when it is a spirituall body it stands in no more neede of meate no more neede of drinke and of sleepe and other naturall refreshments it shall be raised a spirituall body Mat. 22.30 For in the Resurrection they neither Marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angells of â—od in Heaven The Angels have no need of relations and stand in no need of helps when they shall be as the Angels of God Rev. 7.15 16. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more nither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate Therefore O believing soul behold thy happines of soule and body in glory they shall be no more standing in neede of naturall refreshments then spirits doe when the Scripture saith that your bodies should be received by Christ The Platonick Philosophers understand because the body shall be turned into a Spirit into a Ghost or into winde or aire but that is not the reason of it it shall be of the same substance as it is upon the Earth but it shall be refined Secondly the bodies of the Elect when Christ receiveth them to himselfe when being vile bodies they shall be made formed and beautifull it may be thou hast some deformity but Christ shall refine that body and new varnish and make it beautifull Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himselfe The Body of Christ is a beautifull body neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing in it why thy body shall be like Christs glorious Body 1 Cor. 15.43 It is sowne in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sowne in weakenesse it is raised in power Here thy body it is a vile body Eliphaz calls the body a house of clay and Job calls it a house of Earth It is the Opinion of Gerrard and hee gives strong reasons for it that if there be any defects upon the body in this World that if any of the members of the Body be wanting it shall be restored to thee at the Resurrection and there are these reasons to be given for it First because our bodies are promised to be like Christs Body why now Christs Body hath no redundant and defective member defect it is but the product of sinne and the result of sinne therefore our bodies beeing said to be like Christs Body there shall be no defect in it Secondly some members are necessarily required to make up the Elect in Heaven suppose an Elect man should be borne blind or lose his Eyes by casualty now if this man should not have his Eyes hee could never see Christ in Heaven wee shall see with these very Eyes the Body of Christ though thy body be a monstrous Body yet Christ shall receive thy body to make it better The third reason is this because the bodies of the Elect shall be as Adams body was in innocency Adams body was created perfect by God when Christ raiseth thy body it shall neither want a member nor abound in a member thy vile body shall be beautifull what though others be fairer then thee and clearer skin'd then thee what though other mens earth be painted better then thine yet when Christ receives thy body it shall be a beautifull a glorious body therefore you have the phrase Mat. 13.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father Thirdly from being a mortall body it shall be by him an immortall body the body as it is here it is a mortall body dying and rotting in the Grave but it shall be made by Christ immortall 1 Cor. 15.52 53. In a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye at the last trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and wee shall be changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality Those mortall bodies that must die must be made immortall and those incorruptible bodies made incorruptible and never die this is the great happinesse of the Elect that their Bodies shall be made immortall Bodies Fourthly the bodies of the Elect they shall be from being lyable to sorrowes and sufferings in this World they shall be impassive bodies the body here is exposed to Diseases Aches Consumptions and what not the body it is an Hospitall of Diseases a Magazine of all Infirmities but the Lord shall make this body impassive liable to no sufferings God shall then wipe away all teares from our Eyes no sorrowes no crying nor no paine there is the great happinesse of the body it shall be made impassive not liable to hunger thirst paines diseases and the like Fifthly thy Body from being a heavy and lumpish body as now it is it shall be made an agile and swift Body the Eagle shall not flee so strongly as the bodies of the Elect shall flee from place to place and it is grounded from that Scripture 1 Thess 4.14 For if wee believe that Jesus Christ dyed and rose againe even so them also which sleepe in Jesus will God bring with him Which the body could not doe if the body did not lose its lumpishnesse and heavinesse which it hath here Zanchy doth illustrate it by this comparison saith hee the body is like the Chick in the Egge the Bird in the Egge strives not but when it is flusht then it can flie so when thou art raised thou canst goe from one part of the World to another in a moment so was Christs Body when it was glorified Christ was taken imediately up into Heaven which is as Astrologers say if wee may believe their guesses it is above 40 Millions of Miles Now the soule hath a lumpish Body that it cannot follow the soule therefore the Body shall be made conformable to the Soule the Body is now a tyred Jade to the Soule but then it shall not be so Sixtly from being a weake body it shall be made a strong Body 1 Cor. 15.44 It is sowne in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sowne in weakenesse it is raised in power The body of man it is a weake fleshly thing Luther is of this Opinion on this Text 1 Cor. 15. saith hee mans Body shall be so strong that hee shall be able to tosse a mountaine as a Child would tosse a tennis ball this is the great glory that God puts on the body that being a naturall Body it shall be made by Christ a spirituall Body of being vile Bodies they shall be made by Christ beautifull Bodies from being a mortall body it shall be made an immortall body from being lyable to sorrowes and sufferings in this world they shall be made impassive bodyes from being a heavy lumpish body it shall be made an
