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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96328	The Christians hope triumphing in these glorious truths; [brace] 1. That Christ the ground of hope, is God, and not meer man, against the Arians, and other unbelieving Christians. 2. That Christ is the true Messiah, against the unbelieving Jews. 3. That there is another life besides this, against the grosse atheist. 4. That the soul of man is immortall, and doth not sleep till the day of resurrection, against the errour of some seeming semi-atheists. 5. How the hope of heaven should be attained, whilst we are on earth, against the carnall worldlings. 6. How this hope may be discerned where it is, and attained where it is not, for the comfort of every poor Christian. All which truths are briefly pointed out and cleared, in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of Lords in the Abby-Church at Westminster on Wednesday, May 28. being the day appointed for solemn and publike humiliation. / By Jeremiah Whitaker. Published by order of the House of Peers.	Whittaker, Jeremiah, 1599-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing W1710; Thomason E286_4; ESTC R200074	52,593	59

Die Mercurij May 28. 1645. IT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament that M. Whitaker who preached this day before the Lords in Parliament is hereby thanked for the great pains hee took in his Sermon and is desired by their Lordships to print and publish the same which is not to be printed or reprinted by any but by authority under his own hand John Brown Cler. Parliamentorum July 15. 1645. I appoint John Bellamy to print this Sermon Jeremiah Whitaker THE CHRISTIANS HOPE TRIVMPHING In these glorious Truths 1. That Christ the ground of hope is God and not meer man against the Arians and other unbelieving Christians 2. That Christ is the true Messiah against the unbelieving Jews 3. That there is another life besides this against the grosse Atheist 4. That the soul of man is immortall and doth not sleep till the day of Resurrection against the errour of some seeming semi-Atheists 5. How the hope of Heaven should be attained whilst we are on earth against the carnall worldlings 6. How this hope may be discerned where it is and attained where it is not for the comfort of every poor Christian All which Truths are briesly pointed out and cleared In a Sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of LORDS in the Abby-Church at Westminster on Wednesday May 28. being the day appointed for solemn and publike Humiliation By Jeremiah Whitaker Published by Order of the House of Peers LONDON Printed by G. Miller for John Bellamy at the Sign of the three golden-Lions in Cornhill near the Royall-Exchange 1645. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE The HOUSE of PEERS Right Honourable ATheisme is the great sin of the world dogmaticall among the Pagans and practicall among those Christians Tit. 1.16 who professe they know God and yet in works deny him Satan cares not much what is our profession so be may rule in our conversation he knows where opinions have not strength to better practice there ill fractice by degrees Quid prodesse nebis praerog ariva Christiani nominis potest quod nos fideles esse jactamus quod Gothos ac Uvandalos hareticos despicimus cum ipsi ●●eretica pravitate vivamur Salv. de Gub. l 7. will weaken the best opinions and what advantage is it for us to have the face of Christians and the hearts and heads of Pagans that our rule is straight and our lives crooked * Lex bona muneris est Christi vita autem non bona criminis nostri Salv l. 4. That God hath made our light clearer t is Gods free goodnesse that our lives are darker t is our own vilenesse It was his sad complaint that lived in such dolefull dayes as these when the Goths Hunns and Vandalls over ran the world and all Christendome put into a burning flame that the lives of Christians fell short of the Romans and did equall the worst of the Barbarians It is no wonder that when our unbeleife questions the deity of Christ the verity of Scriptures the mortality of the soule and so shakes the pillars of Heaven that the Lord hath a strong controversy with the world and causeth all the foundations of the earth to shake and to be out of order The way to cure the bleeding distempers of Christendome is for all men to endeavour to get inward perswasions answerable to their outward professions for as these main principles are more or lesse beleeved so is the heart and life of man better or worse ordered When the soul is once fully perswaded that Christ is God that he is the true Messiah that there is another life besides this that the Lord Christ is ready to come to judgement and his reward is with him then the soul begins to seek and beg an interest in Christ to flee from wrath to come to assure the hopes of Heaven whilst we are on earth and this hope when once truly attained carries the soul farre above the comforts of life and beyond the fears of death and makes men see no life to be so comfortable as that life which is most serviceable Your birth Right Honourable hath made you above other men this hope will make you above your selves and this communion with the great God will make daily additions to your greatnesse Then are men high-born indeed when they are born again of the most high God and then are the sons of Nobles truly great when there are added inward supernaturall principles of spirituall greatnesse It s the observation of one * Chrysost in Epist ad 1. Cor. c. 1. Hom 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. no