c. Nay farther Wee must not onely {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not only not shrinke from but not sinke under the pressures God is pleased to lay upon us So then the next point is 2. When God is pleased to trie us by afflictions we must not onely suffer them to the end but all the while with strength and courage not onely with constancie but magnanimitie If saith Solomon thy heart faile thee in the day of trouble thy strength is small Wee must stand up under our burthens as the Palme-tree under weights not onely not stooping or declining but springing up the more towards Heaven As in the Deluge the higher the Waters rose the higher still mounted the Arke so the greater our trouble are the higher must wee goe in our thoughts towards God 2 Cor. 4.8 10. Wee are troubled on every side yet not distressed wee are perplexed but not in despaire alwayes bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body Say wee then of our severall pressures as it is Ier. 10.19 Truely this is my griese and I will beare it They who being under affliction doe either shrinke from it or sinke under it are Cowards both alike If at any time either through the greatnesse or the length of any miserie our hearts begin to faint check wee our selves and say as David Psal. 42. Why art thou â—ast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me Trust in God for I shall yet prayse him who is the health of my countenance and my God To this end labour wee for spirituall strength My Grave saith God as to the Apostle so to all in like case 2 Cor. 12.9 shall be sufficient for thee And Philip 4.13 I saith the Apostle am able to doe all things through him that strengthneth me Understand him transcendently strengthned by Christ wee shall be able not onely to doe but to suffer any thing for his sake Labout wee for courage fortitude heavenly-mindednesse so shall nothing be hard unto us Aliquando vincitur quis non quia fortior sed quia cum timidiore congressus Tertull. Wee are sometimes beaten not because weake but because more cowardly and fearefull Well say you here is the Man that suffereth and thus suffereth a Man that both stayeth in his affliction and stands up under it What then Secondly The thing affirmed of him He is blessed And hence shall I commend unto your tenderest Meditations two Instructions First As we would be blessed we must first be tryed by some affliction or other Acts 14.22 Where you see the way to Heaven lyes first through tribulations secondly through many tribulations and this thirdly necessarily it must be so God hath appointed it 1 Thess. 3.3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions for your selves know that wee are appointed therecunto And if wee goe forth by the foot-steps of the flock as it is in one of the Songs of Love wee shall finde all that are now in Heaven to have gone this way Heb. 2.10 For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sonnes unto glory to make the Captaine of their salvation perfect through sufferings And Heb. 13 1â—Wherefore seeing wee also are compassed about with so great a Cloud of Witnesses let us lay aside every weight c. Iamâ—es 5.10 Take my brethren the Prophets who have spoken to us in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience 1 Pet. 5.9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world And this way must all follow after Whosoever saith the Apostle will live godly in Christ note that in Christ that is in opposition to the world must suffer persecution Blessednesse at the first required nothing but obedience active Doe this and live but since the Fall it requireth obedience passive also the way to Heaven is by weeping-crosse Heb. 12.6,8 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he recerveth if ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes for what sonne is he whom the father chasteneth not Those eight Beatitudes or rather eight parts of Beatitudes which is one and intire in Christs first Sermon upon the Mount if you marke them run most of them in obedience passive wee must goe to Canaan through the Wildernesse amidst Scorpions and by the waters of Marah They then are much deceived who thinke to passe hence à delicits ad delicias from fleshly and worldly pleasures and delights to the joyes of Gods presence deceived they are as they shall one day find when it shall be said unto them amid their torments and too late repenting as unto Dives Remember thou hadst thy pleasure upon earth Art thou yet at ease in Sion c Well thou mâ—yst yet suffer nay thou must there is no scaping in a mist though going forth wind and tide serve thee yet suddenly both may turne against thee 'T is reported of Nero that having a faire Empresse hee used sometimes to take her by the chin saying Here is a faire face but when I list I can cut it off So say thou of all thy sairest externall blessings here is a strong body but God can when he pleaseth turne it into dust here are sweet children but God can when he will take them from me c. Provide for a storme and the rather because now the heavens lowre our bankes are broken downe and the tide is breaking in O let us no longer like little children play with cockle shells upon the shore Art thou under any affliction any distresse any extremity c be not dismayed the worst of the wayes of God are better then the best of the wayes of sinne for these lead to the chambers of death 1 Pet. 1.12 thinke it not strange nay think of it both as right and comsortable for this is your land-marke now may you assure your selves that you are in the way onely looke not back to Egypt againe nor sit still as weary yet a little farther and you are happy Heb. 12.11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby It followeth Secondly As they who would be blessed must endure tentation so they that endure tentation shall be blessed Rom. 8.17 And if childrens then heires heires of God and joynt-heires with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may bee also glorified together Revel. 2.10 Feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer bee thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee a crowne of life Nay they are already blessed in the comfortable assurance of Gods love and
