flesh to the floure of the grasse because as the grasse withereth and the floure falleth away Esai 40.6 so doeth also all flesh and all the glorie of flesh wither and fall away and so by time is worne out The consideration of this poynt made Moses the man of God to lament the miserie of mans life laying it out before the Lord saying Man in the morning he groweth like the grasse inde the morning it florisheth and groweth but in the evening it is cut downe and withereth the time of our life is threescore yeares and tenne Psal 90.5 and if they be of strength foure score yeares yet the strength is but labour and sorrow for it is cut of quicklie and we flie away Now although a life were everlasting and exempt from sinne yet could it not bring perfect contentement to man except it were such as could suffer no alteration If the strong man could continew eternallie in his strength and not become weake he might have ioy in his estate and so also the beautifull man the rich man the honorable man c. but let a man be in never so good estate in this life and as contented with his estae as flesh can be yet all his contentement is taken from him by the necessitie of Change whereto all things vnder the sunne are subiect Therefore for fulfilling of our ioye our God hath prepared a life and inheritance for vs in Christ which withereth not but looke what glorie strength power and maiestie wee shal be indewed with at the comming of Christ in that same glorie strentgh power and beautie of life and in that same measure wee shall continew for ever without changes our life and inheritance suffering neither diminution nor alteration of strength nor beautie nor glorie but still florishing in the perfection of strength beautie glorie and riches and honour This sheweth and teacheth vs what is the difference betwixt this present life and the life to come This life is not perfited at the first but receyved increase and grouth till we come to the perfite stature and strength of a man Therefore it continueth not so but admitteth decrease daylie diminution till at length after long withering it bee all consumed but in heavē at the first we are exalted to the accōplished perfectiō of felicite in that perfectiō we shal continew etenallie our glorie never becōming lesse our ioye never diminishing our beautie never fading our strength never impairing What would not a man suffer for such a life and what would he not forsake to the end he might enioy this life The world must either bee blinde or beastlie without measure that doth not long to be out of this world that they may enioye this blessed estate that never changeth This serveth to comfort vs in the changes of this present lyfe because we know that our estate in heaven shal be exempt from all changes and to incourage vs against al feare that can come vpon the change that came vpon Adam his life in Paradise who being without shame yet was turned to a shamefull state But to cōclude this point the Apostle to the Corinthes setteth forth most livelie these three properties of our estate in heaven in the description of our Resurrection from the dead opponing the present condition of our bodies to the future qualities in heaven and comprehendeth the difference in these three speciallie 1 Cor. 15.42 That our bodies are sowen in corruption are raised in incorruption they are sowen in dishonour are raised in glorie they are sowen in weaknes raysed in power And he concludeth by the fourth point which is as it were the cause of the other three to wit that they are sowen naturall bodies are raised spirituall bodyes Hereby incorruption is expressed the first propertie of our inheritance here mentioned which is immortalitie in the second is comprehended vndefilednes and in the third this vnchangeablenes For our lyfe shal be immortall because we shal be raised in incorruption and our vile bodies dishonorable for sinne and frutes thereof shal be raised in glorie and therefore free from being defiled any more the cause why our life shall not wither is because that our bodyes that are here weake shal be raised in power the cause of all these three consisteth in the different manner of living that we have here and shall have in the heavens because our bodies here are naturall bodies or animate bodies after the life of Adam who was created a living soule therfore is our lyfe subiect to mortalitie dishonour and changes for a soule can not give immortalitie puritie nor vnchangeablenes to a body but in the heavens our bodyes shal be spirituall bodyes after the life of Christ who was made a quickening spirit for by the spirit of life that is in Christ Iesus shall wee live altogither in heaven God being all in all The principall vse of this poynt besides these before spoken is to comfort vs in tentations of this present life when we finde our spirituall changes evē of our life in Christ for the spirituall man is not at all tymes alike his faith being sometimes so strong that he dareth boast with David that although he walked throw the Galley of the shadow of death yet would he feare none evill Psal 23.4 and though an hoast pitcheth against him Psal 27.3 yet his hart should not be afraid At other times his faith becommeth so