Gen. 3. was bruised and hee did no more but tread on the heele of our Sauiour so shall it be in the conflict of all his members with Sathan by the power of Lord Iesus wee shall be more then conquerours The God of peace shall shortly tread Rom. 16. 20. downe Sathan vnder our feete the most that Sathan can doe vnto vs Manducet terram meam dentem carni infigat Amb. de poen lib. 1. cap 13. conterat corpus let him lick the dust let him eate that part of mee which is earth let him bruise my body this is but to tread vpon the heele my comfort is that there is a seede of immortall life in my soule which no power of the enemie is able to ouercome It is true that so long as wee enioy this naturall life with Wicked men dye eyther vncertaine of comfort health of body the losse that comes by the want of the spirituall life is not perceiued no more then the defects of a ruinous house is perceiued in time of faire weather but when thy naturall life is wearing from thee if thou want the other how comfortlesse shall thy condition be when thou shalt finde in thine owne experience thou haddest neuer more then a silly naturall life which now is to depart from thee In this estate the wicked either dye being vncertaine of comfort or then most certaine of condemnation Those who are strangers from the life of God through the ignorance Ephes 4. 18. that is in them hauing no more but the light of nature the best estate wherein they can dye is comfortlesse if for want of light they know not that wrath vvhich is prepared for the vvicked and so are not greatly terrified yet farre lesse know they those comforts vvhich after death sustaines the Christian that they should be comforted The Emperour Hadrian when he dyed made this faithlesse lamentation Animula vagula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca O silly wandring Soule vvhere away now wilt thou goe and that other Seuerus proclaiming the vanitie of all his former glory cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue beene all things and it profits me nothing the one saith he found no comfort of things that were before him the other saith he found no comfort of things that were behind thus the wicked dye comfortlesse good things to come they neither know nor hope for good things past profit them Or most certaine of condemnation not Or if they haue beene such wicked men as by the light of the word haue knowne the will of their master and yet rebelled against their light they go out of the body not onely comfortles but certain of condemnation hauing receiued sentence within themselues that they shall neuer see the face of God and such was the death of Iudas let vs not therefore rest contented with the shadow of this vanishing life let vs prouide for that immortall seed of a better life within vs which receiues increase but cannot decay it waxeth stronger the weaker that the bodily life is but cannot be weakned far lesse extinguished by bodily death he that findes it within himselfe shall reioyce in death he shall dye in faith in obedience and in spirituall ioy Committing his Soule vnto 1 Pet. 4. 19. God as vnto a faithfull Creator he rests in him vvhom he hath beleeued being assured that the Lord will keepe that which he hath committed vnto him The Lord worke it in vs for Christs sake Verse 11. But if the spirit of him who raysed vp Iesus from from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quickâ—n your mortall bodies because that his spirit dwelleth in you IT is a comfortable saying of the Apostle If in 1 Cor. 15. 19. this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable for it doth teach vs that albeit in this life we haue great comforts through Iesus Christ yet greater abides vs in the life to come And therefore the Apostle contents not himselfe barely to make mention of such comforts as presently wee haue but hee proceedes now to acquaint vs with greater comforts which hereafter we shall enioy He hath shewed vs that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall for it strikes He hath shewed our death is not totall now he shewes that it is not perpetuall onely vpon the basest part of man Now he shewes that it is not perpetuall the body shall not be kept for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Iesus who now dwels in it shall deliuer it from the bondage of corruption raise it from the dust and quicken it vnto glory But if the Spirit c. We haue here first of all to marke Euery promise of mercy is conditionall againe that the Apostles speech is not absolute but conditionall All the promises of comfort made in the booke of God are conditionall This is a great comfort the Lord shall quicken your mortall bodies but conditionally that his spirit dwell in you Whom hath the Lord promised to satisfie such as hungers for righteousnesse whom hath he promised to comfort not the carelesse nor wantons but such as mourne to whom hath he promised forgiuenesse of sinnes not to the licentious liuers but to the penitent to whom will he giue eternall life not to the Infidels but to such as If wâ— like gods comforts let vs take heedâ— to the condition on which they are promised beleeue If we esteeme any thing of the comforts of God let vs take heed to the condition for except the condition in some measure be wrought in vs the promise shall neuer be accomplished vpon vs. It were good for the men of this age to consider this more deepely who sleeping in presumptuous conceits of mercy thinke how euer they liue they shall be saued In all the whole Bible there is not one promise without an annexed condition In the couenant betweene God and man there is a mutuall stipulation as the Lord promiseth something to vs so he requireth another thing of vs with what face canst thou stand vp and seeke that mercy vvhich God hath promised who neuer endeuouredst to performe that dutie which God hath required Againe vve haue here occasion to consider those excellent The benefits we haue throgh the indwelling of the spirit in vs are further declared Gal. 2 20. benefits vvhich we haue by the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs beside that vvhich vve heard verse 10. As if those were too little he further doth vnto vs these great things first he giues life to the soule and makes it in the body to liue the life of Christ so that the Christian may say Now I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me Secondly when Soule and body are sundred by death he leades the soule to liue with God in glory which is the second degree of eternall life and thirdly
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
agreement betweene Faith and good vvorkes but if this be the question for which of them it is that God doth iustifie vs there we must oppone them affirming with the Apostle that wee are iustified by Faith and not by works alway the opposition is not simple but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their second euasion is a distinction of the works of the Workes not of the Ceremoniall Law onely but of the Morall also excluded from Iustification Law Morall and Ceremoniall It is true say they that the vvorks of the law ceremoniall iustifies not but the vvorkes of the Law Morall iustifies But the Apostle in his conclusion excludes from iustification the works of the Law Morall for these reasons hee excludes those vvorkes of which he hath proued both Iewes and Gentiles to be guilty but so it is he hath proued them to be guilty of the transgression of the Law Morall as is euident out of the sinnes wherewith he charges them therefore c. Secondly hee excludes from iustification the vvorks of that Law by vvhich comes the knowledge of sinne but so it is the knowledge of sinne comes by the Law Morall therefore c. I had not knowne saith the Apostle that concupiscence is a sinne except the law had said thou shalt not couet Now it is euident that this is a precept of the Law Morall Their third euasion is by a distinction of the first and The distinction of the first and second Iustification improued second iustification the first vvhereof say they is by Faith but the second is by vvorkes But this twofold iustification is also forged for iustificatio est actus indiuidius simul totus there is no first and last in the act of iustification he that is once condemned iudicially stands so and he that is absolued stands so Againe this distinction confounds two benefits Iustification and Sanctification vvhich Iustification Sanctification distinct benefits to them is the second Iustification That they are distinct benefits the Apostle doth teach vs Christ is made to vs righteousnesse and sanctification but they inconsiderately confound them for if these new qualities infused by Grace into the soule of man and good vvorkes flowing therefrom be the matter they say of mans second Iustification then let them tell vs vvhat is the matter of his Sanctification To conclude this these are two inseperable benefits to Iustification Sanctification inseperably conioyned whomsoeuer the Lord imputes the righteousnesse of Christ and giues them Faith to accept it as their owne like as for it he absolues them from sinne and death and adiudges them vnto life so also incontinent works he in them by his holy spirit an inherent righteousnesse by vvhich they become new creatures so that our Iustification hath inseperably annexed with it Sanctification But this Sanctification of ours is so imperfect that howsoeuer it be accepted of the Father for the righteousnesse of Christ yet is it not so perfect nor sufficient that for the merit thereof wee dare seeke to be absolued from our sinnes and receiued into fauour Them be also glorified Glorification the last lincke of the Glorification our last and highest estate out of which we shall neuer be changed chaine is the last and highest benefit that we haue by Christ by vvhich both our soule and body shall be restored to a greater glory and more happy than euer vvee enioyed in Adam He had his owne most excellent priuiledges hee had this inward glory that he vvas created to the image of God hee had also for outward glory a dominion and Lordship ouer all the creatures of God the heauens were made beautifull for his sake the earth made fruitfull Paradise assigned to him as a speciall garden of pleasure and all the creatures ordained to serue him but by our second creation we are beautified with more excellent priuiledges that same image is restored to vs new heauens and new earth created for our sake and vvith all these vvee shall haue the Crowne of perseuerance vvhich Adam had not for glorification is our last and highest happy estate out of which we shall neuer be transchanged and therefore the Apostle goes not beyond it And herein appeares the Lords wonderfull power and How the glorification of our bodies shewes Gods wonderfull goodnesse and power goodnesse vvho of the fall of man takes occasion to make man better than he was before the fall Our bodies shall not be raised like to Adams body for euen in the state of innocencie he was mortall but they shall be raised vp like to the glorious body of Christ Salomon built a Temple the Chaldeans destroyed it and it was neuer againe restored to the former glory which moued the auncient men to mourne when they saw how the glory of the second Temple was not like the glory of the first but it shall be the great ioy of our auncient Father Adam who saw the glory of the first creation when hee shall see how farre the glory of the second creation shall exceed the glory of the first Of this Glorification the Apostle speakes in the time Three degrees of eternall life past partly to declare the certaintie thereof and partly because it is already begun for there are three degrees of that Glory The first in this life and that is our sanctification called by S. Iohn the first resurrection and by Saint Paul our transformation into the glorious image of God The second is in the houre of death and that is a neerer vnion of our soules with Iesus The third will be in the last day vvherein both soule and body shall be glorified this is the highest step of Salomons throne vnto the which wee must ascend by the former degrees As for the beginning The first degree is in this life hath in it these three 1. Righteousnesse 2. Peace 3. Ioy. of this glory which now we haue it consists in these three Righteousnesse Peace and Ioy there is a ioy which is no presumption flowing from a peace vvhich is not securitie bred of righteousnesse which is not hypocrisie in these three stands the beginning of eternall life here vpon earth and in the perfection of them shall consist the perfection of eternall life afterward in heauen perseuerance in righteousnesse in peace in ioy and glory being adioyned vnto them This ioy which is the highest degree of eternall life vve A three-fold ioy we haue in this life can attaine to here vpon earth hath also these three degrees first there is a Ioy which ariseth of beleeuing wee haue not as yet seene the Lord Iesus yet dâ—e wee beleeue in him 1 Pet. 1. and reioyce in him with Ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Secondly there is a Ioy which ariseâ—h of feeling and tasting taste and consider how gracious the Lord is and this feeling is much more than beleeuing Thirdly there is a ioy which ariseth of sight of spirituall embracing such was the ioy of
