of his bone and flesh of his flesh albeit he had neuer seene her before and shall we thinke that the second Adam restoreth lesse knowledge to his redeemed than they lost in the first Adam The consideration of the place shewes the greatnesse of that glory Last of all the consideration of the place vvherein wee shall be glorified will leade vs to consider the excellency of that glorie As for the place our Sauiour sometime calleth it Paradise there being no meeter place in the earth to shadow it then was that Garden of Eden the habitation of man in the state of innocencie sometime he calleth it his fathers house wherein are many mansions sometime the euerlasting habitations The Apostle calleth it the third heauens a house not made vvith hands but eternall in the heauens Wee see in this composition of the world that finest things are situate in highest places the earth as grosest is put in the lowest roome the water aboue the earth the ayre aboue the water the fire aboue the ayre the spheres of heauen purer then any of them aboue the rest but the place of our glorie is aboue them all in the heauen of heauens which doth not onely note the excellent purity therof but shewes also what excellent puritie is required in all them who are to inhabite it There are three places saith one wherein the sonnes Three places of our residence the first is our mothers wombe the second is the earth the third is the heauens of God at three sundry times makes residence according to Gods good pleasure The first is in our mothers wombe the second is this Earth the third is that pallace of glorie which is aboue from the first the Lord hath brought vs to the second and from the second wee rest in hope that the Lord â—n his owne good time vvill bring vs to the third If vvee compare these three together in time in bounds and in beautie vvee shall finde the second doth not so farre excell the first as the third excels the second The ordinarie time of our remayning in our mothers wombe is nine Compared together in time months the time of our soiourning in our second house is farre longer threescore and tenne times twelue months but in our third house neyther dayes months nor yeeres shall be reckoned vnto vs for it is the place of our euerlasting habitation If againe we compare them in bounds and largenesse of Compared in bounds place vvee shall finde that as the belly of a vvoman is but of narrow bounds in regard of this ample vniuerse so this is nothing in comparison of that high pallace wherein are innumerable mansions prepared for many thousands of elect men and Angels For if one starre be more than the vvhole earth vvhat is the firmament vvhich containes so many starres and if the firmament be so large vvhat shall we thinke of the heauen of heauens which hath no limites vvithin which it is bounded And last if wee compare them in beautie and pleasure Compared in beautie and pleasure O then what a difference shall arise when thou wast in thy mothers belly though thy body vvas indued with those same organes of senses yet what sawest thou or heardest thou there euery sense wanting the owne naturall obiect could breed thee no delight but this thy second house thou seest it replenished with varietie of all necessarie and pleasant things no sense wanting innumerable obiects that may delight thee and yet all the beautie and pleasure of this earth is as farre inferiour to that which is aboue as it is superiour to that which the infant had in the mothers belly The firmament which is the seeling of our second house The seeling of our second house is but the pauement of our third house beautified vvith the Sunne Moone and Starres set in it by the hand of God and shining more gloriously than all the precious stones in the world shal be no other thing but the neather side of the pauement of our Palace Iohn the Baptist sprung for ioy in the belly of his mother Elizabeth when Luke 1. 14. the Lord Iesus came into the house in the wombe of his mother Mary but afterward when hee saw the Lord Iesus more clearely face to face and pointed him out with the finger behold the Lambe of God when hee stood by him as Iohn 1. 36. a friend and heard the voyce of the Bridegroome he reioyced in another manner so in very truth all the reioycing that wee haue in the house of our pilgrimage is but like the springing of Iohn Baptist in the mothers vvombe in comparison of those infinite ioyes wherewith vve shall be replenished when we shall meete vvith our bridegroome in our Fathers house wherein wee shall see him face to face and abide vvith him for euer It is vvritten of Ahashuerus that he made a great banquet Ahashuerus banquet not comparable to our marriage banquet to his Princes and Nobles which lasted for the space of an hundred and fourescore dayes and when he had done with that hee made another banquet to his Commons for the space of seauen dayes the place was the outmost court of the Kings Palace the Tapestry vvas of all sorts of colours Esth 1. white greene and blew fastned with cords of fine linnen and purple through rings and pillars of siluer and marble the beds were of gold and siluer the pauement of porphire marble alablaster and blew colour the vessels wherein they dranke vvere all of Gold all this hee did that he might shew the glorie of his kingdome and the honor of his maiestie If a worm of the earth hath done so much for declaring his begged glory as rauished men into admiration thereof how I pray you shall the Lord our God the great King declare his glorie when he shall make his banquet couer his Table and gather his Princes that is his Sonnes thereunto not for a few dayes but for euer not in the outmost Court but in the inner Court of his Palace Surely no tongue can expresse it for seeing hee hath decked this If the outward court of Gods palace be so furnished as we see what is the inner vvorld vvherein vve soiourne and which I haue called the outmost Court of this Palace in so rich and glorious manner that hee hath ordained lights both by day and night to shine in it and hath prepared a store-house of Fowles in the ayre another of Beasts in the earth and the third of Fishes in the Sea for our necessitie beside innumerable pleasures for delectation what glory and varietie of pleasures may vvee looke for when hee shall separate vs fully from the children of vvrath and assemble vs all into the inner Court of his owne Palace into the chamber of his presence vvee may vvell thinke vvith the Apostle that the heart of man is not able to vnderstand those things which God hath prepared for vs and
so haue they their own ioy at the hearing of the word and hath also their owne desires to be glorified vvith Christ but when they heare that before they enioy that glorie they must suffer with Christ deny themselues forsake their sinfull pleasures and cease from their gainefull trade of wickednes they giue ouer the bargaine they stumble and fall back to the former course of their vngodly life But assuredly if wee all knew those things vvhich belong The onely cause why we walke flowly toward that glory is because we know it not to our peace but now are hid from our eyes ten thousand worlds could not keepe vs back from them and therefore seeing all the cause of our slow running towards that price of our heauenly calling is in the darknes of our minds let vs pray continually that the Lord would lighten the eyes of our vnderstanding that we may know the riches of his glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints and againe Lord Ephes remember vs vvith the fauour of thy people and visit vs with thy saluation that we may see the felicitie of thy chosen Psal and reioyce with the ioy of thy people and glory vvith thine inheritance which the Lord grant vnto vs for Iesus Christs sake Verse 19 For the feruent desire of the creature wayteth when the sonnes of God shall be reuealed WE haue heard hitherto the Apostles first principall The Apostle insists in the amplification of this glory argument of comfort against the Crosse taken from the end of our afflictions set down in the end of the 17. verse If wee suffer with Christ we shall raigne with Christ. This argument hee hath He proues the greatnesse and certaintie of that glorie by two arguments amplified in the 18. verse We shall be glorified with such a glory as for waight and eternitie shall farre exceed our present sufferings Now hee insists still in the same amplification and he proues that glory must be both a great and a certaine glory First because the creature by that instinct of nature From the feruent desire which the creature hath to it by the instinct of Nature which God hath put into it waites for the reuelation of that glory Secondly because the sonnes of God who haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit by instinct of grace wait also for it Now it can neither be a small thing nor yet vncertaine which God hath taught his creatures both by instinct of Nature and of Grace to long for but it must be From the feruent desire which the godly haue to it by the instinct of Grace some excellent and most certaine good whereupon God hath set the instinct and desire of his creature This being the Apostles purpose the order of his proceeding is shortly this verse 19. he sets down a proposition of the creatures feruent desire to see that glory reuealed The order of his proceeding in the first argument thereafter he assignes two reasons why they are so desirous of it The first is verse 20. taken from the present hard estate of the creature The next is verse 21. taken from their future better estate vnto the vvhich they shall be restored vvhen the sons of God shall be reuealed and then hee concludes this argument verse 22. And this purpose he handleâ— at the greater length because in all the booke of God this subiect is not handled saue in this place onely A proposition of the feruent desire of the creature exprest by foure phrases For the feruent Here as I haue said he sets downe a proposition of that feruent desire whereby the creature waites for the reuelation of the sonnes of God and his earnest expectation of the creature he expresseth by foure very significant phrases the first word signifieth such an earnest desire as we vse to testifie by the lifting vp of our head and attentiue looking for the comming of one vvhom we would faine haue with this hee ascribes to the creature a hoping and thirdly a sighing and groning such as is vsed of them vvho lye vnder a heauy burden whereof they would faine be eased and last hee saith they trauaile in paine with vs thereby declaring the vehemencie of their desire that it is like the earnest