favour Away then with all Bildads and Zophars who would draw hard conclusions on Gods people in their affliction as if God loved them not Oh let their mouthes be tyed up in silence for ever Blessed saith my Text is the man that indureth tentation and who can curse where â—od hath blessed See here with admiration the goodnesse and graciousnesse of our God who though he might command our obedience both active passive upon the allegeance we owe unto him is yet pleased to suger his precepts with sanctions with propositions promises of reward He blesseth us as the good old father Ephraim and Manasseth with his hands a-crosse How happy are wee to serve so good a Master but how happy shall we be if wee doe him good service Is there any among you who being in troubles is thereby offended whose feet begin to slip whose treadings are almost gone O looke out with Moses to the recompence of reward so shall you hasten home and sweeten your thoughts by the way as you goe the dayes are sharp but then they are short the wayes are soule but not long Heaven is hard at hand and a day is comming will make amends for all your sorrowes and sufferings hold on and the Crowne is yours Afflictions are tryalls and these as wee would be blessed wee must indure yea if wee indure them neither sinking under them nor shrinking from them we shall be blessed Blessed is the man that indureth tentation and why blessed the proose of the proposition followeth for when he is tryed he shall receive a crowne of life c. And here you see the blessednesse of the patient man First defined Secondly assured 1. 'T is defined 'T is a Crowne of life A Crowne speakes State and Dignity whatsoever we are now we shall ere long be Kings and walke in long white Robes You saith Christ that have followed mee in the Regeneration that is in the day of new birth to all the world in the day of Restauration of all things shall sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 But what is a Crowne without life Better saith Salomon be a living Dag then a dead Lion True but the patient man shall have at last not only a crown but a Crowne of Life 2 Tim. 4.8 Honcesorth is laâ—d up for mee a Crownâ— of Righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Indge shall give me at that day and not to me onely bus unto them also that love his appearing So then Howsoever wee have here beatudinem viatoâ—nm such and so much happâ—nesse as belongs to Travellers yet is the fulnesse the heaghe of blessednesse behinde beatitudo patriae wee are now the sonnes of God 1 Joh. 3.2 Neverthelesse it doth not appeare what we shall be but when Christ shall appeare we shold appeare in glory with him Above saith the Apostle are such things as neither eye hath seene ner eare heard nor ever came into the heart of 〈◊〉 to conceive The sum of all is Gods beatificall vision In Heaven is the perfection of all good things fulnesse is the perfection of measure everlastingnesse is the perfection of time infinitenesse the perfection of number immutability the perfection of state immensity the perfection of place immortality the perfection of life and God the perfection of all Psal. 16.11 In thy presence as fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there we pleasures for evermore See here the extreame folly of worldly men who for perishing and vexations vanities are content to part with a Crowne of immortall Glory Worse yet are they who for the pleasures of sâ—e which are but for a season momentanie yeâ— abortive perishing are they bud forfeit eternall blessednesse Wee laugh at little children when they let goe things of worth for trifles rattles a nut an apple but certainly many among us are much more childâ—sh They let goe Heaven and all the riches joyes and happinesse thereof for things that can doe them no good may doe them much hurt and when all is done cannot abide with them See here againe a ground of patience and cheeresull suffering your losses are many and great but if you have not lost Heaveâ— you have lost nothing Maries better part is that which cannot be taken away Your crosses are many and great remember there is a Crowne of life behinde c. Wherefore as the Apostle Colos. 