which he hath begunne in vs As for man he may beget children but cannot renew their nature he may marrie a Wife but cannot change her conditions no more than Moses qui Aethiopissam duxit Ber. ser de mutatione aquae in vinuÌ„ sed non potuit aethiopissae mutare colorem who married an Aethiopian woman but could not change her colour But the Lord Iesus hath so loued his Church that he shall make it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle He Ephes 5. 27. Ezech. 16. 6. found vs polluted in our owne blood naked and bare but hee hath washed vs with the water of regeneration he hath anoynted vs with his oyle and couered our filthie nakednes with his excellent ornaments and by his spirit of grace hee changed vs from glory to glory into his owne image Let this be vnto thee O man of God a fortresse against A fortresse against infidelitie we haue seene the one Christ made like vs let vs be leeue the other we shall be like him thine infidelitie by that part which thou seest already done learne to beleeue that which yet is vndone Is God become man hath the God of glory appeared in the shape of a seruant hath he beene crucified dead and buried in thy nature be thou strengthned in Faith giue glory vnto God thinke it not impossible that the Lord can make thee who is but the sonne of man the sonne of God that of a seruant he can make thee a freeman that from the graue hee is able to raise thee vnto glory and cloath thee who art mortall and corruptible with the garments of incorruptibilitie and immortalitie It is a harder thing saith Chrisostom in our iudgement that God should become man than that man should be made the sonne of God cum ergo audicris quod filius Deâ— factus sit filius Adae filius Abrahae dubitare Chrisost in Mat. hom 2. iam define quod tu quies filius Adae futurus sis filius Dei a notable prop for our weake Faith we see that the sonne of God is become the sonne of Adam and the sonne of Abraham why then will we distrust that we who are the sonnes of Adam shal also be made the sonnes of God Secondly we haue in Iesus Christ a communion of 2 By our vnion with Christ we haue communion of goods goods he hath taken vpon him our sins and the punishment thereof he was wounded for our transgressions and the chastisement of our peace was lâ—yd vpon him and hath againe communicated to vs his righteousnes and life he hath not only giuen to vs himself for our Sauiour but also whatsoeuer is his we may challenge as ours by his owne free gift As the body which is sencelesse in it selfe enioyes the benefit of sences in the head and reioyces therein as in her owne so we by our vnion with Christ enioy as ours all that is his though in our selues we haue no light nor life nor righteousnesse We who haue no good of our owne enioy all good in our head by which we may stand before God yet in him we haue all these In the corporall marriage there is a communion of goods so long as the one is rich the other cannot be poore how much more houlds this true in the spirituall Psal 23. 1. marriage seeing the Lord is our Shepheard what then shall we want the Lord Iesus who is rich vnto all that calles vpon him is our husband ipse nobis factus est omnia he himselfe vnto vs is become all things he is a propitiation for our sinnes he is the light by whom we are translated from darknesse he is life to quicken vs that were dead in trespasses he is the way wherein we must walke he is the doore by which we must enter he is the garment which we must put on he is the food whereupon we must liue all these and many moe names saith Cyrill are attributed to Christ to assure vs though in our selues we be voyde of all good yet in him we shall be enriched with all spirituall graces needfull for vs. And thirdly we haue by our vnion with Christ a communion 3 By our vnion with Christ we haue a communion of estates Zech. 2. 8. of estates hee is touched with a compassion of all our infirmities in all their troubles hee was troubled he that touches you touches the apple of mine eye In our naturall body saith the Apostle if one member suffer all suffers with it much more is it so in the spirituall if the foot in the naturall 1. Cor. 12. 26. body be trod vpon the head complaines why hurt you me Aug. sâ—r 4â— as if the iniury were done vnto it but this feeling is far more liuely in the misticall body if Saul persecute the members in Damascus the head in heauen shall crie Saul Saul why Act. 9. 4. persecutest thou me Oh that on the other part wee were so liuely and feeling members vnder our head that euery preiudice to the glory of God done by man might grieue vs more than if it were done vnto our selues Such was Dauids feeling affection that he protesteth the rebuke of them who rebuked the Lord fell vpon him Mine eyes saith he gush out riuers of teares when I see how the wicked will not Psal 119. keepe thy law But alas the want of this sympathie with the head and remanent members euedently shewes that this spirituall life is but weake in vs. Last of all by our ingrafting in to Christ wee haue this By our vnion with Christ we are made sure of perseuerance comfort that we are sure of the benefite of perseuerance and that because as the Apostle saith we beare not the roote the roote beare vs our saluation depends not vpon vs for that were an vnsure foundation it depends vpon him because we are in him we grow and increase yea the older we be in Christ the more we fasten our roote and flourish for they who are planted in the Courts of the Lord flourish in Psal 146. their old age and bring forth fruit whereas other branches may be pulled away from their stocke either by violence of winde or force of the hands of men or at least consumed by length of time it shall not be so with them who are in Christ they keepe not him but are kept by him because I am not changed therefore yee are not consumed O yee sonnes of Iacob but as to those who are not planted in Iesus be who they will they shall be pulled vp they shall not continue in honour The Princes of the earth their breath shall decay they shall returne to their earth and their thoughts shall Esa 40. 24. perish the Iudges thereof shall be made as vanitie as though they were not planted nor sowen or as if their stroke tooke no roote in the earth The Lord shall blow vpon them
consider what thou hopest to be after this 2 What we hope to be after this life life dost thou not hope to raigne as a King in the heauens and wilt thou now liue as a slaue to Sathan vpon earth Is any man crowned except he sâ—riue as he ought or doth he receiue the prize who runnes not the race or can hee obtaine the victorie who neuer wrestled why then fightest thou not why runnest thou not why beginnest thou not to raigne in earth as a king ouer thy lusts seeing thou hopest to raigne as a king in heauen in glory Doe not deceiue thy selfe that crowne is for conquerours not for captiues Non sperare potest regnum coelorum cui supra propria membra regnare Ber. de persecutione sustineÌ„da cap. 11. 1. Iohn 3. 2. non donatur hee cannot looke for that heauenly kingdome to whom it is not giuen to raigne ouer his own earthly members Wee know that when Iesus shall appeare we shall be like him for wee shall see him as hee is and hee that hath this hope in himselfe purgeth himselfe euen as hee is pâ—re Certainly if the Lord through Grace prepare thee not for his Heauenly Kingdome thou canst neuer say with a warrant that the Lord hath prepared that kingdome for thee And thirdly the consideration of the present occasion 3 What presently we may be should waken vs to goe out of this house of bondage for now the Sonne of God offers to make vs free a Prince of greater power is content to enter into confederacie with vs hee promiseth to restore vs to all the priuiledges wee lost in Adam yea to giue vs much more than euer we had in him and shall we neglect so faire an occasion When Cyrus king of Persia proclaymed liberty to the Iewes to goe from Babell the place of their captiuitie homeward to Ierusalem it is said that all those went forward whose spirit God had raised vp and now when the Lords annoynted proclaymes liberty to the captiues and the opening of the door to them that are in prison I know that none shall follow his calling but such whose spirit the Lord hath raised vp the rest being miserably blind delight to lye still in captiuitie thinking their bondage liberty The Lord giue vs grace that we may discerne the time of our visitation that with Dauid we may aduance our eyes toward the Lord who hath begunne to plucke our feet out of the nâ—t and that still we may lift vp and stretch out our hands vnto him till hee haue deliuered vs fully from the power of the enemie This being spoken of the bondage we are now to consider Our deliuerance from this bondage is to be ascribed vnto Christ only Heb. 13. 9. Reuel 7. 1â— Isai 42. 8. that our deliuerance from it is here ascribed to Iesus Christ Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israell But our saluation belongs to the Lord and to the Lambe that sits vpon the throne Let no man therefore be so vnthankfull as to ascribe any part of this glory to another my glory will I not giue to another saith the Lord the glory of a temporall deliuerance God will not giue it vnto man hee would not saue Israell vnder Gideon with thirtie two thousand and why least Israell should vaunt against the Lord and say my right hand hath done it Or euer he entred his people Israell into the land of Canaan he forewarned them that they should not say it was for their righteousnesse and will hee then thinke yee giue the praise of this most notable deliuerance to the Creature No the whole booke of God witnesseth that it is not for our righteousnesse but for the praise of the glory of his rich mercie that we are entred into heauenly Canaan Did Peter Iames and Iohn helpe the Lord Iesus in that agonie which he suffered in the garden no surely be bad them watch with him and pray but when hee was sweating blood they were sleeping when he was buffeted in Caiphas hall did not Peter deny him when he went to the Crosse did not all his disciples forsake him and those who loued him most dearely did they not stand a farre off from him Certainely he alone troad the wine-presse of the wrath of God he alone bare the punishment of our sinnes in his blessed body on the Crosse to him therfore alone pertayneth the glory of our saluation As for the persons to whom this deliuerance pertaines Mercies of god shewed vpon others should confirme vs if we repent to looke for the like to our selues the Apostle names himselfe among them hath freed vs not to exclude but rather to confirme all others who are in Iesus Christ For he confesses of himselfe that he was receiued to mercy for this end that God might shew vpon him an example of long suffering to them who shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life therefore it is that hee speakes of this deliuerance in his owne person for the confirmation 2. Tim. 1. 16. of others who hauing beene before as hee was notorious sinners are now become such as repents and beleeues And indeed euery example of GODS mercy shewed vnto others should serue to strengthen vs. Audientâ—s Christum non horruisse confitentem latronem c. when we Bernard heare sayth Bernard that the Lord Iesus abhorred not the penitent Theefe on the Crosse that hee despised not the sinfull Cananitish woman when she made supplication nor the woman taken in Adulterie nor him that sat at the receipt of Custome nor the Publicane when hee sought mercie nor the Disciple that denyed him neither yet the persecuter of his Disciples in odore horum vnguentorum â—urramus post cum in the sweet smell of these oyntments let vs runne after him Alwaies we see that the Apostle doth speake vnto others Preachers not pertakers of that mercy which they of a deliuerance obtayned by Christ as being also pertaker thereof himselfe As he was a Preacher of Christ so he was a follower of Christ he beate downe his body by discipline least that preaching vnto others hee should haue beene a pronounce to others are most miserable reprobate himselfe and therfore he now speaks as one who is sure that hee also hath his portion in Christ Otherwise what comfort can it be either to Preacher or professor to speake of that life and grace which commeth by Christ Iesus they themselues in the meane time being like to that miserable Atheist Simon Magus to whom Peter gaue out that fearefull sentence thou hast neither part nor fellowship in Acts. 8. 21. this businesse or like those Priests in Ierusalem in the dayes of Herod who directed others to Bethleem by the light of the word to worship Christ but went not themselues or those builders of Noahs Arke who helped to build a vessel for preseruation of others but perished in the deluge themselues or like Bilhah and Zilpah who brought