desire of a woman trauailing vvith Child who most earnestly wisheth to be deliuered All these by a figure and improperly ascribed to the Waiting hoping sighing groning ascribed to the creature to signifie their naturall inclination and instinct creature signifie vnto vs that forcible inclination and instinct of nature whereby the creature bendeth it selfe to practise that good in the highest degree for which it vvas made to the glory of God and good of man which because it is not permitted to doe being restrained by a superiour power for the sinne of man therefore it is described vnto vs sighing and groning wearie of the present estate and vvaiting for a better As wee see that the needle of the Mariners compasse touched vvith the Adamant hath in it this naturall inclination that it seekes continually toward the North from vvhich if it be restrained by any violent motion it shakes and trembles continually as a malecontent but if it obtaine the owne end and be once directly set toward the North then doth it rest it is euen so with the creature the heauens and the earth being subdued vnder the bondage of vanitie and their naturall inclination to good restrained for our sinnes cannot rest but in their owne kinde sigh and grone waiting for the day of their deliuerance and this instinct of nature in the creature is vnto the Lord as a certaine voyce or desire which hee vnderstands no lesse than hee doth the voyce of the mouth or desire of the heart in those creatures whom hee hath indued with reason sense This being spoken for the exposition of the vvords vvee come to the doctrine We finde in the holy Scriptures a three-fold vse of Gods A threefold vse of the creature toward man creatures toward vs their first vse is to serue vs if wee vvill serue the Lord yea vpon this condition the Angels are not ashamed to be called our ministers and seruants Their second vse is to crosse vs when we offend God then they serue eyther to punish vs in our persons or to hurt vs in our goods for when wee will not vvillingly honour God with the first fruits of our riches but abuse them to the fulfilling of our owne lusts it is a righteous thing with God to taxe vs against our will by sending forth his officers and exacters such as the Caterpiller and the Palmer-worme to eate vp that tribute which we owe vnto God but haue refused to pay him And thirdly they serue to teach vs for there is no creature in heauen or earth vvhich doth not teach vs some lesson the Emmet learnes vs prouidence the Fowles of the ayre and Lillies of the field teach vs to cast our
houre of death wee heare that ioyfull sentence Come to me thou Mat. 25. 21. faithfull seruant c. This night thou shalt be with mee in paradise Marke 23. 43. Math. 25. 34. Come and inherit the kingdome prepared for you Till then our peace is not alway without perturbation our ioy Yet our peace and ioy are not perfect in this life and why not without heauinesse nor our confidence without feare yea in our best estate we liue vnder expectation of a better For the iudgement of conscience suppose it be diuine yet it is not supreme nor absolutely perfect because the light we haue to informe conscience is but in part If thy conscience be euill and accuse thee it cannot accuse thee of all the euill which is in thee for if our conscience condemne vs 1. Iohn 3. 20. God is greater then our conscience and will much more condemne Deus scit in nobis quâ—d ipsi nes 〈…〉 s. God knoweth Aug. in Ioan. tract 42. that in vs which we know not our selues And if thy conscience be good and excuse thee yet can it not beare record of all the good which God by the Spirit of Grace hath wrought in thee And therefore for our comfort may wee turne that sentence if our conscience excuse vs God is greater then our conscience and will much more excuse vs. And hereof it commeth that our conscience can neither haue perfect nor perpetuall rest in this life because as is said it dependeth and looketh alwayes for that supreme and absolutory sentence of the highest Iudicator yet so much assurance haue wee and that vpon most certaine grounds whereof we will speake God willing hereafter as makes vs in our greatest tribulations to reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And herein hath the Lord magnified his meruailous mercyes towards vs in that he hath not onely set vs free A great comfort that the Christian knowes before hand the sentence to be pronounced vpon him from condemnation but hath also forewarned vs before we come to iudgement that we shall not be condemned Yea so tender a regard hath the Lord of vs that in his last and supreame Court sentence of absolution shall first be pronounced vpon his children before that sentence of coÌ„demnation be giuen out against the reprobate that the Godly finding themselues in surety should not be discouraged to heare the fearfull reiection of the wicked Let vs not therefore be afraid when so it shall please the Lord to remoue vs out of this earthly Tabernacle seeing that before euer wee goe we know our sentence Pharaoh his Butler was not afraid Gen. 40 13. to goe before his Iudge because Ioseph foretold him that hee should be restored to his office and may not we with greater boldnesse goe before our King seeing we are fore-warned that he will restore vs vnto a more happy estate then that which we lost in Adam This we haue spoken of the glorious deliuerance which But how glorious this deliuerance â—s wee shall best know when we shall be set on mount Sion the iustified man hath in Iesus Christ our best knowledge is but in a part and we are not able to speake of these mercies of our God according to their excellencie The Lord is able to doe vnto vs aboue all that we can aske or thinke The Christian may looke for much more to be giuen him through Christ then any thing that euer he heard or hath conceiued in his owne minde When Lot was compelled to Gen. 14. goe out of Sodome by the Angels he considered not how mercifull the Lord was vnto him and therefore lingred and prolonged the time but being thrust out of Sodome by the Angell and set vpon the mountaine which the Lord had assigned to him for a place of refuge vnto him then no doubt considering the greatnesse of that iudgement which the Lord had executed vpon Sodome the smoke whereof we may well thinke he saw with Abraham the next morne mounting vp like the smoke of a Furnace then no doubt hee was moued in his heart to magnifie the Lords mercie toward him and if in Zoar where he was still in feare hee acknowledged that his life had beene precious in their eies who were sent to deliuer him much more may wee thinke hee was thankfull at the first on the mountaine when he saw their fearefull confusion and his meruailous preseruation It is euen so with vs wee are yet in Sodome which shortly will be burnt vp with fire the Lord doth daily send his Angels to vs warning vs to escape for our life but alas we prolong the time we delay to turne to the Lord loath we are to goe out of Sodome and all because wee know not with the Apostle the terrour of that day but surely when 2 Cor. 5. Reue. 11. the Lord shall set vs on mount Sion among those thousands which follow the Lambe and we shall see the smoake of the damned ascending continually when we shall stand at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall heare that fearefull sentence pronounced on the wicked and see the speedie and terrible execution thereof the earth opening incontinent to swallow them then shall we perfectly know how greatly the Lord hath magnified his mercies towards vs in deliuering vs from so fearefull a condemnation Last of all as this is the happy estate of them who are in How miserable are they who are not in Christ Christ that now there is no condemnation for them so is it the contrary miserable estate of the damned doe what they will euery action of their life makes out the processe of their most iust condemnation for to the vncleane all things are vncleane yea euen their consciences are defiled and Tit. 1. their prayer is abhominable and turned into sin but thanks be to God through Iesus Christ who hath deliuered vs from this most vnhappy condition To them who are in Christ. Albeit the former mentioned Deliuerance by Christ pertains not vnto all men onely to them who are of the houshold of Faith deliuerance from the wrath to come be most comfortable yet this which is subioyned should waken euery man to take heed vnto himselfe when we heare that this deliuerance is limited and restrained onely to them who are in Christ It is true that by the offence of one man the fault came on all to condemnation but by the obedience of one all are not made righteous only they who receiue the abundance Rom. 5. of grace and gift of righteousnesse shall raigne in life through one Iesus Christ As therefore we haue receiued within our selues by nature the sentence of death knowing that we are borne heires of the wrath of God by disobedience so wisedome craues that we neuer rest nor suffer our eyes to sleepe nor our eye-lids to slumber but that wee should recount our former sinnes in the bitternes of our heart and
