them instantly Paul was oft on his knees praying Men wot not what it is to haue to doe with God I bowe my knees to God for you Ephes 3. 14. So learne of him that it is not enough to thanke God for the prosperous estate of his Church that is but an halfe dutie to thanke him but with the thanking of God thou must ioyne prayer for the continuance of the blessing of God vpon that person Church and Common-wealth for whome thou thankest God There is no man so perfect in happinesse or in any blessed estate whether it be spirituall or temporall but yet so long as he liues in the world he hath want there is a lacke euen in the greatest Emperor and King yea euen in temporall things And he that hath begun well will fall backe againe a hundreth times in a day yea hee will runne faster backeward then euer he went forward if the Lord withhold him not Therefore pray for him that he goe not backeward Then when he is going forward in the good course begun he may not stand still but he must run euer looking to the end There is no man so long as he liues that putteth an end to his course his course ends with his life Hath any man a life He is in the race he is in the way and iourney towards the But or as the Apostle calles it the price of the high calling of God Phil. 3. 14. In the progresse he is not able to go one foote forward except the Lord take him by the hand and leade him Therfore seeing there is no progresse to heauen without God his especiall grace nor thou art not able to lift thy foote without him with euery foote that thou liftest thanke God for his owne benefit and pray to God for the continuance and increase thereof Pray feruently for thy selfe and for those that thou wouldest haue to continue Thus much for the proposition Now followeth the declaration of that wherfore he thankes God he thanketh God for them but not without cause he saw matter of thankes giuing in them and a vaine thing it is to thanke God for that that is The matter of the thankes giuing not in a man What saw he in them We heare saith he of your faith first and then of your loue to al the Saints without exception It is not possible but if thou loue one Saint thou must loue all And if thou hatest one Saint as a Saint it will Loue to the Saints passe thy power to beare affection of loue to any so loue one and loue all otherwise thou canst not loue one Then he seeth matter in them wherefore hee thanketh God and it is for no earthly thing but that these Colossians were conquered to that kingdome of Christ It is better for thee to bee conquered to Christ then to conquer the whole world Then the spirituall matter of reioycing if thou wouldest reioyce congratulate and praise God standeth in spirituall graces if thou wouldest reioyce for thy friend looke if he haue spirituall graces looke if he haue faith and loue if he hath not To reioyce for friends these neither hast thou matter to reioyce for nor he if he had all the world away with all thy gratulation all his prayses and congratulations are as many curses if he want faith and charitie for there is no blessing where they are not Wot ye what faith is It ioynes thee with the head woe is thee that art seuered from him and if thou hadst all the world woe is that soule that is not ioyned with Christ and being ioyned with him then art thou fast The earth shall be shaken and the heauen passe away before thou shalt loose thy gripe and holde of Christ or he twine and part Who shall separate vs from the Faith apprehends Christ loue of God saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 24 there is faith and the vertues thereof What doth loue againe As faith maketh the vnion with the head so loue is the band that makes the communion with the Saints which you rehearse in your beleefe and if thou be not ioyned here with his Church there is no saluation for thee nor life thou shalt neuer see the life of Christ Then when wee see a man standing first in this vnion with Christ and secondly in this communion with the Saints we may say blessed is that soule for cursed are they that are not ioyned this way Conioyne thy selfe with the head and the members there is not a member of the body with whom thou ioynest thy selfe by this communion but so fast as thy heart cleaues to it so fast will it cleaue to thee againe Wherefore reioyceth Paul with the Colossians because they loued the Saints so he being a Saint his heart ioynes with them Thou art a cursed body when a man loues thee if thou will not loue him againe Wherefore was it that they had first this faith in Iesus Christ next this loue towards the Saints what gained they by faith and loue the Apostle saith For that hopes sake that is laide vp in heauen it is not for nothing there is a rich reward of faith and loue Faith and loue will get thee a fairer thing and richer reward then all the things in this world Fye vpon them they are but durt and doung onely see that thou haue faith and loue Sticke by these two and thou shall get thee a richer and more glorious thing then al the things of this world can be to thee You may learne thē it is the respect that a man hath to a rich reward and hope that is of the riches of glorie Ephes 1. and not of this peltry in the earth that makes a man to sticke with Christ and to haue a communion with the Saints Otherwise if thou haue not this to looke vnto and this respect to that ioyfull end fye on thee it is kept to thee Heb. 11. 