rather had good assurance of this which is present and in stead of wishing and wayting tremble at the mention of Christ his comming againe Yet most of these men professors of Christ all of them baptized into his name and all of them will be reputed as good Christians as the best But all this forenamed course hath no sauour or rellish of heauen all that take it vp minde nothing but earthly things and the end of it without timely repentance will be damnation The fourth generall point is the time of Chists resurrection set downe in the text to be the third day To vnderstand which we must knowe that Christ lay not in the graue three whole naturall dayes each of them standing of 24. houres for then he should haue laine 72. houres and haue risen also on the fourth day whereas he lay not in the graue aboue 39. houres and rise on the third But the Scripture vseth a grace or forme of speach whereby two parts of dayes are called by the whole and three dayes put for the time which passed in three seuerall dayes euery day hauing his night belonging vnto him The first day of the three saith Augustine is to be reckoned by his latter part in which Christ was dead and buried not passing three houres of the foure and twentie yet so as both the night before when the Iewes day begunne and the most of that day was spent in taking examining whipping misusing condemning and executing him The second day is to be accounted wholly and perfect from the euening of the day before the passeouer to the euening of the Saboath following standing of full 24. houres The third day is to be accounted from the former part of it beginning at the euening of the Iewish Saboath for Christ lay all night neere twelue houres in the graue and rose in the morning betime about the midst of that naturall day standing of 24. houres And thus is Christ truly said to haue risen the third day Now that Christ should rise the third day and no sooner nor later these reasons shew 1. Hee must rise the third day according to the Scriptures For they had foretold this to be the particular time Hos. 6.2 After two daies hee will reuiue vs and in the third day hee will raise vs vp namely in his owne person for we also were raised with him as we haue seene The Scriptures had also further figured this distinct time in the type of Ionas who hauing laid three daies and three nights in the bellie of the whale was the third day cast on the drie land as our Sauiour himselfe while hee was yet aliue expounded of himselfe Math. 12.40 As Ionas was in the bellie of the whale three daies and three nights so shall the Sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth 2. It pleased him not to rise sooner hee would not presently come downe from the crosse nor reuiue himselfe before hee was buried nor rise presently after hee was laid downe as hee easily could because he would manifest that hee was truly dead as also because hee would lead his Church into some suspense therefore he rose not till the case seemed desperate Luk. 24.21 We trusted that it had beene hee that should haue deliuered Israel and as touching all these things this is the third day that they were done Again hee would no longer deferre his rising 1. least he should vtterly haue endangered the faith of the Disciples which in that short time was sore shaken as not only the former example but the heauinesse of the Disciples themselues to beleeue the newes of it and the wilfulnesse of Thomas plainely bewrayeth 2. Because vpon this euent and keeping touch in this very circumstance of time he had laid all the credit of his person ministerie doctrine miracles life and death For when they come to aske him a signe to prooue himselfe the Messiah he referreth them to this euent after his death that when they had destroied the Temple of his bodie if hee did raise it either after or before the third day or did not on that day raise it they should neuer take him for the Messiah And of this verie circumstance Angels and men had taken notice from his owne mouth Luk. 24.7 when the women came to the sepulchre to seeke Christ after he was newly risen the Angels told them hee was risen he was not there and further wisheth them to remember what he had said to them while he was with them that the third day hee must rise againe nay not only his freinds but his verie enemies had got this by the end and therefore came to Pilat saying sir we remember that this deceiuer said that hee would rise the third day let vs take such order that the last error become not worse then the first 3. The blessed bodie of Christ was not to enter into the least or lowest degree of corruption and therefore hee would lie no longer in the house of corruption Quest. But how could his bodie be preserued so long seeing Lazarus his bodie and our bodies in that time enter into many degrees of it Answ. Christ was indeed balmed and sweetned with odours but all this could not haue preserued him if his soule and bodie had not now beene freed from sinne the mother of corruption Obiect But hee had sinne imputed vnto him Answ. Yea but hee had ouercome all that and slaine it on the crosse for had he not destroied it himselfe had beene destroied by it and subdued for euer vnder the corruption of it In all which regards that is verefied which himselfe beeing risen affirmed Luk. 24.46 Thus it is written and thus it behooueth Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the third day Other things the Euangelists obserue in this circumstance as that it was the first day of the week that is the first day wherein he had created the heauens and the earth and wherein he would create now a new heauen and a new earth and as before he had set vp a meruailous frame of the world but since exceedingly shaken and defaced by sinne he would now restore the world againe and repaire the ruins of it by abolishing sinne as formerly he had filled heauen and earth with the glorie of his power in creation so would he now fill them with the glorie of his power in redemption which is a second creation Hence is it that that day is now conuerted into the Christian Sabbath and called the Lords day or if you wil Sunday but not as the heathen in honour of the sun but as Christians in honour of the the Sunne of righteousnesse Againe the Gospel noteth that this our glorious Sunne rose about sunne rising earely in the morning or a little before it Matth. 28.1 To shewe vnto vs 1. the power of his Godhead who could while his bodie was dead performe the promise which he had