mean man That some naturally are of a high stature others that are low have shoes and pantables to heighten them to a seeming greatnesse which of these will you call truly high or great He that is so by an adventitiall separable addition or he that is so by a growth that 's naturall It is one thing to be highly esteem'd of others another to have a minde worthy of esteem in it self One man thinks clay to be clay and despiseth it another thinks clay to be gold and admires it which of these two is high Is it not he that despiseth a peece of earth and who is vile and abject but he that adores a peece of earth and spends his soul to load himself with thick clay Hab. 2.6 that man who in the height of outward greatnesse accounts himself but dust and ashes his minde is full of inward excellency he that admires and adores himself will not look upon himself as gilded clay is of an abject minde and much deluded in the midst of all outward eminency to have high thoughts of things most mean and mean thoughts of things most high infallibly argues the minde to be full of weaknesse others say to be full of basenesse * Chrys ibid. He spake like a Noble man indeed that said Let their honour and wealth perish that thinke all greatnesse in the world like one daies communion with the great God To clear up these great principles hath been the aime of these weak endeavours T is the arm of the mighty God that alone can rebuke the spirit of unbelief therefore that the great God Gen. 9.27 who perswades Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem may imprint these eternall characters upon your hearts and lift you up to sit in heavenly places with Jesus Christ Ephes 1 6. Luk. 10.20 that your names may be written in heaven 1 Sam. 2.8 and that you may for ever inherit the thrones of glory is the earnest prayer of Your Lordships humble Servant in the Lord Jeremiah Whitaker A SERMON Preached at a late Fast before the Right Honourable the House of PEERS 1 COR. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable Right Honourable and Beloved GOD hath raised many of you up to be higher then your brethren as Saul was higher then the people from

great part of the men of the world captive the first is of the grosse Atheist the other of the Semi-atheist The first is of the grand Atheist how many are there that have the face of Christians but their hearts are heathenish who resolve there faith into meer reason and their hopes into sight Such were the Sadduces in Christs time Acts 23.8 who denied Angels and spirits and the resurrection such Were before Christ among the Prophets as those Epicures Isa 22.12.13 who when the Lord called for weeping and mourning behold joy and gladnesse slaying of oxen and killing of sheep eating flesh and drinking wine saying Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die such were some after Christ in the daies of the Apostle vers 32. of this chapter Peter prophesieth that there should be such to the end of the world wicked and profane men scoffers 2 Pet. 3.3 4. who should walk after their own lusts saying Where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation It was an article objected against one of the Popes in the Councell of Basil that he had often said before divers Joannes 23. Saepe coram di versis praelatia pertinaciler juadente dia●olo asseruit vitam aternam nonneque aliam post banc dixit animan bominucum corpore relinqui Concil Basil Ses● 11 that were was no such thing as eternall life and Paul the third is reported to have said when he was dying now he should know three things whether the soul was immortall whether there was a hell whether there was a God if all these atheisticall opinions were buried in hell yet Satans temptations and the hellish corruptions of our own hearts would raise them up again and therefore 't is good to be established that we may stand fast in this evil day and having done all to stand Against this atheisticall opinion lay this down for a sure foundation surely there is another life besides this life and to strengthen you therein consider these Arguments First Surely there is a God Paulus 3. Moriturus dixisse fertur se jam experturun veritaten● trium quaestionum de quibus in tota vita dabitas●et 1. an ●nimae sint immortales 2. an sit insernus 3. an sit Deus Gerrard loc com de mort p 178. the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth forth his handy work every creature pointeth us to the Creatour and he that beleeveth not is condemned of himself and thou art left inexcusable O man now if there be a God there must needs be another life wherein God will fulfill the good he hath promised and execute the evil he hath threatned for in this life there is arighteous man that perisheth in his righteousnesse and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his daies in his wickednesse Arg. 1 Secondly Consider Jesus Christ whom you heard not only to be the Son of man but to be the Son of God and the true Messiah that great mystery wherein God hath made known the riches of his glory for without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse Christ manifested in the flesh P●●l 19.1 Eccles 7.15 1 Tim. 3.16 a mystery so much admired by the Apostles ador'd by Angels beleeved by Devils if there be no other life consider Arg. 2 First What was the end of Christs incarnation why did God become man and he that was the mirrour of Angels become the reproach of men Heb. 2.10 was it not that he might bring many sonne and daughters unto glory and that glory not in this life for when he appeareth in another