26 well enough as Peter saith thou hast no more to doe but to hold thine eye vpon it if thou haue it not it shall passe thy power to keepe thee with Christ and to be ioyned with the Church militant for there shall come such iawes and billowes of temptation iaw vpon iaw and billowe vpon billowe that thou shalt perish But contrariwise holding thine eie Phil. 3. 20. euer wayting for the comming of thy Sauiour the Lord Iesus I confesse there be a thousand things to drawe it downe but if thou striue to holde it vp certainely thou shalt sticke fast with Christ and stand with the Saints of God but if thou carry thine eye from heauen like a moule or muddewart grountling on this earth thou shalt tyne and lose Christ and the vnion with his Saints Thou shalt lose thy life and that faire heritage and then wo is thee for euer more To come forward how got they their sight and knowledge of this life Note It is a looking to this life that must keepe
Christians worse then Pagans and in seueritie and crueltie against Christ and his Church more fierce and malicious and more exquisit tormentors of Christ in his members then Popish persecution euer a Pagan or a Turke would be The truth of this is euident in the example of the Martyrs who finde none more malicious against Christs Church then these who would bee counted Christians Well Pagans and Turkes shall finde greater case and lesse iudgement at the comming of the Lord Iesus then false Christians O their paines shall be vnspeakable To goe forward in the next verse hee sets downe another cause wherefore hee suffered Of the which Church saith he I am made a minister as if hee would say I fill out the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my bodie because I am bound and obliged thereto I am made a minister to it there is the meaning Marke the words I am made He saith not I was borne a minister nay no man is borne a minister howbeit euery man thinkes he may be a minister out of hand I am made a minister would he say of a very crooked wood as he testifies of himself 1. Tim. 1. 12. 13. He placed me in his ministerie when I was a blasphemer and a persecutor Looke what stuffe I had and whereof I consisted before I was made a minister And if this was good stuffe and a way to make a minister of me iudge ye I was of al sinners the first in persecuting Christ and his members and blaspheming of him But saith he God had pitie on me Euen this Christ whom before I blasphemed and persecuted hee shewed mercie and put me in his ministerie The Lord can make a minister of a blasphemer I am made a minister that is a seruant to serue the Church to stand and fill the cup and cary it to the Church Peter and Paul were none other 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23. All is yours saith he whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas ye are our masters and we are your seruants and ye are Christs So he is but a seruant to the Church and not a Lord ouer it It followes that Paul when he suffered hee suffered not The sufferings of the Apostles and Martyrs were not for the redemption of man as a Lord of the bodie but as a seruant neuer any suffered as a Lord but Christ onely Paul and Peter and the rest suffered as seruants Ye see a faithfull seruant will die for his master so the Apostle suffered for his master the Church what were the Apostles but the friends of the Bridegroome Of this it followes that Pauls suffrings was not for the redemption of man no but for his ministerie and dispensation of the grace committed to him It is a lye to say hee suffered for the redemption of man so it was neuer for the redemption and remission of sins to any y t Paul or any of the Apostles suffered For no man Christ Iesus excepted was able to abide a lot of y t suffring for redemption no not all the men and Angels in heauen and earth were not nor are not able to abide one assault of that suffring That fierce wrath shuld haue so seazed vpon thē that it should haue consumed and destroyed them He must bee an excellent personage God and man in one person as Christ was that will beare out that suffring otherwise hee shall not be able to abide one point of it Well not to passe by this I see a Minister is bound to dye for the Church Wilt thou be a Minister The Minister is boūd to dye for the Church if neede so require prepare thee to dye for the Church otherwise thou art but an hireling a false deceitfull seruant So art thou made a Minister thou art made a seruant to the Queene the Church she is greater then any Princesse in the earth Count thou of a Minister as thou wilt the faithfull Minister is in greater glory honor then al the seruants of Kings Princes in the world yea he shall be preferd to the great Monarches of the world themselues Call ye them vaine fellowes They are the Lords stewards the King of kings Chambermen and Counsellors But to speake to the Ministerie Art thou called to be a Minister thou must prepare thee for suffering yea there is no calling in the Church of Iesus Christ which is not to suffering Thou maist bee called to a politicall gouernment yet not to suffering but to take thy pastime and to be in honour but if thou be called to be a member to Christ thou art called to suffer as it were a sheepe to the shambles Set not thy head within this fold except thou think thou must suffer Peter saith We are called yea appointed to suffer 1. Pet. 2. 