enigmatically but then we shall know him with a perfect cleare Meridian knowledge we shall know him as we are knowne of him and as he is known of the Angels in Heaven The man which was called by the Lord Iesus in a Vision the man which was taken up into the third heaven and saw things not to be uttered hath revealed this unto us in those words 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as I and knowne Aquin. in 2 Cor. 3.18 What is knowledge but assimilatio cognoseentis ad cognitum a making of the subject knowing like to the object which is knowne So by knowing God perfectly we are made perfectly like unto him and being made perfectly like unto him we know him perfectly So the Virgin-Apostle and Prophet of the New Testament divinely argueth saying but wee know that when He shall appeare 1 Iohn 3.2 wee shall be like him for wee shall see him as he is As touching perfection in the will the estate of the Saints in heaven shall farre excell that of Adam in Paradise for he in his innocency there as St. Bernard notes Bern. de gra lib. arb had but an inferiour freedome Posse non peceare a power not to sinne whereas the glorified ones in heaven shall haue a superiour freedome Non posse peccare no power to sinne For they shall alwayes behold God the chiefe good the fountaine of good who maketh all them blessed who so behold him and that blessednes is such as includes all sufficient good and excludes all deficient evill from them that haue it Seeing they are now free Denizens and glorious Citizens of that holy Ierusalem whereof St. Gregorie saith Greg. in sept Psal paen in fine In eam nullus ingreditur impius nullus habitat iniquus nullus intrat immundus None that is ungodly goeth into it none that is unjust dwelleth in it none that is uncleane entreth into it There is no impietie no iniquirie no impuritie no evills no sinnes approach thither for as St. Prosper saith Nec peccata ibi ulla Prosp de vita contempl li. 1. cap. 4. nec peccatores erunt qui ibi fuerint jam peccare non poterint There shall neither be any sinnes nor sinners and they that shall be there shall now haue no power to sinne For they can will nothing but that which is good seeing they be now necessarily good not by any iron necessitie of compulsion or coaction for there is no such thing there but by a golden necessitie of immutabilitie which never altereth never changeth Such shall be the ineffable felicitie of the glorified Saints in heaven being now blessed with Angelicall perfection being made like unto the Angels in heaven God is righteous and therefore blessed wee are now unrighteous and therefore miserable but then being conformed to the image of God we shall be righteous and therefore blessed and consequently free from all miserie both in soule and bodie For whereas Adam had in this also Bern. de Gra. lib. Arb. an inferiour freedome Posse non turbari a power not to be troubled We shall then haue as St. Bernard noteth a superiour freedome a non posse turbari no power to be troubled to suffer any afflictiue misery whatsoever Our soules shall be free from any distemper passion and perturbation Aquin. in 1 Cor. cap. 15. lect 6. Our bodies shall be qualified with foure endowments like to the Sunne First claritie secondly agilitie thirdly subtilitie fourthly impassibilitie But what did I say like to the Sunne nay rather like to the sonne of God for we shall be like him in corporis gloria Ambr. in ca. 6. ad Roman non in divinitatis natura in the glory of his bodie not in the nature of his divinitie saith St. Ambrose For in the resurrection He will change us in a moment then as the Apostle teacheth us Phil. 3.21 He shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body So that we shall be free from all misery as he is free in his bodie Our senses and other faculties shall not be subject to any offence or hurt Our bodies shall no more be exposed to wounds maimes defects no distemper or paine no disease or infirmitie shall annoy them All tarditie and slownes of the mooving facultie shall be taken away for the bodie being now spirituall shall goe without any delay Prosp de vita contemp lib. 1. cap. 11. hindrance or difficultie Quecunque ire voluerit Spiritus angelicae beatitudinis aqualitate perfectus whither soever the Spirit will goe being perfect in equalitie with Angelicall blessednesse as St. Prosper saith Thus where the cause is taken away the effect must needs cease the evill of punishment shall alwayes be absent where the evill of sinne is never present For how is it possible that any miserie should be there where there is perfect charitie without dissimulation or hatred perfect peace without dissension or discord perfect health without languor or infirmitie where there is nothing but eternall happinesse and everlasting felicitie And the reason of all this is given by St. Iohn saying for the Lambe Revel 7.17 which is in the midst of the throne shall feede them and leade them unto living fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes CHAP. XXXIIII Of perfection by immortalitie in glorie THe first act of our essence is life without which wee haue no motion or sense no understanding willing or working Hereupon blessednesse which consisteth in act is properly ascribed to life and to that life which is eternall and immortall Many of the old Philosophers held immortalitie of the soule but not of the bodie that was an idle fancie grosse and absurd with them But we know by the Christian veritie and steadfastly beleeue that our bodies in the resurrection shall rise incorruptible and liue ever For although the bodies of reprobates shall me againe and liue ever Quead substantiam vivendi in respect of the substance of life yet quoad qualitatem vivendi in regard of the qualitie of life they being in perpetuall horror and torments are rightly said to perish and die eternally Aug. 〈◊〉 cap. 92. Seeing as St. Augustine saith Vera vita non est nisi ubi faliciter vivitur It is not true life but where there is an happie life Neither may it seeme strange that a body glorified should be immortall seeing the body of Adam in the state of innocency in that earthly Paradise was immortall For as St. Augustine affirmeth that the body of Adam before sinne was both mortall and immortall Aug. in Gen. ad lit lib. 6. cap. 25. mortall quia poterat mori because it had a power to die and immortall quia poter at non mori because it had a power not to die Adam no doubt