3. take your affections off from things here below and set them on things above looke to the Crowne of life reserved for you Amid all crosses and in the houre of death live in the comforts of this hope and raise your mindes accordingly live like those that doe beleeve and expect an Heaven Heb. 10.34 For yee had compassion of me in my bonds and tooke joyfully the spâ—yling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an induring substance See here a crosse with a Crowne But what assurance wee see blessednesse defined but how is it assured The assurance is two-fold 1. In regard of promise God hath said 2. In regard of those to whom the promise is made They that love him First God hath said Blessed is the man that indureth tentation for he shall receive a crowne of life Hath God said it and shall not he doe it He saith the Apostle is faithfull who hath promised Againe all his promises in Christ are yea and amen If we confesse 1 Ioh. 1.9 God is faithfull to forgive a strange argument one would thinke we should rather feare revenge then expect forgivenesse of sinne from the Justice of God But God is as just in performing the mercy he hath promised as in executing the vengeance he hath threatned See here a sure ground of hope the word and promise of our never-failing God a sure ground I say wherein hope which is our Anchor may strongly fasten to secure our soules in any tempest as to hope without a promise or upon a promile otherwise then it stands is to let our Anchor hang in the water or catch in a wave and so to expect safety So to depend upon the promise of God and so as the promise is made is to settle to stay to save our selves against all stormes Wherefore take the Lord at his word Cast not away your hope saith the Apostle Heb. 10.35 36. And why because there is a promise whereby with patience and doing the will of God we shall bee saâ—e amid all surges here and at last happily arrive on the shores of peace What say some will you have us to stand where no bottome is will you have us to hang in the ayre Oh slow of heart to beleeve doth not the world earth and sea depend on the Word of God as you may see Heb. 11.2 Through faith we understand that the worlds are framed by the Word of God so that things which are seene were not made of things which 〈◊〉 appeare
suffer in love and if wee love wee shall serve and suffer long as Jacob for Rachel and think all nothing only because we love Love is that lively motive which makes our obedience full 't is that vertue which comprehends all other vertues Gradn eminentia for if we doe and suffer out of love we are at the highest pitch possible attainable Love saith the Apostle fulfils the Law nor can any vertue so long hold out 'T is as strong as death Cant. 8.6 7. Acquaint your selves with Gods transcendent excellencies but above all set your thoughts a working in deepest and humblest meditation of his love to you in Christ God loved us loved us first loved us being enemies yea so loved us as to give his Sonne to us yea as to give him to death for us to an accursed and shamefull death and he asketh nothing of us but this that we beleeve in him and so hee good to our soules If Faith be in the worke Love will break out yea break out into teares of joy to an exrasie Psal. 31.21 Psal. 116.1 I love the Lord because hee hath heard my voyce and may supplications because hee hath inclined his eare unto mee therefore I will call upon him so long as I live Gal. 2.20 The result of all is this Wee must suffer and indure afflictions as out of love so with joy The Argument That which makes for our eternall blessednesse is to be indured with joy But Afflictions makes for out eternall blessednesse erge not that we are to rejoyce in our afflictions but in the act exercise of our patience or rather Christs working them in us and so in the assurarce of Gods love and favour as the penitent not in his sinnes but in his teares for sinne Acts 5.41 And they departed from the presence of the counsell rejaycing that they wene counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name And 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmâ—ies in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake But be you therefore cheerefull in afflictions they are but for a few dayes and then comes glory Every Bird can sing in a cleare Heaven onely the Nightingale sings in a storme Rom. 5.2 3. By whom wee have accesse by faith into this grace wherein wee stand and rejoyce in the glory of God and not onely so but wee glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience c. If your hearts grow heavie recover your selves with David Psal. 42.5 Why art thou so sad O my soule and why so disquieted within me Trust in God for I shall yet prayse him who is the health of my countenance and my God Soli Deo gloria THE MYSTERIE OF GODLINESSE I TIMOTHIE 3.16 And without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the World received up into Glory WHat the Evangelists speake of Christ by way of Historie the Apostle here discovers as a great Mysterie Without all controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse c. Where behold as in a Scale of Gradation first a Mysterie secondly a great Mysterie thirdly a great Mysterie of Godlinesse fourthly a great Mysterie of Godlinesse without all controversie Next the Veyle being as it were rent wee see what that great Mysterie is God made manifest in the flesh So then the Apostle here shewes you first that there is a Mysterie secondly declares what that Mysterie is First a Mysterie This word in its owne language speaks some sacred and secret thing full furnished with matter of knowledge but not clearely understood either because there is something betweene us and it or because it selfe is too hard for us and Mysteries there are many 1 Cor. 13. If faith the Apostle I knew all Mysteries thereby giving us to understand that there are Mysteries of severall sorts some greater some lesser whatsoever others are this is great Secondly a great Mysterie {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} This