life Col. 3.4.2 Cor. 8.9 then are the Saints to appear with him in glory why became he poor but that we through his poverty might be made rich and obtain the riches of the glory of the inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet 2 3 4. and that passeth not away reserved in the highest heavens for them who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Secondly What was the end of his bitter passion why did be taste death who was the Lord of life but that through death he might destroy him that had power over death Heb. 1.14 15. that is the devil and deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage and what deliverance from this death is imaginable If the end of this life put an end to all our comforts then the dangers of death are not abated nor the feares of death any whit diminished but he was made perfect through suffering that he might become the authour of eternall life Heb. 5.9 to all that doe obey him Thirdly What was the end of his resurrection but that his Saints might be quickned up together with him Ephes 2.6 1. Pet. 1.3 and made to sit in heavenly places together with him and so obtain a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Fourthly What was the end of Christs ascension but to prepare a place for his people and if I go and prepare a place for you saith Christ Joh. 14.2 3. I will come again and receive you that where I am there ye may be also Fifthly What is the end of his intercession but that he may be able to save them to the utmost Heb 7.25 that come unto God through him and how are they saved by him to the utmost if there be not another life after this life in this life the Saints are slain all the day long and counted as sheep unto the slaughter therefore abhorre that blasphemy as once to imagine that this great mystery of piety should be a mystery of iniquity if there were no other life expected then this then as St Paul saith of the resurrection Christ is not risen so may I say then Christ is neither borne nor hath he suffered nor is he ascended nor sitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high despise not this glorious mystery through unbeleife for if he that despised Moses his law dyed without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who treadeth under foot the Son of God Heb. 10.28 29. and treadeth the blood of the Covenant under his feet as an unholy thing and doth despite to the spirit of grace Arg. 3 Thirdly 2 Pet. 1.19 Consider the Covenant of Jesus Christ we have a sure word of prophecy to which we doe well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place men may deceive and be deceived all flesh is grasse 1 Pet. 1.23 24. and the goodlines thereof like the flower of the earth but though men die the Word of the Lord liveth and abideth for ever and though Heaven and Earth passe away Math. 5.18 yet not one jet or title of this word shall passe away

but on the things that are not seen for the things that are seen are temporall but the things that are not seen are eternall 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Secondly As no man can live contentedly Secondly no man can dicomfortably without hope so no man can die comfortably without hope Who can expresle the darknesse of that soul that liveth without feare and dyeth without hope when all joy is darkened and all glory goeth downe under a dark cloud and all comforts end in a storme which never bloweth over when you must leave the condition you know for a condition which you know not when you must leave a certainty for to goe upon a contigency when the poor wandring trembling soul is unable to stay in and unwilling to goe out when the soule goeth upon eternity not knowing whither when the body must goe to ly under the slimic valley that before lay upon beds of lvorie and the eyes that saw the glory of the world must never see light any more and the eares which before heard delightfull musique must now be for ever stopped better never to have come into the world then to goe out of it without hope a Roman may die patiently and harden his heart against sorrow but onely a Christian through hope can die triumphantly crying out Oh death where is thy sting Oh grave where is thy victorie 1 Cor. 15.55 c Consid 2 Secondly as no man can live or die without hope and this snoweth the necessity of it so no hope can carry us thorow all difficulties but hope in Christ thinke but on the insufficiency of the creature the vanity of all other hopes without hope there is no sulsistonce and without Christ hope cannot subsist if you must hope where will you place this hope you cannot rationally settle this hope either in your self or in any other creature not in your self for what is there in your self that can be a rationall ground of hope not your parts though never so great they may be soon blasted are often greatly poysoned and if they continue in their greatest lustre they may be overpow'rd Hushai goeth beyound Achitophel and the wisest of men have found the steps of their owne strength straitned Job 18.7 and their owne counsels to cast them downe this hope cannot be in your estates they are not so full but they may be soon emptie Pro. 23.5 wilt thou set thine eyes on that which is not riches take to themselves wings and stee away and surely their wings were never longer nor their slight swifter then in these dayes Psa 62.10 trust not in oppression become not vaine in robbery if riches increase set not your hearts upon them hope not in your names they may be overclouded God in a moment can staine the glory and pride of all flesh abhorre the excellency