it craues no more but as for the soule all the delicate and pleasant things of this world cannot satisfie or content it Non esurientes animas sed esuriem ipsam pascunt animarum they Bern. de persecuquutione sustinenda cap. 22. feed not the hungry soule but rather feedes and augments the hunger of the soule And lastly wee see in experience that the soule now when it is within the body hath his owne working and liuely operation euen then when the body is a sleepe and the senses thereof closed vp which also is also confirmed by that conference which Salâ—mon had with the Lord when his body was sleeping beside many other And hereof Tertullian concluded the immortality of the Tertul. de resur carnis Soule â—e in somnium quidem cadit anima cum corpore quomodâ— in veritatem mortis cadâ—t quae nec in imaginem eius ruit The soule doth not fall a sleepe with the body how then shal we thinke that it can verily die it selfe which cannot so much as fall vnder the shadow and similitude of death Thus the Atheist being put bâ— the doubt still remaines A twofold immortall life of the Soule whereof the one is proper to the godly the other pertaines to the wicked Seeing euery mans soule liues an immortall life what comfort is this giuen here to the Christian that though his body be dead his soule is liuing To this I answere there is a two-fold life of the Soule one of nature another of grace by the one it liuâ—s for euer by the other it lâ—ues for euer in happinesse the one is common to all men the other is proper to the children of God an immortall happy life they haue it not of nature but of grace as here the Apostle saith through the righteousnesse of Christ communicated vnto them As for that naturall life of the soule the spirit of God as we said accounts it but a death when they are liuing in the body he saith they are dead â—â— sinne and trespasseâ— and when Ephe. 2. 1. they are gone out of the body though they liue yet he cals their life but an euerlasting death thus are the wicked miserable while they are in the body more miserable when they remoue out of the body therefore Salomon comparing them among themselues accounts them happiest that neuer Eccles 4. 3. haue beene Secondly we see here that man is a creature consisting Man a compound creature of a soule and a body vvhere first it is to be admired how two creatures of such contrary kindes and qualities as is the soule and the body should concurre together to make vp one man and secondly how this fearefull diuorcement is come betweene them once so straitly vnited by God that where the one is partaker of life the other should be possest by death Most meruailous of all the creatures both in regard of his two substances As for the first the Lord hath created man in such sort that he hath made him a compend of all his creatures in respect of his body he hath some affinity with earthly creaturs because hee was made to rule ouer them and in respect of his soule hee is a companion to the Angels for this cause the Naturalists called man a little vvorld and Augustine counted man a greater miracle than any miracle that euer vvas vvrought among men vvhere other creatures vvere made by the simple commandement of God before the creation of man the Lord is said to vse consultation to declare saith Basile that the Lord esteemes more of man than Basil hexam hom 10. of all the rest of his creatures neither is it said that the Lord put his hand to the making of any creature saue onely to the making of man and this also saith Tertullian to declare Tertull. de resur carnis As also of their meruailous coniunction his excellencie Yet is not man so meruailous in regard of his two substances as in regard of their coniunction Among all the workes of God the like of this is not to be found againe a Masse of clay quickned by the spirit of life and these two vnited together to make vp one man Commonly sayth Bernard the honorable agrees not with the ignoble the strong ouergoes the weake the liuing and the dead dwels not together Non Bern. in die natal dom serm 2. This doctrine knowne but not considered sic in opere tuo dâ—mine non sic in commixtione tua it is not so in thy worke O Lord it is not so in thy commixtion This is a doctrine commonly talked of that man consists of a soule and a body but is not so duely considered as it should It is a fearefull punishment which by nature lyes vpon the soule seeing she turned her selfe willingly away from God she is so farre deserted of God that she regards not her selfe though it be a very common prouerbe in the mouthes of men I haue a soule to keepe yet hast thou such a soule as can teach thee to keepe any other thing better than it selfe a fearefull plague that because as I haue said the soule continued not in the loue of God it is now so farre deserted that it regards not the owne selfe This haue I touched onely to waken vs that wee may more deepely consider of that doctrine which men thinke they haue learned and know sufficiently already namely that man is a compound creature consisting of a soule and a body But to returne seeing at the first these two the soule and How that harmony which was betweene the soule and body by creation is now turned into disagreement Foure estates of mans soule body vnited body were conioyned together by the hand of the Creator and agreed together in one happy harmony among themselues whence comes this disagreement that the soule being pertaker of life the body should be possest by death I answere we are to consider these foure estates of mans soule and body vnited The first is their estate by creation wherein both of them concurred in a happy agreement to serue their Maker The second is the estate of Apostasie wherein both of them in one cursed band conioyned fell away from God the faculties of the soule rebelling against God and abusing all the members of the body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to offend him The third is the estate of grace wherein the soule being reconciled with God by the mediation of Christ and quickned againe by his holy Spirit the body is left for a while vnder the bands of death The fourth is the estate of glory wherein both of them being ioyned together againe shall be restored to a more happy life than that which they enioyed by creation As for the first estate we haue lost it as for the second the reprobate stands in it and therefore miserable is their condition as for the third it is the estate of the Saints of God vpon earth as
for the fourth it shall be the estate of the Saints of God in heauen Let not therefore the children of God be discouraged by Comfort our estate in this life is neither our last nor best estate looking either â—pon the remanents of sinne in their soule or the beginning of death in their body for why this estate wherein now we are is neither our last nor our best estate out of this we shall be transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortality our soules without all spot or wrinckle shall dwell in the body freed from mortality and corruption made like vnto Christs owne glorious body which the Lord our God who hath translated vs out of our second miserable estate into this third shall not faile to accomplish in his time Againe it comes to be considered here seeing by Iesus Christ life is restored to the soule presently why is it not also restored to the body vvhy is the body lâ—st vnder the Our soules being quickned yet our bodies are left vnder death for foure causes power of death to be turned into dust and ashes vvas it not as easie to the Lord to haue done the one as the other To this I answere that at any time life should be restored to our bodies is a mercy greater then wee are able to consider if wee will looke to our desâ—ruing that for a while hee will haue them subiected to the power of death the Lord in his wise dispensation hath thought it good for many causes First for performance of his truth 〈◊〉 but dust Gen. 3. 21. and to dust thou shalt returne If man had dyed no manner of way how should the truth of GOD appeare and if that death due to man had not beene inflicted vpon him how 1 Fâ—r reconciliation of Gods mercy truth Ber. in annuÌ„ Mar. ser 1. should his mercy beene manifested this controuersie God in his meruailous wisedome hath setled Fâ—at mors bona habet vtraque quâ—d petit let death become good and so both his mercy and his truth hath that which they craue for in the changing of the cursed nature of death and making that temporall which was eternall doth his mercy appeare and in the dissolution of mans body into dust for a time doth his truth appeare Secondly the Lord hath done it for manifestation of his 2 For the cleerer declaration of Gods power owne power accounting it a greater glory to destroy sinne by death then by any other meanes Death is the fruit of sinne and the weapon whereby Sathan intended to destroy mankinde and so deface the glory of the Creator but the Lord cutteth off the head of this Gâ—liah vvith his owne sword hee turneth his vveapon against himselfe by death he destroyes that same sinne in his children which brought Chrisost in Mat. hom 2. forth death A meruailous conquest that Sathan is not onely ouercome but ouercome by the same meanes by vvhich before hee tyrannized ouer men And thirdly the Lord 3 For our instruction that wee may know what great mercy God hath shewed vpon vs. suffers our bodies to taste of death that we may the better consider that excellent benefite vvhich vve haue by Iesus Christ for if the death of the body notwithstanding that the nature thereof is changed be so fearefull as vve see in experience how miserable should vvee haue beene if the Lord had inflicted deserued death both of soule and body 4 For our conformitie with Christ vpon vs And last that we might be conformed to him who is the first borne among many brethren it behoueth vs by death also to enter into his kingdome For righteousnesse sake This righteousnesse that bringeth The life our soule hath flowes from Christs righteousnesse Rom. 5. 21 Hos 13. 9 Reu. 7. 10. life is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs by Grace as iâ— euident out of that As sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raygne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life Sinne which causeth death is our owne but that righteousnesse which bringeth life is of Grace Our perdition is of our selues but our saluation commeth from the Lord and from the L 〈…〉 be that sitteth vpon the Throne No preseruatiue then against death but this righteousnesse it presently giues life vnto our soule and afterward shall restore our dodyes from the power of the graue such therefore as are the children of wisedome will be carefull in time to be partakers This righteousnesse is known by sanctificatioÌ„ of this Iewell This righteousnesse hath inseperably annexed with it Sanctification by thy sanctification try thy selfe and see whether or no thou hast gotten life through the righteousnesse of Christ deceiue not thine owne hart in the matter of saluation assure thy selfe so far forth thou doest liue as thou art sanctified As health is to the body so is holines to the Soule a body without health fals out of one paine into another till it dye and a Soule without holines is polluted with one lust after another till it dye As the Moone hath lightlesse or more according as it is in aspect with the Sunne so the Soule of man enioyes life lesse or more according as it is turned or auerted to or from the Lord thus let euery man iudge by his sanctification whether if or not hee be partaker of that righteousnesse of Iesus which bringeth life vnto the soule Miserable are those wicked ones who want it they are twise dead saith Saint Iude that is Iude. ver 12. both in soule and body not so much as a heauenly breath or motion is in them but wee ought to giue thankes vnto God who hath giuen a beginning of eternall life vnto vs. Last of all there is here a notable comfort for all the Comfort wee haue a life which no death can extinguish children of God that there is begun in vs a life which no death shall euer be able to extinguish albeit death inuade the naturall vitall powers of our bodies and suppresse them one after one yea though at the length he breake in vpon this lodging of clay and demolish it to the ground yet the man of God who dwels in the body shall escape with his life the Tabernacle is cast downe that is the most our enimie can doe but he who dwelt in it remoues vnto a better as the Bird escapes out of the snare of the Fowler so the The prison of the body being broken the soule that was prisoner doth escape soule in death slighters out and flies away with ioy to her maker yea dissoluing of the bodie to the man of God it is but the vnfolding of the net and breaking open the prison wherein hee hath beene detayned that he himselfe may be deliuered The Apostle knew this well and therefore Phil. 1. 21. desired to be dissolued that he might be with Christ As in the battell betweene our Sauiour and Sathan Sathans head
he casts not off the care of the body but preserneth the very dust and ashes thereof till the day of the resurrection vvherein he shall quicken it againe restore it to the owne soule and glorifie both which is the third and last degree of eternall life Surely there was neuer a house hyre so wel payd in the world thou who sets thy soule body There was neuer a house hire so well paid as lodging for a short vvhile here on earth that he may dwell in it O vvhat recompence hast thou to looke for he dwels vvith the on earth and thou shalt dwell vvith him in heauen thou didst lend him a lodging for a few yeers and he shall receiue thee into his euerlasting habitations and thou shalt be for euer with the Lord. Neyther shall he shew his mercy vpon thy soule onely The holy spirit shall keepe the body wherein he dwelt euen when it is laid in the graue but as I haue said vpon thy body also it vvould seeme that the Lord hath deserted it as a â—ontemptible thing vvhen it is laid downe in the graue but be assured that hee who dwelt in it vvill not leaue it nor cast off â—he care thereof no not when it is turned into dust and ashes Comfortable is that vvhich the Lord promised to Iacob vvhen he bad him goe downe to Egypt Feare not to goe for I will go downe with thee and I will bring thee vp againe He forewarned him that he should dye in Egypt and that Ioseph should close Gen. 46. 4. his eyes but he promiseth to bring vp againe his dead body vnto Canaan O what a kindnesse is it that the Lord will honour the dead bodyes of his Children The praise of the O what a kindnes conuoy of Iacobs corps the Lord will neither giue it to Ioseph nor to Pharaohs Seruants with their Chariots who in great number accompanied him the Lord takes it vnto himselfe I will bring thee vp againe saith the Lord the like kindnesse and truth doth the Lord keepe for all the remanent of his seruants Is thy body consecrated is it a vessell of honour a house and temple wherein God is daily serued he shall honour it againe he shall not leaue it in the graue neither cast off the care thereof but shall vvatch ouer the dust thereof though it tast of corruption it shall not perish in corruption The holy Spirit who dwelt in the body shall be vnto it He is a holy balme wherby the body shall be preserued immortall as a balme to preserue thee to immortalitie this same flesh and no other for it though it shall be dissolued into innumerable pickles of dust shall be raised againe and quicned by the omnipotent power of this Spirit It is a pittie to see by what silly meanes naturall men seeke the immortall conseruation of their bodyes and cannot obtaine it there is no helpe nature may yeeld to prolong the death of the body but they vse it and because they see that deat cannot be eschewed their next care is how to keepe it in the graue longest from rottennesse and corruption and how vvhen themselues are gone to preserue their names in immortall remembrance with the posteritie thus by the very instinct of nature are men carried away with a desire of eternitie Worldings seeke immortalitie the wrong way Esay 55. 