wrought in thee already that thou maist see it perceiue that which is to be wrought in thee suppose it be not apparant ex his quae in Cyril te sunt persâ—ice ea quae non apparent of â—ore-past works iudge of that which is to come that thou maist learne to giue glory to God and trust in him who giues life to them that are dead And if from our selues we proceed to other creatures how Practises of God on creatures without vs though they cannot beget faith yet may they confirme it many proofes in nature shall we finde to confirme the resurrection the Trees that dye in Winter and loose both their leaues and fruit are they not restored againe in the Spring The day which is slaine by the night and buried in darknes as it were in a graue is it not restored againe in the morning The auncient Fathers send vs to learne â—e same from the Phoenix Many other works of God in 〈…〉 re though they cannot beget this faith in vs yet are they profitâ—ble to helpe it where it is begun and are strong witnesses in their kinde to reproue the infidelity of Atheists But we haue aboue all to take heed to that most sure word of the Prophets and Apostles whereat we began and so to rest in it that when it shall please God the day of our change shall come we may after the example of our blessed Sauiour commend our soules into the hands of the Lord and be content that our bodies like pickles of liuely seed be sowen in the field of God and set into the earth as it were with Gods owne finger that in his owne good time they may spring vp againe to glory and immortality I know whom I haue beleeued and am perswaded that hee is able to keepe vnto the last day that which I haue 2 Tim. 2. 12. committed to him And this for confirmation of our resurrection These same bodies which now we haue shall be restored vnto vs the same in substance We haue further this comfort in that the Apostle saith the Spirit of God shall raise vp your mortall bodies that our bodies wherewith now wee are cloathed shall be raised vp and none other for them Away therefore with that vaine opinion that new bodies shall be created and giuen to Gods Children in the resurrection The glory both of his iustice The iustice of God craues that so it shold be mercy and truth craues that these same bodies and no other for them should be restored for euery one must receiue according to that which they haue done in the body whether good or euill Absurdam est Deo indignum vt haec quidem Tertul. caro lanietur illa vero coronetur◠〈…〉 nds not with the iustice and truth of God that one bod◠〈…〉 uld be torne in suffering and another should receiue the crowne Shall the body of Paul be scourged and an other for it be glorified shall Paul beare in his body the mark of Christs sufferings and not beare in that same body the crowne of his glory shall the wicked in their body worke the works of vnrighteousnesse and shall an other body receiue the wages of their iniquity It cannot be And that the glory of his mercy craues that the same The mercy of God craues also that so it should be body should be raised is also euident for why shall Sathan giue that wound to man which the Sauiour of men is not able to cure shall the malice of the Diuell bring in that euill which the mercy of God cannot remoue shall the first Adam slay the body by sinne and shall not the second Adam giue life vnto it by his righteousnesse Can this stand with the glory of God dimidium tantum modo hominem restituere Tertul. to restore onely the one halfe of man As these same soules of ours which were dead and none other for them are quickned in the first resurrection so these same bodies of ours and none other for them shall be raised from the dead in the second resurrection restituet Deus corpora pristina in Iren. cont Valent. lib 5. resurrectione non creabit noua As those blinde men saith Irenaeus whom as we read in the Gospell Christ cured receiued no new eyes but onely sight to the eyes they had before and as that sonne of the widdow and Lazarus rose in those same bodies wherein they did die so shall the Lord in the resurrection restore to vs our olde bodies and not create new bodies to vs And this vvarneth vs that vvith great attention wee are to vse our bodies in most holy and honourable manner in this life seeing they are to be raysed vp as vessels of honour and glory in the life to come Againe when the Apostle saith that the Lord shall raise Our bodyes shall be raised with new qualities vp our mortal bodies we are to know that so he calleth them in respect of that which they are now not in respect of that which they shall be then For in the resurrection the Apostle teacheth vs in anothe◠〈…〉 ce that our bodies shall be raised immortall honourabl◠〈…〉 rious spirituall and impassionable First I say the body shall be raised immortall not subiect any more to death nor diseases nor standing in need of these ordinary helps of meat drink and sleepe by which our naturall life is preserued Secondly our body shall be raised honourable now it is 2 They shall be honourable layd downe in dishonour for there is no flesh were it neuer so beautifull or beloued of man but after death it becommeth loathsome to the beholder so that euen Abraham shall desire that the dead body of his beloued Sarah may be buried out of his sight but in the resurrection they shall be raised more honourable then euer they were they shall be redeemed from all their infirmities euery blemish in the body that now makes it vnpleasant shall be made beautifull in the resurrection and euery defectiue member thereof shall be restored Members lame shal be restored to integrity Membri detruncatio vel obtusio nonne mors membri est si vniuersalis mors resurrectione rescinditur Tertul. de resur carnis quanto magis portionalis for the perishing of the member is no other thing but the death of the member if the benefit of resurrection cut off the vniuersall death of the body shall it not also take away the portionall death of a member in the body if the whole man shall be changed to glory shall he not much more be restored to health Out of all doubt the bodies of Gods Children shall be raised perfect comely and euery way honourable hoc est enim credere resurrectionem integram credere Thirdly the body shall be raised a glorious body When 3 They shall be glorious Phil. 3. 21. he shall appeare he shall change our vile bodies and make them like
to confirme them that the sight of the other should not confound them Somtime againe the Lord in the middest of trouble giues his children such comfort as deuoures all their present sorrowes to Peter in the prison there appeared an Angel and a light shining round about him and Iacob banished from his Fathers house sees a more comfortable vision at Bethel than any that euer hee had seene at home but albeit the Lord deales not alway with all his children as hee did with these yet are they all sure of this comfort glory shall be the end of their sufferings To be reuealed The Apostle calleth it a glory to be reuealed Our glory is prepared but not reuealed hee telleth vs in another place that it is prepared already yea it was prepared before the foundation of the world but it is not yet reuealed beatitudo illa comparari hic Aug. de Sanctâ—s ser 46. potest possideri non potest that felicitie may be obtayned here but cannot be possessed here Ne itaque quaeras in via quod tibi seruator in patria seeke not therefore that in the vvay which is kept for thee till thou come to thy countrey let vs possesse our Soules in patience waiting for that which in this life is neyther reuealed nor can be possessed Moses besought the Lord to shew him his glory and he receiued Exod 33. 18. this answere No man can see it and liue and vvhen that glory filled the Tabernacle it is said that Moses could Exod. 40. 38. Moriamur vt viuamus not enter into it Seeing it is so that our wretched nature can not abide that glory and we cannot liue and see the Lord let vs prepare our selues with ioy and contentment to dye that we may see him And in the meane time by that glory which God hath Yet by the glory reuealed we may iudge of that glory which is not reuealed Aug. de temp ser 9. 9. reuealed in his workes let vs iudge of that which is not reuealed if these workes of God vvhich wee see be so beautifull what shall wee thinke of those we see not out of all doubt among all the workes of God those which are inuisible are most excellent as the body of man is a beautifull vvork manship but not comparable to the soule This glory I count it the highest degree of eternall life the first is Righteousnesse the second Peace the third Ioy the fourth is Glory Righteousnesse breeds Peace and Peace breedes Ioy and our Ioy shall be crowned with glorie if the doing of the workes of righteousnesse bring such comfort to the minde as the godly finde in experience how shall our comfort abound when we receiue the reward of righteousnesse Ber. in Cant. Ser. 47. God is good to them who seek him much more vnto theÌ„ who finde him which is Glory Si sic bonus es quaerentibus te qualis es assequentibus if thou Lord be so good to them who seeke thee vvhat shalt thou be to them vvho finde thee vve may be assured that these first fruits of the Spirit and the earnest of our heauenly inheritance wherin now stands our greatest comfort shall appeare as nothing vvhen that masse of glory shall be taken vp and communicated vnto vs. As the light of the Sunne when it ariseth obscures the light of the Moone and Starres so that glorie when it shall be reuealed shall obscure those our ioyes which now we esteeme to be greatest Adeo enim pulchra est facies illa vt illa visa Aug. de temp ser 49. nihil aliud possit delectare for so pleasant is that face of God that they vvho once see it can be delighted vvith no other thing The Queene of the South heard very much of Salomâ—ns wisedome and of the glorie of his Kingdome but as she confesseth herselfe the halfe of his glory vvas not told We shall see much more in heauen than we can heare of it her and so shal we one day not onely say with the Psalmist As we haue heard so haue we seene in the Cittie of our God but shall be compelled to acknowledge that the glory prepared for vs by innumerable degrees excels all that euer we heard of it Semper enim maiora tribuit Deus quam promittit Basil hexam for the Lord our God giues alwayes greater things than he promiseth And yet albeit we cannot speake of it as wee should let Meditation of the Glory to come recommended to vs. vs meditate vpon it as vvee may where the Apostle is silent vvho can speake when hee was rauished to the third heauens hee heard such vvords as hee could not vtter and againe the eye neuer saw the eare neuer heard those things which God hath prepared for them who loue him facilâ—â—s inuenimus quid ibi non sit quam quid sit it is more easie to Aug. de verb. dom ser 64. tell what that life is not than to tell what it is yet certainly the Lord would neuer vse it as an argument to comfort vs in trouble were it not that it is his will that wee exercise our mindes in the consideration thereof When the Lord first promised to giue Abraham the land of Canaan for inheritance hee commanded him to rise and walke through the land to view the length and the breadth thereof albeit he was not to put him in a present possession thereof yet the Lord vvill haue him to view it that the sight of that which GOD had promised might sustaine and comfort him till the day of possession came so vvee though vve be not presently to be entered into possession of our heauenly Canaan yet seeing the Lord hath so commanded vs let vs now and then goe with Moses to the toppe of Pisgah and view it that is let vs separate our soules from the earth and ascend by prayer and spirituall meditation and delight our selues with some sight of that land as it shall please the Lord to giue it vnto vs. There are foure principall names by vvhich the holy Our estate in heauen expressed vnder foure most comfortable names Spirit in Scripture expresses that felicitie of the Saints of God in heauen first it is called a life and such a life as is eternall secondly it is called a glory and such a glory as is a crowne of glory and that of infinite vvaight thirdly it is called a kingdome and such a kingdome as cannot be shaken Heb. 12. 28. fourthly it is called an inheritance and such an inheritance as is immortall vndefiled and that fades not away Tell O man what is it thine heart vvould haue Is there any thing thou louest better than life is there any better life then a life of glory is there any greater glory than a kingdome of glory is there any surer kingdome than that which is thine by the right of an immortall and permanent inheritance and yet these are the excellent