of Jacob he leadeth counsellours away spoyled Job 11.27 and overthroweth the mighty he taketh away the understanding of the aged he poureth contempt upon Princes and weakneth the strength of the mighty he increaseth the Nations and destroyeth them he enlargeth the nations and straitneth them againe he taketh away the hearts of the chiefe of the people of the Earth and causeth them to wander in a wildernes where there is no way so they grope in the dark without light and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man and as there is no ground of hope in your self so there is no ground of hope in the creature hath not God disappointed many of us of our hopes doe we notroare like bears and mourne like doves doe we not grope for the wall like blinde men Isa 59.10 11. groping as if we had no eyes have we not often looked for salvation but it is not Consider the minde of man is variable we change our counsells as sick men change their beds imputing all our disappointments rather to any one then to our selves and as the minde of man is variable so the strength of crentures is expugnable so that the whole frame of nature is a bed too narrow for one to stretch himself upon it Isa 28.20 and a covering too narrow for one to wrap himselfe in it all things under the sun are but vanity Job 15.31 and let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence we may faltter out selves to our ruine under these seduced hopes but all these hopes in the issue will prove but as a siders web Psal 8.14 11.20 18.14 27.8 and as the giving up of the Ghost and all humane confidence will bring th soule to the king of terrours and what hope can a bypocrite have when God taketh away his soule Consid 3 The third Consideration to move you to set your hopes on Christ let it be from the allsufficiency of Christ there is this vast difference betwixt hope in Christ and hope in the Creature from the creature you cannot expect so little but you shall finde lesse then you doe expect from Christ you cannot expect so much but you shall receive more then you doe expect Ephes 3.20 He is able to doe abundantly above all that we are albe to ask or think all spirituall blessings are in him alone he it is alone that can say I will make you free from your lusts and temptations from death and hell he alone can say I will pardon your iniquities cure your diseases take the stony heart out os you I will write my law in you Ezek. 36.26 c. 1 Cor. 2.9 and ye shall all be taught of God I will bestow my Heaven on you my throne my kingdome and such joyes as Eye hath not seen nor Eare heard nor can it ever enter into the heart of man to conceive What an admirable thing is it that a poor soul may come and say What may such a one as I am be pardoned that am condemned may my infirmity be cured when the soare runneth and ceaseth not may this loathsome leprosy be healed what a comfort is it to a poor soul that he may come to Christ as the poor leper and say Lord if thou wilt whou canst make me whole Math. 8.2 Besides in this world he alone is able to supply all your wants answer all your doubts seatter all your feares and he is not onely able but hath engaged himselfe by promise to all that hope in his mercy he calleth to you get ye to the strong holds ye prisoners of hope Zach. 9.12 he biddeth you cast all your care on him 1 Pet. 5.7 for he careth for you and be not distracted about the things of this life as other Gentiles that know not God Math. 6.32 for your heavenly father knoweth what you have need of will you trust him for your soules and not for your bodies will you trust him for Eternity and not for a moment will you truse him to deliver you from the rage

Angels should be founded upon fancies and mistakes and their consolation should be a meer delnsion there is litle reason to accoset he best of men of madnes but is madnes it selfe for men to charge the elact Angels with folly Fifthly Consider the nature and the employment of those damned spirits Beeszebub the old * Revel 12 9. 2 Pet. 2.4 red Dragon and Serpent called the Davil and Satan who deceiveth the world Have you not read of their condition how God hath bound them with chaines of darknes and hath reserved them for judgement If so Quocumque vadunt geben numsuam portant Aq. 12. q. 64. art 4. T●rmenta flāmarum secum ferunt instar sebricitant is qut ●●s ●est's eburneis ponatur servorem evitare non potest Estrus lib. 2 distin 6.13 Beda in Iacob 3. 2 Pet. 2.9 10.22 then there must be another world at least to them and if to them then to us for if God spared not the Angels that 〈◊〉 but cast them down to Hell that where ever they goe they carry their chaine and their holl with them surely then God knoweth how to reserve the unjust for the day of Judgement cherfly those that walk after the flesh speaking evil of things they know not sporting themselves with their own deceiving those men shall utterly porish in their own corruptions Have ye not heard of the horrour that overwhelmeth them that they are forced though they resist God to beleeve that which they approve not and to tremble under the wrath they cannot avoid But especially thinke of that imployment how they walke thorow drie places fretting and vexing themselves running too and fro and compassing the Earth how Satan entred into the heart of Judas to betray his Master Jam. 2.19 Math. 11.43 Job 1.7 Luk. 22.3 Act. 5.3 filled Ananias and Saphira to lye against the Holy Ghost What paines they take to leade away the soules of poor men and women captive If there were not another life besides this and if the soule were not immortall