saith the Apostle speaking of Marriage Eph. 5.32 is a great Mysterie because it shadoweth forth unto us the Union that is betwixt Christ and his Church But Thirdly 't is not onely great but godly a Mysterie of Godlinesse Godlinesse is the scope of it it teaches not onely to beleeve what God promiseth but to obey what God commandeth and godlinesse faith the Apostle is great gaine it hath the promise of this life and the life to come it s therefore a Trade saith one of a good returne which way soever you looke Nay more Fourthly the Mysterie here is not onely great a Mysterie of Godlinesse but all this without controversie There are many great Mysteries in the world but not great without controversie nay not without great Controversies The world you see is full of desperate Disputes about Truth whilest Truth her selfe lyes neglected in the middle like Moses his body when the Devill and the Archangel strove about it dead and buried no man can tell where Religion as one complaines of old is even lost in Questions about Religion wee pull so violently in our unprofitable Disputes that at length breaking the Rope wee sall more asunder yea the one side if not both must at last fall to the ground But what is the Mysterie here so great so godly and both without controversie God made manifest in the flesh So that here is first Height God secondly Depth in the flesh thirdly Breath manifest that is God not onely made man but shewing himselfe a man First Height God Job 6.26 Secondly Depth God in the flesh that is the Godhead not absolutely considered but as personally restrained to the Sonne and to him not simply neither as he is God but as a Person subsisting in the Godhead The Word was made flesh saith S. John that is the second Person {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Word of God who as wee begat words out of our thoughts beget his Sonne out of himselfe as it were by thinking within himselfe an eternall Generation Not the Father nor the holy-Ghost is made man for then there should have beene two Sonnes but the middle person betweene both as to preserve the integritie of the blessed Trinitie so the better to undertake the office of Mediation betweene God and man But yet though Father and holy-Ghost had no communion with the incarnation of the Sonne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Damascen otherwise then by assent and approbation yet for as much as the Sonne is of the same substance with the Father coeternall coessentiall with him God blessed for ever Amen for as much as the Word and Deitie are both one subject should wee exclude the nature of God from incarnation wee should make the Sonne of God not to be very God Undoubtedly therefore the Nature of God in the Person of the Sonne is incarnate and therefore though incarnation may not be granted to any
made wiser made more holy more humble c. Afflictions like Jonathans Arrowes are sent not to hurt 〈◊〉 but to wâ—rne us like the Shephâ— Dog sent out not to bite but to bring us in from straying and so from danger And if Afflictions be Tryals then must we when under them as now at this time all of us in respect of the publiâ—e especially looke to our selves for now as the losing or the â—ving of some speciall Grace or Blessing Now God is trying me whether I will repent of my sinnes goe home to my Fathers house whether I will hold out in my journey to Canaan or backe againe to Egypt c. Truly what you are in affliction that you are and no more Is there any among you who being under afflictions lives by faith manifesteth his graces is thereby drawne neerer to God in a spiritualâ— disdaine of all things here below Is there any here that truely and experimentally can say of his trouble Itâ— good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learne thy Statutes Psal. 119.71 Reade here an argument of Gods fatherly love hee scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth and then say of thine affliction thus turning thee from sinne and death as David to Abigail when she turned him from his fury Blessed he the Lord God of Israel who sent thee this day to meet me Oh the memory of this may doe you good another day It followeth As afflictions are tryalls so 't is said of the great man under them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a word made up of two and so would speake unto us two points 1. When God is pleased to lay afflictions on us for our tryall we must 〈◊〉 stay in those afflictions till he that layed them on shall please to take them off 'T is said of Joseph that till the time was â—ome the Word of the Lord tryed him God knowes as how so when to deliver his servants in the Mount he will bee seene and therefore in whatsoever afflictions we are we must wait his will and pleasure and stay his leysure too Dan. 11.35 And some of them of understanding shall fall to trie them and to purge and to make them white even to the time of the end because it is yet for a time appointed And Isay 28.16 He that beleeveth shall not make haste The Plaister must lye on till the Sore be healed wherefore Jam. 1.4 Let patience have her perfect worke This makes against those who can indure afflictions for a while but if a little lengthned they grow weary and impatient saying as hee in 2 Kings 6.33 Why should wee walt on God any longer Away they goe to some indirect and unlawfull wayes or else they murmure repine blaspheme c. And truth is there is too much impatiencie in the best Mica 7.4 The best of them is