who is the resurrection and the life And therefore as by the will of the Father Rom. 4.25 He was delivered to death for our sinnes so he was also raised againe for our justification Here you see that our most gracious and mightie Redeemer was as Gorran saith Pugil in morte victor in resurrectione Gorran in Ro. cap. 1. a Champion in his death a conquerour in his resurrection For now He triumphed over the graue and death declaring to the world to men and Angells that he was perfectly just otherwise he could never haue risen unto Glory had he beene uncleane had he beene any way polluted and defiled with sinne for into the heavenly Ierusfalem such shall in no wise enter Yea He rose againe for our justification to shew himselfe a justifier of all that beleeue in him to shew that he had taken away their sinnes the wages wherof is death that so they might at the last day rise againe unto eternall life The resurrection and glorification of our Lord Iesus Christ August desurrect dom Cant. Allelujah according to St. Austine doe shew what life we are to receiue when he shall come to render digna dignis evill to the evill and good to the good then all the members of his mysticall body shall rise up in Him their head and so liue ever with him Fulgent serm de dupl nativ Christi for as Fulgentius saith Resurgens è sepulcro fecit nos participes vitae suae by rising out of the sepulchre He made us partakers of his life And we know as the Scripture teacheth us 2 Cor. 4.14 that He who raised the Lord Iesus shall raise up us also by Iesus And when Christ Coloss 3.4 who is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare also with Him in glorie CHAP. XIII Christs Intercession WHen the sonne of God had suffered his most dolorous and bitter agony on the Altar of the Crosse when he had victoriously triumphed over the graue in his most glorious resurrection He ascended upon high and led captivity captiue and is set on the right hand of God continually making intercession for us there he ever presents unto the Father his humane nature wherein He died and rose againe and performed so great things for us there we sinners haue an Advocate with the Father 1 Iohn 2.1 even Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes whereupon St. Augustine saith Aug. in Psal 94. Sacerdotem si requiras supra caelos est interpellat prote qui in terra mortuus est prote if thou require a Priest He is aboue the Heavens He maketh intercession for thee who on earth died for thee Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Rom. 8. v. 33.34 it is Christ that died yea that is risen agaìne who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us What greater comfort and consolation haue we in our pilgrimage than to know and beleeue that the Lord Iesus is our most faithfull Advocate who intercedeth for us day and night who as St. Ambrose speakes Amh. in ca. 8. ad Rom. Semper causas agit nostras apud patrem perpetnally pleades our causes before the Father Who as the Apostle saith maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God He onely intercedeth for all Saints and none of all the Saints intercede for him So he is our onely true perfect Mediatour He intercedes with the Father for us merito suo by vertue of his owne merit The Saints on earth intercede for others but merito Christi through Christs merit for all their holy requests for others all their pious intercessions are offered upon the Golden Altar and doe sweetly ascend up unto the throne of grace Apoc. 8.3 per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum through Iesus Christ our Lord. CHAP. XIIII Our union with Christ WHat will it availe us to know the merit of Christs death the power of his resurrection the benefit of his intercession unlesse we participate of so great blessings But participate of them wee cannot unlesse we haue communion with Christ unlesse we be of him and in him as the branches are in the Vine unlesse we be members of his bodie flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones And this is a great mysterie concerning Christ and the Church Eph. 5.32 which to understand in some measure is most necessary but to haue a spirituall sense and feeling of it is even an unspeakeable fountaine of joy and consolation As we are of and in Adam by nature so are we of and in Christ by grace And Christ who cannot be had by portions is whole in the whole Church and whole in every faithfull member of the Church And thus he communicates himselfe unto us by his Spirit for the same Spirit which giveth life unto the Head quickeneth and enliveneth the members also for if any haue not the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 he is none of his and therefore in Iohn 14.19 he saith to his Apostle Because I liue yee shall line also And all this proceeds from our union with him which he insinuateth in the twentieth verse following At that day shall yee know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you This holy Spirit whereby wee are united to Christ is the seede whereby we are borne of God and the sonnes of God Because yee are sonnes saith the Apostle God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father Obscuro For our spirituall subsisting in Christ is correspondent to his personalitie and subsistence whereby he is the Sonne of God So in him we also are the sonnes of God He is such by nature we onely through him by adoption and grace Hence is it that St. Peter saith We are partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 which is communicated to all the three subsistences in the blessed Trinitie and consequently to the Sonne and in him to us This Christ prayed for and was heard in that he requested and desired for the faithfull in those words That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Iohn 17.21 And St. Iohn intimateth as much saying Truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ 1 Iohn 2.3 Entreating here of the union of the Church with Christ I was drawne to speake of our adoption through Christ For by one and the same Spirit we are adopted in Christ and united unto him He unites himselfe to us by grace we are united to him by faith And so the whole person of the faithfull is united to the whole person of Christ first to his flesh then through his flesh to the Word which was made flesh And this union is wrought after
