswasion be wrought by the spirit we shall never hold out in it though we have all the arguments in the world we shall be disobedient Disobedience comes when things are not discovered by the spirit and apostacie when the perswasion is not wrought by the spirit and desperation when the knowledge is not spirituall Now the
manner is by removeing contratraries and moving the heart and drawing it With the word of man God enters into the very will and affections for as hee made the soule and framed it so hee knowes how to worke upon it and to draw it sweetly by reasons but yet strongly that it may be carried to the things revealed GOD at the same time workes strongly by carrying the soule and sweetly with reasons For God first comes into the soule by divine light by reasâ—… â—…nd then he sinkes into the soule by his spirit â—…o draw the soule to these reasons without this we never yeeld to those reasons but stand â—…ut in rebellion GOD perswades the soule sweetly of the â—…ruth by shewing a man the goodnesse of it and â—…he sutablenesse to our condition and the reasons of it how they agree to our nature hee doth not force the soule but doth it with reasons and arguments sweetly And â—…e doth it strongly that the soule when it is perswaded would not for all the world bee of another mind it is so strong that the perswasion and â—…he promises are stronger then the temptations of Saran and the corruptions of the â—…esh or then the candals of the world that nothing â—…an separate us from Christ nothing can drive â—…s from our faith and hope the perswasion is â—…et so strongly upon the soule because it is a divine perswasion It is a strong worke to perswade the soule For the spirit of God When it brings a light into the soule it brings agreat many graces with it when it shines upon the soule and discovers better things it brings other graces â—…o perswade and to imbrace the things it discovers As it is an infinite mercy and goodnesse of God to discover to our soules such excellent things as we may be perswaded of as if 〈◊〉 estate to be such as indeed it is above our 〈◊〉 prehension in this world neither eye hath 〈◊〉 nor â—…are heard nor hath entred into the heart 〈◊〉 man the things that God hath prepared for 〈◊〉 that love him so likewise it is Gods infinite worke of power to frame the soule to be perswaded of this it is as mâ—…ch power to 〈◊〉 the soule to this perswasion as it is mercy 〈◊〉 discover them in a manner there is such 〈◊〉 ward rebellion and distrust in the soule 〈◊〉 ling these truths into question as if theâ—… things were too good to be true Considerâ—… our owne unworthinesse and vilenesse 〈◊〉 the excellency of these things laying theâ—… together the unbelieving heart of man 〈◊〉 prone to unbeliefe above all other sinnes 〈◊〉 can hardly conceive that there are such thinâ—… for Gods children except the heart be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tily wrought on unlesse together with 〈◊〉 swasion there be some worke in the soule whence it may gather by the work of the spirit that they are those to whom such good things belong because the spirit of God hath singâ—…ed them out and set his seale and stampe on them above other men by some evidenceâ—… of grace It is another manner of worke then the world takes it to be For as I said before together with the Scripture there must a spirit of perswasion goe there is a secâ—…et messengeâ—… goes with the outward peech both of the preacher and of the Scripture or else all the â—…guments will not be to purpose they will be â—…f no efficacy As the Israelites they had arguments and â—…otives enow to perswade them of Gods love â—…nd care to them yet notwithstanding GOD â—…ave them not a heart Deut. 29. In Christs â—…me what miracles did they see yet their â—…earts were hardned because God together â—…ith his shining in the outward meanes did â—…ot subdue the rebellion of their wiâ—… and afâ—…ections and therefore the more they saw â—…he more they were hardned the Scribes and â—…harisees and some of their desperate folâ—…owers Well then considering that the spirit doth â—…his great worke let us labour that our knowâ—…edge may be spirituall that our perswasion of divine truth in generall and our part and â—…ortion in divine truth that it may bee spirituâ—…ll for as Saint Paul divinely and excellentâ—…y sets it downe 2 Cor. 2. 10 11. that as no â—…an knowes the things that are in man but the spiâ—…it that is in man so no man knowes the things of Gods word divine truths nor his part and porâ—…ion and interest in them but by the spirit of God If wee bring the Engine of our owne â—…it and parts to Gods truth â—…o sermons and â—…ookes wee may never be the better if wee â—…ome not with a spirituall intention with â—…everent and humble hearts and implore the â—…eaching of the spirit that together with the revelation of the word there may beeâ—… 〈◊〉 ving of the vaile by the spirit that vvith 〈◊〉 outwâ—…rd teaching there may bee the inwarâ—… teaching of the spirit that with the 〈◊〉 opening the â—…are there may be the opening 〈◊〉 the hearâ—… that he that hath the key of 〈◊〉 may open and inoline and perswade the 〈◊〉 that hee may perswade Iaphet as the Scripâ—… phrase is It is facâ—…legious presumption to come 〈◊〉 holy places and to set upon holy duties 〈◊〉 heare or read the word of God without 〈◊〉 ting up our hearts to God for his holy 〈◊〉 We cannot plow without his Heifer Can 〈◊〉 know the mind of God without the 〈◊〉 God What arrogancy is this to thinâ—… 〈◊〉 be saved and the spirit never tell us with 〈◊〉 word so but it is only a presumpâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a sacrilegious surpation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods glory The spirit of God knowâ—… 〈◊〉 things are in God towards us and reveales 〈◊〉 our spirits Gods inward love to us The 〈◊〉 â—…eacheth us to know the things that are 〈◊〉 God Wee only know the good that Gâ—… meanes us by his owne 〈◊〉 and therefore let us labour every day more and more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall and heavenly minded And above all things to make it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our desires as it 〈◊〉 Luke 11. to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirit he will give his holy spirit to them that 〈◊〉 it it is the best and the chiele gilt of all 〈◊〉 this makes our knowledge heavenly our 〈◊〉 swasion heavenly and sound and constant in â—…e and death And this spirit carries the whole soule with it this spirit makes us like the word of GOD because it is spirituall it makes us so and we love it in our inward man and consent to it and joy in it Whereas naturally there is inward rebellion in the greatest Scholler in the world against the word of God the heartriseth against divine truths they are as opposite as fire and water as heaven and hell The proud heart of man slights the promises of mercy as nothing to petty things of the world it slights the comforts of the word to carnall comforts and the Commandements of GOD in respect of the commandements of men The proud man