2. but herein are they foolish that they seeke it the wrong way they lay out their siluer but not for bread they spend their labour and are not satisfied immortalitie and life is to be sought there where the word of the Lord directs vs let the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee and thou shalt liue otherwise though thou wert the greatest Monarch of the word though all thy meate were soueraigne medicines though thy body were laid in graue with as great externall pompe as worldly glory can afford to any creature and thy flesh were embalmed with the costliest oyntments these are but miserable comforts perishing preseruatiues thou shalt lye downe in dishonour and shalt be raised in greater dishonour to euerlasting shame and endlesse confusion Now as we haue these three degrees of eternall life by Life is first restored to the soule and then to the body the Spirit dwelling in vs so are we to marke the order by vvhich he proceedes in communicating them vnto vs first he restores life to the soule and secondly he shall restore life vnto the body saith the Apostle where the one is done be assured the other shall be done the one is the proper end of his first comming therefore his Heraulds cryed before him Behâ—ld the Lambe of God who taketh away the sins Iohn 1. 29. of the world In his second comming shall be the redemption Phil. 2. 21. of our bodyes when he shall appeare hee shall change our vile bodyes and make them like to his owne glorious body Let this reforme the prosperous care of man art thou desirous that thy body should liue be first carefull that life be communicated to the soule for surely the redemption of thy body shall not follow vnlesse the restitution of thy soule goe before O porteâ— cor nostrum conformari humilitati cordis Bern. de aduen dom serm 4. Christi priusquam corpus conformetur glorioso corpori eius our heart must first be conformed to the humilitie of Christs heart before that our body be configurated to his glorious body this is the first resurrection blessed are they that are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power But it is out of doubt qui non resurgit in animaâ— resurget in corpore ad poenam he that riseth not now in his soule from his sinnes shall rise hereafter in his body to iudgement But now leauing the condition to come to the comfort he that raysed vp Christ from the dead saith the Apostle shall also quicken your mortall bodies What necessity is there here What necessity is here that hee who raysed Christ shall also raise vs that he vvho raysed Christ shall raise vs yes indeede the necessitie is great the head and the members of the misticall body cannot be sundred seeing the head is raysed from the dead no member can be left vnder death the Lord vvorkes in euery member according to that same mightie Ephe. 1. 29. power by vvhich he wrought in the head his resurrection necessarily imports ours seeing he arose not as a priuate man but as the head of all his members full of power to draw the body after him and to communicate that same life to euery member which he hath declared in himselfe Christ is risen from the dead and is made the first fruits of them that 1 Cor. 15. 20 sleepe the first fruit is risen the after fruit shall in like manner follow Vixit in coelum carnem nostram tanquam arhabonem pignus tâ—tuâ—s summae illuc quandoqueâ—redigendae the
Tertul. de resur carnâ—â— Lord Iesus hath carryed our flesh into heauen as an earnest and pâ—edge of the vvhole summe vvhich afterward is to be brought thither he hath not thought it inough to giue his spirit vnto vs here on earth as the earnest of our inheritance but to put vs out of all doubt he hath carried vp our flesh into heauen and possest it in the kingdome in the name of all his members Who raysed vp Iesus from the dead Then vve see that our Seeing our Lord was among the dead let vs not feare when God cals vs to lye down among them also Lord was once among the dead but now is risen from them let vs not then be afraid vvhen God shall call vs to lye down among the dead also shall the seruant be ashamed of his Masters condition or vvill the patient refuse to drink that potion vvhich the Phisition hath tasted before him No we must follow our Lord through the miseries of this life through the dolours of death through the horrours of the graue if vve looke to follow him in his resurrection in his ascension to be amongst those hundred fortie and foure thousand in mount Sion vvho hauing his fathers name vvritten in their foreheads follow the Lambe whersoeuer he goâ—th Reuel 7 singing that new song vvhich none can sing but they whom he hath bought from the earth When those women came to seeke the Lord Iesus in the What comfort Christs resurrection giues vs against death Sepulchre all the feare they had conceiued concerning Christs death the Angels remoues it by sending them to meditate on the resurrection why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead hee is not here but hee is risen Wee are not Mat. 28. 5. 6 yet laid downe among the dead but or euer we goe to the graue we haue this comfort that the Lord by his power shall raise vs out of it where the head growes through the members will follow Per angustum passionis foramâ—n transiuit Christus vt latum praeberet ingrâ—ssum sequentibus membris Our Lord is gone through the narrow passage of death that hee might make it the wider and easier to all his members who are to follow him We see by experience the body of a man drownes not though it be vnder the water as long as the head is borne aboue many of the members of Christ are here in this valley of death tost too fro in this sea of tribulation with continuall tentations yet our comfort is we cannot perish for our head is aboue and a great part of the body liuing and raigning with him in glory there is life in him to draw forth out of these miseries all his members and hee shall doe it by that same power by which he raised himselfe from the dead For we are taught here that our resurrection is a worke not to be done by man not the power of nature but by Resurrection is a work of God and nâ—â— of man the power of God we are not therefore to hearken to the deceitfull motions of our infidelitie which calles in doubt this article of our Faith we must not consider the imbecillitie and weaknesse of nature neither measure heauenly and supernaturall things with the narrow span of naturall reason but as it is Abrahams praise the father of the faithfull Rom. 4. 19. that when God promised him a sonne in his old age hee was not weake in faith hee considered not his owne body which was dead neither the deadnesse of Saraahs wombe but was strengthned in the faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that hee who had promised was also able to doe it so should we sanctifie the Lord God in our harts looking to the word and promise of the euerliuing God to Cyr. cate 18. whom those things are possible which are impossible vnto vs for the Lord saith the Prophet hath the whole earth in Isay 40. 12. his fist and it is more easie to him to discerne one pickle of dust from another then it is to any man hauing his hand full of sundry seedes to open his hand and gather euery kind thereof into one by themselues seperate and distinct from the rest When thou hearest sayth Augustine that the dead shall be raised suppose it be a great thing yet count it no incredible thing but consider who it is that takes in hand to doe it ille suscitabit te qui creauit te the Lord who created Aug. ser 64 thee he it is that shall raise thee And for our further confirmation let vs consider how Resurrection confirmed by Scripture by types by practises of God in nature the spirit of God hath taught this article of our resurrection in sundry places of holy scripture hath shadowed it by types and figures hath cleared it by examples and last of all by the practise and working of God in nature As for Scripture both Prophets and Apostles as it were with one 1 Our resurrection is confirmed by Scripture Dan. 12. 13. Hos 13. 14. 15. mouths breathes out this veritie They that sleepe in the dust saith Daniel shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to euerlasting shame and perpetuall contempt I will redeeme thee saith the Lord by Hosea from the power of the graue I wil deliuer thee from death O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destrustiom Patient Iob in his greatest extremitie Iob. 19. 25. gaue out this notable confession of his faith I am sure that my redeemer liueth and he shall stand the last on the earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see mine eyes shall behold and none other for mee though my reynes are consumed within me And if we come to the new Testament most cleare is that testimonie of the Lord Iesus The houre shall Iohn 5 28. come in the which all that are in the graue shall heare his voyce and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation The Apostles in like manner beare witnesse to their Master If in this life onely wee had hope in Christ of all men we were most miserable but now is Iesus 1 Cor. 15. 19. 20. 21. 22. risen from the dead and was mâ—â—â— the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all lye so in Christ all are made aliue And againe Behold I shew you a secret we shal Ibid. 51. 52. 53. not all sleepe but we shall alâ— be changed In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet shal blow and the dead shall be raised vp incorruptible and we shal be changed For this corruptible must
to his glorious body They who conuert many to righteousnesse shall shine like the starres in the firmament yea the iust saith our Sauiour shal shine like the Sunne in the firmament A shadow of this glory we haue in Christs transfiguration on mount Tabor his face shined as the Sunne and Mat. 17. his cloathes were white as the light Moses after forty dayes talking with God on the Mount came downe with so bright a shining countenance that the Israelites might not behold him what then may we think shall be the glory of the children of God when they shall be transchanged with the light of Gods countenance shining vpon them not forty dayes onely but for euer and euer And if euery one of their faces shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament O how great light and glory shall be among them all and if their bodies shal be so glorious what shall be the glory of their soule surely no heart can conceiue it not tongue is able to expresse it Fourthly our body shall be raysed spirituall which is 4 They shall be spirituall not so to be vnderstood as if our bodies should loose a corporall substance and receiue a spirituall substance but then shall our bodies be spirituall as now our Spirits by nature are carnall vvhich are so called because they are subiect to carnall corruption pressed downe and carryed away after earthly and carnall things so shall our bodies then be spirituall because without contradiction they shall obey the motions of the spirit the body shall be no burthen no prison no impediment to the soule as now it is the soule shall carry the body where it will without resistance where now it is earthly heauie and rends downeward it shall then be restored so lightsome and quicke that without difficultie it shall mount from the earth to meet our Lord in the Aire As our head ascended on the mount of Oliues and went through the cloudes into heauen so shall Acts. 1 11. his members ascend that they may be with the Lord they shall follow the Lambe where euer he goes Let vs beleeue it and giue glory vnto God for hee who is the worker of our resurrection is also the worker of our ascension If the wit of man be able to frame a vessell of sundry mettals that naturally sinckes to the ground to swimme aboue in the water how much more saith Augustine is God able to make our bodies to ascend vpward and to bide aboue albeit in regard of their naturall motion being heauie they tend downward Fiftly our bodies shall be raised impassionable free I 5 They shall be impassionable meane from such passions as may hurt or offend them such as terrour feare or griefe but not from the passions of ioy for no sense of the body shall want the owne obiect of pleasure to delight it and all for the greater augmentation of our glory Let vs therefore yet againe be admonished to vse our bodies in all holy and honorable manner vpon earth seeing the Lord hath concluded to make vs so honourable in heauen where otherwise thou that defilest thy body with vncleannesse is it not a righteous thing with the Lord to send thee to Gehenna a valley of vncleannesse looke for it assuredly if thou continue filthy still the Lord shall exclude thee out of heauenly Ierusalem thou shalt not enter into his holy Reu. 21. 