21. Then when thou art clapt on the shoulder to be burned hanged headed yea and the skinne to be flaied off thee goe to it cheerefully for thou art bound thereto Well if euery common Christian be thus waies bound how is a Minister bound I say the more degrees thou gettest of Christ the greater preferment thou hast in Christs Church the more art thou obliged to die for Christ and his members Hee is a vaine man that thinkes when he is a minister that he is preferd to ease to greater pleasure The Ministerie no place of ease but of labour then the people no no. Is thine honour double first a Christian and then a Minister to serue the Lord Iesus Thou art bound doublie to suffer and to vndergoe the greater crosse for his sake and the Church I say if thou couldest be slaine a thousand times thou art bound to suffer more then a common Christian And if gladly thou be content to suffer thou gettest double honour first as a Christian and then as a Minister and thirdly as a Martyr Many haue been Ministers but few haue gotten this honor that the Apostles got Acts 5. 41. when they were persecuted they departed with such ioy with a song that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ I speake this to make vs ready to suffer that with ioy It is no ignominie or shame to thee to suffer if it were the most vile death for Christs sake and thy Creator sake Immediatly after that thou shalt suffer thou shalt be translated from paine and miserie to euerlasting ioy yea and in the chiefe time of thy suffring thou shalt Ioy vnder the crosse finde exceeding great ioy as the holy Apostles and Martyrs found When he hath spoken of his Ministerie he fals out into a description of it and that to this end that we may see the worthines of this Gospell First he calles it a dispensation and stewardship then there must be a familie if he be a steward it must be a great calling Ye thinke to be the master of the Kings household is a great office but to be a Minister a steward in the house of the King of kings
of heauenly inheritance of the Saints thou must come creeping to that communion of Saints be ioyned with them here if thou mind to haue any part with them in heauen separate thy selfe from that societie of the Church of God thou shalt be debard from heauen thou shalt neuer get a sight of it Looke the epistle to the Ephesians where he sheweth wherein the riches of the glorie of this inheritance is Where is it he saith it is among the Saints Ephes 1. 18. So then associate thy selfe to the society of the Saints in earth Men may passe their time and what reckon they of a Church It smelles in their nose what should they speake of it it is a stinking word mockage and scorne to them but I say glad shalt thou be to be of that number or else I shall debarre thee from all societie of the Saints in heauen Thou shalt be excommunicated out of heauen if thou excommunicate thy selfe here from the Saints Now where lies it you take heed where your heritage lyes and you will looke to your charters and euidences diligently for that cause you will looke the scituation of it Hee saith that this heritage of the saints is in the light there is the place a lightsome and a ioyful pleasant place The line of pleasant places saith Dauid Psalm 16. 6. is fallen to me It lyeth then in the light it is in heauen as Peter saith in his first Epistle 1. 4. It is kept and laid vp where God dwelleth it may well content thee to dwell where God himselfe dwelles Yet where is it Thy life is hid with God saith he O then thy heritage is in God! what can bee said more A faire heritage lying in so faire a light euen in heauen with God and in God I see then all our life and ioy either in this life or in the life to come is in that light of knowledge in that spirituall knowledge so that a man that hath his minde inlightened to see as the Apostle saith to the Ephesians the hope of his calling the riches of the glorie of the inheritance of the Saints the man that hath this light he liues and enioyes a great inheritance howbeit he hath neuer an ynch in this earth and his ioy is a true ioy And againe a man that is in darknesse not seeing the face of God in no measure knowing nothing that man liuing hee is dead if hee were an Emperor a King and a Lord. This countrie is full of dead stinking carrions because they want this light and they would pull out their eyes that they should not see this light But woe to them in the end when this darknesse shall bring an vtter darknesse when thou shalt be a dead stinking dog in hell Get thou this light if euer thou wouldest see heauen and haue a part of it which is not in darkenesse but in the light of God To whom we giue all honour praise and dominion for euer Amen THE FOVRTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 13 14 15. 