weake being sore assaulted that his heart fayleth him yea even at small occasions Peter that even now did boast though all the world should forsake his Lord yet would he never forsake him At the voyce of a maide is brought to forsweare him The spirituall man sustayning the same changes that doth the naturall man The naturall life which now doth florish in strength and beautie doth suffer changes by sicknes by age and by affliction that sometimes it weakneth sometimes it seemeth to be quite away when it is oppressed so that the body lyeth as dead in a tranuce even so the spirituall lyfe hath the same fits sometimes the Christian having great difficultie to hold his hope and sometimes being forced to mourne as one alreadie among the dead and one casteth cleane away from the presence of God all sence of the life of God being removed by some extraordinarie tentation or to great securitie in spirituall exercises This doth even the spirituall man finde that in his spirituall life although it never be taken away yet doth it many wayes seeme to decay and sometymes vtterlie to be gone against this griefe have we to comfort our selves with the hope of this estate in the which our life shall never any more be subiect to changes Psal 77. Psal 98. neither shall our soules be vexed with such tentations as now doe bring the strongest Christian oftentimes to a most pitifull weaknes so that their soule refuseth comfort and become so astonished that they can
THE SAINTS HOPE AND INFALLIBLENES THEREOF or Two Sermons preached before the English Companie at Middelb about the moneth of October 1608. Written by Mr. Iohne Forbes at the earnest request of the hearers and now published by them for the generall instruction and comfort of all Gods children Printed at Middelborough by Richard Schilders 1610. To his deare and welbeloved in the Lord the faithfull English Companie at Middelburrough increase of wisdome and grace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ be multiplied YOur earnest request in the Lord most heartely beloued in him was that I would put in writte to you those first Sermons which at the will of God I preached amongst you J confesse that I am obliged to you all in all duties of love because of the abundance of your love to me or rather to the Lord Iesus Therfore although the cōsciēce of my weaknes infirmitie did ever till this houre hold me back frō writing or presēting in writte any of my weake labours to the vse of any yet I could not resist your lawful earnest desire in this particular praying God to direct it to his glorie your comfort Receive thē the first two conceaved in substance as I deliuered them but in larged according to the speciall consolatiōs which it pleased the Lord to minister vnto my owne heart out of this Scripture in time of my most heavie sickenes when J was dayly in hope to goe out of this body to dwell with the Lord. If yee finde any comfort in them give all the glory to him who is able by the mouth of Babes and Sucklings to make perfect his prayse And not staying as Babes vpon the vse of this milke goe on in strength by the solide comfort of that strong meate which yee have abundantly in the Lords great mercie dayly ministred vnto you by the painfull labours and faithfull watchfulnes of your louing and learned Pastour whom the Lord hath taught to be a Scribe in his kingdome a faithfull and wise steward to give his children their portion of meate in season at whose mouth receiving that sincere milke of the word ye shall doubtles grow vp to be a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to God by Iesus Christ our Lord whose special blessing J pray for to his worke amongst you that you to your Pastour and he to you may be a ioy a glorie and a crowne of reioysing in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his comming whose grace mercie and peace be with you all Amen Yours in the Lord M. I. F. 1. Epist of Peter Cap. 1. verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus from the dead IT is most true which the Apostle saith to the Corinths 1. Cor. 15 19. that if in this life only wee haue hope in Christ wee are of all men the most miserable For in al outward things concerning this present life the wicked for the most part are in much better case then the godly who dayly bearing the crosse through many tribulations and afflictions do enter in the kingdome of heaven This being a thing necessarie Rom. 8.17 2. Tim. 2.12 that whosoeuer shall reigne with Christ must first suffer with him For there is no other way whereby the members can enter into glorie but the same by which the Prince of saluation was consecrate Herefore it is that the Apostle in this Epistle being to exhort the Saints to constancie in holines patient bearing of all afflictions doth lay the foundation of his doctrine and prepare the way to this Exhortation by setting before their eyes the hope of eternall life in Heauen with God * The fight of things invisible sustaine the Saints in this life Knowing that in this life there is nothing no not the very inward beginnings of grace and sense of the goodnes and bountifulnes of God of the peace ioy spirituall that is able to vpholde the Saints in suffering for