8. habitation but thy portion shall be with the vnbeleeuing with dogs and with the abhominable who shall haue their part in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Last of all seeing the Apostle ascribes the cause of our Resurrection of the godly and wicked different resurrection to the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs it is to be enquired how then shall the wicked rise in whom Christ neuer dwelt by his spirit to this I answere that both the 1 In their causes the one rises by the citation of God the other â—y vertue of their vnion with Christ godly and the wicked shall rise but their resurrections shall be farre different in the cause manner and ends thereof As for the cause the godly shall rise by the efficacie of that quickning spirit of Christ dwelling in them they shall rise by vertue of their vnion with their head the Lord Iesus as his members receiuing that promised life from him for which they haue looked long and in hope whereof they laid downe their bodies willingly in the graue but the wicked shall rise by vertue of the powerfull citation of God by the blast of his trumpet to appeare in iudgement which they shal not be able to eschew They differ againe in the manner of their resurrection 2 In the manner the one with ioy the other with feare and terror for the one shall rise with ioy the other with terrour and feare the wicked shall no sooner looke out of their graues and see the face of the Iudge standing in the ayre but at once shame and confusion shall couer them that day of the Lord shall be vnto them a day of blacknesse and darknesse Their soules as soone as they enter into the body shall be vexed with new horrible feares hauing experience of that wrath which already they haue sustained out of the body the feare of that full wrath which they know in the last day is to be powred vpon them shall wonderfully astonish them glad would they be if they might creepe into their graues againe Reu. 6. 16. they shall wish that hils and mountaines would fall vpon them and couer them but all in vaine because they did in the body that vvhich they vvould they shall now by constraint suffer in the body that vvhich they vvould not And thirdly the ends of their resurrection are different 3 In their ends the one to glory the other to shame figured in Pharaohs two Seruants the one shall rise to life the other to shame and of this it is euident that the resurrection of the wicked is no benefite to them properly it is no resurrection no more then the taking of a malefactor out of prison to be executed on the scaffold can be called a deliuerie for their resurrection is to cast them out of one miserable condition into a worse they are taken out of the graue that they may be cast into the bottomlesse pâ—t of the wrath of God and this was properly figured in Pharaoh his two Seruants the Baker and Gen. 40. Butler both of them were taken out of prison but the one to be restored vnto his Office to minister before the King the other to be executed vnto death so shall both the godly and vvicked come out of the graue but the one to be for euer with the Lord to stand before his Throne ministring praises vnto him and comforted with the fulnes of ioy which is in his face the other to be banished from Gods presence and sent to euerlasting condemnation And
euer and euer Thus wee see what a horrible death the Apostle threatneth here while he saith if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye The Lord giue vs wise and vnderstanding hearts that wee may ponder it according to the waight thereof and it may be to vs a liuely voyce of God to prouoke vs to slee from that fearfull wrath which is to come But if yet mortifie c. Here followes the other member In the most regenerate there is some thing that needes to be mortified of the argument taken from the great vantage wee receiue by mortifying the lusts of the body if wee doe so wee shall liue Here also we haue first to consider that albeit the Apostle affirmed before verse 9 that these godly Romanes were not in the flesh yet now hee exhorts them to a further mortification of the lusts of the flesh which were superfluous if there were nothing in them that needed to be mortified then we see clearely which wee may also feele in our selues that so long as wee liue in the body there is euer some remanent life of sinne which wee haue neede to mortifie and put out In this battell we must sight without intermission till we haue gotten the victory for who can say that he hath in such sort â—ut away his superfluities that there remaynes nothing in him which hath need of reforming beleeue me when they are cut off they spring when they are chased For out of the stony rocke springeth noysome weedes away they returne when they are once quenched they kindle againe except thou dissemble thou shalt alway finde within thy selfe something that hath need to be subdued There is nothing hardâ—r sayth Cyrill than the Rocke yet in the Cyril seames and clifts thereof the noysome weede fasteneth her roote and springes out and albeit there be no man in the vvorld stronger than a Christian yet is hee oftentimes buffered by Sathan and sinne which hath fastened their roote in him sends out her inordinate motions and affections against which hee hath neede to fight continually But here it is inquired how doth the Apostle require That which God works in vs he callâ—â— it our worke this of them that they should mortifie their lusts lyeth it in the power of man to doe it To this I answere first that as man gaue life to sinne so is hee bound to put out the life thereof vpon no lesse paine than condemnation and therefore iustly is it required of him Secondly these same good vvorkes which the Lord workes in vs hee is content to asscribâ— them to vs and calles them ours Of our selues wee Phil. 2. 12. must say with the Apostle we are not sufficient of our selues Therefore we should be humble and giue God the glory to thinke so much as a good thought our sufficiencie is of God and it is hee who worketh in vs both the will and the deed so hee workes in vs that he makes vs through his grace willing workers with him through him that strengthens vs vve are able to doe all things and therefore the praise of all the good wee can doe should be ascribed vnto God When Dauid had offered to God abundance of siluer and gold and other mettels which hee had prepared for the house of God hee concludes in the humilitie of his heart what am I O Lord and what is my people that wee should be 1 Chroâ— 29. 14 able to offer willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine owne hand haue wee giuen thee But much more when wee doe any worke of sanctification for the building of our selues vp into a spirituall Temple to the Lord our God we may say O Lord all the good wee can doe is of thee and of thine owne hand wee haue giuen backe vnto thee for except thou Lord hadst giuen vnto vs grace wee should neuer haue giuen to thee obedience Presumptuous opinion of Merit damned Let therefore the presumptuous conceit of Merit yet againe be farre from vs seeing the good which wee doe is debt and is done also by the spirit of the Lord in vs let vs reserue the glory thereof vnto him Quaere dâ—na mea non Aug. de verb Apost serm 2 mâ—rita tua quâ—a si ego quaeâ—erâ—m mâ—rita tua non vâ—nires ad dona mea seeke my gifts saith Augustiâ—e speaking in the name of the Lord not thy merits for if I should seeke thâ— merits thou shouldest neuer be pertaker of my gifts When the Apostle Sant Paul had reckoned out how hee 1 Cor. 15. 10. had laboured more aboundantly in the worke of the ministerie then all the rest of the Apostles hee subioynes as it were be correction yet not I but the grace of God in me learning vs when we haue done all the good we can to be humble in our selues and giue the glory to God if he promise vs a crowne nihil aliud coronat nisi dona sua he crownes Aug. hom 14 no other thing but his owne gifts if by promise he bindes himselfe a debter vnto vs to giue vs a reward debitor factus Aug de verb. Apost ser 14. est nobis non aliquid a nobis accipiendo sed quod ille plâ—cuit promittendo he is become a debter vnto vs not by receiuing any thing from vs but by promising freely to vs that which pleased him and therefore when we are exhorted to mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit let vs first turne this and the like of the precepts into prayers that the Lord would enable vs by grace to doe that which he commaunds vs and then when in some measure we haue done it that we returne the praise and glory to the Lord. A tryall of our Mortification Mortifie c. Seeing the first part of our sanctification is called mortification we are to consider how in this word there lurkes a rule whereby euery man may try how farre forth hee hath profited in sanctification we see by experience that the neerer a man drawes to death the lesse motion is in him but after hee is once dead hee moues not at all present him pleasant obiects they delight him not praise him yet he is not puffed vp speake euill of him yet hee is not offended euen so is it with the spirituall man the greater progresse he makes in sanctification the motions of sin are euer the weaker in him the pleasures of the world moues him not as they were wont if thou praisâ— him the breath of thy mouth cannot lift him vp if thou offend him the more he is mortified the lesse he is grieued As a man saith Basilâ— being dead is seperate from those with whom hee was conuersant before so hee who is mortified is instantly sundred in his affections from those who befoâ—e were his familiar companions in sinne yea those actions wherein he delighted before are a griefe vnto him now it is a
true that I haue said yee are not onely the Sonnes of God but the Heyres of God but conditionally that first yee suffer with Christ before yee can come to the fruition of the inheritance with him so that the same argument taken from our afflictions which nature vseth to impugne our adoption the Apostle vseth it to confirme vs so much the more in the certainty thereof The words are to be read not causâ—liter but conditionaliter by way of annexed condition not as if our present sufferings were meriting causes of our glorification but as conditions which the members of Christ must accept which are to be glorified with him for wee goe by tribulations as by a strait and narrow way vnto the top of the mountaine of God wherein that treasure of eternall life which is the lawfull conquest of Iesus Christ but in regard of vs is the free gift of God shall be communicated vnto vs. In this treatise of comfort against the Crosse the Apostle Three principall arguments against the Crosse contayned in this Treatise deliuers vnto vs many arguments of Consolation which we may reduce to these three The first is taken from the end of our afflictions if we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him and this he continues amplifies to the 26. verse The second argument is taken from that present help which the spirit ministers vnto vs in all our afflictions likewise the spirit also helps our infirmities c. verse 26. The third is that our afflictions are meanes by which wee are brought to a conformity with Christ whereunto GOD in his eternall counsell hath predestinated vs and so are not able to preiudge our saluation but by the contrary must of necessitie worke for the furtherance and aduancement thereof vnto vs and this is set downe verse 28 Also wee know that all things c. and confirmed to the 31. verse It is not without cause that the Apostle takes so great Our nature abhorres affliction paines to confirme vs against affliction because our nature abhorres nothing more then it When Iesus went vp to the mountaine to preach all his Disciple went with him but when he went to mount Caluarie to suffer they all fled from him he hath many Disciples to follow him by profession but few to follow him by patient suffering It was Sathans voyce in Peter to our blessed Sauiour when he made mention of his â—uffering Master pittie thy selfe and it is his daily voyce in our corrupt nature so oft as we are called to suffering O man pittie thy selfe but the answere giuen by the head were also good to be giuen by the members goe bâ— hiâ—â—â— me Sathan he knowes very well partly by the quicknesse of his naturall wit and partly by long experience being now very neere sixe thousand yeeres old that man likes nothing worse then the Crosse Skin for skin and all that a man hath Iob. 2. 4. saith hee will he giue for his life c. Hee hath told vs himselfe wherein his strength lyes to wit that by trouble hee preuailes most to make man impatient and so driue him to blaspheme God And therefore most of all we are to confirme our weakenesse against the Crosse since in it the enemie of our saluation placeth his principall strength Let vs hearken to the Apostle who as a minister of Iesus indeede and a heauenly Phisition sent to vs from the Lord our God doth here temper the bâ—tter waters of Marah and make them sweet vnto all the Israell of God The first argument of comfort is set downe in this latter The first principal argument against the Crossâ— is from the end of our afflictions end of the 17. Verse and it is taken partly from the nature of our sufferings they are sufferings with Christ and partly from the end thereof which is to raigne with Christ in glory Here first we learne that suffering must goe before glory the husband-man must labour before hee receiue the fruits neither is hee that striueth for a maisterie crowned except 2 Tim. â— 8. hee striue as hee ought The Prince of saluation was consecrated by affliction it behoued him first to suffer and then to enter into his kingdome All that professe him are desirous with the sonnes of Zebedeus to sit some at his right hand and some at his left but are not so content to drinke of his cup and be baptised with his baptisme Volunt omnes Bernard tâ— frui at non ita imitari conregnare cupiunt sed non compati they would all enioy thee knowing that pleasures for euermore are at thy right hand but are not content to follow thee they all desire to raigne with thee but not so to suffer with thee but this is a preposterous way it is to diuide those things which the Lord here hath ioyned together except first wee suffer with him wee shall not hereafter raigne with him Secondly let vs marke here the different courses of the Different courses of the Christian worldling Christian and worldling the Christian by temporall trouble goes on to eternall glory the worldling by temporall glory goes on to eternall shame If yee goe to the Schoole of Iesus the first A B C of religion taught you there will be this If any man will be my Disciple let him denie himselfe Mat. 10. 