as a Bryar the most upright is sharper then a Thorne-hedge They kick but it is against the pricks and so by their impatiencie they only hurt themselves they make their burthen more heavie and God more angry Read and tremble Numb. 11.1 And when the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the Campe Heb. 10.36 Verily you have need of patience that when you have done the will of God you might inherite the promise wherefore as our Lord and Saviour adviseth Luke 21.19 In patience possesse we our owne soules this shall save us from the evill of affliction Quamvis non ab exteriere alieno tamen ab intimo nostro August Though not from the evill that is without us yet from the evill that is within us Abide patiently Might you for the least of the sinnes Rome calls veniall have not onely deliverance from troubles but great preferment yeeld not on any tearmes Heb. 11.35 And others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better Resurrection Let not God goe in these your wrestlings till with Jacob you have got a blessing Have you not heard of the patience of Job Jam. 5.11 And have you not seen the end of the Lord So soone as the Just Man seeing the folly of his impatiencie and distemper yeelded and submitted the Lord made an end of his afflictions See Job 40.4 what he saith Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Now heare the Lord vers. 6. Then the Lord answered unto Job out of the Whirle-winde and said Gird up thy loynes now like a man c. And surely as David sings The patient abiding of the just shall never be forgotten Nay if thus you suffer you shall be more then conquerers through him that loved us Revel 12.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lambe and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death But they are malicious men by whom you suffer say you and this is that that moves you Be it so and so it ever was is and will be Gal. 4.29 But as then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit even so it is now But then say I First If because they revile rayle reproach you you againe revile reproach and rayle on them as fast what difference is there inter provocantem provocatum Tertâ—ll betweene you and them onely this they sinned first and you sinned next Secondly Who or whatsoever be the instruments of your afflictions 'c is God permits them he hath an hand in all your troubles Is there any evill in the Citie saith the Lord and I have not done it Say then as Job to his Wife Shall 〈◊〉 receive good at the hands of God and shall wee not receive evill Say wee as our Lord and Saviour Shall I not drinks of the Cup my Father giveth me As for the molestations of the wicked as Pilate unto Christ threatning him with crucifying because he spake not when he was spoken unto John 19.11 They could have no power â—ver you were it not given them from above Here then you must also see the hand of God and lay your owne hand upon your mouth See what David doth 2 Sam. 16.10 12. And the King said What have I to doe with you ye sonnis of Zerviah So let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him Curse David who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so It may be the Lord will looke on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day Psal. 38.12 13 14. They also that seeke after my life lay snares for me and they that seeke my hurt speake mischievous things and imagine deceits all the day long but I as a deafe man heard not and I was as a dâ—mbe man that openeth not his mouth
Howsoever among men an argument from authority is not alwayes sound because all men are lyers farther then truth speaks for them yet some you know have borne such sway with their followers and disciples that their bare word have carried assent {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} such a one said it hath stopt all further oppositions And when God sayth this or that shall not wee beleeve him Psal. 9.10 They that know thy name will trust in thee for thou never failest them that seeke thee Secondly as God hath promised a crowne of life to the patient man so his farther assurance is 't is the Crowne God hath promised to those that love him And hence a two-fold observation First Eternall blessednesse belongs by promise onely to the holy to these onely is the promise made Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Revel. 22.14 Blessed are they that doe his Commandements that they may have right to the Tree of life and may enter in through the Gates into the City See here the gates of Heaven made fast against all the ungodly with Balanm they would dye the death of the Righteons but they will not live the life of the Righteous They would be happy but they will not be holy how unequall are these thoughs how unpossible are these hopes In good duties as one observes they seperate the meanes from the end they thinke to come to Heaven though they move not a foot turn not their faces that way though they live in the generall neglect of all good duties As if a man bound from hence to London should sit downe here and yet think to attaine his journeyes end Againe in evill things they separate the end from the meanes they promise themselves an escape from hell though every step they take tend thither Malâ— esse volunt misers esse nolunt â—mo â—dco sunt mali â—t non sint miseri Aug. Let these reade Deut. 29.19 20. And it come to passe when he bearâ—th the words of this curse that he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imaginations