why is it that those spirits goe about continually seeking whom they may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 and never cease to accuse God to us and day and night to accuse the Saints unto God Arg. 6 Sixthly Adde to all these the consideration of witches and wizards you haue heard how Saul sought to the witch of Endor how that witch had familiar spirits at her command 1 Sam. 28. ● how Manasseh made his sonnes passe thorow the fire 2 King 11.6 used inchaniments dealt with familiar spirits and wizards how this sinne did abound amongst the Canaanites of old how strictly God forbad the people of Israel that there should not be amongst them any one that used divination or an inchanter or a witch or a charmer or a consultour with familiar spirits or a wizard or a Necromancer Deut. 18.10 11. for all that doe those things are an abomination to the Lord and for all these abominations did the Lord drive them out from before them How did Satan deceive the Nations by the Oracle of Delphos how hath this sinne raigned in all ages amongst the Caldeans the Jewes and Gentiles which things are so evident as none can deny them and can any one imagine that Satan would be so sollicitous to seduce ready to captivate so obsequious for a time to become a drudge and a vassall to the poorest of men and silliest of women that he may winne their soules if there were no other life then this life To this adjoyne the art of Conjuring which though abominable beyond expression yet it is so notorious in all places and in all ages that it is beyond the deniall of any who hath not sunke himselfe below his species who lest his lust should be disquieted and his soul tormented before his time hath sold himselfe over to be a slave to unbeleife and is resolved to shut his eyes against the light of Scripture and against the light of Nature and to close his eares against all the loud clamours of the heart within and experiences without and what arguments can convince that soule which hath made a Covenant with death and is at agreement with Hell that is resolved what ever is said to perswade him yet he will not be perswaded and though one or ten thousand should rise from the dead that soule will not be perswaded lest that his lusts should be molested Arg. 7 Seventhly Consider the naturall conscience that is in all men their thoughts one while accusing excusing Rom. 2.15 what inward gripes and secret terrours still poor mad wretches suffer themselves to be so baffled and master'd with their lusts that at length they joynwith their lusts to baffle and get the victory over their owne consciences that being past feeling Ephes 4 19. they may commit sin with greedines yet when they have done all they finde it difficult to keep down these sparks and to suppresse these flashes that are ever rising up If this be rightly weighed it may be reputed one Argument that the thoughts of another life of another day of account are written on the hearts of all men and that the imagination to the contrary is rather an option then an opinion rather an intimation of what is desired by them then beleived of them especially if you in the naturall conscience consider these things First The inquisitions about immortality all questions doubts debates upon this subject argue the soul to be immortall for it is only a principle of immortality that maketh man dispute whether the soule be immortall for as none can distinguish betwixt rationall and irrationall but he that is rationall Vid. Morn de veritate rel Cir. p. 293. for he that denyeth man to be rationall by doubting of it and disputing against it in those acts proveth himselfe to be rationall which his words seem to deny so none can dispute or distinguish betwixt mortall and immortall but only he that is immortall and these thoughts of immortality are not only in some men of some tempets but upon the hearts of all the sonnes of men Secondly Consider the affectation of a kinde of immortality in the worst of men who have taken great paines to gull themselves into an opinion that the soule is mortall What monuments what pillars have they erected Psal 49.11 Ph. Morn ibid. p. 202. Vulgus desunctis parentat quidem impēsi simo officio quos negat sentire quicquam etiam desiderare profuerūt Tertul. de re ur carnis how have they called their land after their own names t is observed by him that was an honour to the Nobility that Epicurus himselfe who denyed immortality in his life yet he appointed at his death a great summe of money to be yearly payed that there might be an annuall commemoration of the day of his birth and to what purpose is this if when he lived like a beast he must die like a hogg if

silent Fifthly The expression of death by the Holy ghost is a departure 2 Pet 1 14. putting off this tabernacle and it is a strange ●●ake to take the house for the inhabitant Sixthly I cannot rockon the world of absurdities which follow this great errour that it 〈◊〉 gap to the overthrow of all the thoughts of Eternity for if arguments from nature can prevaile to delude the soule so farre as to thinke the soule is abolished at death what arguments can prevaile with a carnall heart to perswade it that the body shall be raised after death the voice of nature cryed aloud amongst the heathen that the soules of man were immortall and that there was a different state of the soules of just men and unjust after death the Elizian fields full of happines for the one sort and the Tartarean darknes full of horrour for the other t is an ancient observation that almost all Philosophers all Hereticks confessed the soule