that in Queene Maries time of two friends that were put to death together One of them was fearfull to think that the flames should scorch his flesh O saith the other be of good comfort for halfe an houre hence thou shalt be in Heaven O thinke though thou art weake and sick even unto death yet thinke that thou shalt shortly be with Jesus Christ doubt not of the truth of this for I could even pawne my soule of the truth of it that the Soules of the Elect are taken up into Heaven imediately after death O then let not death trouble you Doct. 4 The fourth Doctrine here mentioned is the benefit of Christs coming and that is to raise your bodies from the dead and receive them to himselfe This is the particular that I am now to insist upon and receive you to my selfe Obs The Observation is this that the maine end of Christs coming againe is for to raise the bodies of the Elect and to receive them to himselfe not onely to save the Soule imediatly after death but to raise the body also There are two Queres in the Doctrinall part of this poynt touching the end of Christs coming which is to raise the bodies of the Elect and to receive them to himselfe Two things in this First why Jesus Christ must raise the bodies of the Elect and receive them to himselfe as well as the soules Secondly when Christ doth receive the body to himselfe then what endowments doth the body receive as now it hath not First why must Christ receive the body to himselfe as well as the soule There are foure Reasons First because of the Resurrection of his own body Christs own body is raised from the dead and received up into Heaven and therefore the bodies of the Elect must be there also where Christ is there must his members be Christ the head is raised from the dead and received up into glory The Apostle doth ground this reason 1 Cor. 15.12 Now if Christ be preached that hee rose from the dead c. As if hee should have said Christ being risen from the dead doth argue that our bodies must rise from the Grave though they be dead there In 1 Cor. 6.14 And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 1 Thess 4.14 For if wee believe that Iesus dyed and rose againe even so them also which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him So that because Jesus Christs body is raised from the dead and received up into Heaven therefore our bodies must be raised up and received into glory with him Secondly the bodies of the Elect must be raised why because of the Inhabitation of the Spirit the Spirit doth sanctifie the bodies of the Elect as well as the soules the very God of peace sanctifie you throughont and I pray God that your Soule Spirit and Body be kept blamelesse unto the coming of the Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 6.18 19 20. Flee Fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the body but hee that comitteth Fornication sinneth against his owne body What know yee not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which yee have of God and yee are not your owne For yee are bought with a price Therefore glorifie God in your body and in your Spirit which are Gods Now the Spirit of God having a gracious worke in the body as well as the soule Therefore the body must be raised up from the dead as well as the soule and this the Scripture makes an Argument of in Rom. 8.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you So that spirit that raised up Christ from the dead if that Spirit dwelleth in you the graces of the spirit why that Spirit shall quicken your mortall bodies Therefore the bodies of the Elect shall be raised from the dead and received into glory with the soule Thirdly because the body hath a condition and co-operation with the soule in all gracious working because if that the body shall be partner with the soule being received unto Jesus Christ because the Body doth co-operate with the Soule Rom. 8.13 For if yee live after the flesh yee shall die but if yee through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh yee shall live Now being that the godly doe mortifie the deeds of the body and do expose their bodies to tortures and torments for Jesus Christ now because the bodies of the Elect doe co-operate with the soule in good therefore the body shall be co-partner with the soule in good also Fourthly it proceeds from that neere Union which is in a Believer and Jesus Christ Christ is the head and Believers are the members now the members must be raised and received up to Jesus Christ to make his body a perfect body Thus much for the Reasons why that Jesus Christ at his second coming he shall raise and receive the bodies of the Elect to himselfe as well as the soules The second quere is this I but what benefit is it to the body what endowments shall the body receive by this when Christ comes First in generall I shall say this to you that the body shall receive more glorious endowments then ever it could be capable