mentioned by them understand good workes done of faith as we doe generally take them So as Bucer professed in the conference at Ratisbon Bucer apud Cassand Coufut art 6. saying If by to merit the Fathers and others understand to doe through faith of the grace of God good workes to which God hath promised and will render a reward To use the word in this sense wee will not condemne Wherein we wholly agree with St. Bernard who explaineth the matter thus Bern. de Gra. lib. Arb. Those which wee call our merits if they be properly called are certaine seminaries of hope incentiues to charitie signes of secret predestination presages of future felicitie the way to the kingdome not the cause of raigning there Now correspondent to our good workes in this life shall our eternall reward be in the other life Math. 16.27 For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then shall he reward every man according to his workes This our blessed Saviour the truth hath taught us and after him his chosen vessell of mercy and trumpet of grace hath delivered unto us the same infallible veritie namely Rom. 2.6 that God will render to every man according to his deeds So that such as our measure of grace is in this life such shall our measure of glory be in the other world such as our vertues and good workes be here such shall our happinesse and felicitie be there Let us then not be weary of well doing knowing that in due season we shall reape if we faint not All that shall be judged worthy in Christ to enter into the heavenly Paradise shall haue perfection of all parts and essentialls of glory aquè non aequaliper one as well as another not equally in degree one with weather All who haue faithfully laboured in Christ Vineyard shall at the end of the day receiue their penie aqualem mercedem vita non glaâ—ia Ambr. in Lus. cap. 15. an equall reward of life not of glory according to St. Ambrose for suppose faith he there is not grace one reward diversum tanâ—â—n braâ—iuâ—â— violeriâ—â— est yet the prize of victory is diverse It is true that in respect of the object participated one is not more blessed than another all beholding one God the fountaine of life But in regard of the disposition of the subjects participating one shall be more happie than another because one shall see God more clearely than another one shall loue God more perfectly and ardently than another and that in so large and ample latitude as we are not now able to comprehend The Apostleteacheth us 1 Cor. 15. ve 41 42. that there is one glory of the Sonne another of the Moone and another of the â—â—ines for one starre differeth from another starre in glory So is the resurrection of the dead They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firâ—â—â—â— at Dam. 12.3 and they that turne many unto rightenasnesse as the starres for ever and ever Now although every starre be perfect in it selfe yet in comparison of a greater it may want perfection Hieron advers Pelag. lib. 1. as St. Hierome notes So although every glorified Saint shall be perfect in it selfe yet may such compared to others more glorious want perfection not of parts or essentialls but of degrere of glorie But all shall be perfect all according to their proper measure and capacitie shall bâ—fully fâ—â—led with glorie none shall want all 〈◊〉 enough Prosp de vita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. cap. 4. all shall haue sufficient Quia singulie prampia suasufficientia erunt capere amplâ—◠〈…〉 am perfecti non pâ—terint Every 〈…〉 shall be sufficient for them and being 〈◊〉 perfect they shall not be able to receiue any more saith St. Prosper As many vessels of diverse quantities dipt into the Ocean will all be filled but every one according to their proper quantitie Or as divers guests at a feast are fully satiated and filled yet all doe not eat alike and receiue the same quantitie but every one according to the strength and measure of their stomacke So shall it be with the Elect in the kingdome of God in the day of the Sonne of man that day of glorie all shall haue satietie of heavenly delights and pleasures but every one according to their capacitie and measure During their pilgrimage on earth they walked on patiently in the way of good workes they hungred and thirsted after righteousnesse but then shall they be satisfied with life righteousnesse and glory How 〈◊〉 redeemed them with his sacred bloud will now satiate them with the bread of life and inebriate them with the wine of his loue And as the sweet singer of Israel speaketh Psal 36.8 9. He will abundantly satisfie them with the fatnesse of his house and will make them drinke of the â—â—â—er of his pleasures for with him is the fountaine of life and in his light shall they see light They shall see the light which shall never decay enjoy the life which shall never haue an end For they shall ever behold Him who is the light and the life who is all perfection all glory all felicitie all eternitie who is all in all To that all sufficient being who is his owne eternall being and the being of all other 〈…〉 who is Alpha and Oâ—â—ega the beginning and the ending the first and the last To the Creator of the world the glory of the Angels the light and life of men To that infinite fountaine of loue which hath loved us with an ever lasting loue in Christ the sonne of his loue To the Father of mercies the God of all grace peace and consolation be ascribed of us all goodnesse wisedome power prayse honour glorie adoration thankesgiving for all his blessings in Iesus Christ now and in all ages for ever Amen FINIS Perlegi Librum hâ—nc dignumque judico qui typis mandetur Tho. Weekes R. P. Epo Lond. Capel domest