the eye sees the heart imbraceth in good And in what measure our eye sight of heavenly things is clearer and our perswasion stronger in that measure our imbracing is lovely and full of joy and delight Therefore let us labour to grow in knowledge in supernaturall spirituall knowledge and that our perswasion may be stronger every day more and more for answerable to that our affections will grow and will be carried to the things discovered And there is nothing more effectuall to commend knowledge to us then this that it is a meanes to work a holy and heavenly disposition and temper in us especially if it be spirituall And let us meditate upon what wee seeme to know and are perswaded of let us dwell upon things still to work them upon the will and affections let us dwell upon them till our hearts bee warmed well with the things knowne and that we professe our selves to be perswaded of And joyne with it an enquiry upon the soule are these things so doe I know these things and am I perswaded of these things that they are so how is my disposition answerable then am I so affected as I should be is my love so hote and my joy so working and spiritly and quicke as it should or no and hereupon take occasion to stirre up our selves and to checke our owne soules Alas that I should have such things discovered and that I should see such things in such a strong perswasion in the booke of God and professe my selfe to be perswaded of these things and yet be so dead at all times And if we find our affections any thing working that wee are disposed to imbrace these things then wee cannot but be in an excellent temper and blesse God that vouchsafed together with the excellency of the things themselves to shew us our portion by his holy spirit to enlighten our understandings and to perswade us let us blesse God for this for it is a worke above nature And withall because the soule cannot close with and imbrace these things but it must let loose other things for you know in imbracing there must bee a letting goe of those things that were formerly within the gripe if we would gripe these things in our affection and will we must have them only we must not think to graspe the world and them together the things here below and them together as wee shall see after in that point they accounted themselves strangers to earthly things Therefore this is one way to come to this imbracing to come to the sight of the vanity and insufficiency of all things in comparison of Christ and the happinesse wee have by Christ. To see in matter of judgment the insufficiencie of workes and merit and such like in the matter of justification the insufficiency of all such trash as the popish religion abuseth the world withall And so in matter of conversation to see the insufficiency and empâ—…nesse and vanity yea the vexation of all things besides these good things here offered the good things that Gods spirit offers to the eye of our soules that he offers to our wills and affections what are all to these and effectually thinke so thinke what should draw a mans affections after it beauty or strength consider what will become of these ere long And then withall consider the excellency of the estate of the body and soule in heaven if we carry our selves as wee should doe and preserve our selves in our spirituall condition let us lay these things together and then wee shall see how infinitely the one is beyond the other If it be for honour and favour of the world consider the vanity of them and how short a time wee may enjoy them and the things themselves are subject to alteration And withall consider the constant excellency of the favour of GOD in Christ Iesus which will comfort us in life in death and for ever And so for riches and possessions in this world consider how soone all here must be left and how the soule is larger then all these things if wee had a thousand times more abundance then we have and that our soules that are more large and more excellent they are not made for these things but for better and what use we shal have of better things when these faile the soule being immortall and eternall This will make us let goe earthly things in our affections and hold them in their place in a secondary place as things serviceable in the way to heaven and not to graspe them in our affections for then they pierce the soule to death and damnation And if we would be affected as we should be to good things let us keepe our affections tender and keepe them cleare from the guilt of any sinne that may work feares and doubts for together with sin goes feares and doubts they are bred in sinne naturally therefore if we would maintaine this imbracing oh let us keepe our soules as we keepe our understandings cleare so keepe our affections tender by all meanes and keepe our consciences unspotted that so our affections of joy and delight and love may bee ready prest to good things even to the best things Another way is in particular to meditate of the love of Christ the love of GOD in Christ and of his imbracing of us For wee must know that our imbracing is upon perswasion of Gods imbracing of us We imbrace not the promises of Christ as a man imbraceth a dead post that cannot returne imbraces to him againe this imbracing of Christ and heaven it is a mutuall imbracing and it is a second reflexive imbracing wee imbrace God and Christ because we find God in Christ imbracing our soules first in the armes of his love therefore we imbrace him again in the armes of our affections because we find Christ imbracing us in the armes of his affections Therefore let us attend upon the meanes upon private reading of the word and upon the ministry for what are the ministers but to contract Christ and the soule together they are friends of the Bridegroome to discove CHRISTS love to us and his lovelinesse his lovelinesse in himselfe his riches in himselfe and his love to us to allure us againe to CHRIST the ministery is for this end especially to draw Christ and the foule together And what is the Scripture in the intent and scope of it but to discover to us the excellen ciâ—… of Christ and the good things we have by him his love good intention to our soules Now hearing these things in the ministery they are effectuall together with the spirit to draw our affections backe againe to him And naturally wee cannot but love those that love us Now when we are perswaded of Gods love tous in Christ and Christs love to us God having made our soules for love to himselfe and friendship with himselfe and the nearest and sweetest conjugall friendship now therefore the more his