of to receive and enjoy here in this world it may be thy Body is endowed with a comely feature yet when Christ comes to receive thy Body it shall be endowed better then now it is Chrisostome saith Take Wooll and let this Wooll be dyed into a Scarlet or purple colour dyed in graine yet the Wooll is the same Wooll as it was before when it was white but yet there is a more goodly lustre put upon it Thy body shall be the same body but thy body shall have more illustrious endowments then now it hath And thus much onely in the generall Now to come to particulars I shall resolve this Question in these six Particulars There are six glorious endowments that the body shall receive from Jesus Christ at his second coming when hee receives the body to himselfe First from being a naturall body as it is now it shall be made by Christ a spirituall body that is the first endowment thou shalt cast off thy old Apparell of corruptible flâ—sh and blood and shalt be cloathed with robes of glory it is no contradiction to say a spirituall body because the Apostle useth the expression 1 Cor. 15.44 It is sowne a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body The meaning is the body as it lives here is a naturall body reeding naturall refreshments I but saith the Apostle it shall be raised a spirituall body it shall have no more neede of naturall refreshments which the naturall body requireth
THE SOVLS CORDIALL In two TREATISES I. Teaching how to be eased of the guilt of Sin II. Discovering advantages by Christs ascension By that faithfull Labourer in the Lords Vineyard Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE Pastor of Lawrence Jury London The third Volum Job 33.27 28. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light Romans 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us London Printed for Nathaniel Brooke at the Angell in Cornhill 1653. J Cross Sculpsit To the Reader READER THou art here presented with two Treatises of the late pious and faithfull Minister of the Gospell Mr. Christopher Love They come to thy view in an unpolished style as they were taken from the mouth of the reverend Author whose endeavour it was to pierce the conscience rather then to please the eare A garish dresse is unbefitting a chaste Matrone if thou expect here what may be pleasing to a wanton appetite stay at the threshold thou wilt lose thy labour if thy stomach be for wholesome Food and Doctrine according to Godlinesse enter in this diet is for hungry soules The first part will shew thee how thou must proceed to obtaine and assure thy heart of pardon of sin viz. by a sound Confession this duty is much decried in these dayes of Libertinisme but by such as decry the power of Godlines and are loath to have a check put upon their licentiousnesse but doe thou remember he that hideth his sin shall not prosper hee that confesseth and forsaketh it shall finde mercy If we say wee have no sin we deceive our selves and make God a lier if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive them pardon of sinne is the purchase of the bloud of Christ but intailed upon the Confession of sinne The latter will shew thee thy great advantage by Christs ascension intercession and returne to judgement this is a subject most sutable for the last times times of perill and temptation to quiet comfort and incourage to keepe the heart in the love of God in the patient waiting for Christ and unspotted in the world We have much talke in the World that Christs person shal reigne for 1000. yeares upon earth hee that can see this in Scripture hath a clearer sight then I but what ever becomes of this opinion we are sure of and stay our soules upon this That our blessed Saviour is now at the right hand of God in glory pleading the cause of his despised servants waiting till his enemies be made his footstoole from whence we expect him at that great day to transforme our vile bodies into the similitude of his glorious body to take us into these mansions prepared for us that we may see his glory and be for ever with the Lord. These meditations if they were often in our mindes would engage us to be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord because our labour is not in vain in the Lord. One thing more I advertise thee that in the perusing of these little Treatises thou wilt meet with many typographicall errors for these the Printer craves thy pardon Farewell J. Cranford Pastor of Christophers le Stocks Curteous Reader These Books following are Printed for Nathaniel Brooke and are to be sold at his Shop at the Angell in Gornehill 1. TImes Treasury or Academy for Gentry excellent grounds both Divine and Humane for their accomplishment in arguments of discourse habit fashion with a Ladies love Lecture and Truthes triumph summing up all in a character of Honour by Ri. Braithwait Esq 2. Morton of the Sacrament folio 3. Physiognomy and Chiromancy Metoposcopy the Symmetricall proportions and signall Moles of the body the subject of Dreames to which is added the art of Memory by Ri. Sanders Student folio 4. Theatrum chemicum Britanicum tontaining severall poeticall peeces of our famous English Philosophers which have written the Hermitque misteries in their antient Language by Elias Ashmole Esq 5. Chiromancy or the art of Divining by the lines engraven in the hand of man by dame Nature Theologically practically in 19. Genitures with a leraned discourse of the soule of the World and universall spirit thereof by Geo. Wharton Esq 6. Catholick History collected and gathered out of Scripture Councells and antient Fathers Moderne writers hoth ecclesiasticall and civill by Ed. Chisenhall Esq 7. Planometria or the whole art of Survey of Land shewing the use of all Instruments but especially the plain Table whereunto is added an Appendix to measure regular Solides as Timber Stone usefull for all that intend either to sell or purchase by Ol. Wallingby 8. 