Christ if they had no esperance of greater and more excellent things after this life in the world to come Therefore it is that in the Scriptures the spirit leadeth the Saints alwayes to the sight of the glory that is to be manifested to the Price of their high calling in Iesus and to the recompence of reward laid vp for thē in the heauens 2. Cor. 4.10 c. knowing that the dayly bearing about of the dying of our Lord in our bodies and in the dayly decay of the outward man wee were not able to endure without fainting if we did not cast our eyes vpon things invisible and eternall Act. 7.55 and not vpon things visible which perish It was the sight of the glory of God and of Iesus at the right hand of God that made Stephan to endure stoning to death It was the sight of him who is invisible and of the recompence of reward which made Moses to despise the wrath of Pharao Heb. 11.24 to esteeme the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegipt The thing which did susteine Iob in his greatest miseries Iob. 19.26 was the hope and assurance he had that he should see God in his flesh although that after his skin wormes should destroy his body even that he himselfe should see him that his eyes should beholde him none other for him Heb. 12.2 Christ Iesus our Lord himselfe endured the crosse and despised the shame for the ioy which was laid before him According to which examples we must also indevour to holde the eyes of our minde fixed vpon Iesus the authour and finisher of our faith where he sitteth at the right hande of the Father crowned with glory and honour waiting stil for our blessed hope which also the very Creature waiteth for Rom. 8.19 and in waiting groneth and laboureth in paine because it also is subdued vnder hope that it also shal be delivered from the bondage of corruption in that day This is the cause wherefore the Apostle Peter in this place doth speake so much of this hope even that as he himselfe exhorteth vs wee may gird vp the loynes of our mindes and bee sober and trust perfectly or to the ende in the grace which is brought to vs in the revelation of Iesus Christ putting on as the Apostle Paul exhorteth vs 1. Thes 5.8 the hope of salvation for our helmet In setting downe this hope the Spirit of God for our further comfort and the more strong inforcing of the exhortation builded thereupon doth meete the chiefe tentations which may assault our weakenes in the troubles which accompanie the profession of the truth of which three are touched in the word which we haue read The one concerneth Life it selfe the other the Qualitie and Condition of that life the last the Certaintie and Assurance of
were made we can neuer hope that we can rise againe vnto life but looking to Christ our Sauiour ◠Cor. 1.20 in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen as saith the Apostle to the Corinth we finde sufficient reason and grounde to beleeve the Resurrection from the dead Seeing he who was made man like to his brethren in all things except sinne albeit walking in the similitude of sinfull fleshe being put to death did loose the sorrowes of death and was declared mightilie to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resutrection from the dead 2 Cor 4.14 Therefore doe we with the Apostle to the Corinths know That he which hath raised vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vs vp also by Iesus for therefore is it that we are baptised for dead as saieth the Apostle to the Corinthes For wee that are baptised into Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 2.15 29. Rom. 6.3 haue bene baptised into his death saieth the Apostle to the Romanes And therefore if we bee dead with him we beleeve also that wee shall live with him For if we be planted with him to the similitude of his death even so shall we be to the similitude of his resurrection saith the same Apostle in the same place For he that is Christes hath the spirit of God dwelling in him as is plaine by the Apostle to the Romanes Rom. 6.5 Rom. 8.8 1 Iohn 3.24 And Iohn in his first Epistle saieth That hereby we know that he abydeth in vs even by that spirit which he hath given vs And if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead dwell in vs hee that raised vp Christ from the death shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in vs. Rom. 8 1◠So doeth the Apostle from the presence of the same spirit prove the like effect in raysing vs frō the death 2 Cor. 4.13 and therfore as he saith to the Corinth because we have the same spirite of faith as it is written I beleeved and therfore I haue spoken wee also beleeve and therefore speake knowing that he which hath raised vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs vp also by Iesus and set vs with him So it is evident that the Resurrection of Iesus from the death is the ground and foundation of the hope of Resurrection from the dead to all that have the same spirit of life that is in Christ Iesus dwelling in them for the law of that spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus doth free all those in whom he dwelleth from the law both of sinne and death Rom. 8.2 as testifieth the Apostle to the Romanes Hereby are wee taught two profitable