38. take vp his Crosse and follow mee if yee goe to the Schoole of Sathan the first A B C of Atheisme taught there is this All the kingdomes of the world will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee The Lord Iesus through light and momentanie afflictions leades his children to an infinite waight of glory but Sathan through the present perishing pleasure of sinne leades his miserable captiues to euerlasting paine therefore it is said by our Sauiour of the one blessed Math. 5. are yee that mourne for yee shal be comforted and of the other woe be to you that laugh now for yee shall waile and Luke 6. 25. weepe As there is no comparison betweene these two so blessed The end of the Christian is better than his beginning not so with the worldling Psal shall wee be if wee make choyse of the best Moses esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt because he had respect to the recompence of reward and shall not wee reioyce in our present afflictions considering they are the way vnto our glory if we sowe in teares we shall reape in ioy The end of the godly is better than their beginning for the light of the righteous encreaseth Pro. more and more like the Sunne vnto the noone day they begin vvith teares and they end vvith ioy but the light of the vvicked is like vnto the light of a candle it shineth for a while and incontinent ends in stincking smoake as Beltasars Dan. banquet was concluded with a cup of wrath so
to come giues his iudgement here of both thus much after reasoning I conclude or after iust reckoning this is the summe which I collect and gather here then are two circumstances which greatly amplifies his purpose one that hee sets not downe this as an vncertaine opinion but as a most sure conclusion gathered out of good reason And againe that it is the conclusion of such a one as by experience knew both what experience the Apostle had of our present suffering hee telleth vs 2 Cor. 11. what experience he had of the glory to be reuealed he tels vs 2 Cor. 12. so that his words wee are to consider this way let other men count and reckon as they will this is my reckoning who haue proued them both there is no comparison betweene them What knowledge hee had of the weight of our present sufferings he tels you by a three-fold vniuersalitie first that he had suffered all kinde of crosses hunger thirst colde nakednesse rods stonings imprisonings secondly that he suffered in all places in the sea in the land in the Citie in the wildernesse where euer he came to preach the Gospell there was he persecuted by some one sort of trouble or other thirdly that hee suffered of all sorts of persons both of the Gentiles and of his owne nation both of open enemies and of false brethren Againe as for his experience of the glory to be reuealed hee tels you how he was taken vp into Paradise and there heard such words as cannot be reuealed This conclusion therefore is the more The one he tasted in his iourney from Ierusalem to Illiricum the other in his iourney from earth to heauen to be esteemed of vs because hee who giues out this iudgement of the excellencie of the one aboue the other is such a one as had experience of them both hee made a iourney on earth from Ierusalem to Illiricum all which way preaching the Gospell hee suffered many afflictions he made another iourney from earth to heauen whether in the body or out of the body hee could not tâ—ll and there he saw that inutterable glory and comparing with himselfe these two together hee giues out this for a finall sentence that all our present afflictions are but light in respect of that infinite weight of glory to be reuealed As for worldlings we are not to stand vpon their testimonie for as hee cannot giue out right sentence between two parties that heares not both their causes so cannot the worldling who knowes something both of the pleasures and sorrowes of this life but nothing of the ioyes which are to come consider how farre the life to come is to be preferred before this and therefore albeit in the conclusions of his heart he giue out sentence in fauour of the life present wee are not to regard it because he hath not heard nor considered that which tends to the commendation of the other Wee see then here how that our strength in trouble is How the certaintie of the glory to come mittigates our present trouble greatly encreased by the sight at least by the certainty of that glory which will be the end of our trouble this sight made the Apostle count light of his present sufferings let Stephen haue his eyes in prayer to see the Heauens opened and Iesus standing at the right hand of God and he shal not be moued with the stones which the Iewes violently throw at him let Moses see him who is inuisible and he shall not feare Pharaoh let him see that recompence of reward and he shal be better contented to suffer rebuke with the people of God than to enioy the treasures of Egypt this is that which made the Martyres stand exulting reioycing euen then when Infidels tormented their bodies If they had been in the body they had felt the paine and it had disquieted them nunc vero non mirum si exules a corpore dolores non sentiant Ber. in Cant. ser 61. corporis but now no meruaile that being out of the body they felt not the dolors of the body and where thinke yee was then the soule of the Martyr certainely in a sure place euen in Petra in the rocke inuincible in the bowels of Christ non sua sentit dum Christi vulner a intuetur he feeleth not his owne wounds while as stedfastly hee sixeth his eyes vpon the wounds of Christ neither will he be afraid for the losse of this life who hath laid hold vpon eternall life and is made sure of a better Let vs therefore pray vnto God diligently that our eyes It should make vs despise both the threatnings allurements of men may be opened to see the riches of that glorious inheritance that as wee speake and heare of it so in like manner wee may see and feele it for the sight thereof makes all trouble easie yea causeth the bitternesse of death to passe away if the world threaten vs with her terrours let vs remember they are not comparable to Gods terrours let vs Mat. 10. â—8 not feare them who killeth the body and are able to doe no more but let vs feare him who is able to cast both soule and body into hell fire Mâ—naâ—ur homo carcerem Dâ—us gehennam for vvhat comparison is here vvhen a man threatens thee with prison and God threatens thee with hell And if againe the world promise reward and allure vs with her pleasures let vs remember they are not comparable to Gods pleasures In all such tentations wherein wee shall be solicited to loose a good conscience for the gaine or glory of the world let vs answere our tempters as those forty Martyres answered the Emperours deputie who by promising many rewards would haue entised them to make Apostasie from Iesus Christ putas ne te tantum posse dâ—re quantum cripere contendis thinke yee said they that yee are able to giue vs Men cannot giue vs so much as they would take from vs. so much as yee would take from vs non â—ccipimus honorem vnde nobis nascetur ignominia wee will none of that honour out of which ignomie and shame shall arise vnto vs a worthie answere indeede for though we should gaine the whole world and loose our owne soule what recompence can that be vnto vs Afflictions The Apostle commonly by two names expresseth How afflictions are Gods wine-presse to the godly to presse out and make manifest his grace in them our troubles sometime hee cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first name they receiue in regard of the malice of our persecuters who presse vs and are vnto the Godly the wine-presse of God to presse out that sap and iuice of grace which is in them which how euer they doe for the worst the Lord turnes it vnto the best making thereby that grace which lurked in them before manifest vnto others like vnto the good vvine berryes of
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
things prouided and reserued for them vvho patiently suffer vvith the Lord Iesus Christ But to insist in the words here vsed by the Apostle let Foure things marked here concerning the life to come vs consider in them these foure things First the excellency of it in the word glory Secondly the eternitie of it vvhich is to be collected of the secret opposition made betweene it and our present sufferings which are now Thirdly the manifestation of it in this that he saith it is yet to be reuealed Fourthly the veritie and soliditie of it in that he saith it is to be reuealed in vs. First then the excellencie of that life is to be considered 1 The excellency of it in the word glory There shall be there no base nor contemptible thing all shall be glorious that is there and our estate then shall be an estate of glory Now we see the Lord but through a vaile and in a mirrour but then wee shall see the Lord face to face and shal in such sort behold his glory that wee shall be transformed into it This change as vvitnesseth the Apostle is begun by the sight of God vvhich we haue in the Gospell for euen now wee behold as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed from glory to glory by the same image by the spirit of the Lord but in heauen this change shall be perfected and we shall be fully transformed into his holy similitude so that nothing shall be left in vs but that which is his own workmanship O how hath the Lord magnified his mercy toward vs he hath raised our honour from the dust and deliuered our soules for the lower hell and hath made vs to sit with himselfe in the highest places where we shall be filled with the ioyes which are at his right hand wee shall drinke of the riuers of his pleasures in his light we shall see light and be transchanged by the light of his countenance Moses was fortie dayes with GOD vpon Mount Sinai Fortie dayes company with God changed the face of Moses how much more c and his face shined so brightly that when hee came downe the people of Israel might not behold him if fortie dayes remayning with God did so transchange him how shall wee be changed who shall for euer abide with him neuer any more come downe from him Our Sauiour Christ saith that the face of the iust shall shine in that day like the Sunne in the firmament O what glory shall be among them all when the glory of one shall be like the brightnesse of the Sunne et qualis tunc erit splendor animarum quando solis habebit claritatem Aug. ad frat in Erem lux corporum and when the light of that bodie shall be like vnto the light of the Sunne how great thinke yee shall be the shining light of the soule Those three disciples If our bodies shall shine as the Sunne what shall our soules be that were with our Lord vpon Mount Tabor vvere so filled vvith ioy at the glance of his glory vvhich they saw that they vvished they might bide there for euer how then shall vve be rauished when wee shall see that full manifestation of his glorie we shall neuer desire to remoue out of that mountaine of God another heart shall be giuen vs and vve shall become other men then wee are so that as a little drop of water powred into a great vessell full of wine looseth both the taste and colour of vvater and becomes wine or as iron put into the fire takes on after a sort the nature of fire and as the ayre illuminated with the bright shining Sunne seemes not so much to be illuminated as to be light it selfe so our soules and bodies when the glory of God shall shine vpon them shall be so wonderfully transchanged that after a sort we shall become partakers of the diuine nature Beside this the excellency of that glory shall yet better appeare All the companions in that glory are first borne all noble mē of strength and dignity if we consider the companions with whom we shall be glorified there is the congregation of the first borne al of them are men of excellent strength and dignitie not of base linage but noble indeede for by their second birth they are the Sonnes of God and brethren of the Lord Iesus The Citizens of Tyrus are described by Esay to haue been companions to Princes but in that heauenly Ierusalem euerie Citizen is a crowned King and none but Kings are freemen of that citie knit among themselues by the band of one Spirit into so holy a communion that euery one of them accounts the ioy and glory of his brethren an increase of his owne ioy It is not there as here vpon earth where the The glory of one of them augments the glory of another ioy of one is the cause of sorrow to another the light of the Sun darkneth the Moone and the light of the Moone obscureth the light of the Stars if the one halfe of the earth be illuminated the other is left in darknesse but there the light of one augments the light of another the glory of one shall be the glory of all euery one of them reioycing not onely because the lightsome countenance of God shines vpon themselues but also because they see their brethren admitted to the fruition of the same glory But among all those with whom wee shall be glorified Specially the sight of Iesus Lord of that familie shall encrease our ioy there is one companion of our glory vvho aboue all the rest shall breed vs exceeding delectation Iesus Christ the man O with what boldnesse and spirituall reioycing shall wee stand in among the holy Angels vvhen vvee shall see the Lord of the house the Prince of glory clothed with our nature Now we are sure that our Redeemer liueth and wee shall at the last day see him in our flesh wee our selues shall see him our eyes shall behold him and none other for vs and herein is our comfort that albeit as yet vvee haue not seene him vve loue him and reioyce in him vvith ioy vnspeakeable and glorious And of this ariseth vnto vs some resolution of that doubt Whether we shall know one another in heauen or not which commonly is moued whether one of vs shall know another in heauen or no shall wee know the Patriarches the Prophets the Apostles it is true that these naturall delights which now wee haue one of vs in another shall vanish yet as I haue said the ioy that shall arise vnto vs of the glorification of others leadeth vs to thinke that we shall know them Peter Iames and Iohn did they not know Moses and Elias talking vvith the Lord Iesus albeit they had neuer seene them before and did not Adam so soone as hee wakened out of his sleepe know Euah that shee was bone