8. An Arithmetick in number and species in two Books 1 Teaching by precept and example the operation in Numbers whole and broken by Decimals and use of the Logarithms Napyers bones 2 The great Rule of Algebra in Species resolving all Arithmeticall questions by supposition with a Canon of the powers of numbers fitted to the meanest capacity by Jonas Moore late of Durham 8. 9. Tactometrica or the Geomety of Regulars after a new exact and expeditious manner in Solids with sundry usefull experiments Practicall Geometry of Regular-like Solids and of a Cylinder body for liquid vessell measure with sundry new experiments never before extant for gauging a work very usefull for all that are imployed in the art Metricall by John Wiberd Doctor in Physick 10. An Astrologicall discourse with Mathematicall Demonstrations proving the powerfull and harmonicall influence of the Planets and fixed Stars upon Elementary Bodies in justification of the Validity of Astrologie by Sir Christopher Heydon Knight 11. Magick and Astrology vindicated in which is contained the true definitions of the said Arts and the justification of their practise proved by the authority of Scripture and the experience of antient and modern Authors by H. Warren 12. An Astrologicall judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the sick also the way of finding out the cause change and end of a disease also whether the sick be likely to live or die by N. Culpeper 13. Catastrophe Magnatum or the down fall of Monarchy by N. Culpeper 14. Ephemerides for the year 1652. being a year of wonders by N. Culpeper 15. Lux veritatis or Christian Judiciall Astrology vindicated and Daemonology confured in answer to Nath. Holmes Dr. D. By W. Ramsey Gent. 16. The History of the Golden Ass 17. The Painting of the Antients the beginning progress and Consummating of that noble Art and how those antient Artificers attained to their still so much admired excellency Israels redemption or the propheticall History of our Saviours Kingdome on earth by Robert
is that to us that Jesus Christ is now bodily in heaven what comfort was this to the Disciples that Jesus Christ should leave them that hee must goe from them unto his Fathers house There are seven particulars that it is great ground of comfort to all the people of God that Jesus Christ is gone bodily to heaven The first ground of comfort is this Christs going to heaven bodily it assures you of Christs full Triumph and compleat conquest over all your spirituall Enemies This the Apostle lays down as a ground of comfort upon Christs Ascention Eph. 4.8 Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men That is the Devill and Sinne that carried you captive and Christ by his going up to heaven hath led them captive that is hath led your spirituall enemies that carried you captive led them captive Christ alluded to the custome among the Romans when the Roman Conquerour was to come to the Cardinall of Rome to rejoyce in his victory over his enemies the Conquerour did use to tie his Captives to the Chariot-wheeles So Christ did carry his Captives by his wheeles as it were hee led captivity captive Colos 2.15 And having spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly Triumphing over them in it So that Beloved here is one great comfort that Christ by going up to heaven doth manifest and declare to all the World that hee hath overcome the Grave Death Devill and Sinne for neither could they hold Christ in the chaines thereof Secondly Christs going bodily to heaven It is a pledge to you that Christ will one day bring your bodies to heaven I goe to heaven that I may receive you to my selfe that you may be bodily in heaven where Christ is In John 14.19 Yet a little while and the World seeth mee no more but yee see mee because I live yee shall live also As if hee should say well I must leave you and I must go to heaven before you but because I live in heaven and live there bodily you shall also live with mee in heaven with your bodies Tertullian doth make this use of it to comfort the Christians in his days saith hee Jesus Christ did carry our flesh into heaven with him and hee is of our flesh and of our bone Now saith Tertullian Jesus Christ hath carried flesh into heaven this is a good pledge unto us that our flesh shall be in heaven where Christs is also Therefore O flesh and bloud doe thou rejoyce thou hast possest heaven in Christ already And Christ would be imperfect in heaven should not the bodies of Believers come there also because he lives in heaven you shall live there also Thirdly Christs going bodily to heaven it is a ground of comfort to you in this because Christ is gone bodily into heaven to performe and accomplish his Sacerdotall Office that is as a high Priest hee is now in heaven to performe the Office of a high Priest to make intercession to God his Father in your behalfe that your sinnes might be pardoned that your Soules might bee saved that your bodies might be raised and received into heaven with him in Glory Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us Christ is entred into the very heavens that hee might appeare before God for us so in Heb. 7.26 For such an high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the