to be immortall and though they did not much desire it Animae salutē credo tractatu carere omnes fere baeretici eam quoquo modo volunt tame● non negāt Tertul. de resur Carnis yet they were not able to deny it but the resurrection from the dead was by few of them discerned scarce by any of them acknowledged besides this errour is destructive to all religion our corrupt natures are full of the seeds of Atheisme we need all religion to eradicate them but nothing to foment them thoughts of Epicurisme sinke deep to count the fruition of carnall pleasures the greatest good how many thousand soules have miscarryed upon this rock who from hence have turned to be lovers of pleasures more then of God to preserve your soules from this infection 2 Tim. 3.4 Vid. Tertul. Lactan. c. Discede ab Ethnico haeretice quid alieno uteris clypeo si ab Apostolo ornatus es Tertul. de resur I have been thus large in proving this assertion I should proceed to confute the arguments brought to the contrary but the time preventeth me onely in briefe their argnments are either drawne from corrupt nature which are abundantly answered by the fathers in their disputes against the heathen and they wondred that hereticall Christians that enjoyed the light of Scripture should borrow any arguments from Galen and the rest of the heathen that sat in darknesse and in the valley of the shadow of death let Heathens turne to Christians to assert this truth but never let Christians so sarre ●●●●tatise to Heathens as to assert their ●orrours or else their objections and seeming arguments are taken from mistaken Scripture I have scarcely time to relate them much lesse to refute them Object Some object and say Did not God threaten Adam In the day thou easest thereof thou shalt die and if he died Gen. 2.17 then the whole man did die for the body is not the man without the soul and therefore reason that immortall Adam must be made mortall Sol. To this I answer 1. That the death which God did threaten was not only naturall but spirituall and eternall and spirituall and eternall death may be upon the soul when the body perisheth the Angels that fell from their first standing are under death yet their being is not abolished Rev. 20.10 14. and after the day of judgement the wicked shall be cast into hell the second death yet they shall never be reduced to a non entitie for the smoake of their torment ascondeth for over If any say Rev. 14.11 Why is the whole man said to die if the soul liveth when the body is destroyed Lanswer That whatsoever belongeth to any part of any whole Quicquid convenit parti qua pars convenit toti secundum illam partem may be truly asscribed to the whole according to that part Man seeth yet the whole body is not an eye for then where was the eare but the whole light of the body is the eye Christ was born put to death buried and this is said of whole Christ but this is only in reference to the humane nature for the God-head is immortall 2. pet 3.18 and therefore he was put to death in the flesh only Object But they say When men are dead the Scripture expresly saith that they cannot praise God Psal 6.5 and 88.9 Isa 38.8 9. Sol. I answer the dead qui tales so farre as they are dead cannot praise God Rev. 14.13 the body that lieth in the grave resteth from its labour yet this doth not exclude the realiy of the act but the manner of the performance and so saith Hezekiah they shall not praise thee as I do this day Isa 38.19 the father to the children shall make known Gods truth 1. Though they cannot do it for anothers conversion yet they can do it for their own consolation and these souls that are with the Lord they follow the Lamb where ever he goeth and have their hallelujahs continually in their mouth Rev. 5.9 and blessed be they that dwell in God presence Psal 84.4 they will be alwaies praising him Object God is said only to have immortalitie c. Sol. God alone is immortall à parte ante from all eternity he alone is independently unchangeably infinitly immortall impossible 't is for any creature or all the creatures to anihilate God 't is an easie thing with God to anihilate any of his creatures he alone is the authour and continuer of immortality But I dare not in this point presume to detain you any longer what ever flesh and bloud may suggest or carnall reason object let your souls everlastingly dwell upon this strong foundation beleeving that there is another life besides this life There are many other Uses of this Doctrin to perswade you not only to beleeve this truth stedfastly but to blesse God for it abundantly That your souls doe not die with your bodie herein triumph that death hath no power of absolute destroying but only of changing and that change to your souls if you be in Christ is unspeakably for the better Be you therefore intreated all the daies of your life and appointed time Job 14.14 to wait till your change come esteem this truth as one part of the oracles of God most comfortable and one of the greatest remedies against all future fears and present miseries that though death destroy your bodie yet your hope may be in the rock of eternity that you may say as the Apostle doth here If we had hopes only in Christ in this life we were of all most miserable As you have heard the extent of this hope The 4th part so consider the ground of this extent here exprest by the Apostle drawn from an absurdity that the best of men otherwise should be most miserables which is an absurdity so grosse which the light of nature cannot but abhorre and therefore Paul counts it needlesse to use any other arguments to refute hence