lessons the first is Al the promises of God are first fulfilled in Christ himselfe to carefully marke how farre God accomplished his promises in Christ his sonne For so farre may all that beleeve be assured that he shall accomplishe them in them through Christ Therefore have we hope of sanctification from sinne Resurrection from the dead and glorification in the heavens because these promises are fulfilled in Christ whom we see crowned with glorie and honour as sayeth the Apostle to the Hebrewes Heb. 2.9 which was made a little inferior to the Angels through the suffering of death For God hee predestinateth all those whom he hath foreknowen to be made like to the Image of his Sonne Rom. 8.29 that he might be the first born among manie brethrē And therfor the knowledge of Christ should be to vs most pretious since we can know no more nor hope for no more blessing frō God then we first knew to have been bestowed on Iesus Christ our head 1. Cor. 30. who is made to vs of God wisedome sanctification iustification and Redemptiō Phil. 3.8 c Therfore did the Apostle Paul esteeme all things losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Iesus Christ our Lord and did iudge all things but dung that hee might gaine Christ and know him And the vertue of his Resurrection that he also thereby might attaine to the resurrection from the dead The second lesson is to pray to God day and night to send vs that blessed spirit of promise seeing the things which are wrought in Christ shall not bee accomplished in any but those who have the same spirit of lyfe that is in Christ Iesus dwelling in them And therefore they can not hope for renovation to the Image of God and restauration of their dead bodies to the lyfe of God and glorification with the glorie of God wherwith Christ is glorified who have not the spirit of Christ This is the first vse of this poynt whereby wee are taught to discerne true hope from the groūd and foundation whereon only it is builded and that is Iesus Christ alone The second vse is to teach vs A distinct knowledge of Christ requisite not only cōfusedlie to learne Christ but even perticularlie to consider all the degrees and seuerall partes of that great worke of our redemption by him for the more solide and stedfast fixing of our hartes in him For albeit it be most true that he who is pertaker of the death of the Sonne of God is also pertaker of his life of his glory c. yet neither can the faith and hope bee so stable nor the comfort so great as when in Christ our Lord we see a perticular groūd and warrant for every article of our faith Therefore in this place doth the Apostle lead vs to the resurrection of Christ from the dead for establishing our hearts in the hope of our life with God in the heavens For as wee goe forward in consideration of the partes of Christes working and severall actions done by him for our full redēption so doeth our faith increase our hope by degree to degree whē we looke to Christ dying for vs we learne to beleeve remissiō of sinnes in his blood whē we goe on to his refurrectiō we imbrace the hope of lyfe frō the dead when we looke to his ascention we apprehend our ascending to the heavens and in his glorification wee are comforted by the hope of that same glorie Thus doeth it serve much for our comfort to know all the perticularities of Christes humiliation exaltation according as the Lord our God hath revealed them in his word beginning at his Incarnation going on to his birth in great basenes expressing therafter the troubles of his youth laying out next the sorrowes of his life whyle hee caried our infirmities walking in the similitude of sinfull fleshe and subiect to all the infirmities thereof except sinne proceeding to his death and kinde thereof being most accursed Gal. 3.13 as witnesseth the Apostle to the Galathians In all which the spirit of God letteth vs see our infirmities our sinnes and our sorrowes layed vpon him and vs acquitted of them in him Thereafter are we led
doth keepe the very Devills in chaines vnder darknes But whereto Iud. 6. vnto the condemnation of the great day sayeth Iude. Even so also doeth he preserve the wicked from many evills in this lyfe but all that keeping is no comfort seeing they are kept as beastes for the slaughter vnto the day of wrath and manifestation of the iust iudgement of God But here is the comfort of the Saints that God keepeth them vnto salvation because he keepeth them by his power through faith And this also serveth to confirme vs in the assurance of inioying this lyfe because it is both for vs that the Lord keepeth it and it is vnto vs that hee keepeth vs. That it is impossible to frustrate vs of it though all the world should bee against vs. That same which the Apostle before did call a lively hope and an inheritance immortall c. that same doth hee call nowe salvation to teach vs that our inheritance is salvation and that salvation is our inheritance For no man can bee Gods heire but he must inherite life and none can inherite lyfe but hee must bee the heire of GOD and Coheire with Christ This for the surety of this lyfe to the hope wherof the Lord our God begetteth vs. Now the last poynt is coÌ„cerning the manifestation