common field but when the sunne shines and appeares then the hearbs appeare in their lustre so it is with a Christian there is light and immortality and happinesse sowne for him when Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse shall appeare then we shall appeare with him in glory As wee may say of all things below they have a hidden life the plants and the flowers in the winter they live by the roote and when the Sunne appeares then they also appeare with the Sunne in glory So it is with the Righteous they have a hidden life it is hid now in the roote in their head in this life when Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse shall appeare when the spring comes when the resurrection comes then we shall appeare with him in glory and so I come to speak of that verse When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee appeare also with him in Glory Our life is now hid our happinesse is vayled over there are many things betweene us and our life but shall it alwayes bee so Oh no When Christ who is our Life shall appeare wee shalt appeare also with him in Glory hee meets with a secret objection The parts here to be stood on are these First Christ hee is our Life hee shall appeare in Glory as our Life This is taken for granted it is a supposed truth When Christ who is our Life shall appeare it is taken for granted that he shall appeare in glory The next thing is that wee shall appeare likewise with Christ. Christ shall appeare and wee And then the consequence how these depend one upon another because Christ appears in Glory therefore we when Christ who is our life shall appeare The Apostle cannot mention Christ without an addition of comfort and the Christian soule loves Christ it sees such matter of comfort and such righteousnesse in him that it cannot thinke of Christ without a comfortable addition of Lord Saviour Life Hope Glory c. Christ carryes with him all comforts hee is food the bread of life the water of life all that is good to the soule therefore the Apostle gives this sweet addition Christ out life How is Christ our life He is every way the cause of the Life of Grace and of Glory And not only so the cause but the roote and spring in whom it is wee have it from Christ and in Christ wee have it in Christ as a root and from Christ as a working cause and by Christ as a Mediator For Christ procured Life at Gods hands by his Sactifice and Death Wee have it in Christ as a head from him as a cause together with both the other persons and through him as Mediator who by his death made way to life appeasing the wrath of God so we are reconciled and pardoned by the death of Christ. Christ is not only our Life so but as the matter of our life that wee seed on when hee hath wrought spirituall life in us then the Soule lives by Faith in Christ still and seedes upon him hee is our life because wee feed on him for as food nourisheth the body so the Soule being every day set on by fresh temptations and afflictions and troubles and fresh discomforts the Soule of necessity is forced to looke to Christ every day and to feed upon Christ to feed upon his blood afâ—…esh which runnes conti nually for hee is a Mediator for ever and he is in Heaven to make good that hee hath done by his death and wee looke upon him every day and feed on him and so hee maintaines the life he hath begun Christ is our life thus More particularly for memorie sake Christ when by faith wee have union with him once as we can have no communion without union with him when wee are one with him once by faith wee have life from Christ the life of reconciliation in law opposite to our death in law and in sentence for by nature we are all dead and damned as soone as we are borne for our owne sins and the sins of our first parents wee are dead in sentence Now by Christ there is a reversion of this sentence Christ by his obedience and suffering hath satisfied his father so by our union with Christ wee are alive in sentence we are absolved in GODS court of justice for hee will not punish sin twice And then after the life of justification being justified by faith we have the life of sanctification and holinesse for GOD out of his love when he hath pardoned our sin he gives his spirit as the best fruit of his love and we having our consciences absolved and acquitted by the spirit of GOD through the obedience of Christ wee love GOD. GOD so loveth us when he is appeased by Christ that the barre being taken away our sinnes being pardoned and the sluce of mercy open there is way made for another life the life of sanctification by the spirit upon pardon of our sinnes he gives the spirit and we feeling that love have love wrought in us to him againe and that love stirs up every Christian to obedience In the next place after he hath acquitted us by his Alsufficient satisfaction being God and Man and hath given us his spirit there is another life the life of comfort which is the life of our life in peace of conscience and joy unspeakable and glorious this life issues from the former for when we find our conscience appeased that God saith to our soules hee is their salvation and find a newnesse wrought in our nature by the spirit of God and some strength to obey him then we begin to have a sweet peace as the Children of God find in themselves and joy unspeakable and glorious This is the life of this life having union with Christ and his Righteousnesse and spirit wee have this peace which is the way to Glory and the beginning of it For besides that Christ is our life in Glory afterwards in this life he is our life Answerable to our servile feare as wee are dead in law we have a life in justification As wee are dead in nature so we have a life in sanctification wee are dead in despaire and runne into terrours of Conscience so wee have a life in joy and peace But all those in this life are imperfect because there is only an union of Grace here till wee come to the union of Glory in Heaven and then at the day of judgement there will bee a perfect justifying of us wee shall not only be acquitted in our conscience as we are now but wee shall bee acquitted before Angels and Divels and Men and Christ will acknowledge us these are they for whom I dyed these are they for whom I made intercession in Heaven we shall be acquitted there and there wee shall be acknowledged And then the life of sanctification that is now in part shall then be perfect and likewise the peace that now passeth understanding shall then bee
full and our joy shall bee full by Christ who is our life So then we see we have in Christ the second Adam whatsover wee lost in the first roote Whence did we draw sinne and misery by union with the first Adam we have damnation we have the wrath of God we have corruption opposite to sanctification we have terrours and horrour of conscience By the second Adam and union with him we have a spring of life and peace and all that we lost in Adam and more then all we lost he being God-man The sinne of the first Adam was the sinne of a man the obedience of the second Adam was the obedience of God-man which raiseth us to life everlasting Rom. 5. So that there is more comfort in the life we have by Christ then there is discomfort in our death by Adam We see then hence that in all our deadnesse and dulnesse and want of grace there is a spring in our nature God hath given Christ God-man that there should be a treasure in him for all the Church that we may fetch supply out of our nature He is fit to be our life for our nature in him is united to the Godhead therefore Christ is a fit fountaine to derive grace to beleevers because mans nature in him is advanced by being united to the second person he is God-man able to derive all grace and comfort and righteousnes whatsoever Shall the first Adam derive unrighteousnesse discomfort and misery that was a man shall not Christ God-man derive righteousnesse and comfort and joy and peace and whatsoever is good undoubtedly he shall Therefore in all want of grace in all temptations and assaults let us goe to the fountain to the fulnesse of grace to the fulnesse of Gods love in Christ Christ God-man is our life As when we are cold we come to the fire so when we are dull-hearted let us come to this quickening spirit And to this end let us be stirred up to use