not preuent him Let vs therefore vse our libertie well and see wee neglect not to begin in time our acquaintance with the Lord by frequent speaking vnto him if so be we looke hereafter for euer to remaine with him Verse 28. Also we know that all things worke together for the best to them who loue God euen to them who are called according to his purpose NOw followeth the Apostles third and last principall The third principall argument of comfort is from the prouidence of God working all things to the good of his owne argument of comfort taken from the prouidence of God which so ouer-ruleth all things that fall out in the world that he causeth them to worke together and that for the best vnto those who loue him and among the rest our afflictions are so farre from being preiudiciall to our saluation that by the prouidence of God which is the daily executer of his purpose working all things according to the counsell of his wil they become meanes helping vs forward to that end namely conformitie with Christ whereunto God hath appointed vs. The comfort is summarily set downe in these words All things worke together for the best to them who loue God the confirmation thereof is broken vp in these words euen to them who are called according to his purpose and the explication is subioyned in the two subsequent Verses Also That is beside all the comfort which I haue giuen Manifold blessings of God are vpon the Godly Psal 34. 19. you before I giue you yet this further not one but manifold are the comforts which the Lord hath discouered for his children in holy Scriptures Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers him out of them all that is for euery trouble the Lord hath a seueral deliuerance Euery 1 Cor. 10. 13. tentation saith the Apostle hath the owne issue euery horne that riseth against vs to push vs hath an hammer attending Zach. 1. 21. vpon it to represse it saith the Prophet Esau mourned on Isaac albeit he was prophane yet hee cryed pittifully Hast thou but one blessing me Father but we with the holy Apostle may blesse our heauenly Father who doth so comfort vs in all our tribulations that as the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolations abound through Christ The store-house of his consolations can neuer be emptied The Lord our God hath not dealt niggardly nor sparingly If the first fruits of our comfort be so sweet what shall the full masse be with vs but a good measure of consolation pressed downe and running ouer hath he giuen vs in our bosome his holy name be praised therfore And yet how little is all this which now we receiue in comparison of those inestimable ioyes prepared for vs the like whereof the eye neuer saw the eare neuer heard the heart did neuer vnderstand Surely the greatest measure of comfort we haue in this life is but the earnest penny of that principall which shal be giuen vs hereafter if the first fruits of heauenly Canaan be so delectable how shall the full masse thereof abundantly content vs when we shall behold the face of our God in righteousnesse and shall be filled with his image and with that fulnesse of ioy which is in his presence and those pleasures which are at his right hand for euermore We know If yee ponder the Apostles words yee shall None but a Christian can know the mysteries of the Gospell 1 Cor 9. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 5. 6. finde that by an Emphasis bee restraines this knowledge to the Children of God excluding worldlings and naturalists from it The spirituall man discerneth all things but hee himselfe is iudged of no man A naturall man cannot vnderstand the things that are of God The Gospell is wisedome indeed but wisedome in a mistâ—rie and wisedome among them that are perfect Euery article of our Faith and point of Christian doctrine euery priuiledge of a Christian is a mysterie no meruaile therfore that the Gospel be foolishnes to the naturall man who perisheth the excellent things of Christianitie can be knowne of none but those who possesse them the Pearles which none know but they who haue them value or rather vanitie of earthly Iewels hath beene better knowne of some who neuer had them than of others who haue enioyed them but the Iewels of Gods Children such as Peace Righteousnesse and ioy in the holy Ghost can be knowne of none but of him who doth possesse them the new Name none can know but hee vvho hath it neyther can any man know the sweetnesse of hid Manna vnlesse he taste it If you goe and speake to a Worldling of inward peace Worldlings speake of them like birds counterfaiting the voyce of man and spirituall ioy or of the priuiledges of a Christian yee shall seeme to him a Barbarian or one that speakes a strange language which he doth not vnderstand or if he himselfe speake of them as hee hath learned by hearing or reading yet shall he speake like a Bird vttering voyces which he vnderstandeth not As the brute beast knowes not the excellencie of mans life and therefore doth delight it selfe with Hay and Prouender seeking no better because it knoweth no better so the naturall man knoweth not the excellencie of a Christian and therefore doth disdaine him and esteeme him a foole a mad man and the off-scowring of the world he takes the doung of the earth in his armes for his inheritance if he can obtaine the portion of Esau that the fatnesse of the earth may be his dwelling place if his wheat and his oyle abound to him hee careth for no more hee knoweth not what it is to haue his soule made glad with the light of the countenance of God This is your miserable condition O yee wretched Worldlings yee are cursed with Worldlings cursed with the curse of the Serpent the curse of the Serpent yee creepe as it were vpon your bellies and yee lick the dust of the earth all the dayes of your life yee haue not an eye to looke vp vnto heauen nor an heart to seeke those things which are aboue Most fearefull is your estate we warne you of it but it is the Lord who must deliuer you from it This resolute knowledge is the mother of spirituall courage constancie and patience for why shall he feare in the euill day yea though the earth should be remoued and the Sure knowledge of Christian comfort is the mother of patience Reuel 4. mountaines fall into the middest of the sea who sees the Lord sitting on his throne and the glassie sea of the world before him gouerning all the waltrings changes and euents of things therein to the good of them who loue him Oh that we had profited so much in the schoole of Christ all our dayes that without doubting or making any exception we could beleeue this which here
Lord promises a blessing In that day saith the Lord I will heare the heauens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the oyle and they shall heare Israell And that he keepes the same order in bestowing spiritual blessings we are taught by the Apostle vvhen hee saith that before vve be saued we Rom. 10. 13. must call on the name of the Lord before vve call on his name we must beleeue before we beleeue we must heare before we heare there must be preaching whereof it is euident that they who neglect and contemne the ordinary meanes of saluation do giue out a very hard sentence against themselues which is that if they so continue they doe not appertaine vnto election And againe for our further comfort wee haue here to Comfort our election before time cannot be disanulled by any creature made in time marke the certaintie and soliditie of our saluation it is neither to day nor yesterday that the Lord concluded to be mercifull vnto vs our election beganne not with our selues before the mountaines were made before the earth and the world were formed euen from euerlasting to euerlasting the Lord is our God What creature then is able to disanull that which God hath vvilled before that euer a creature was onely let vs labour that as our election is sure in it selfe so we may make it sure in vs by walking in a good conscience before the Lord and then vve shall not care what man or Angell say to the contrarie against it they are but posterior creatures and what intrest can they haue to gainesay that vvhich GOD hath done before that they vvere Happy are they vvho are rooted grounded and builded vpon this rocke no stormy waue of the Sea shall ouerturne them no rage of tentation nor power of the gates of hell shall preuaile against them Lastly vve are taught here by the holy Apostle that all Sauing grace is communicated to few therefore should be the more esteemed men are not foreknowne all are not predestinated to life otherwise there vvere not an election there is onely a certaine and definit number vvhich belong to the election of Grace a fulnesse both of Iewes and Gentiles a number not knowne to vs but knowne to the Lord not one more nor one lesse shall be partakers of saluation Many saith our Sauiour shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of Mat. 8. 11. God hee saith not all the children of the East shall come but many shall come This should vvaken in vs a holy care so long as the calling of God continues among vs to take heed to our selues striuing to thrust in at the doore of the kingdome of heauen for it suffers violence and the violent take it the fewer there be to be receiued into the kingdome the more we should labour to be of that number Wee see So it is in nature that rarest things are most regarded that in nature things that are common were they neuer so excellent are not esteemed the Sunne because common to all is regarded of few though it be a very excellent and profitable creature but parcels of the earth possessed by men in propertie are much more remembred and regarded by those to vvhom they belong riches and honor are in greater account among men because few attaine vnto them and if vvee vvere as wise in spirituall things that grace of Christ vvhich brings saluation would be more precious and deere vnto vs because it is communicated to few The Lord giue vs grace to consider rightly of it in time To be made like to the image of the Sonne The Apostle Predestination is vnto glory by a conformitie with Christ in our present life insists not in the rest of the linckes of the Chaine hauing touched them he leaues them onely he insists in this lincke of Predestination teaching vs that hee vseth not here the vvord of Predestination generally but restraines it to Predestination vnto life as also that vvee cannot step from election to glory but by a conformitie vvith Christ vvhich is most necessarie for vs to marke for albeit there be great comfort in the consideration of Gods immutable purpose ordayning man to life as also in the consideration of that glory vvhereunto we are ordayned yet neither of them can comfort vs vnlesse vvee be sure that our life is proceeding from election to glorification by the right meanes The first and neerest end of election in regard of man Ephes 1. 