heavens It became us to have a high Priest in Heaven Therefore observe though it was a great benefit to the Disciples to have Christs Bodily presence yet Jesus Christ could never have fulfilled the office of the Priest-hood to make intercession for all the Elect if Christ had not gone bodily into heaven Will you observe one Text in Heb. 8.4 For if hee were on Earth hee should not be a Priest seeing that there are Priests that offer-gifts according to the Law Christ must goe to heaven and there hee is a Priest Now if hee were upon the Earth hee could not be a Priest for us therefore wee have great advantage by CHRISTS going into heaven O beloved then looke on this as a great comfort that our Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven in his Body Flesh and Bloud appearing before God making Intercession for all his people This was typed out under the Law Exod. 28.9 10 11 12. verses And thou shalt take two Onix Stones and grave on them the Names of the Children of Israel Six of their Names on one stone and the other six Names of the rest on the other stone according to their Birth With the worke of an ingraver in stone like the ingravings of a signet shalt thou ingrave the two stones with the names of the Children of Israel thou shalt make them to be set in Ouches of gold And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memoriall unto the Children of Israel And Aaron shall beare their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memoriall This is a Type of Jesus Christ our high Priest who is gone not into the holy of holiest but in it selfe the holy of holiest and there he hath not onely the names of all the Elect of God throughout the world on his Breast but he hath them in his heart and there he makes intercession for them to his Father This is a Third ground of Comfort that you have of Christs going bodily into Heaven which assures you that Christ is now in Heaven A Fourth ground of comfort you have by Christs going into Heaven is this that Jesus Christ is gone into heaven to convey to you a fuller communication of the gifts and graces of his spirit then was bestowed on his people whilst hee was upon the Earth Ephes 4. ver 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men It is an illusion to the Roman custome that when the Conquerour rode in Triumph towards the Capitoll he did not onely leade the Prisoners by the Charet wheeles but likewise scattered mony to the Spectators that saw him ride along in triumph so the Lord Jesus Christ having by his Ascension spoyled death and the Devill this Jesus Christ doth cast his gifts unto men dispenseth his graces in a greater measure into the hearts of his people not that we are to run into the Socinian errour because of this text they gather that before Christs Ascension into heaven there was no saving gifts of the spirit and they ground it on that text Joh. 7. ver 38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that believe
bodies into Heaven with mee that as my body is in Heaven so your bodies shall be there also with me Obser The Observation is this That it is one great end of Christs coming againe for to receive the bodies of all the Elect unto himselfe into Heaven with him I come againe and receive you unto my selfe I shall not follow the common place in handling the Resurrection of the body I shall onely handle this poynt practically to you in shewing you what the happinesse of the Elect of God is in their bodies as well as their Soules Now because this Text is made use of to pervert many Scriptures I shall handle this practicall Question before I can come to handle the Doctrine Quest The Question is this that seeing Jesus Christ doth onely promise that hee will receive the Elect unto himselfe at his coming againe Then this Question will be started Then what becomes of all the godly imediately after death before Christs coming againe to judgement Therefore those that hold for the sleeping of the Soule they on this Text doe ground that there is no receiving neither one or other the one to Life the other to Death the wicked are not tormented then nor the godly glorified till then Therefore it is needfull that seeing Christ doth here speake of receiving them unto himselfe not till his coming then what becomes of the Soules of dead Men before the coming of Christ Ans Before I give you the Answer take this distinction There is a twofold receiving First there is a partiall and incompleat receiving and this is done imediatly after death that when the Soule doth depart from the body the Soule is received by Jesus Christ in Heaven and that is the reason of those Speeches in Acts 7. There is a receiving them before Christs coming and this is called a partiall and incompleat reception it is onely a receiving of the spirit and not of the body Secondly there is a totall and compleat reception both of the body and the soule into glory and it is this that the Text here speakes of though it is true there is not a totall reception of a Believer till Christs coming to judgement yet there is a partiall reception I do not speake to those that say the soule is mortall and that it shall never live but to those that say the soule shall sleepe and the soule doth perish with the body untill the Resurrection Now against these that pleade for the sleeping of the soule till Christs coming againe take these foure wayes how to strengthen you in this First there are pregnant instances in Scripture that after the godly die their Soules are received into Heaven before CHRIST comes Secondly there are generall expressions in the