of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smock against that man and all the curses that are written in this Bookâ— shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven Farther See here a necessity of an holy life as wee would bee everlastingly blessed we must live holily for without holinesse none shall see the Lord Hee that would finish his colours in brightnesse must be sure to lay sutable grounds and hee that would finish his life in glory must necessarily begin and end in grace Away with the black colours of sin they are an ill foundation 1 Joh. 3.2 3. Beloved now wee are the sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but wee know that when hee sha11 appeare me shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe even as hee is pure 'T is the Crowne God hath promised to those that love him hence by the by are two Questions First Why is it not rather said 't is the Crowne God hath promised to those that doe beleeve or obey c First because faith workes by love and good duties done out of love are acceptable because they are the gifts of friends Wicked men may abound in outward workes they may pray heare c. all which howsoever materially good and in common acceptation be commanded may yet bee made sinne and indeed too often are because the doing of them doth not necessarily and from within respect either the command or the commanders glory but are only reducible unto him and may in the mean time looke another way so that the goodnesse of those duties is not in the duties themselves but in the right manner of doing them wherein if wee faile the things are no longer good at least to us Secondly wicked men as they cannot beleeve so neither can they love because these things are essentially good in themselves And although wee neither doe them nor can doe them with that strength and perfection the Law requireth yet cannot the doing of them in faith be totally and altogether sinfull because they take Christ into their performance and doe intrinsecally and in the very substance of the work respect God in him Thirdly they who doe what God commands obedientially in saith respect both the commandement and his glory that gives it he that workes not onely out of common conviction but in and with this filiall affection out of love this is hee that through Christ pleaseth God both in his person and all his performances Secondly Why is it not rat her said 't is the Crowne God hath promised to those whom he doth love Because our love is better knowne unto us being within us then Gods love being without us especially in such dayes as these of great calamity wherein we are prone to doubt of and to question the love of God if God be with us why is all this evill fallen on us Now that we love God wee may be sure not conjecturally but certitudinali scientia certainely and infallibly O how I love the Lord saith David Psal. 116. And wee faith the Apostle have received the Spirit of God whereby wee know the things that are given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 And being assured that we love God we may be sure that God loves us Ille prior in amore 1 Joh. 4.20 Howsoever our love to him in respect of his to us bee as the running of a little streame to the flowing of the great Ocean or as the thirst of one to the Fountaine where he drinkes yet for as much as his love to us begets our love to him therefore if we love him we may be sure he loves us Now as touching the second observation He that indureth tentation is blessed and why because he shalt receive a Crowne of life And why shall he receive this because 't is the Crown God hath promised to those that love him But why to the patient man because by his patient suffering hee shewes his love to God more then any Now saith God to Abraham on the point of offering up his onely sonne I know thou lovest mee As the patient shew their love to God by suffering so will the Lord shew his love to him by rewarding The Covenant betweene God and us stands in mutuall stipulations of love Wherefore we having shewed our love to God by patient suffering for his sake it remaines that hee experiment his love to us in rewardfull retributions 'T is just with God saith the Apostle to render to you that are troubled rest and peace c. It sufficeth not then that wee suffer unlesse wee
There is a judgement of assession and witnesse of consent and allowance and this belongs to the whole company of Gods Elect. They shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel All Israel not exempting Levi yea not onely all Israel but all the world and all the creatures therein though never so eminent and sublime in glory 1 Cor. 6.23 Know you not that the Saints shall judge the World Yea Angels Devils And how as members of the mysticall body whereof Christ is the head and Saviour Christ and his Church are one and therefore whatsoever is given to him is also given to her Christ the primary Judge shall passe the Sentence and the Saints shall approve it and rejoyce therein they shall triumph in the truth of divine Justice with the sweetest notes of praise and jubilation See here the glory and honour of Gods people their advancement and super-exaltation above the Starres of the morning they are Citizens of Heaven When God shall come to judge the world thousand thousands of Angels shall come with him but yet as his ministers and servants the Saints shall fit with him as his familiars and associates upon Thrones and that ever Thrones and all the glorious