of this salvation Touching the which there is three things to be marked First that this salvation is alreadie prepared SecoÌ„dlie that it is to be revealed And thirdlie the time of the revealing of it is the last day To come to the first it is not to be thought that our salvation is not yet readie Salvation is now prepared although we be not yet in possessioÌ„ of it Indeed before the coÌ„ming of Christ in the flesh salvatioÌ„ was not prepared nor made readie for vs. For Christ was the high Priest of good things to come Heb. 9.10.11 his time is called the time of Reformation for the way to the most holy place was not yet opened whyle as yet the first tabernacle was standing neither was that sacrifice offered that doth purge our coÌ„sciences from dead workes to serve the living God and wherby eternall redemption is purchased Neither was our foreruÌ„ner entred in before vs into the heavens for vs to prepare a place for vs in purifying the heavenly things themselves with his owne sacrifice For the Lawe had but the shadow of good things to come and not the verie Image of the things But nowe since our Passeover is offered and our Advocat entred into the heavens and crowned with glorie and honour in the flesh so taking possession in his very manhood of this inheritance immortall vndefiled and which withereth not Now I say saluation is made readie Neither is it holden back from vs nor we from it because it is not yet prepared but because the time is not yet come in the which we must receyve it Heb. 11.39.40 For as the Fathers received not the promise God providing a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be made perfite even so now we receive not the inheritance prepared God providing a better thing for the Saints yet to be borne vnto the end of the world that we without them should not be made perfite For they receyved not by Moses the promised Messias least they only should have bin saved not the GeÌ„tiles also Therefore did he not come vnto the end of that dispensation at which time the Gentiles also were to bee called God persuading Iaphet to dwell in the tentes of Sem even so now though Christ be made a light to the GeÌ„tiles aswel as to the Iewes and salvatioÌ„ vnto the endes of the world that he hath alreadie finished the works and purchased salvation yet doe we not receive it vntill all those for whoÌ„ it is prepared be made readie aswell as we In the Revelation the soules of them which are killed for the word of God and for the testimonie which they mainteyned when they cried with a loude voyce saying Revel 6.10 11. How long Lord which art holy and true doest not thou iudge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth It was answered to them That they should rest for a little season vntill their fellow servaunts and their brethren that should be killed even as they were fulfilled For both the full vengeance of the wicked and full glorification and redemption of the Saints is delayed vntill the number both of the wicked and redeemed bee fulfilled This serveth to comfort vs wheÌ„ we know that our salvation is not now to be prepared to be purchased as yet but that it is readie and prepared already So that if we were ready for it it is ready for vs. There is no lett therefore in our salvation why we enioy it not for it is ready prepared even as a bryd ready for her bridgrome but we are not yet readie because we wante yet a nuÌ„ber of those with whom we must enioy it who with vs must enioy it For it is not kept for me alone nor for vs of this age alone or for vs of this or that NatioÌ„ alone but it is kept for vs al who belong to Iesus Christ as members of his bodie which must bee completed and accomplished in all the members not one wanting before it put on the glorie of the head Next saith the Apostle It is prepared to be revealed or shewed This yet serveth to increase our ioy It was doubtles a forcible argument that Christ vsed to ease the hearts of the Apostles Salvation shal be revealed and settle them from the griefe and trouble conceaved at the newes of his departing from them when hee tolde them That he did goe to prepare a place for them but it doubled their ioye Iohn 14.2 â—â— when he added That he would come againe and receive them vnto himself that where he is they might be also So doubtles it is with vs. It is no smal matter of Consolation when we know that salvation is prepared for vs by Iesus Christ in the heavens but it doeth much more glad our heartes when it is tolde vs that this salvation of ours which now is hid from our eyes shal be shewed to vs that wee may see it with our eyes Simeon with al the rest of the faithfull reioyced in the promise made to them of the Messias But Simeon had this more then the rest that he had this promise that hee should not see death before hee had seene the annoynted of the Lord therefore as all did die with ioy sufficient in the promise of his comming yet Simeon behoved to have more ioy in his death when he said Lord now lettest thou thy servaunt depart in peace according to thy worde For my eyes have seene thy salvation No surely it were no comfort to vs to know that there is salvation in the heavens if we were secluded for ever from seeing that