those meanes wherein Christ will be effectuall whereby as by veines the blood of this spirituall life is conveyed as the Word and Sacraments the Communion of Saints and all sanctified meanes whereby the life of grace and comfort may be conveyed to us let us never be out of such wayes and courses as where by Christ derives this life of grace and let us take heed of those that are contrary But how shall I know saith a weake soule that finds little comfort and peace and little sanctification and is besieged with troubles and is doubtfull and knowes not whether his sinnes be forgiven or no how shall I know whether Christ be my life or no I answer that the life of Christ is but now begun in us and it is very little at the first There is nothing lesse then grace at the beginning The life of Christ is conveyed to us from Christ voluntarily not by necessity Hee gives the will and the deed according to 〈◊〉 therefore we must know that we have more or lesse comfort and more or lesse grace as he pleaseth He brings all to heaven in all ages that have the true life of grace though he make a difference and give to some more and to some lesse because he is a head that flowes into his members not out of nature but of his owne pleasure And a Christian soule that hath union with Christ that hath a being and station in him may know it there are alway some pulses from this heart as we know there is some life by the beating of the pulses so Christs dwelling in the heart is knowne by these pulses there will be striving against corruption and complayning of it Nature and corruption will not complaine against corruption coâ—…ption will not strive against corruption there will be sighing and groaning which is seconded with a constant indeavour to grow better it is not a flash these pulses beating in the soule of a true Christian shew that there is the life of grace in him that Christs dwells in his heart And this oft times doth more appeare in the greatest temptations Take a Christian at the worst his heart sighs to God to recover him he is sick and yet he hopes in Christ Christ in the greatest desertion is his life who was also our paterne when he was at the lowest My God my God So a Christian at the lowest he hath a spirit of prayer though it may be he cannot pray distinctly yet he can sigh and groane and God heares the sighs of his owne Spirit alwayes Therefore when these pulses beate in him in the greatest temptations hee may know that Christ lives in him Sometimes Christ in respect of this life in this world reserves himselfe to the chiefe occasion as some great affliction of the outward man In 2 Cor. 4. We see there when the body of Saint Paul was afflicted when it was abased by many afflictions The life of Christ was most manifested in him God reserves to poore Christians that now live in peace and quiet the greatest feelings and manifestations of Christs living in them till some great crosse till the houre of death till a time of need The life of Christ is most manifest in the time of abasement By the way therefore let us not avoid crosses for Christs sake avoid not any abasement though it be imprisonment or death the more our outward man is abased if it be for Christs sake the more this life of Christ this blessed life this peace that passeth understanding and this joy in the Holy-ghost is increased we shall feele our absolution and justification the more This life of Christ is most manifested when wee honour him most by suffering for him Therfore let us avoid no crosse for him Christ who is our life Shall appeare There are two appearings wee know of Christ his first appearing and his second appearing His first appearing was to worke our salvation his second shall be to accomplish and finish what he hath begun to worke His first appearing was to redeeme our soules from death his second shall redeeme our bodies from the corruption of the 〈◊〉 so his second appearing shall be to accomplish all the good that he came to doe and to worke by his first As verily therefore as Christ is come in his first appearing so verily and certainly he shall appeare the second time And as it was the description of holy men before his first comming to wayte for him To wayte for the consolation of Isâ—…ael so Christians now those blessed soules that have the report of this they waite for the comming of Christ. There were all kind of witnesses then of his first comming Angels men women shepheards the Devils themselves The Trinitie from heaven witnessed of him so for his second comming there are witnesses Christ himselfe saith hee will come The Angels say This Iesus that ye see goe up shall come againe It is an Article of our faith that he shall come
ascension riseth from his and our sitting at the right hand of God from his And so at the day of judgement our being glorious it comes from his He then shall appeare in glory as the head and husband of his Church and shall shine upon all his members He as the Sun shall cast a lustre and beauty and glory upon all that are his and then they shall reflect that glory they have from him upon him againe and he upon them againe so he shall be glorious in them and they in him but the ground of all is he is first in glory he shall appeare in glory and then we in him I speake this the rather because I would have humble consciences to make use of it in times of desertion when God seemes to bee a God that hides himselfe when they find no life nor comfort yet if they have but grace to believe they may comfort themselves in this well I have it but from Christ and he is perfect in glory he is ascended and I shall ascend and rise and be glorious because hee is so Put case now I feele no such matter it is no matter I live by faith in Christ that hath all in fulnesse and what hee hath done for me hee will doe in me if I believe in him Let a troubled soule comfort it selfe with this it is as impossible that he should be damned that believes in Christ as that Christ should be damned because hee believing in Christ is one with him and as verlly as Christ is in heaven hee shall bee there for Christ rose for all his The little finger lives the same life as the hand or the foot doth so a weake christian that hath little grace he lives by the same faith in Christ that is in glory as well as they that are stronger Let us strive and fight with this encouragement as S. Paul saith fight the good fight of Faith Oh! but shall we be alwayes fighting and striving No saith hee lay hold of eternall Life and then wee may well fight against doubts and despaire Let us therefore labour to fight so that we may lay hold on eternall life which Christ keepes for us and keeps us for it and ere long we shall partake of that wee hope for FINIS THE REDEMPTION OF BODYES In one Funerall Sermon upon PHIL. 3. 2â—… BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE 1 COR. 15 44. It is sowne a naturall Body it is raised a spirituall body LONDON Printed by E. Purslow for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes head Alley in Pater-Noster-Row 1639. THE REDEMPTION OF BODIES PHIL. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile Body that it may bee fashioned like unto his glorious Body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe THE Apostle was now in prison yet hee had a spirit of glory resting upon him for he speakes as if he were entred into Heaven as if he were there before his time and therefore in Chap. 1. saith he I desire to bee dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all And I account all dung in comparison of Christ as he saith in this Chap. and here in the former verse Our conversation is in Heaven from whence we looke for the Saviour Iesus Christ who shall change our vile bodyes c. God reserves abundance of comforts to the fittest times as we see here in Saint Paul in this place Now he brings in his owne example to good purpose as opposite to false Christians and false â—…eachers that he had mentioned before There are many walke of whom I have told you oft c. they are enemies to the crosse of Christ that mind earthly things c. verse 18. But saith hee our conversation is in heaven he regards not which way they went hee tooke an opposite course to the world and swims against the stream As we see the stars they have a motion of their own opposite to the motion that they are carried with So S. Paul had a motion of his owne opposite to the course of the world their end is damnation but our conversation is in Heaven A christian hath his conversation in Heaven while hee is on earth hee rules his life by the lawes of heaven There are alway in the visible Church some that walke contrary wayes who make their Belly their God whose end is 〈◊〉 There were some that were christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…achers of Christians many of them yet he saith their end is damnation their God is their belly carnall Christians say wee have all 〈◊〉 the sacrament c. Alas we may all partake of this common privilege and yet our end may be damnation St. Paul looked on them with a a spirit of compassion I tell you weeping So it may be with us in our Gosheâ—… here there may be a spirit of cast-awayes in many and in the abundance of meanes there may bee many dead souls But S. Paul regards not what their course was for saith he our conversation is in Heaven From whence we looke for the Saviour c. That shewes why his conversation was in heaven because his Saviour was in heaven and therefore his hope was in heaven Where the treasure is the heart will be Having entred into this blessed discourse he goes on still who shall change our vile bodies and fashion them like his glorious body He brings it in by way of answering an objection If our conversation be in heaven why are our bodies yet subject to such afflictions and basenesse in this world It is true they are but the time shall come that Christ shall change these vile bodies of ours and fashion them like to his glorious body I but this requires a great deale of power and strength and we see not how it may be Therefore saith he he shall doe it by that almighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe therefore he shall subdue death the last enemy he will not doe it perhaps according to thy fancy and conceit but according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things to himselfe we must not regard our weake conceits in great matters but Gods power yee erre saith Christ to the Pharisees not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Saint Paul then in these words and in the verse before sets downe three reasons why his course is opposite to the course of wicked men in his time First my City is in heaven and my conversation is answerable I take a contrary course for I am a citizen of another City And then another reason is his hope and expectation of a Saviour from heaven the Lord Iesus Hope faith which is the ground of hope carry up the soule where the thing hoped for is Our conversation is in
heaven wee hope for a Saviour from thence The third reason is from the condition of the body how ever it was now for the present He shall change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body Who shall change our vile body You see here the Apostle having set himselfe upon a holy and heavenly meditation he could not satisfie himselfe but goes from point to point setting downe his present holy conversation grounded upon his future hope of a blessed state to come Christ shall change our vile body Our bodies are vile and our bodies here is the point then that The best mens bodies in this world are vile Vile in regard of the matter whence they are taken the earth from the dust the fairest body is but well coloured dust base and vile from the beginning from the wombe base in the whole life base in death most base after death They are base I say in the beginning But especially base in our life our bodies are base in regard of labour Man is borne to labour in this world as the sparkes flie upward God would humble the body of every man with labour or else those that have not the labour of men here shall have the labour of devils hereafter The best body of the best Saints are condemned to labour Vile likewise in regard of sicknesse and diseases which grow out of the body so that be it kept never so warme and tenderly yet as the wormes grow out of the very wood and consumes the wood that breeds it so diseases grow out of and come from the body There is a fight and conflict betweene moysture and heate till the one prey upon the other and consume it In regard of sickenesse therefore they are vile bodies In regard likewise of disposing the soule the worst way for take all tempers of the body they incline the soule to some sinne or other to some ill disposition or other Choller inclines it to intemperate anger Melancholy to distrust and darkenesse of spirit The Sanguine inclines it to liberty and loosenesse c. Phlegme to deadnesse and dulnesse of spirit So our base bodies make the soule dull it becomes an unfit instrument whereby the soule cannot worke as it would an unfit house the body is oft times a darke house sometimes a house that drops in with moist diseases a house that lets in water and so consumes it to rottennesse sometimes it is a house fired by hote diseases it is thus indisposed and therefore a vile body A vile body likewise that when it is thus indisposed there is no comfort in the earth that can comfort it for all the foundation of comfort in this world is the health of this poore body A Kingdome nay all the Kingdomes in the world will not comfort a man if his body be not in tune and alas how soone is this body out of tune An instrument that hath many strings is soone subject to be out of tune and there are many strings in the body how many turnings how many instruments doth the soule use if any be out of tune the musicke is hindred it becomes an unfit instrument in this regard it is a vile body In regard likewise of the necessities of nature this body is vile in this world I speake not of what comes from the body in which respect it is base and vile but how many things doth this vile body stand in need of man in that respect is the basest creature in the world he is b-holding to the wormes he is beholding to nature to feed him in health in sickenes the body needs patching up and piecing by this creature and by that so it is a vile body in regard of the necessities of it in health in sickenesse in youth in age It is vile in life I need not stand on this It is more vile in death in the houre of death then it is base and vile indeed can wee indure the sight of our dearest friends how noysome is