hoast of his noblest creatures their judgement as the Schooles distinguish is not condemnationis sed manifestationis they condemne none onely they shew forth the praise and glory of God in the justice of the Sentence on them whom Christ condemnes Here then is ground of support to all the people of God you are now troubled and molested by the Devill and his agents malicious adversaries you groane under unjust Censures and accusations bee content a day is comming wherein the Saints shall judge both the evill angels the Devils and all their malicious instruments Let our care be in the meane time so to live and converse here as to be worthy of that honour then farre bee it from them that are to judge the world so to live as to justifie the world by their prophane and impure conversation Thus they that follow Christ shall sit on twelve Thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel But when In the regeneration when the sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory Wherein you have the determinate time of Glory Where observe First A Position in the regeneration Secondly an Exposition that regeneration wherein Christ shall sit in the Throne of his Glory The Position The regeneration that is the Resurrection or otherwise the redemption of our bodies A time is comming wherein all creatures shall be as it were new borne Mortality shall be swallowed up of life and this corruptible shall put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15. Our bodies now subject to many infirmities to hunger nakednesse thirst cold many diseases dull and heavie in the service of God shall then bee immortall and therefore needing no bodily refreshments immortality shall chuse death out of nature and command sleepe from the eyes then shall our bodies have strength to performe their owne actions Were such an Elixar to be bought your Chymicks talke of as would free us from all diseases and repaire the ruines of old age who would not give all hee hath to have it and such an one there is in the hands of God an Elixar of immortalitie 'T is better saith Christ Matth. 18.8 for a man to enter into life hurt and maymed then having two hands two feet and so all parts intire to be cast into hell fire True it is were it possible but of this we may be sure we cannot goe to heaven either imperfect or without glory Particularly First wee shall have all the parts of our bodies perfect and intire though now maymed or deformed yet than wee shall be perfect 1. Because then all things shall be reduced to their former estate of beauty and perfection that namely the body had in its first creation The Heavens saith the Apostle Peter Acts 3.21 must containe Christ till all things be restored 2. 'T is said Revel. 21.4 There shall be no more death If no more death to the whole man saith Tertullian then no more death to any part of man It 's better saith Christ Mat. 18. for a man to goe halt or maymed into Heaven then c. Understand Christ Ex hypothesi not that any shall goe to heaven maimed but that if possible iâ— were better so to doe then to goe to hell with all the glory of the world Neither doth Christ there speake of the body but of the soule and the conclusion would be this that it is farre better for a man to lose any or all his limbes for the saving of his soule then to lose his soule and so to goe into hell with all his members Feare not then to lose a legge or an arme or an eye for Christ every member then shall bee restored againe Hast thou lost any member for Christ or otherwise trouble not thy selfe remember he that gave Malcus his eare againe who was his enemy will much more restore to thee thy parts who act his friend Secondly our bodies shall not onely be intire but beautifull and lovely though now deformed much more when stained with the pale and gastly colours of death yet then we shall be exceeding faire farre beyond the most exquisite beauty of any that lived ever since Adam for wee shall then be as Adam in his innocencie on whose beauty and splendour the beasts of the field stood gazing Salomons Temple was full of beauty and glory the second Temple the former being destroyed by the Chaldeans was howsoever faire yet farre short of the former in respect of beauty but our bodies in that Day shall bee restored to greater beautie and lovelinesse then ever they had O what paines doe the crooked take to make their bodies streight or at least to appâ—are so or not so crooked as they are How farre send they for complexion and how deare doe they buy it and this at last makes them more deformed perfect beauty is not to bee had till the Glorious morning of the Resurrection and the way to have it then is to bee Religious now Thirdly our bodies shall bee full of splendour howsoever now darke and obscure yet then they shall bee as so many shining Starres Dan. 12.3 They shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Matth. 13.43 Moses returning from God after his fortie dayes conference with him was so full of shining Glory in his face by the Reflection of the Glory of GOD that the people could not behold him How full of Glory shall our bodies bee when wee shall abide with God not fortie dayes onely but for ever and ever Fourthly our bodies shall be immutable and immortall subject to no change not needing the Elements or Elementary food God doth with us as the Goldsmith with his Gold or Silver first melts our bodies by death and then makes us up againe to a more glorious forme as Vessels of Honour to stand