God according to the prescript of his word the same is accepted of him he prooueth this to be a truth because it is the selfe same thing which God himselfe had of old published to the Israelites when he declared vnto them that peace and reconciliation was made betweene God and man by the meanes of Iesus Christ who is Lord not of any one people or nation but Lord of all For the Apostle doth not secretly oppose the ministerie of Moses and of Christ Moses was a minister of the law to the Iewes onely but Christ himselfe and the Gospel is the power of God to saluation to euerie beleeuer first to the Iewe and then to the Grecian and now God is not the God of the Iewe onely but euen of the Gentiles also according to that heauenly song of the Angels when Christ appeared to throwe downe that particion wall which stood betweene the Iewe and Gentile wherein they ascribed not onely all the glorie vnto God but proclaimed peace to all the earth In one word that Iesus Christ is our peace and Lord of all is the scope of this whole sermon and of all the Prophets as after remaineth to be shewed in vers 43. The former part of this verse hath two generall points to be explaned the former touching the peace here spoken of the latter concerning the preaching or declaring of it In the former must be considered 1. what this peace is 2. how it is by Iesus Christ. First by peace among the Hebrewes and Greekes is meant all prosperitie and happinesse for both of them in their salutations though with some difference praied for peace to the parties saluted that is all good successe from God the fountaine of mercie And includeth in it 1. peace with God 2. peace with man both with a mans selfe and others 3. peace with all the creatures of God so farre forth as that none of them shall be able to hurt him further then God thinketh good for his excercise and in this peace standeth true happinesse 2. It must be considered how this peace is by Iesus Christ namely according to the former branches of it First he wrought our peace with God from whom our sinne had sundered and seperated vs three waies 1. by interposing himselfe betweene his Fathers anger and vs who durst not come neere him 2. by satisfying in our stead all his iustice through his blood thereby remoouing all enmitie cancelling all handwritings which might haue beene laid against vs and bestowing on vs a perfect righteousnesse in which God is delighted to behold vs. 3. By appearing now for vs in heauen and making requests for vs in all which he cannot but be heard beeing the Sonne of his Fathers loue in whom he is well pleased and for him with vs his members Secondly he wrought peace betweene man and man 1. by demolishing and casting downe the wall of separation whereby Iew and Gentile might not accord or meddle one with another his death rent downe the vaile that both Iew and Gentile might looke into the Sanctuarie that of two hee might make one people one bodie yea one new man vnto himselfe 2. By changing the feirce and cruell disposition of men who are now become the subiects of his kingdome that of Lyons and Cockatrises they become as meeke and tractable as lambes and little children hauing peace so farre as is possible with all men with the godly for Gods image sake and that they are members of the same bodie with them and with the wicked for Gods commandements sake and because they may become members of Christ as well as they they seeke peace euen with the worst and shall obtaine it so farre as God seeth good who when a mans waies please him doth so ouerrule his enemies hearts as they shall become frendly vnto him 3. By setting euery Christian at peace with himselfe who before had no peace but now hath obtained 1. peace of conscience when his conscience beeing perswaded of his reconciliation with God through Christ it ceaseth to wound and accuse and beginneth to excuse and comfort and so bringeth quietnesse and tranquillitie of minde into the soule which passeth vnderstanding 2. Peace in his will and affections which by grace cease to be rebellious and become daily more pliant to the commandement and obedient to the minde enlightned by the spirit 3. Peace in Christian combate in that grace getteth daily victorie corruption receiueth daily foyles and consumption and so the heart euery day more quiet then other from the power and molestation of it Thirdly whereas so long as God himselfe is our enemie all his creatures are armed against vs to take his part and reuenge their Creators wrong vpon vs by Christ euen this curse is also remooued and it is an expresse branch of the new couenant that the Lord will worke our peace with the creatures Hose 2.18 And in that day will I make a couenant for them with the wild beasts and with the foules of the heauen and with that which creepeth vpon the earth For God beeing in league with vs euen the stones in the feild and the beasts in the feild shall be at league with vs also And the reason is because as then the creatures rebelled against man when he became a rebell