their presence after death and the most exquisite temper is the most vile and noysome of all those that are most delicately fed and most beautifully faced are most offensive and this is the condition of all That head that wore a Crowne those hands that swayed a Scepter those braines and that understanding that ruled many Kingdomes all are subject to death yea and to basenesse after death as well as those that are poorer And then they are vile bodies because they are subject to all manner of deaths the bodies of Gods Saints have beene cast out to the fowles of the Ayre the poore Martyrs how many wayes have they tasted of death These bodyes are subject to all manner of deaths to variety of deaths therefore they are vile bodies And then they are vile after death as wee were taken out of dust at the first so we returne to dust againe and if these bodies be not transformed to be like the glorious body of Christ they are most vile of all The spirit of despayre the spirit of anger that is in reprobate persons how doth it disfigure their faces one may see their shame their griefe their despayre in their very lookes so their bodies are most vile and dishonourable but I speake of Gods Children I say here in this world in regard that they come of parents that are miserable and sinfull Man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery Iob 14. 1. Man that is borne of a woman of a weake miserable sinfull woman in this respect it is a vile body And in all the passages of our life in respect of labour and paine and sickenesses and diseases and likewise for indisposing the soule that it is an instrument to ill and in death it selfe more vile then in life and after death most of all vile So you see they are vile bodies every way To make some use of this If this be so considering what the condition of our body is here let this abate the pride of the greatest let them consider when they looke upon their gay apparell what doth these garments hide when great Magistrates and others have their purple on let them consider what doth this glorious garment cover nothing but dust a vile body why should wee be proud then of our bodies or of any ornament of our body seeing it is a vile body Againe if our bodies be vile and base why should wee spend the strength of our soules in searching to satisfie the lusts of so vile a body and so make our soules nothing else almost but stewards to proule how to content how to cloath and how to feed this body as it is the study of many idle vaine persons almost all the day long to give contentment to the craving lusts of this vile body they make even an idoll of this poore base piece of flesh and sacrifice the best of their thoughts and the best of their studies
blessed meanes either in private admonitions or publike teaching let men pretend what they will there is no true desire of grace and to be in the estate of Gods people for then they would not be contrary to the means This wretched man Balaam when the Angell stood in his way with his sword drawne to stoppe his way yet notwithstanding he goes on still he was so carryed with covetousnesse and so blinded that neither the miracle of the beast speaking nor of the Angell in his way nor God in the way could stoppe him alas where was this desire then No no the glo ry of earthly things dazeled the glory of the estate of Gods people therefore wee see hee goes against all meanes that was used to stop him in his journey If a man desire to be good and to leave his sinnes he will not stand against the meanes Have wee not many that stand against the Ministery of Gods Ministers are Gods Angels they stand in the way and tell people if you live in this course you shall not inherite heaven if you live in oppression and base lusts unlesse you be changed you shall all perish They come to particular reproofes and hold forth the sword of Gods Spirit yet men breake through all and wreake their malice upon Gods Messengers Is here a true desire when they are not willing to have the hinderances removed when there is not respect of the meanes that should be used Againe true desires of grace they are growing desires though they bee little in the beginning as springs are yet as the springs grow so doe the waters that come from them so these desires they grow more and more still They grow sometimes in Gods children that they will have no stop till they come to have their sull desire to have perfect union and communion with God in heaven The desires of a blessed soule they are never satisfied till it come to heaven Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth saith the Church oh let mee have nearer communion with Christ. It desires in the vord and sacraments to come nearer and closer to God and in death then Come Lord Iesus come quickly And when the soule is in heaven there is yet nearer union a desire of the bodies resurrection that both may be for ever with the Lord. Till a Christian be perfect in body and soule there is desire upon desire till all desires be accomplished they are growing desires as S. Peter saith As new born babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby It is a desire that is never satisfied because there is alway somewhat to be desired till we be perfectly happy And then they are desires that will not bee stilled A child if it have not strong desires it will be stilled with an apple but if the desires be strong nothing will still it but the dug so Gods Children if their desires be strong it is no bauble they desire nothing but grace and inward comfort will quiet the inward man It is a desire that is growing and strong it will not be staid with any thing in this world but wil break through all impediments as a strong stream it will never rest till it have communion with God And therefore the desires that men think are good and earnest enough that goe on plodding in a constant course and never labour to grow they are no desires at all no sanctified desires from a supernaturall principle of grace The desires of a Christian grow and are never satisfied till hee have perfect happinesse The three worthies of David brake through the host and got the water of Bethel for David oh that I had of the water of Bethel So where there are strong desires they are like Davids worthies they carry the soule through all impediments they grow stronger and stronger and are never satisfied till they come to the water of life Let us consider these things whether we have this desire or no if we have but sometimes flashes inconstant ineffectuall desires desires that grow not that are soone satisfied and are stilled with any thing alas these desires the spirit of God never kindled and bred in the heart they are ordinary flashes that shall serve for our deeper damnation Therefore let us take heed and not rest in a cast-awayes estate let us not rest in Balaams state but labour that the desires of our souls may be as they should Desires I confesse are the best character to know a Christian for workes may be hypocriticall desires are naturall Therefore wee ought to consider our desires what they are whether true or no for the first thing that issues from the soul are desires thoghts thoghts stir up desires This inward immediate stirring of of the soule discovers the truth of the soule better then outward things Let us oft therefore