4. As Christ is the life so is he the way neither can wee come to life but by the way Ioh. 14. 6. is his sanctification for the Lord hath chosen vs that vvee should be holy the second and furthest end is mans glorification The same Lord Iesus who said I am the life said in like manner I am the way and the veritie if thou wouldst be at life lye not stil in thy sinnes but rise and walke in the way and if thou knowest not the way learne it from him who is veritie Let not presumption which slayes the wicked ouertake thee they passe ouer the matter of their saluation with a wanton vvord their hearts are prophane yea they boast with their tongues that they are sure to be saued but this is a vaine reioycing for he that walkes not in the way how is it possible that he can come to the end assuredly he shal neuer come where Christ is to liue with him that vvalkes not after Christ in newnesse of life This conformitie vvith the Lord Iesus vvhereunto wee Conformitie with Christ wherein it stands are predestinated is partly in this life partly in the life to come Our conformitie in the life to come shall stand in liuing and raigning vvith Christ which is our glorification whereof he speakes hereafter Our conformitie in this life stands in liuing and suffering with Christ and of this hee speakes here to liue godly after the rule of Christ to suffer patiently after the similitude of Christ are the two parts of our present conformitie with him The Lord Iesus is giuen vs of the Father both to be a Sauiour and an example vnlesse wee make him an example to follow him in our doing and suffering he shall not be vnto vs a Sauiour Here we are to marke that the workes done by Christ in Workes done by Christ are threefold 1. personall workes of Redemption 2. Miracles 3. workes of a godly life our nature are threefold first his personall workes of Redemption as that he vvas borne of the Virgin that he suffered the cursed death of the Crosse for the expâ—ation of our sinnes that he rose the third day for our iustification that he ascended triumphantly into heauen leading captiuitie captiue Secondly his workes of miracles as that hee fasted forty dayes gaue sight to the blinde life to the dead and such
able to turne him Now from the body it is translated to the minde to expresse the straitnesse of the afflictions of the children of God out of vvhich oft-times they themselues can see no passage that which Dauid said to Ionathan As the Lord liueth there is 1 Sam. 20. 3. but one step betweene me and death so sareth it many a time with the Children of God but the Lord commeth in vvith vnlooked for deliuerance in their most desperate distresse vvhich not onely relieueth them for the present but doth confirme them for the time to come Wee receiued saith 2 Cor. 1 9. 10. the Apostle the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God who raiseth the dead who dâ—liuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that he will deliuer vs. The third is Persecution The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 3 They are persecuted chased from place to place that sort of affliction by which the Children of God are persecuted and chased from one place to another the world hath neuer thought them worthy of a roome among them and therefore haue they beene forced to liue in caues and dennes and wildernesses but our comfort is that the God most familiar with his children when they are banished by men Lord hath alwaies shewed himselfe most familiar with his Children when the world hath been most hard vnto them Iacob is banished from his fathers house by the crueltie of Esau and his heauenly Father receiued him into his house comforting him by such a familiar reuelation of his presence as hee neuer had felt before so long as hee dwelt at home and Iohn being banished by Dâ—mitian into Pathmos found also the Lord reuealing himself vnto him more familiarly than he had done before What part of the world is there wherein tyrants can banish the Children of GOD from accesse to their Comforter they know that in their owne house they are strangers as Abraham vvas in Canaan the Land of his inheritance and therefore can be the better content as strangers to liue in any other part of the world Basil being threatned by Modestâ—s the Deputie of the Emperour with banishment Nihil inquiâ— horum quae Nazian de vita Basil dixisti timeo I feare none of these things whereof thou hast spoken nihil pâ—ssâ—â—ens ab exilij mâ—tu liber sum vnum hominuÌ„ cognoscens esse patriam Paradisum Omnem autem terram commune â—spicimus naturae exilium possessing nothing I am free from the feare of banishment knowing that Paradise is the onely countrey of men and the whole earth is a common place of banishment to vs all The fourth is Famine which of it own nature is one of the 4 Famine is one of Gods ordinary plagues and with it also the godly are tryed plagues of God but lesse than his other ordinary plagues of the sword pestilence therfore the Lord who best knowes the waight of his owne rods accounts three dayes of pestilence three months of the sword and three yeeres of famine equiualent Many wayes hath the Lord by which he bringeth famine vpon a people for sometime he maketh Leuit. 26. 19. the heauen aboue as brasse and the earth beneath as yron so that albeit men labour and sow yet they receiue no encrease Deu. 11. 14. sometime againe he giues in due season the first and latter raine so that the earth renders abundance but the Lord by blasting-windes or by the Cater-piller Canker-worme and Grasse-hopper doth consume them who commeth out as exacters and officers sent from God to poind Miserable are they whose gaine is to â—ncrease Famine they are Caterpillers in the Land Basil ser 1. in Auar men in their goods because with them they would not honour the Lord which I marke by the way that those vnnaturall men vvho doe what they can to encrease famine in the Land may know they are but Caterpillers scourges and roddes of the wrath of God or aâ— Basil calleth them Mâ—rcatores humanarum calumnitatem making their priuat gaine a common calamitie and vsing that as a benefite to themselues which God hath threatned as a plague to the people assuredly vnlesse they repent the Lord shall cast them at length into the fire as the roddes of his wrath But we are to know that famine which in the owne nature The Lord who changed the serpent into a flourishing rod hath changed cursed famine into a blessed crosse to his children is a curse and plague of God to the godly is changed the Lord who made the bitter waters of Mâ—rah sweet and turned a biting serpent into a flourishing rod hath changed the nature of all those euils which sinne hath brought vpon vs now they worke for our good and are become like Waspes wanting stings profitable to waken vs and exercise our faith but not able to seperate vs from the loue of God Among those famine is a great tentation Nature being impatient of the want of necessaries and therfore Sathan who picks out the time and place of tentations as may be most for his vantage tempted our blessed Sauiour when he began to vvaxe hungry It is a rare grace in want to praise the Mat. 4 3. Lord and trust in his fatherly prouidence Salomon neuer felt it yet hee knew it was a rare tentation therefore he Prou. 30. 8. prayed that the Lord would neither giue him pouertie nor riches least the one make him full and cause him deny God and the other should cause him to steale and take the name of God in vaine yet no extremitie of this tentation can separate them from the loue of God for eyther in their greatest necessities the Lord marueilously prouides for them or then strengthens them vvith patience and inward comfort to sustaine it For sometime the earth hath been as iron but the heauens How the Lord prouides in famine for his children hath ministred food to Gods people as in that barren wildernesse vvherein Israel soiourned the earth yeelded no fruit but the heauens rained downe Manna and Quailes and sometimes the heauens haue beene as brasse yet in the earth hath the Lord prouided nourishment as he did by the Rauens and the Widdow of Sarepta for Eliah and if otherwise it please the Lord by famine to inflict death vpon his children then he strengthens their spirits with the bread of life and comforts their hearts with hid Manna so that they can say to Worldlings as our Sauiour said to his Disciples I haue bread to eate that ye know not of and so no famine can Ioh. 4. 32. separate them from the loue of God Nakednesse This is also a great tentation partly for the 5 Christians tryed also with Nakednesse shame and partly for the decay of naturall life which followes it Before the Iewes crucified Christ they stripped him naked of his garments Basil makes