13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne 14 In whom we haue redemption through his bloud that is the forgiuenes of sinnes 15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature THe last day welbeloued brethren the preface of this epistle being ended we entred into the doctrine The Apostle in his doctrine begins at the first grace that a man or woman getteth in this world in Iesus Christ The first grace or blessing of God in time after they are borne into the world for our grace mercie begins before all time ere we be borne our election began before the foundation of the world was laid but the Apostle begins at y e first grace in time the first grace in Iesus Christ for all is in him nothing without him is this christian calling from darkenesse to light frō that foule puddle of sinne wherein we lye by birth and nature nay if thou wert borne a king thou liest in the foule puddle of sinne we are taken out of hell for our birth is in hell and to hell we goe if we haue no more but nature Thou art taken out of hell and put into heauē there is the first grace in time Now to come to the text ye heard y e father he getteth the first glorie of our calling Thanking saith he the father He is the fountaine Then we heard wherein the calling consisteth not in a bare naming as one man would call another but the Lord in calling vs maketh vs meete of vnsufficient for heauen he makes vs sufficient of vnable he makes vs able of dead men he maketh vs liuely that is the effectualnes of our calling Then we heard whereunto we are called Our calling is not in vaine we are called to a lot a fairer heritage then all the kingdomes of the world nay y e poorest soule is called to be an heire of heauē Such as are called are called to the kingdome of heauen all other heritages are but dirt and draffe And who oweth this kingdom It is the kingdom of y e Saints It is distributed among the Saints and if thou be not a holy one and in their societie thou shalt neuer see that heritage laugh at them so much as euer thou wilt Where lieth this heritage To wit in the light of God thou neuer sawest such a light It lieth in God for God is thy light and thy life and if thou be an heire of this kingdome thy life is hid with God in Christ To goe forward yet the Apostle insisteth in this first blessing of our effectuall calling and maketh it more plaine in this verse His words are who hath raught vs out that is the force of the word From whence From the power of darknes What more And he translated vs. Whereto To the kingdome What kingdome Of his sonne the sonne of his loue his deere sonne the Lord Iesus Now brethren it is cleere but I shall briefly insist on the words to let you see the force and power of euery word for they are of weight For the words that speake of heauenly things are not the words of men Then the word he hath puld vs out with a force or strength with a constraining I hold it not a simple deliuerie Then look to thy calling It begins at haling of thee Thou art so fast holdē bound whē thou art called that if thou beest not pulled out with a strong hand thou wilt neuer come out and that Christ himselfe saith No man commeth to me no not one except the father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. Thou wilt neuer see heauen if thou be not drawne So our calling must begin at our drawing all the powers in the earth will not draw thee to heauē if the hand of the Lord draw thee not To goe forward He hath drawne vs out
all glorie and honour for euer and euer Amen THE NINETEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE Epistle of PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 16. 17. 16 Let no man therefore condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of an holie day or of the new Moone or of the Sabboth daies 17 Which are but shadowes of things to come but the bodie is in Christ THe purpose of the Apostle in all this place beloued brethren it is partly to exhort the Colossians to beware of false teachers that had crept in amongst them partly to admonish them Now heretofore ye heard hee fell vpon occasion into a faire description of God and of Coherence the effectualnes of his power which was from the effects first from the raising of Iesus Christ from the dead Secondly from raising vp of the Gentiles and namely the Colossians who were dead in sinnes and in the vncleannes of their flesh from that death they lay in And thirdly from the quickening of the Iewes who had subscribed an obligation against themselues sealing vp that they were guiltie of damnation Therefore Iesus Christ the first thing he doth is the cancelling of the obligation and putting it out of the way by nailing it on the crosse then when he had done this he turneth him vpon the same crosse to principalities and powers who are the diuels that persecuted mankind and accused them vpon that hand-writing He turneth I say to them and fighteth with them spoyling and leading them captiues Then hauing spoyled them he leadeth them to their shame and his glory in the sight of God and his Angels openly in a triumph hee sitting as it were in his triumphing chariot the crosse more glorious then all the chariots wherein any triumphing Emperour euer triumphed from the beginning Now brethren in this text which we haue read the Apostle returneth to his former purpose and vpon the former doctrine containing that fact of Christ vpon the crosse in nailing the hand-writing to the crosse and putting it out of the way and vanquishing the diuels he gathers this admonition Seeing this hand-writing of ordinances all rites ceremonies and all are abolished by the crosse of Christ therefore ye Colossians let no man condemne you for these things They are not they are all abolished and put away therefore beware of the