examine our desires And let me adde this one thing to the other let us examine our desires by this besides the rest whether we desire holinesse and the restauration of the Image of God the new creature and to have victory against our corruptions to be in a state that we may not sinne against God to have the spirit to be new born as well as we desire happinesse and exemption from misery Balaam desired happinesse but hee desired not the Image of God upon his Soule for then he would not have bin carried with a covetous divell against all meanes No his desire was after a glympse of Gods childrens glory only A wicked man can never desire to be in heaven as he should be for how should we desire to be in heaven to be freed from sinne that wee may praise God and love God that there may be no combate betweene the flesh and the spirit Can he wish this No his happinesse is as a swine to wallow in the mire and he desires to enjoy sensible delights as for spirituall things especially the Image of God and the vision of God they are not fit objects for him as farre as it is a freedome from sin but as hee hath a conceit oh there are goodly things to be seene c. So it corresponds with his disposition but to bee free from Sin and from the conflict of the flesh and spirit and to be set at liberty to serve God alway he cannot desire it so Tell him of heaven he loves it not there is no gold there is not that that he affects therfore he cares not for it he cannot relish it he is not changed Therefore it is a notable Character of a true Christian to desire heaven to be freed from sinne to have communion with God in holinesse other prerogatives will follow this Let us therefore consider what our desires are how they are carryed for desires discover what the soule is As a spring is discovered by the vapours that are about it so is this hidden state of the soule discovered by the
he carry himselfe all this while he must needs bee sensible of it and therefore hee expresseth it in most significant words Oh saith he these things were as a sword in my bones There be diverse readings of the words but we will take them as they are laid downe being very well as with a sword in my bones or as it is in the margine As killing in my bones mine enemies reproach me It was as killing to him it did goe to his heart it cut him to the quicke As a sword is to the body and bones so are their words to my soule I cannot endure it it is death to me It is a most emphaticall manner of expressing the enemies disposition and carriage Thus you have the words unfolded I will but touch some particulars those that I thinke most needfull for us to take notice of I will dwell more upon Mine enemies saith hee reproach me Mine enemies There hath beene contrary seedes from the beginning of the World and will bee while Satan is in the world till he be cast into the burning Lake and be there in perpetuall Chaines adjudged to torment he will ray se up men alway that shall be of his side And as long as that grand enemy is and as long as men are that will be subject to his goverment as alway there will be he will have a great faction in the world And by reason that he hath a partie in us the flesh he will have the greatest partie in the world the most goe the broad way so that Gods children even David himselfe shall not want enemies Mine enemies It is strange that he should have enemies that was so harmelesse a man that when they were sick and distressed he prayed for them and put on sack-cloath for them as it is Psal. 41. This compassionate sweete natured man yet notwithstanding you see he had enemies and enemies that would discover themselves to reproach him and that bitterly in the bitterest manner they reproach him in his religion It is a large point if I should give my selfe libertie in it I doe but touch it That we may be armed by this observation against the scandall of opposition that if we meete with enemies in the world we should not be much offended at it grieve we may but wonder we need not Was there ever any that did more good then our Saviour Christ He went about doing good He did never a miracle that was harmefull but onely of the Swine that were drowned in the Sea and that was their owne fault but he went about doing all the good he could yet notwithstanding we see what malicious opposites he had that that is true of the head must be true in the members Therefore we should reioyce in our conformitie to Christ if it be in a good cause that we find enemies and opposition O imperator c. Saith he O the Emperour is become a Christian is was a blessed time oh but the Devill is not made a Christian yet and he will never be made good for he is in termino as we say he is in his bounds his nature is immoveable he is in Hell in regard of his estate though he be loose to doe mischiefe now untill the Devill be good Gods Children shall never want enemies and he will never be good Therefore though there were good Kings and good Governours over all the world yet good men shall never want enemies as long as the Devill is alive as long as he hath any thing to d ee in the world Enemies therefore we must looke for and such enemies as will not conceale their malice neither for that were something if they would suffer their malice to boyle and concoct in their owne hearts but that will not be but out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speake where there is a bad treasurie there will be a bad vent therefore we see here they reproach him mine enemies Reproach me It is the proper expression of malice reproach and it is that that the nature of man can least indure of all The nature of man can indure an outward wrong a losse or a crosse but a reproach especially if it be a scornfull reproach the nature of man is most impatient of For there is no man but he thinks himselfe worthy of some respect Now a reproachfull scorne shewes a disrespect and when the nature of man sees it selfe disrespected it growes to tearmes of impatience There is not the meanest man living but he thinkes himselfe worthy of some regard Therefore I cannot blame David even out of the principle of nature to be affected here when they reproached him and gave him vile termes Mine enemies reproach me Their tongues were tipt from Hell and they did but utter that that was in their hearts If the tongues of wicked men as St. Iames saith be a a world of mischeife what is the whole man What is the heart and tongue and life and all of wicked men Now this reproach of wicked men it is a grievous persecution as Ishmael persecuted Isaak in that manner as it is Gal. 4. taken out of the storie in Genesis I will not enter into the common place of reproach it is but taken by the by here Onely by the way let it be a support to us if we be reproachfully used in the world let us not be much cast downe it is no credit for a man to doe that that the Devill and his instruments doe nor it is no discredit for us to suffer that that David suffered Let this satisfie thee there is not the vilest man living but hath this weapon to serve the Devill with a reproachfull tongue he that sits upon the Ale bench that â—…akes in the Channell the basest wretch in the world hath a tongue to serve the Devill with in reproaches It is no credit for them to doe that that the vilest person in the world can doe â—…and it is no shame for thee to suffer that that the best man that ever lived did suffer So much for that mine enemies reproach me But what is the specialtie of this reproach to come to that more particularly They say unto me Where is thy God They touch him in his Religion They saw him persecuted by Saul scorned by Sauls courtiers they see him driven up and downe as a Partridge in the Wildernesse they saw him banished from the Sanctuarie destitute of friends they saw him in this disconsolate estate and they judge by sence and appearance that they thought he was a man that God regarded not at all therefore say they where is thy God Gods children are impatient as farre as they are men of reproaches but so farre as they are Christian men they are impatient of reproaches in Religion where is now thy God They were not such desperate Atheists as to thinke there was no God to call in question whether there were a God or no though indeed they were little better but