Disciples condemned and iudged worthy of stripes stand as so many examples to confirme vs that we faint not when we are condemned of men yea with the Apostle we must learne to passe little for mans iudgement and striue in a good conscience to be approued of God for sure the Lord will not peruert iudgement it is farre from the Iudge of all the world to doe vnrighteously he will at the last plead the cause of his Seruants and bring their righteousnesse to light This condemnation then from which wee are deliuered But from the condemnatory sentence of God is the sentence of God th righteous Iudge by which finding man guiltie of sinne for sinne he adiudgeth him vnto eternall damnation from this all they who are in Christ are deliuered He that beleeueth in him who sent Iohn 5. 24. mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life In this condemnation Three sundry times the Lord keepes against the wicked in the processe of their condemnation Psal 50. 5. the Lord proceeds at three sundry dyats against the wicked First he condemneth them in the Court of Conscience Next in the day of their particular iudgement Thirdly in the day of generall Iudgement First I say the Lord holdeth a Iustice Court against the wicked in his owne Conscience For the Lord iudgeth the righteous and him that contemnâ—th God euery day After 1 The first is kept against them in the Iustice Court of their owne Conscience sinne committed by him there ariseth in his Conscience accusing thoughts and there is a sentence within him giuen out against him The Apostle speakes it of Heretikes one sort of vvicked men and is it true in them all they sinne being damned of their owne selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by themselues Iudgement is giuen out against themselues which sentence albeit euery wicked man doe not marke the voyce of their disordered affections sometime being so loud that they heare not the condemnatorie voyce of their Conscience so clearely as it is pronounced yet doe they heare as much as makes them inexcusable and breedes in them a certaine feare and terrour which is but a fore-runner of a more fearefull iudgement to come which howsoeuer in time of their securitie they labour to smoother and quench by externall delights yet at the length affection shall be silenced and Conscience shall pronounce sentence against them with so shrill a voyce that their deafest care shall heare it This I haue marked that we may learne not to esteeme lightly the Iudgement of our Conscience but that so oft as wee are condemned by it wee may make our refuge to the throne of Grace to seeke mercie For if Conscience condemne 1. Ioh. 3. 20. vs God is greater then the Conscience and will much more condemne vs. Ascendat itaque homo tribunal mentis suae Aug. hom 50 si timet illud meminerit quod oportet eum ante tribunal Christi exhiberi Let therefore a man saith Augustine goe vp to the tribunall of his owne mind in time if he feare it let him remember that he must be presented before a greater tribunall The second time of iudgement which the Lord keepes 2 The second is kept against them in the houre of death against the wicked is in the houre of death wherein the Lord doth not onely repeat their former sentence of condemnation and that in a more fearefull and iudiciall manner but proceeds also to execution adiudging their bodies vntill the day of last iudgement to the prison of the graue to vnderly that curse pronounced on man for his Apostasie and condemning their spirits to be banished from the presence of God and cast into vtter darknesse Let not therfore the wicked man nourish himselfe in sinne with a vaine conceit of the delay of iudgement wherefore wilt thou put farre from thee the euill day what suppose the day of generall iudgement were not to come for many yeares is not the day of thy particular iudgement at hand vnto which thou shalt be drawne sodainely and perforce in the midst of thy deceiuing imaginations thou shalt be taken away in an houre wherein thou thought not to dye more miserable than that rich glutton who hauing stored his head with false conclusions dreaming of many dayes to come when hee had not one was that same day taken away to iudgement And this shall moue vs the more if we doe remember that such as we are in the day of death such shall wee be found in the day of iudgement In quo enim quemque Aug. epist ad Hesych inuenerit suus nouissimus dies in hoc cum comprehendet mundinouissimus dies quia qualis in die isto quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur and euery man in the last day shall be iudged to be such as he is when he dyeth It would waken vs all more carefully to thinke vpon our end that so we might prepare our selues for this second dyat of iudgement But the third dyat of iudgement shall be most fearefull 3 The third dyat shall be kept against them in the day of generall iudgement when all the wicked being gathered together in one shall be condemned in that high and supreame court of iustice which the Lord shall hold vpon all that euer took life then shall the full measure of the wrath of God be powred vpon all those who are not in Christ Iesus both in soule and body they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition This iudgement shall be most equitable for when that Ancient of dayes shal sit down vpon his white throne before whose face heauen and earth shall flee away and Dan. 12. 6. when the Sea and the Earth hath rendred vp their dead then the bookes shall be opened according to which he shall Reuel 10. 8. proceed vnto iudgement And the bookes are two the This iudgemeÌ„t shall proceede by the bookes of Law and Conscience booke of the law which shewed to a man what he should doe and the booke of Conscience which shewed him what hee hath done by those shall the wicked man be iudged and he shall not be able to make exception against any of them against the booke of the law hee shall be able to speake nothing for the Commandements of the Lord are Psal 19. 9. pure and righteous altogether And as for the booke of conscience thou canst not denye it the Lord shall not iudge thee by another mans conscience but by thine owne that booke thou hast had it alway in thine owne keeping who then could falsifie it neither is any thing written in it of things thou hast done but that which thine owne hand hath written how then canst thou make any exception against it Thus the bookes being opened the iudgement shall How the wicked shall be conuicted by the booke of the Law proceede in this manner The Law shall pleade
shall be translated in that day Where first wee haue to see what creature this is which shall be deliuered and secondly what the deliuerance is The word creature is a generall name of all the workes of God but here it is put for those creatures which being made by God for man were hurt by the fall of man and shall be restored with him And so What creatures shall be restored vnder this name wee comprise not reprobate Angels and men neither those excrements of Nature which are bred of doung and corruption neither thornes thistles or such like vvhich are the fruits of Gods curse vpon the creature for our sinne and are in that day to be destroyed not restored but by the creature wee vnderstand the heauens and earth vvith the rest of the elements and vvorkes of God therein contayned made for the glory of God and the vse of man And this is to declare that excellent deliuerance vvee Iesus the restorer heales euery wound that Sathan hath inflicted vpon man haue by Iesus Christ there is no wound which Sathan hath giuen man by sinne but the Lord Iesus by his grace shall cure it hee shall not onely purge our soules from all sinne and deliuer our bodies from the power of the graue and corruption but shall deliuer the creatures our seruants from that curse which our sinnes brought vpon them To make this yet more cleare wee are to know that there are three obiects of Sathans malice The first is God and his glory the second is man and his saluation the third is the creature made for Gods glory and mans good The principall obiect of Sathans malice is God and his glory hee hates the Three obiects of Sathans malice first God secondly man thirdly the creature Lord vvith a deadly and irreconcilable hatred so that if it lay in his power hee would vndoe that most high and holy Maiestie but because rage as hee will hee cannot impaire his sacred Maiestie he turnes him to the secondarie obiect which is man and troubles him by all meanes not so much for mans owne cause as for the Lords whose glory he seekes to deface that shines in man And if here also he cannot preuaile by reason that the Lord hath made a hedge round about man he turnes him to the third obiect of his malice which is the creature against which he is so insatiable that if he can be licensed to doe no more yet doth hee esteeme it some pleasure to him to get leaue to enter into Swine that he may destroy them and this he doth not that hee accounts a beast his pray for all the beasts of the earth cannot satisfie this roaring Lyon but that destroying the creature he may driue man to impatience and prouoke him to blaspheme the Lord as by these same meanes he made the Gadarens murmure against Iesus Christ and put him out of their land and this hath beene the course of Sathan euer since the beginning But blessed be the Lord our God who ouer-shootes Sathan God ouershooteth Sathan in all his machinations and all his intentions that same man vvhom Sathan wounded hath the Lord restored and shall set his image more glorious in him than it was before and those creatures which Sathan defaced for the hatred he carryeth to Gods glory and mans good the Lord shall restore againe the glory of God encreaseth as it is impugned euery new declaration of Sathans malice shall end in a new declaration of Gods glory neither is that enemie able to giue a wound to any of Gods children but the Lord shall make it whole and shall at the length confound Sathan by his owne meanes And here because it is commonly demaunded vnto what To what vse the creatures will serue in the day of restitution wee shall know best when we see it vse can these creatures serue in that day seeing we shall haue no neede of the Sunne nor of other naturall meanes whereby now our life is preserued To this I answere that if the Lord will haue these workes of his hands to continue and stand as euerlasting monuments of his goodnesse and witnesses in their kinde of his glory who is it that can contradict it It is enough for vs that we know they shall be deliuered and transchanged into a more glorious estate but for what â—se we shall best know in that day when we shall see it in the meane time reuerencing the Lords dispensation let vs rather endeauour to be partakers of that glory than curiously to moue thorny and vnprofitable questions concerning it Now as for the manner of their deliuerance Seeing the Apostle saith that the heauens shall passe away with a noise How the Apostle saith the creatures shall be deliuered seeing the Psalmist saith they shall perish and the elements shal melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp with fire and seeing the Psalmist saith they shal be deliuered This doubt shall easily be loosed if Scripture be made interpreter of Scripture The Psalmist in that same place expones the word of perishing by the word of changing what this changing shall be the Apostle here makes it manifest while hee cals it the deliuering of them from one estate into another so that wee are not to thinke that they shall perish as concerning their substance but as concerning those qualities of vanitie seruitude and impotencie whereunto they haue beene subiected by the fall of man As siluer and gold is changed by the fire the drosse perisheth but the substance remayneth so shall these creatures be changed in that day for which cause also they are called new heauens and new earth Reu. 21. And out of this we may perceiue the necessitie of that exhortation Seeing the glory of that kingdome requireth that the creature bee changed how much more should we be changed giuen vnto vs by the holy Apostle Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolued what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse seeing the simplest seruant who shall haue any place in that kingdome must be changed and receiue a new liuerie how much more ought we our selues to be changed who are the sonnes and heyres of that kingdome let vs not deceiue our selues no vncleane thing can enter into that heauenly Ierusalem without sanctification we cannot see the Lord vnlesse we be 2 Pet. 3. 11. purged from our drosse and purified and fined by the spirit of the Lord we shall not dwell in those new heauens wherein dwels righteousnesse Verse 22. For wee know that euery creature groneth with vs also and trauaileth in paine together vnto this present THe Apostle in this Verse concludes this purpose The same purpose further amplified by gâ—oning and sighing of the creature with some amplification thereof for hee ascribes to the creature a groning with vs and a trauailing together in paine vvhereby hee doth yet