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
more expresse the vehemencie of their desire for as hee that goeth vnder an heauie burthen grones and longs to be eased thereof or as the vvoman vvhich trauailes with childe hath a most earnest desire to be deliuered thereof so the creature wearie of this seruitude longs to be eased This groning of the creature is not to be neglected seeing Somtime God complaines to the creature sometime the creature complaines to God vpon man miserable is man if he complaine not on himself Esay 1. in holy Scripture wee finde that sometime God complaines to his creatures vpon the sinne of man and somtime the creatures complaines to God miserable is man if hee doe not complaine vpon himselfe In the first of Esay there the Lord complaines to his creatures vpon man Heare O Heauens hearkâ—n O Earth I haue nourished and brought vp Children but they haue rebelled against me c. and here againe the creature is brought in groning and complaining to God vpon man The first bloud that euer the earth receiued into her bosome sent vp vnto God a crying voyce for vengeance and the Lord heard it and now the earth meruailes in her kinde that hauing receiued so much bloud of the Saints of God into her bosome the Lord should delay to require it shee wonders againe that the hand of the Lord stablisheth her and makes her beare vp such a number of wicked men as are a burthen to her considering that once he caused her to open and swallow vp Corah Dathan and Abiram and hath many a time since shaken her foundations and destroyed by earth-quake notable Cities making the houses of the inhabitants therof their buriall place the burden of sinne being now wonderfully encreased shee meruailes that the Lord causeth her to beare it and for this cause she cryes and grones vnto the Lord and this complaining of the creature we are not to neglect it as I said for seeing they sigh and grone for the vanitie vnder which our sinnes hath subdued them should not wee much more sigh and grone for our owne sinnes assuredly if we doe not we are conuinced to be more senslesse then the senslesse creatures themselues Concerning this metaphor of trauailing it is two manner Trauailing two manner of wayes ascribed to the wicked in the Scripture of wayes ascribed to the wicked in holy Scripture and one manner of way to the godly For first their concupiscence is compared to a mother that conceiues and trauailes continually without rest till it bring out sinne and sinne being finished is compared in like manner to a mother that bringeth out death And secondly the imagination of their heart is compared to a mother which conceiues cruell counsels and mischieuous deuices against the godly all their dayes they trauaile with this birth and would faine haue it brought out to perfection but at length they bring forth a lye for the malice of the wicked shall slay himselfe his mischiefe shall Psal 7. turne vpon his owne head and his crueltie shall fall vpon his owne pate But as for the children of God they trauaile One manner of way ascribed to the Godly in paine of the monstrous birth of sin that is within them not that they are desirous to perfect and finish it but to destroy and abolish it as being a monster within them which they abhorre an adulterous birth begotten by a most vnlawfull copulation betweene Sathan and their corrupted wil the father that begot this monster being Sathan and the mother that conceiued it their corrupt Nature for this they sigh and cry vnto God with the Apostle O miserable man Rom. 7. 24. who shal deliuer me from this body of death This was his voyce vnto God and should much more be our continuall lamentation seeing in sinnes we are more abundant and in grace farre inferiour to that holy Apostle The Lord therefore worke it in vs for his Sonne Christs sake Verse 23. And not onely the creature but wee also who haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit euen wee doe sigh in our selues wayting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies NOw followeth the Apostles other argument The second argument prouing the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory is the feruent desire the godly haue to it by instinct of Grace wherby he proues the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory to be reuealed it is taken from that feruent expectation which the sonnes of God haue of it It can neither be a vaine nor a small thing but by the contrary both great and certaine whereupon God hath set the desire of his best creatures by instinct of the Spirit of Grace So that wee haue here first a description of Gods children they are such as haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit secondly a two-fold effect which this holy Spirit workes in Gods children first a wearinesse of their present bondage and seruitude of sinne secondly a wayting by a constant expectation for a better And this doth very much confirme the Apostles purpose there being none on earth who can better iudge the excellencie of that glory to come than they who haue receiued the first fruits thereof Out of all doubt the testimonie of any one who hath tasted of that ioy to come is more worth to commend it than is the contrary iudgement of a thousand others to disproue it And not onely the creature The Apostle proceedes from The sonnes of God and the creature grone together and shall be restored together the testimonie of the creature to the testimonie of the sonnes of God when he spake of the creature he said they sigh and grone with vs they trauaile together in paine with vs and when hee speakes of the godly he saith wee sigh in our selues As man was not made for himselfe but for the Lord and therefore should wait vpon him so the creatures vvere not made for themselues but for vs and therefore where they are at couenant with vs they in their kinde wait vpon vs they goe with vs they grone with vs are grieued with vs and shall neuer rest till wee be deliuered let licentious men liuing in their sinnes marke this they sigh not in themselues with the godly yea they scorne their sighings and therefore shall not be restored vvith the godly they grone not with the creature and shall not be deliuered with the creature O miserable man how vnhappy is that end The wicked mourne not with them and shall not be partakers so much as of the deliuerie of the creature whereunto thy vvanton and hard heart which cannot repent doth lead thee thou shalt not stand in iudgement with the godly where they goe there shalt not thou goe thou didst not mourne with the children of the marriage chamber and therefore shalt not enter vvith them into it to be comforted thou shalt goe to another place and mourne without them the burthen of thy sinnes which now thou feelest not shall
neuer see himselfe I confesse indeed wee may reioyce in all the gifts which God hath giuen vs as in the tokens and testimonies of his loue but wee are alwayes to vse them with this protestation that nothing giuen vs in this life be allowed vnto vs for our portion and inheritance and that no contentment euer come vnto our hearts till vvee get himselfe who gaue them If the loue of the Corinthians made the Apostleâ—â— say I seeke not yours but you how much more should the loue of God compell vs to say vnto him It is not thy gifts O Lord but thy selfe I long for thou art the portion of my soule if thou wouldest giue me all the workes of thine hands yet shall I neuer haue comfort nor contentment except thou dost giue me thy selfe Therefore O thou whom my Cant. 1. 6. Soule loueth shew me where thou feedest where thou lyest at noone and dost rest for why should I be as shee that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions Blessed is hee that hungers and thirsts for thy righteousnesse for hee shall behold thy face and be filled with thine image for in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore The second tryall of our loue is Obedience and an holy 2 The effect of true loue is obedience and a care to please the Lord. Iohn 21. 15. care in all our callings to serue and honour the Lord. Preachers must be tryed by this rule Peter louest thou mâ— seede my flocke Gouernours and Counsellers must be tryed by this Can yee say in truth with the Godly Gouernour Dauid I loue the Lord then will yee also say with him what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits how shall I shew my loue toward him and vvhat shall I doe in my time for aduancement of his glory If thou dost loue the Lord then wilt thou be a nourishing Father to his Church a carefull aduancer of his kingdome a wise prouisor to remoue those stumbling blocks which hinder the course of the Gospell If yee loue the Lord then vvill yee stand vp vvith Dauid and say Doâ— not I hate them O Lord that hate thee doe not Psal 139. 21. I earnestly contend with them that rise vp against thee surely I hate them with vnfained hatred aâ— if they were mine vtter enemies If ye honour the Lord as Dauid did the Lord shall blesse What great blessing belongeth to them who in their calling seeke to honour God you as he blessed Dauid Dauid sware vnto the Lord that hee would not rest till hee found out a place for the Lord euen an habitation for the mighty God of Iacob And the Lord sweares againe vnto Dauid that of the fruit of his body he vvould set vp one to raigne after him But if otherwise there be nothing in you but a care to stablish your selues and your houses vvith the neglect of the glory of God then remember that the curse of Shebna and not the blessing of Eliakim shall be vpon you Yee shall not be fastned Esay 22. 23. as a nayle in sure place but shall be rolled and turned away like a ball the Lord shall driue thee from thy station and out of thy dwelling place shall he destroy thee For the wicked shall not haue his desire his thoughts shall not be performed neyther Psa 140. 11. Psal 52. 5. shall hee be established on the earth but euill shall hunt him to destruction The Lord shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy Tabernacle and roote thee out of the Land of the liuing And generally all of you in your callings remember that But this age in word calleth Christ their King but casts off his yoke Iohn 15. 10. the value of your Christian loue must be tryed by the same touchstone not by your words but by your workes If any loue mee saith Iesus let him keepe my commaundements but here also the hypocrisie of this age is discouered as the Iewes called Iesus their King and bowed their knees before him but spat in his face and buffetted him so the bastard Christians of this age call Christ their Lord and bowe their knees before him yet by their sinfull life they crucifie him and tread his bloud of the couenant vnder their feete they kisse and betray him vvith Iudas it is but a Scepter of reed they allow him for they giue him no commaundement ouer their affections vvherefore great is the controuersie vvhich the Lord hath this day vvith the men of this generation The third tryall of loue is Bountifulnesse the Apostle 3 The propertie of loue is bountifulnesse 1 Cor. 13. 4. saith Loue is bountifull experience proues that euery louer bestoweth bountifully on that vvhich hee loueth yee loue your bodies and therefore largely bestow vpon them to feede them and cloath them yea vvith excessiue apparrell yee loue your Children and lets them vvant no needfull thing for them yea yee loue your beasts and spares not to bestow largely vpon them onely you say you loue the Lord but wherein are yee bountifull toward him It is true that in nothing can a man be profitable to the Almightie but are there not workes commaunded vs which should so shine before men that by them our heauenly Father may be glorified though workes can be no merits yet are they your witnesses and what haue yee done to remaine when yee are dead as vvitnesses of your loue toward the Lord Though your goodnesse extend not to the Lord yet where is your delight that should be on his Saints and excellent ones vpon earth where is your compassion and loue toward the brethren are not the men of this age like vnto that fig-tree which had faire leaues but not so much as one figge to giue vnto Iesus in his hunger hauing the shew of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof yeelding words enough but no fruits to adorne the glorious Gospell of our Lord Iesus Of these and many moe if wee might insist in them it is manifest that all haue not the loue of God in their hearts who this day pretend it The last tryall of Loue which now wee bring is readinesse 4 The last is readines to suffer for his cause to suffer affliction for the cause of God The Apostles being beaten for preaching in the name of Iesus instead of mourning departed reioyeing that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christs sake and all because they loued him For the loue of Rahel seauen yeares of hard seruitude seemed vnto Iacob but a short space For the loue of Dinah Sichem willingly sustayned the circumcision and cutting of his flesh much more to him in vvhose heart abounds the loue of the Lord will bitter things become sweet and hard things easie This Loue hath made the holy Martyres step out of their owne element into the fire with greater ioy and willingnesse then worldlings haue when