to seeke Gods face 1 189 Faith Faith in the use of meanes 1 70 Faith said to do that God doth 1 71 Faith enlivens all graces 1 72 Faith strengthened by experience 1 90 Faith to be laboured for 1 94 Faith one from the beginning 1 196 Perseverance in Faith 1 197 Faith carries a Christian through all passages 1 198 To die in faith what 1 199 Faith over comes all that is terrible in death 1 201 Faith the eye of it 1 218 Faith seeth afar off how 1 219 Sight of faith how to help it 1 228 Two branches of faith 1 262 Faithâ—…w â—…w cherished 2 65 Faith of Christians how shaken 2 218 Faith to be strengthened 2 220 Farre see Faith Favour Favour of God to bee sought first 1 181 Feare How to know God is ours by feare 2 125 Feeling Christians may want feeling 1 207 First-borne Death of the first-borne a great judgment 1 110 Free Freedome in sin a judgment 1 22 Covenant of grace free 2 249 See Will. G Glory Glorious God gets glory by weake meanes 1 68 Why wee shall bee glorious with Christ. 2 19 Wherein that glory shall be 2 21 When the Saints shall be glorified 2 23 To think of the glory to come 2 25 Glory why revealed before-hand 〈◊〉 28 See Body God Two things wherin we are like God 1 144 What it is for God to be our God 2 117 God ours in the covenant of grace 2 120 How to know God is our God 2 121 To labour that God may be our God 2 140 To make use of all in God as ours 2 143 Goodnesse God is willing to bestow his goodnesse 1 143 See Communicative Gospell Punishment of slighting the Gospell 1. 43 Grace see Covenant Guidance Guidance of God to be prayed for 1 24 H Happinesse Wicked men out-live their happines 2 78 Happines of the godly 2 80 Wicked men may know the happinesse of Gods children 2 84 Hatred Affection of hatred due to the beast 1 47 Heaven Heaven the country of a Christian. 1 292 See desire Hid hidden The life of a Christian hidden 2 4 God sometimes hides himselfe 2 223 Hope see Faith I Satans kingdome like the walls of Iericho 1 73 Our corruptions like the walles of Iericho 1 74 Antichrists kingdom like the wals of Iericho 1 75 Meanes to east downe mysticall Iericho 1 78 How to prevent the building of spirituall Iericho 1 80 120 Iericho why not to be built againe 1 106 How men build Iericho againe 1 114 118 Imbrace Faith imbraceth what it hath 1 259 Imbracing followeth perswasion 1 260 What affections imbrace good things 1 272 Imbracing how wrought 1 274 Ioy. Knowing God ours is our joy 2 129 Iudgement see spirituall K Kings The tenne Kings wherein sinfull 1. 28 Knowne knowledge God willing to be known 1 141 Knowledge of our estate sometime suspended 1 238 L Life Christ our life how 2 11 To improve the time of life 2 75 Life 3. degrees of it 2 82 See die hidden soule Love God knowne to be ours by our Love 2 127 M Malice see reproach False confidence over-turned by weake meanes 1 67 See Faith Blessing of Ministers to bee regarded 1 103 Ministers duty 2 176 God the only Monarch 1 26 Good Motions to be cherished 2 99 N 3. Things in man by Nature 1 64 O Quality of obedience 1 160 Obedience sutable to the command 1 164 To know God is ours by our obedience 2 131 God to be sought in his Ordinances 1 186 Men give too much to Outward worship 2 172 Why men are prone to Outward performances 2 174 Papists work their own overthrow 1 53 How to set against Popery 1 87 Popery how it sprung up 1 117 Covenant of grace Peculiar 2 252 Perswasion followes sight 121 Perswasion what 1 233 Perswasion degrees of it 1 235 Perswasion spirituall necessary 1 236 Perswasion particular sometimes weake 1 237 Perswasion how to know it is not supernaturall 2 242 Perswasion wrought by the spirit 1 247 How the spirit doth perswade 1 248 The manner of working perswasion 1 250 A strong worke to perswade the soule 1 251 To labour for spirituall perswasion 1 253 To desire God to perswade us 1 256 Evidences that we are perswaded 1 257 Persons see Curse Pilgrims Difference betweene Pilgrims and strangers 1 289 To resolve to please God 2 141 Power see Truth To know God is ours by our prayer 2 134 Preaching the force of it 1 78 Presence of God how considered 1 171 Things as present affect us 1 218 Promises to alleage them to God 1 167 God deales with men by promises 1 210 Faith lookes to God by the Promises 1 211 Promises oft to be thought on 2 13 Proportion see Punishment Providence see Evill Punishment proportionable to sin 1 109 R Religion disgraced how it affects us 2 132 Reproach the expression of malice 2 216 Not to be cast downe for reproach Ibid. David sensible of reproach 2 228 God doth not reveale all things at all times 1 215 Righteous man who 2 84 S See Sight Things requisite to sight 1 222 Sight of faith necessary 1 223 3. Things in strong sight 1 224 See Faith perswasion Mercies and judgments apprehended in our seed 2 156 To seeke GOD by his strength 1 158 Seeking what it doth implie 1 170 Ground of seeking of God 1 171 See Strength betimes face Sensible see reproach Sentence of Christ unavoydable 1 132 Men must not appoint how to serve God 1 138 Sinne considered in three times 1 17 Soule made for heavenly things 1 267 Love of earthly things abase the Soule 1 268 Soule how quieted Ibid. Soule continues after death 2 74 Life of the Soule double Ibid. How to use our Soules 2 75 Spirit Spirituall Spirituall judgements greatest 1 22 Order of the Spirits working 1 217 To begge the Spirit to perswade us 1 254 Stranger Gods people strangers here 1 290 CHRIST a stranger on earth 1 294 To have the affections of strangers 1 295 Wicked men how strangers here 1 297 Carriage of a stranger 1 300 See Pilgrim Strike see threaten The covenant of grace sure 2 250 T Covenant of grace a Testament 2 110 Difference of a covenant and Testament Ibid. To be thankfull for that we have 1 215 God threatensâ—…re â—…re he strike 1 108 Wickednes shall nos alway thrive 1 47 To tremble at Gods word 1 133 Men naturally trust soâ—…what 1 62 Try all of our trust 1 65 How to know GOD ours by trust 2 129 Truth of God 1 150 Faith looks to Gods power truth 1 224 V The best mens bodyes vile in this world 2 40 God revealed to man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understanding creature 2 107 Our nature prone to unthankefulnes 2 116 W To goe to Christ in all wants 2 15 Degrees of wicked men 2 86 Will of man free in sinne 1 20 To be left to our owâ—… will a great judgement 1 21 Will when accepted for