the word In the carnall brotherhoode though the parents be one yet the inheritance is not one though the seede of the flesh be one yet the soule that quickneth the body in both is not one but in the spirituall brotherhood the parents are one the inheritance one the seede vvhereof they are begotten is one and the spirit which quickeneth them all is one It is not then Baptisme nor externall profession which proueth a man to be the kinsman and brother of Christ it is the spirit of Iesus which whosoeuer hath not the same is not his and whosoeuer hath him it is certaine they become new creatures Great is that dignitie certainely whereunto we are called The greatnes of Christs loue toward vs in making vs his brethren and matchlesse is that loue which the Lord Iesus hath carried toward vs who not content to make vs his seruants hath made vs his brethren If he had shewed vs no more kindnesse then Abraham did Lot his kinsman yet euen for that had hee beene worthy to be loued for euer but behold what a greater loue our Lord hath shewed vnto vs we forsooke him more vnkindly than Lot did Abraham yet did hee still retayne his kindly affection toward vs when we were carried away captiue by spirituall Chedarlaomer he did not onely hazard but laid downe his life for our Redemption Moses is greatly praised for that vvhen hee was honourable in Aegypt he left the Court of Pharaoh to visit his brethren esteeming the rebuke of Christ in his people greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt and Ioseph is also commended that being second person vnder Pharaoh in the kingdome of Aegypt yet hee was not ashamed of his Father and brethren albeit they for their trade being sheepekeepers were abhomination to the Aegyptians But all these are not comparable to that loue which the Lord Iesus hath borne toward vs in that notwithstanding our base estate hee hath not beene ashamed to call vs his brethren The Lord make vs thankefull and shed abroad in our hearts the sense of that loue vvhich hee hath borne toward vs that wee neuer be ashamed of him for no Crosse that for his sake can be laid vpon vs. Verse 30. Moreouer whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified THere is no part of holy Scripture vvhich is What a cleare sight of saluation is here discouered to the Christian not stored with the words of eternall life but as that part of earth which is rich of minerals of gold and siluer is more esteemed than other land vvere it neuer so fruitfull so ought this place of holy Scripture to be accounted of vs all as containing in it a most rich minerall not of gold siluer or precious stones but of a more precious saluation wherein the deeper thou art able to digge the stronger clearer and greater sight of saluation ariseth vnto thee there is not in all the booke of God a place of holy Scripture vvhich presents to the childe of God so cleare and certaine a sight of his election and glorification as this place doth wherein now we are trauailing for the holy Apostle in this golden chaine of Saluation doth in such sort knit our effectuall Calling with our Election and Glorification that the Christian vpon earth may euidently see what God in the heauens hath decreed toward him we haue spoken of the first two lincks of the Chaine Prescience and Predestination now we proceed to speake of the third to wit our Calling Where first of all for our greater comfort let vs stand The prerogatiues of a Christian are farre more honourable than any that worldlings can claime and consider how great and glorious are the benefits which God hath bestowed on the Christian before time the Lord hath chosen him after time the Lord will glorifie him in time the Lord doth can and iustifie him Worldlings also haue their owne prerogatiues wherin they place their glory those among them that haue most ample and ancient inheritances are counted most honourable but thou vvho art named a Christian if thou be so indeede looke to thine owne priuiledges and thou shalt see that the glorie of a Christian doth far exceed the glorie of the most honorable Worldling as the Psalmist spake of Ierusalem so may wee of the Christian Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou man Psal 87. 3. of God Election is the first and most auncient charter of the The most sure and auncient Charters of a Christian to his inheritance right of Gods Children to their Fathers inheritance Calling is the second by it we are knowne to be the Sonnes of God and our Election secret in it selfe is manifested to vs and others Iustification is the third by it wee are infest in Iesus Christ and made partakers of all that is his Glorification is the last by it wee are entred heyres to our Father and fully possessed in his inheritance No King vpon earth can produce so auncient a right to his Crowne though vvith the Egyptian thou shouldest reckon thy beginning so many yeares before the creation of the world yet canst thou not match the Christian hee hath the most auncient charter of the most ample inheritance neither can any man vpon earth be knowne his Fathers heyre vpon such sufficient warrand as the Christian for in the regeneration the Father communicateth to him his Image his Nature his Spirit whereby he beginneth from feeling to call God his Father and in life and manners to resemble him No freeholder so surely infest in his lands nor hath receiued so many confirmations thereupon as the Christian iustified who vpon his gift of righteousnesse and life hath also receiued the earnest the pledge the scale and the witnesse of the great King And last of all the Christian shall be entred to the full possession of his Fathers inheritance vvith such ioy and triumph in the glorious assembly of the Saints as the like was neuer seene in the world no not in Ierusalem that day wherein Salomon entred heyre to his Father Dauid then the earth rang for ioy but nothing comparable to that ioy wherewith the heauens shall ring when all the Sonnes of God shall be caught from the earth into the ayre to meet the Lord Iesus and to be inuested in the Kingdome of their Father But now wee are to speake of this Calling wherein consists all our comfort for it is the middle lincke of this indiuisible Calling is the first manifestation of our Election and forerunner of our Glorification Chaine he that hath it is sure of both the ends Our Calling is the first manifestation of our secret Election and it is a sure forerunner of our Glorification being in effect the voyce of GOD fore-telling vs that he will glorifie vs. As the best way in a maine land to finde the sea is to walke by a riuer
which runneth into it so he that vvould proceed from Election to Glorification let him follow this Calling vvhich is so to call it a riuer flowing out of the brasen mountaines of Gods eternall Election running perpetually vpward till it enter into the heauen of heauens vvhich doe altogether ouerflow vvith that great and vnbounded Ocean of diuine Glory but vvee are still to remember that vvee speake now of the inward Calling for the lincke◠of this Chaine are so comely framed by that most skilfull Artificer that they are all of a like compasse none of them larger nor narrower than another so that this Calling doth extend to no more nor fewer than those vvhom God hath chosen This inward calling is the donation of Faith by the What the inward calling is preaching of the Gospell or communication of the sauing grace of Iesus by vvhich vvee are moued to answere the Lord and follow the heauenly vocation for as the Lord by the preaching of the Gospell offers vnto all that are in the Church visible righteousnesse and life by Christ if they vvill repent and beleeue vvherein consists the outward Calling so by his holy Spirit hee giueth to his Elect children iustifying Faith by vvhich he openeth their hearts as hee did the heart of Lidia to receiue the grace offered by the Gospell and herein consists the inward Calling The vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhereby the Apostle expresseth it In this Calling there is a taking of some leauing of others signifieth to euocate and choose out some from among others this shall make the greatnesse of Gods mercy toward vs appeare the more clearely if wee doe consider that vve and the reprobate were alike by nature borne blinderebels and transgressors from the wombe and did vvalke on vvith them in the same course of disobedience vvhich leadeth to damnation but it pleased God to call vs out of their fellowship and enter vs in a better course that vve might be saued A notable example whereof vve haue in the calling of Lot out of Sodome the Lord hauing concluded to consume Sodome with fire for her abhominable filthinesse he first of all sent two Angels to call Lot out of it but Lot not knowing the danger lingred and delayed to follow their calling till at the length they put hands vnto him and forced him to goe out but when he was set vpon the mountaine and knew the fearefull destruction of Sodome then no doubt he acknowledged the wonderfull mercy which God had shewed vpon him it is euen so with vs we are here soiourning in a Sodome God hath taken vs out from amōg the