Simeon when he saw that promised saluation and embraced the Lord Iesus in hâ—s armes Hereof ariseth to vs first a lesson of comfort if the beginnings By the ioyfull first fruits of eternall life we may iudge of the fulnesse thereof Bern. in cap. ieiun Ser. 2. of this glorie be so great that as S. Peter saith they bring vs to ioy vnspeakeable and glorious what shal the fulnesse thereof be let this waken in vs a loathing of these vaine perishing pleasures and a longing for that better and more enduring substance Certe non sunt tibi nota futura gaudâ—â— si non renuit consâ—lari anima tua donec veniant thou knowest not those ioyes which are to come if thy soule doe not refuse all comfort till they come vnto thee Certe si sempiterna Basil ser in Gord. Mart. essent haec terrena tamen prae coelestibus essent commntanda Certainely albeit these earthly things were eternall yet were they to be exchanged with those that are heauenly And therefore let the little tast of that ioy which wee haue now worke in vs a greater hunger and thirst after the fulnes thereof And againe we are here to be remembred that as pearles This ioy is not found but in the depth of a contrite heart are found in the bottome of the water and gold is not gotten in the superfice but bosome of the earth so this ioy is not to be found but in the inward parts of a broken contrite spirit many speake of this ioy who neuer felt it Righteousnesse is the mother of Peace and Peace the mother of Ioy they who haue not learned to doe well and cannot mourne for the euill which they haue done how shall they taste of the ioyes of God we must pierce by the hammer of contrition into the very inward of our hearts or euer wee can finde the refreshing springs of Gods sweet consolations arising vnto vs. It deceiues many that they think eternall life is not begunne but after death but assuredly except now thou get the beginnings thou shalt neuer hereafter attaine to the perfections thereof and therefore looke to it in time As for the second degree of this glory which is a neerer Of the second and third degree of eternal Life vnion of our soules vvith Iesus Christ after our dissolution by death it is not my purpose now to insist in it As for the third degree which consists in the glorification both of our soules and bodies wee haue spoken of it before specially in the 18. verse Now the Tabernacle of God is vvith men but then shall our securitie be without feare and our glory consummated when we shall dwell in the Tabernacle of God vnto the which the Lord bring vs all for Iesus Christs sake Amen TO THE MOST EXCELLENT VERTVOVS AND GRACIOVS PRINCE HENRY by the Grace of God Prince of Wales and Heyre Apparent vnto the most famous Kingdomes of England Scotland France and Ireland All happinesse in this life and eternall Glory in the life to come THat which the Apostle hath seuerally deliuered in the two former Discourses dedicated to your most Royall Parents hee now in this last Treatise collects and conioynes in one which therfore of right can appertaine to none more then to you Sir who being by them both the happy fruit of heauenly prouidence and deerest pledge of their mutuall loue and ioy may iustly challenge interest in the smallest good ouer which their names are named Sir here is the way to that Crowne of Triumph which the more you know the more I hope shall you place your glory in it Crownes of earthly Kingdomes are indeede the gifts of God but such as bring not so much Honour as they breed vnquietnesse O nobilem magis quam foelicem pannum said Antigonus If the cares which dwell in the Diadem were knowne no man would stoope to the ground to take it vp said Seleucus And albeit it be not giuen to all to know this in their entrie to Honour yet are they all compelled to acknowledge it in the end Seuerus Monarch of the world found his Crownes but comfortlesse to him in death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue said he beene all things and it profiteth me nothing Not onely the teares of Xerxes but the laments of Salomon may witnesse to all the world that the end of the worme-eaten pleasures of this life is heauie displeasure yea the golden head of Babell had at length worms spread ouer him worms to couer him Esa 14. For all flesh is grasse and the glory thereof as the flowre of the field Onely the word of the Lord endures for euer By which that same God who hath called you to be an apparant Heyre of the most famous Kingdomes on earth doth also call your Grace to a more certaine inheritance of a better Kingdome in heauen which cannot be shaken whereby aboue other Princes and Rulers of the earth yee are blessed if so be yee answere your Calling endeauouring to be no lesse than you are named Principem te agnosce ne seruias affectibus It is vnseemely in any but most of all in a Prince to become a seruant eyther to the corrupt humours of men without him who creeping in into the Courts of Kings like wormes into the bosome of excellent trees doe nothing but consume them whom godly Constantine properly called Tineas Sorices palatij subtile peruerters of the good inclination of Princes in manners and Religion where they can preuaile or yet to the disordered affections of his owne heart which if they be not restrained doe quickly turne the glory of a man into shame What did it profit Cham that hee was the Sonne of Noah the Monarch of the world and Patriarch of the Church in his time or that hee was the Heyre of the third part Chrysost of the world vitia siquidem voluntatis vicerunt priuilegia naturae his owne vndantoned will bursting out in contempt of his Father brought vpon him that curse and shamefull name A seruant of Seruants which was neuer taken from him Seeing God as saith the Apostle is the glory of man what honour can make that man glorious who carries not the image of God consisting in righteousnesse and true holinesse but especially a King whom the very Ethnicks called Animata Dei imago in terris should carefully keep that Image which keepes his glory Naturally facilius alijs quam nobis imperamus but in very deede he shall neuer be a skilfull Ruler of others who is not first taught of God to rule himselfe decet eum qui alijs praefectus est interiora sua decenter Basil adornare The best remedy against both these euils is to embrace that wholesome counsell giuen by God to the Gouernors of his people Let not the booke of the Law depart from thee but meditate in it day and night that thou maist do according to all that is written therein turne not
his wonderfull wisedome in the harmonie of contraries 324 God rests from workes of creation not of gubernation 325. he workes by contraries 327. his purpose toward vs how it may be knowne 341. See presence God painted in a mans image by Papists and how it is idolatrie 423. 424. Gods Martyrs and Sathans different 442 Godly described 267. oft-times straited in trouble See affliction 432 Glorie to come most certaine 229. prepared to be reuealed 237. by the glorie already reuealed wee may iudge of that which is not reuealed we shal see more there then we can heare in this life 238 Glorie to come both great and certaine 249. how we should be changed for that glory 263. Meditation of the glorie to come recommended 238. our estate in heauen expressed by soure words of great importance 239. excellencie of that glorie 239. Foure things concerning the life to come 239. how fortie dayes company with God changed the face of Moses 240. Since our bodies shall be glorious how glorious shall our soules be 240. See inheritance Glorie of one shall be the glorie of another 241. Persons glorified there are all excellent and singular 241. whether or not shal we know one another there 242. The place of it shewes the greatnes thereof 242. Three places of our residence compared 243. the glorie of the outward court of Gods palace being so glorious the inward must be much more glorious 245. Eternitie and prospecuitie of it 245. Soliditie of it 246. why wee seeke it not 248. glorie of Worldlings how silly 247. let vs seeke the best 247. our highest and best estate 395 Gospel where it is preached there God hath some toward whom he hath a purpose of loue 359. the gospell neither comes nor goes by mans procurement but by God his purpose 361. how this should work in vs a reuerence of the Gospell 359 Grace commâ—nded 96. communicate to few 370 H Harmonie of contraries wonderfull in the creation 324. Harmonie of man his soule and bodie by creation now turned into discord 135 Heart knowne to God only 307. why hidden from men 310. herein appeares God his soueraigntie ouer man that hee is vpon his secrets 311 Heart only puts a difference betweene a Christian and a counterfaâ—t 310 Hardnesse of heart great in this age 272 Hope depends on sure warrants 281. 282. 283. hope described 284. compared to the Egge 286 Humilitie commended 30. 267. I Image of God our eldest glorie .. 374 Impatience in trouble 289 Inheritance heauenly and the nature of it 213. 214. Inimitie with God how foolish are they who keepe it 95 Insidelitie repressed 28 Infirmities how manifold 297. comfort in them 295. how wee should strengthen our selues where we are weakest 297 Ingrafting of a Christian into Christ explaned 24. 25. 26. how he beares fruit as soone as he is planted 31 Ioy three-fold 397. how it is not found but in the depth of a contrite heart 397 Ioy to come how tasted by Worldlings 248. Ioy of things present how vaine 340 Iudgement generall how it will proceede according to the bookes 12. how terrible it will be 13. the remembrance thereof should keepe vs from sinne 14. No mercy will be offred after the last day 15. the christian knowes before hand what will be his sentence in the last day 16. Iudgement delayed confirmes the wicked 129. how foolish they are in so doing 129. Why iudgement is executed on some not on others in this life 130. it is a great iudgement not to be iudged in this life 130 Iudgement three-fold which man may haue of man 104 Iudas punished before Caiaphas and why 40 Iustification by Faith 278. takes not away from the Christian hope and loue 281. Calumnie of the aduersaries here-against confuted 281 Iustification posterior in order to time not in calling 389. three manner of waies taken 389. opened to condemnation 390. State of the controuersie betweene vs and the Papists concerning iustification 190. Destraction of first and second iustification improued 394 Iustification sanctification distinct benefits but inseparable 395 Iustice of God cannot strike vpon vs and why 407. miserable are the wicked who must beare it for euer K Knowledge neither of naturall nor morall Philosophy could profit to Saluation 88. can not preuent an euill end 89. brings out death 88 L Laments of the godly turned into triumph Law cannot saue vs and why 63. Naturally men seeke life in it but in vaine 64. impotencie of tho law is of vs not of the law 65. how is it and shall be fulfilled in vs 75. how not fulfilled in this life 76. we are freed from the curse of the law not from the obedience thereof 80. it discouers sin and causes feare 189. Life prophane is a great dishonour to Christ 37. a false witnessing against Christ 38. full of sacriledge 39 Life of a Christian is a mixed webbe 5. a holy life a sure marke of our vnion with Christ 38. it is the first martyrdome 38. three helpes of a godly life 47. our life should be a continuall progresse in godlinesse See walking our life tels whose seruants wee are 166. they who liue in sin are in death and shall die a worse death 174 Life present a thorow way to heauen or hell 173. it is not the right recompence of godlinesse 180. 181. how it is a momentanian life 232. by what similitudes the vanity therof is figured 232. the pleasures thereof are worme-eaten 233 Life present a point betweene two eternities so to speake 363. a stage play 246. it is neither the place of our rest nor our glorie 430. our estate here is neither the last noâ— the best 135. in this life he hath fewest yeares who hath liued longest 234 Life eternall hath three degrees 396. S. Paul a strong witnesse of the pleasures thereof and why 277. See glory Libertie purchased to vs by Christ bindes vs to himselfe 160 Loue of God toward vs may be seene in the price that hee gaue for vs. 68. 407. 409. Loue of the godly 70. compared to bread 286 Loue is the first affection that God sanctifies and the first that Sathan peruerts 344. it is not an easie nor common thing to loue God 343. none can loue him but his elect effectually called 342. the obiects of our loue 344. 345. he cannot loue his brother who loues not himselfe 345. man hath need to learne how to loue himselfe 346 Loue to our selfe and others should be in measure to God without measure 346. Three conditions required in the loue of God 347. Wee are farre from the loue of God we should haue 348. Meditations to encrease this loue of God in vs. 349 Loue tryed by the effects 349. he louâ—s not God who loues not the Word and Prayer 350. and longeth not to be where he is 350. Loue tryed by obedience 352. a proofe that many are without loue 351. Loue is bountifull 353. our loue to God cannot be fully and finally bequeathed 328 Lustes of the