Scripture as well as particular instances to prove this Thirdly there are expresse passages in the Scripture to confirme this Fourthly there are absurd inconsequences that will arise in case it should be denyed First there are Pregnant Instances or examples in the Scripture to prove that after death the soul is received into heaven Take three instances First that knowne Text Luke 23.43 And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee To day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise That day Christ dyed that day Christ went to Heaven therefore that day the soule of that converted thiefe must go to Heaven Now beloved there are two Evasions that those who pleade for the soules cessation for the soules sleeping that they make to avoid this Text and take off this Instance First is by altering the comma or stop in the Text and reade it thus I say unto thee this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise that to day they doe not referre it that the Thiefe should be in Paradise Peter Martyr doth give two Answers to this Evasion First saith hee it is not safe to alter a comma or stop in Scripture for so you may pervert the Scripture and make it speak what it never meant if men at their pleasure disagreeing from all Copies alter comma's in the translation Another Answer that it appeares this cannot bee the sense of it to referre to day to the time that Christ spake and not to the time that the thiefe should be in heaven for saith Gerrard marke the thiefes prayer In ver 42. And be said unto Jesus Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Marke there is the thiefes when that when Christ should come to Heaven Christ should remember him Christs Hodie must answer to his Quando or else hee did not answer to his Prayer Christs to day must answer the thiefes when that when Christ came to Heaven there to remember the thiefe And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise Thirdly this day it was needlesse for Christ to say to day to tell him the time when hee spake hee knew Christ spake to him then but to speake of the time when the thiefe should be in Heaven I say to thee this day thou shalt be with Mee in Heaven The second Evasion is this It is true Christ promised thou shalt be with mee in Paradice but Christ doth not say thou shalt be with mee in Heaven but with mee in Paradice There are three answers to give you to this Evasion First that those that will not by Paradice understand Heaven by this Text they then fall in with the Papists either for Purgatory or a Limbus Patrum Secondly take this answer that in other Scriptures when Paradice is mentioned it is to be understood Heaven and so the Apostle doth expound it 2 Cor. 12.2.4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteene yeares agoe whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such an one caught up to the third Heaven How that hee was caught up into Paradice and heard unspeakeable words which it is not lawfull for a man to utter So that the Apostle by Paradice doth expound it to be Heaven Revel 2.7 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eate of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God That is hee shall enjoy Jesus Christ Christ in Heaven is the Tree of Life in the Paradice of God Thirdly it cannot be any Earthly Paradice the Paradice Adam was in before his fall for the Earthly Paradice was destroyed by the Flood therefore of necessity when Christ tells the thiefe To day shalt thou be with mee in Paradice it must referre to the thiefes going to Heaven at that day with Jesus Christ A second instance it is in Luke 16.22 And it came to passe that the Beggar dyed and was carried by the Angells into Abrahams bosom The rich man also dyed and was buried This is another instance that the soules of the Elect after death they go to Heaven There are two Evasions made upon
trouble thee then that thy body shall be a crucified Body because at Christs second coming it shall be a glorious body Againe it may be comfort to thee by reason of thy naturall infirmities Suppose thy body be a sickly body suppose thy body be full of Aches Agues Consumptions Diseases and the like suppose thy body be maimed Blinde and Lame yet remember thy body that is vile deformed and sickly it shall have fresh Robes of glory upon it and be made like to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ Wee reade in the booke of Martyrs of two Martyrs that were to be burnt at Stratford Bow neere London one Hugh Laborocke and John Price the one blinde and the other lame this Price being full of feare when the fire was about him saith Hugh unto him Bee not troubled though thou blinde and I lame yet remember death will heale thee of thy Blindnesse and mee of my Lamenesse Suppose thou art blinde lame and maymed why Christs receiving of thy body will cure all and truly there were no comfort to a man under a bodily distemper when a man is under some great trouble when a man should thinke that this body of mine should rot in the Grave and never be raised from the dead which were very uncomfortable But thy deformed body it shall be a beautifull body that which is a sickly body it shall be made a healthfull body and freed from all Diseases A second Inference is this will Jesus Christ at his coming raise thy body and receive thy whole man unto himselfe Then learne to have elongation of soule after the second coming of Jesus Christ Therefore doe not desire to continue here upon Earth but to be dissolved and to be with Jesus Christ Will any man be grieved for changing of an old suite