children of wrath as he tooke Lot out of Sodome vvhich God will destroy and wee haue our conuersation among those vvhose portion shall be in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone from which the Lord being purposed to saue vs hath sent his Angels to vs not two but manie Ministers of the Gospell of Grace exhorting vs to flye from the wrath which is to come but alas because we know not the danger we flye slowly and delay to follow the heauenly vocation but in that day wherein we shall be set vpon the mountaine of Gods saluation and shall stand at the right hand of Iesus and heare that fearefull condemnation of the wicked Depart from me c. when we shal see the earth open and swallow them then shall we reioyce and prayse the mercie of our God O happy time vvherein the Lord sent his messengers among vs to call vs from the fellowship of the damned There is no difference by nature betweene the Elect and No difference by nature betweene elect men reprobate till our calling make it reprobate neyther in inward nor outward disposition till God make it by grace Paul as bloudy a persecuter as euer vvas Domitian or Iulian. Zacheus as vnconscionable and couetous a Worldling as was that rich Glutton damned to hell The elect and reprobate men before Grace make a difference are like two men vvalking in one iourney vvith one minde and one heart like Eliah and Elisha walking and talking together when a chariot of fire did incontinent seperate them and Eliah is taken vp into heauen Elisha left vpon the earth not vnlike is it when the vnlooked for calling of God commeth and seperateth those two who before were walking together yea running in the same excesse of ryot the one changing the course of his life returneth back again to the Lord from whom he had fallen whereas the other not touched with the same Calling meruailes that his former companion hath forsaken him and walketh stil on stubbornly in the former course of his sinnes to his condemnation Apply this vnto your selues and see whether this effectuall Calling hath seperated you in your conuersation from the wicked or not an euident argument that ye shall be seperated from them in their condemnation Blessed is he that Psal 1. walketh not in the counsell of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornefull And if wee finde after tryall that the Lord hath called The time of our calling is to vs as the deliuerance from Egipt or the yeare of Iubily to Israel vs then should vvee alway shew forth his prayses vvho hath translated vs from darknesse into his meruailous light The Lord shewed a great mercie to Israell vvhen hee deliuered them out of the house of bondage he set the remembrance of that benefit in the forefront of his law as a bond euer oblieging them vnto thankfulnesse but their bondage was not so horrible as ours Pharaoh oppressed their bodies and compelled them to worke in bricke and clay yet their spirits were free to sigh and crie to GOD for the bondage but here so long as wee were the slaues of Sathan hee compelled vs to vvorke the abhominable vvorkes of darknesse and vncleannesse and therewithall did so captiue our spirits that wee could not so much as cry and sigh vnto God for the bondage and therefore our deliuerance should neuer goe out of our remembrance and our hearts and mouthes should euer be filled with the prayses of our Redeemer when we think of this yeare of Iubilie wherin he hath opened the doore of the prison and set vs at libertie as the freemen of God who were the captiued and bond-slaues of Sathan The Author of this calling is the Lord euen hee who Calling being a new creation is onely wrought by God calles things which are not and makes them to be Calling is a new creation and the first resurrection The Lord that commanded light to shine out of darknesse is he who hath giuen to our mindes the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Iesus Christ It is he who creates in vs a new heart and puts in our bowels a new spirit that we may walke in his statutes As man when hee was not could not helpe to create himselfe
ex meritis nostris quod principium bonorum operum est ex nobis consummatio ex Deo To affirme that any merit vpon our part must be presupposed the prescience whereof was the cause of predestination is no other thing but to affirme that grace were giuen of our merits and that the beginning of good workes were of our selues and the consummation thereof were of God therefore saith hee the words are to be read this way more conueniently whom he fore-knew them he also predestinated to be made like vnto the image of his Sonne vt ista conformitas non sit ratio praedestinationis sed effectus that so this conformitie be not a cause of predestination but an effect But beside these this errour is conuinced by manifold Sanctification is an effect of predestination and therefore not a cause of it Ephes 1. 4. proofes of holy Scripture the Apostle saith hee hath chosen vs in Christ therefore not in our selues he saith againe that wee should be holy and without blam hee saith not he chose vs because he foresaw that wee would be holy so hee sets downe sanctification as an effect of Predestination Now it is certaine that one effect of Predestination may well be the cause of an other posterior effect as the preaching of the word is a cause of faith and faith is a certaine cause of iustification but no effect of Predestination can be cause of it Againe he saith The Lord hath saued vs and called vs with 2 Tim. 1. 9. an holy calling not according to our workes here yee see that in our calling our workes and Gods purpose are manifestly opponed so that the putting of the one is the remouing of the other thus neyther in our Election before time nor in our calling in time hath the Lord regarded our workes or foreseene rectitude of our will but the good pleasure of his owne will And I pray you what other thing could the Lord foresee The calling of God finds euery man in an euill estate Esay 48. 8. in vs than that vvhich hee foresaw in the Israelites I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck an iron sinew and thy browe brasse I knew that thou wouldest grieuously transgresse therefore I called thee a transgressor from the wombe yet for my Names sake will I deferre my wrath and for my praise will I refraine it from thee that I cut thee not off yea in so many places of holy Scripture doth the Lord plead the cause of his owne glory that it cannot be but a most fearefull sacriledge against so cleare a light for a man eyther in part or in whole to make his own merits a cause of saluation When the Lord called Abraham hee found him an Idolater when hee called Paul hee found him a persecuter when he called Matthew hee found him a Publican when hee called Mary he found her possessed with Diuels all that euer receiued grace stand vp as so many witnesses of his glory Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be Psal 115. 1. the praise And to these obiections which the braine of man hath Obiections of men against Gods predestination answered brought out against this truth of God to cleare themselues and charge the Lord with vnrighteousnes they are all sufficiently answered by the Apostle that the Lord by reason of his absolute authoritie ouer all his creatures hath power of the same lumpe to make one vessell of honour for to Rom. 9. 10. shew the glory of his mercy and an other vessell of dishonour to shew the glory of his iustice seeing this power is not denyed to the potter ouer his clay how dare man speak against it in the Lord ouer his creature O man who art thou that pleadect with God Woe be to him that striueth with his Maker If I dispute with thee O Lord thou art righteous how euer I iudge of thy counsell and of the manner of thy working thou art asway righteous Si non vis errare if thou Aug. in Ioan. tract 26. wilt not erre saith Augustine iudge not the Lord why one is saued the Apostle tels you I haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy Misericordia eius misericordiae causa why another Aug. Epist 59. ad Paulin is reiected Causa potest esse occulta iniusta esse non potest the cause may be secret but cannot be vniust qui infactis Dei rationem non videt infirmitatem suam considerans cur Gregor in Iob cap. 9. non videt rationem videat hee that seeth not a reason of the Lords doing let him looke to his own infirmitie and he shall see a reason why hee seeth it not The Lord hath hid euen from most wicked men the purpose of their owne reprobation till it come to the execution and then shall they receiue an answere from their owne consciences to stop their mouthes which now they will not receiue from man Euery one of the damned shall be compelled to acknowledge that the iudgement executed vpon them is righteous But now to returne to the doctrine wee haue first to obserue Predestination takes not away the second causes and meanes of saluation out of the signification of the vvord which I marked before that the Lords determinate counsell and predestination takes not away the nature properties nor necessities of secondarie causes and meanes of saluation but rather establishes them for those whom God hath appointed to saluation he hath also appointed to those meanes which may bring them vnto it It is therefore a blasphemie which is frequent in the mouthes of carnall professors if I be elected howsoeuer I liue I shall be saued and if otherwise I be a reprobate liue as I will I cannot mend it this is no other thing but Sathans diuinitie if thou be the Sonne of God Sathans diuinitie teacheth Atheists to despise the means of saluation cast thy selfe downe from the Temple thou shalt not dash thy foote against a stone as if the sonnes of God were licensed to despise the second and ordinarie meanes and not rather bound to vse them but in very deed as it is against the nature of fire to be cold so is it impossible that the elect man effectually called can reason after this manner yea the more he heares of election the more hee endeauours to make it sure by vvell doing knowing that no man can attaine to the end of our Faith which is the saluation of our soule but by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes Both temporall and spirituall blessings the Lord wil haue God giues his blessing by meanes therefore they shuld not neglect the meanes who seeke the blessing Hos 2. 21. vs to seeke them by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes the Cornes cannot serue Israel except the earth beare them the earth cannot beare them except the heauens giue raine the heauens can giue no raine except the Lord command them Therefore vvhen the