false teachers that would condemne you for not vsing of such things I meane saith he new Moones Sabboths meates drinkes and such other ceremonies If wee will weigh these words well wee shall finde in them not onely a simple admonition giuen to the Colossians that they should not suffer themselues to bee condemned in such things but also we shall finde an inhibition giuen to the false teachers forbidding them to condemne the Colossians or any of the Gentiles in any of these rites that were alreadie abolished forbidding them streightly vnder the paine of their condemnation to vrge them with the same The very forme of the words sheweth that it is a very law for it is giuen after the manner of a law Let no man As if he would say I inhibite that no man condemne you for these ceremonies of the law alreadie abolished in the death of Christ Then briefly brethren ye see there is a law giuen the holie Spirit giueth it the Apostle proclaimeth it the law is this An euangelicall law that no man condemne them whom God absolueth When God absolueth a man let no man condemne him no if it were all the Kings in the earth they are ouer bold to condemne the silliest creature that God absolueth Paul to the Rom. chap. 8. 33. 34. commandeth and vrgeth Who will intend any crime who will be so bold to doe it it is God that iustifieth who then dare be so bold as to condemne him whom hee iustifieth and absolueth The law is giuen in generall But to come to the particulars There is a law giuen concerning the Iew that after God hath rent his hand-writing and abolished all the rites that hee was subiect vnto let no man condemne him for not obseruing of these ceremonies And as concerning the Gentile there is a law let no false teacher condemne a Gentile for not obseruing any of these ceremonies considering the Gentiles neuer receiued them they were imposed vpon the Iew. As for the Gentile they were not imposed vpon him and therefore it is a great presumption to impose these rites vpon them who neuer had receiued them But to come neere and speake plainly There is a law against the Pope and Papists that they condemne no Christian man vnder paine of condemnation for not obseruing of such rites as their festiual daies ceremonies of their owne inuention And in the name of the same Iesus as the Apostle intimateth this law so doe I intimate the same to them and you that heare me let no man condemne you for not keeping of such things as the Papists would impose vpon you The Lord hath made you free of them The Lord hath giuen you libertie He is too impudent to binde you with the obseruation of such things But let vs particularlie see the things in the which he will not haue the Colossians and the rest of the Gentiles vs this day condemned He calleth them in meate drinke and holy daies apparantly he vnderstandeth the feasts that were most solemne as the Passeouer the feast of Tabernacles and such others And then he commeth to them that were not so solemne as the new Moones and the rest And if you will marke the manner of speaking he speaketh of these rites with a disdaining of them They are of no worth after the body is come I will not insist to speake of the rites of the Iewes onely thus farre concerning their meates Before the Lord came and was manifested Leuit. 11. 1. Deut. 14. there ye shall finde that among the Iewes there was a difference of meates some cleane some Of the Iewish obseruation of meates vncleane and forbidden All was to signifie the difference betweene the Iewe and the Gentile that the Iewe should not communicate with the Gentile But that partition wall was throwne downe by Iesus Christ at his comming and all difference was taken away Now the false teachers did as much as they could to haue raised vp the partition wall and so to make voyde the crosse of Iesus Christ As concerning holy daies I onely touch it among the Iewes there were many feasts obserued but all were figures of Christ Holy daies and when he came they all tooke end And therefore the false teachers that pressed the obseruation of those daies did what they could to annihilate the comming of Iesus Christ as though he had neuer yet come into the world And here yee may cleerely perceiue the nature of erronious spirits that incline Erronious spirits to heresie for the most part they are occupied about trifling things things indifferent as meate drinke holy dayes and such like O as the Papists
is of such things as are proper for such a life I tell you this earth and all the things in it your siluer gold drinke and all the rest the knowledge of these things serueth not for the life of heauen but if thou wilt haue such a life thy knowledge must reach to heauen and howbeit thy knowledge be finite yet it will compasse things infinite if thou haue the spirit of Iesus saith the Apostle it compasseth the breadth and depth of him Ephes chap. 3. verse 18. 