for a new Death doth this thou hast here an old rotten ragge of flesh about thee why Christ will put a new sute on thee Therefore the Apostle calls it the desire of the body is to be cloathed upon wee doe not desire to be in Heaven without bodies but wee desire to bee cloathed upon with those glorious endowments wherewith the elect shall be clad in glory Therefore be not unwilling to die doe not be unwilling to leave an old rotten Carcasse a sickly body a Diseased body Put a Bird into a Cage though the Cage be made of Silver or Gold yet the Bird had rather flie abroad then bee tide up in the Cage O thou whilest in the body art in a Cage thou hadst better have thy body in a glorified capacity then now it is Thirdly be not afraid to die nor unwilling to die because thy body shall be changed by Death if thy body should not die it would never be a glorified body keepe your Corne in your House and you will never have a Crop I but cast your Corne into the ground and let it die there saith the Apostle that that thou sowest is never quickened till it die why let your body be kept alive here in the World and it will never be raised to glory O doe not then bee unwilling to die because Death not come to an Elect man as a laying of Corne in the Grave till the Resurrection day As Corne doth rot in the ground to spring againe against the Harvest So doth thy Body rotte in the Grave as Graine against the Harvest Fourthly if this be true that JESUS CHRIST will raise thy body unto glory O then doe not imbase and abuse these bodies of yours for they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost these bodies of yours shall one day bee raised and received by Jesus Christ It is an Argument that the Apostle raiseth 1 Corinthians 6.14 15. vers And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his owne Power know yee not that your bodies are the Members of Christ shall I then take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of Harlots God forbid This is the Apostles Argument The A. postle would reason against Adultery and Uncleannesse in the body what argument doth hee use Know yee this Christ will raise up our bodies and shall wee take these Memberr of our bodies and make them the Members of a Whore So that Beloved let the Doctrine of your Resurrection and of your bodies being raised and received to Jesus Christ let it provoke you that you doe not abuse your bodies Hee that keepes company with a Harlot sinneth against his owne body 1 Cor. 6.18 Flee Fornication every sinne that a Man doth is without the body but hee that comitteth Fornication sinneth against his owne body For a Man to lie and sweare it is against his Soule but for a Man to be uncleane it is to sinne against his Body O doe not die with an uncleane body with an Adulterous body and doe not abuse thy body doe not abuse those Eyes of thine to be Windowes of lust that shall one day behold Jesus Christ doe not abuse that body that must have a sweete communion with Christ in Heaven I am now come to handle the last point in the Text the last Clause that where I am there you may be also These words they note unto you the Event or Consequent what shall follow upon Christs coming againe and receiving our bodies unto himselfe at the last day The Event shall be this An exerlasting enjoyment of Christ that is the result and consequent of Christs coming to be ever with him that where I am there you may be also I shall open the Words for there is some difficulty in one Expression where I am you see it is a word in the present Tense where I am and though it bee a word of the present Tense it doth not denote thus much that they should bee at Jerusalem with Christ for christ was then at Jerusalem but as Grosius saith that here the word of the present Tense is to bee understood of the future Tense that is where I shall be shortly after I leave this World where I shall be there you shall be and so hee doth bring that Text to prove it John 7.34 Yee shall seeke mee and shall not finde mee and where I am thither yee cannot come It cannot be taken in the present Tense for hee was then at Jerusalem to shew that where I am is to be understood in the future Tense where I shall be I goe but I come againe that where I shall bee when I come to my Fathers House in Heaven that where I shall bee I may have all your companies to be personally present with me in Heaven that is the scope of the word Obser Observe that when ever Christ speakes of being in Heaven though hee was on the Earth yet hee speakes in the present Tense as if hee were in Heaven already John 3.13 And no Man hath ascended up to Heaven but hee that came downe from Heaven even the Sonne of Man which is in Heaven Christ was
not in Heaven hee was speaking on Earth to them in his Person in his Humane Nature so likewise in John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given Mee bee with Mee where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given Mee for thou lovedst Mee before the Foundation of the World Gerrard doth raise this Question that when Christ speakes of his being in Heaven CHRIST doth speake of it in the Present Tense as if hee were there already Now why doth Christ say that hee is in Heaven when yet he was in his body on the Earth First Christ saith I am it denotes the certainty of Christs going to heaven that he should bee there as sure as if hee were there Babylon is fallen why the Popedome is not fallen yet it shall bee as sure as if it were fallen It is to note Secondly the suddennesse of it Christ was shortly to bee in Heaven there was but one day betweene Christ and his being in Heaven things suddenly to be done they are said to be done things that are neere a doing are said to be done Thirdly which is the reason that Gerrard gives Christ doth expresse in the present Tense where I am though hee were on Earth it was for this reason saith Gerrard to shew that Christ was truly God as well as Man and in regard of his Divine Nature hee was truly in Heaven as in regard of his Humane Nature hee was on Earth Thus much for the manner of expression that where I am there you may be also the latter part is that they might be with Christ where he is One thing to observe that in Scripture Language there is a great difference betweene Christs being with us and ours said to be with Christ Christ is said to be with us it doth not denote a personall presence but a presence by his Spirit Mat. 28. last verse Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I shall command you and loe I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the World It was not in person for hee left them but I am with you in my blessing in my Spirit but when the Scripture saith of our being with Christ it notes a personall presence a being with Christ in preson Therefore Paul saith I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Christ was with Paul because Christ converted him but Paul was not with Christ but desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ our being with the Lord it notes a personall presence an enjoying of the presence of the Lord. Obser The Observation is this That Christ at his second coming receives the Elect unto himselfe in body and soule that they might bee for ever present where Jesus Christ is in Heaven that where I am there yee may bee also This Doctrine it is out of the common place Here in setting out to you this great happinesse that this should be the consequent of Christs great and last coming to receive the Elect unto himselfe that where Christ is there yee may be also I shall then shew you the great blessednesse in this condition in these eight or nine particulars First our being where Christ is in heaven I may first set out the happinesse of it in this particular First that you will bee more happy in being present with Jesus Christ in Heaven then if you had beene present with Adam in a state of Innocency wee should have thought our selves happy then to bee as Adam was to have had the Immediate presence of God wee should have thought this a very happy and glorious Estate Indeed so it was but now to be present with CHRIST in Heaven thou art more happy ten thousand times then if thou hadst beene made when Adam was made to have lived with him in Innocency First Adam when he was made by God in Innocency he was instated only into an earthly Paradice but now thou being with Christ art stated into an everlasting kingdom Againe Adam was placed in Innocency yet so as to bee liable to lose that blessed and glorious condition hee was in and did lose it though hee were a perfect Creature yet hee lay under a capacity to lose all his excellency but when God brings thee to bee present with Jesus Christ thou art instated into a kingdom that cannot be shaken into a happy condition that cannot be lost Againe thirdly when hee was made by God in Innocency hee enjoyed onely the society of Beasts on the Earth and Birds of the Ayre I but when God brings thee where Christ is hee doth instate thee into a condition where God the Father God the Son and all the Saints and Angels are thy companions Secondly here is another part of thy happinesse being where Christ is that thou shalt enjoy the society of Christ in his Humane Nature where Christ is thou shalt be that is the meaning of that expression John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given Mee be with Mee where I am that they may behold my Glory Beloved this is the Beatificall vision this referres to seeing the glory of Christs Person in his Humane Nature not the glory of his Godhead but the glory of his Man-hood which was in himselfe that they may behold my glorified body the glory of my Humane Nature that was so contemned and so despised when I was on the Earth I beseech thee let all the Elect that long for mee and for to bee with mee I beseech thee that they may bee with mee where I am to behold my glory It was a solemn wish of Austine a little before his Death hee wisht that hee might see three things and then if hee might die hee did not care I wish saith hee First that I might see Rome in its beauty and see Paul in the Pulpit and to see Christ in the flesh every Believer shall see the Lord Jesus in the flesh Job tells you of his confidence long before Christ was borne I know my Redeemer liveth and with these Eyes I shall see my Redeemer here is thy happinesse that being where Jesus Christ is thou hast a society with Christ in his Humane Nature 1 John 3.2 Beloved now wee are the Sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what wee shall bee but wee know not when hee shall appeare wee shall bee like him for wee shall see him as hee is Wee doe not know what Christ is wee doe not know what a glorified body is wee shall know him then wee shall see him as hee is glorified in Heaven A Third thing that makes much for the blessednesse of the Elect that thy being present with Jesus Christ God gives thee more Honour then ever thou couldst be capable of in former time God gives thee glory by vertue of thy being with Jesus Christ a notable Text John 12.26 verse If any Man serve mee let him follow mee and where I am there shall also my servant be If any Man serve mee