19. Knowledge of heauenly things necessarie if we be in Christ So this heauenly life requires wisedome in heauenly things Iesus Christ when hee rose the eye of him went vp to heauen he knew no more these carnall things all went away and the minde of him was occupied vpon heauenly things so if thou rise with him thy minde will to heauen and in some measure thou wilt vnderstand things and thou wilt be wise in God If thou haue not this I say thou hast not risen with Iesus but art yet filthie wallowing in thy owne bloud to thy eternall damnation Now he is not content to exhort them that they be wise in these things aboue but hee excludeth things of this earth to teach thee that thou canst not be wise in these heauēly things in case thou be wise in these things beneath yea these heauenly things shall bee but foolishnes to a wise man in earthly things for they shall be but as a dreame and imagination to such the speech of the Gospell shall be follie to him So think not to take both in thy armes when thou art looking downe how canst thou looke vp Thinke not to compasse heauen and earth both together for in compassing the one thou shalt lose the other Therefore the Apostle sundreth them This seemeth to be hard for how can we cast all care of this world away we must eate drinke and be cloathed and haue some care of these things so long as we abide in the earth The Apostle answereth in the first Epistle to the Corinth chap. 7. vers 29. for hauing spoken of mariage he saith the time is shortned As if hee would say ye will not be long in this life Therefore ye that haue wiues be as though ye had them not By the which he meaneth not that we should cast all care away of this world but that we should take the things of this earth by the way as it were that is to say let not thy chief care be on them but so farre as they serue for heauen Doe euen as though thou were going on a pilgrimage yee will take meate drinke gold siluer and such other things to helpe you forward in your iourney yet your care will not bee on them but your care will bee chiefly on your iourney euer hauing your eye vpon the end of it Thou wilt not sit downe vpon thy riches vpon thy meate and the rest Simile while thou art in iourneying but wilt be euer going forward in thy iourney vsing these things by the way euen so the Lord in this our iourneying to heauen hee will not haue vs to sit downe and set our care chiefly on these things in the earth but to take them as it were by the way hauing thy chiefe care Matth. 6. on him and the things with him therefore sit not down vpon any thing in this earth if thou doe thou shalt neuer come to thy iourneys end yea thou shalt lose the remembrance of it Now to goe forward in the words following There are two arguments to this purpose set downe by the Apostle the first is to disswade them from earthly things ye are dead The next is to seeke heauenly things your life is hid with Christ in God To speake then of the first argumēt which is ye are dead to the earth therfore striue not to be wise in y e earth Ye knowe that a mā that is dead supposing that he had neuer so great care of this world and could neuer get a fill of the things in it so long as he liued yet when life is gone the bodie lieth still and will not giue a peny for all the world all pleasure goeth away and Simile as a man dieth he will begin to spit at the world yea a man full of the honour of it he will at his dying day spit at it Euen so brethren the soule dying with Iesus spiritually as the bodie dieth naturally to sinne to the earth and to all earthly things to what end should it care for these earthly things Nay if thou didst finde that death of Iesus thou wouldest loath these things In deede it is vnpossible to be altogether voyde of the care of these things of the earth as long as we are in the bodie here but if thou be buried with him certainly thou wilt loath all these things beneath and despise the wisdome of them and begin by little and little to seeke the things of heauen And if thou be thus wise dead it is a sure argument thy soule is mortified lying as it were in the buriall of Iesus vntill the time thou rise glorious in that great day As by the contrarie if thou be not buried with Iesus in thy soule and bodie thou art liuing to sinne thou wantest the life of God and hast nothing but a sinfull life Brethren ye heard before he sayd they were liuing now he saith they are dead How can these two stand Obiection Answere together I answere a spirituall death in the soule when it dieth to sinne to foule affections and to earthly things such a death as that standeth very well with a spirituall life yea this death is so ioyned with the spirituall life that except the spirituall death precede the life of Iesus will not enter into thee Thinke not to enioy both together at once the life of sinne and the life of God but ere thou get the life of God the eye thou hadst to earthly things must be closed no thinke not to looke vp and downe together at once No no be dead to the world ere euer thou minde to open an eye to heauen So then the death to the world and the life to heauen standeth well together The last argument followeth perswading to the things aboue your life is hid aboue with Christ. There are the words and why should ye not follow him and set your heart and your eye vpon him where your life is Brethren I see there are many things to moue vs to seeke heauen and to be wise in heanenly things Now I would to God one of them could moue vs but alas as for a stonie heart speake and reason with it as ye will and conuince it as ye please it will abide hard and will not be moued Wouldst thou goe downe to the things of this life that death that thou diest forceth thee vp to heauen it giueth thee wings to flie vpward and closeth thine eyes from the world