against God so when men by Christ are reconciled vnto God and become his sonnes by adoption and grace then is their ancient right and rule ouer the creatures lost by the fall restored in part so as his children neuer receiue hurt from them but such as the Lord sanctifieth both for the furtherance of his owne glorie and their saluation which are the maine ends which God respecteth in all his waies with his elect Thus we see what is this peace and how Iesus Christ procureth it vs whence we may obserue sundry profitable points of doctrine 1. That there is no sound peace without Christ he is the Prince of peace his doctrine is the message of peace and himselfe the messenger of the great couenant of peace There can be no peace with God by Moses nor by the workes of the law whatsoeuer dotages Popish teachers hold to the contrarie only the obedience and merit of Christ is the matter of it which made the Apostles alwaies pray not for peace from merit but for mercie and peace or grace and peace because it only floweth from the grace and mercie of God in Iesus Christ. Secondly it is as cleare as the former that there can be no peace to the wicked man because he is out of Christ. 1. No inward peace in his conscience the which howsoeuer it may slumber for a while or become feared benummed and past feeling yet like a wilde beast will it hastily waken and pursue him and make him restles as Caine and flie when none pursues him 2. No true outward peace for although their houses may seeme peaceable and without feare and all things
shall in his humanitie be seene visibly discending in the clouds as he was seene visibly to ascend by a cloud this was long since prophecied that euery eye should see him and how meete is it that the Iudge of all should be seene of all Thirdly in regard of his Church which as it is iustified by his first appearing in humilitie so must it be glorified by the second appearing of the head of the church in glorie Fourthly that he might in this last act of it fully accomplish his kingly office for when he shall haue faithfully finished this iudgement which is committed vnto him he shall immediatly deliuer vp the kingdome vnto his Father not that he shall then cease to bee an euerlasting king of glorie but because he shall no longer exercise any temporarie gouernement as now he doth Hee shall not rule his kingdome by ciuill magistrates nor his Church by such officers and ministerie as are now appointed vnder him for the gathering of the Saints It shall not stand in need of the means of edification by the word Sacraments or censures the Lambe himselfe shall be all these in the midst of the throne of God In both these regards he shall deliuer vp his kingdome but he must first appeare in a most glorious humanity to finish this great businesse For these reasons is this great worke committed to the Sonne immediately to execute Vse 1. Is Christ appointed the Iudge then may euery godly man and woman comfort themselues seeing their Sauiour shall be their iudge If a mans brother were to be his iudge hee would not feare but to get the day and the cause to goe with him but hee is the elder brother of euery beleeuer hee bad the women goe tell my brethren that I am risen againe I know saith holy Iob that my Redeemer or neere kinsman liueth yea hee is nearer then a brother beeing the husband of euery faithfull spouse If the wife should haue her louing husband who loueth her better then his owne life to iudge her cause what need shee feare but the matter will goe well with her what neede the members feare the head Let vs comfort our selues with these words and lift vp our heads because this day wherein our head shall shewe forth both his owne and our glorie who are his members draweth neere 2. This doctrine serueth also to daunt the wicked and vngodly They shall see him whom they haue pearced hee is their iudge against whome all their villanies haue beene committed whose seruants they haue villanously intreated whose kindnesse and peaceable conditions they haue despised and refused What a fearefull sentence awaiteth them when they shall come before him no mervaile if they call for the mountaines to couer them and the hils to hide them rather then they should appeare before the presence of his glorie whose wrath is as a consuming fire and no stubble can stand before it Oh consider this yee that put farre from you this great day of the Lord speaking peace to your selues whilest euery thing wageth warre against you in that you still by liuing in your sinnes proclaime open warre against the Son of God Why should you any longer abuse his patience why will you treasure vp wrath for your selues against this day of wrath why will you fit your selues as fewel for the fire of that day when the Lord Iesus shall come from heauen in flaming fire to render vengeance against all them which knowe not God nor obey the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Well if you will not be warned but you will goe on in such impenitent courses know it that the partie wronged by your sinnes is he who is appointed of God to be your iudge you will thinke it will go hard with Pilar seeing he is to be his iudge who was iudged by him to death and with Iudas that betrayed him and with the souldiers that put him to death but change the persons the case is your owne Secondly in the execution of this office two things must be considered 1. the persons vpon whome here said to be the quicke and the dead 2. the manner of it First by the phrase of quicke and dead is meant all mankind without exception of what age condition sex or qualitie soeuer they be euen all that euer haue receiued life from God from the first man that euer liued vpon earth to the last that shal be found liuing at the comming of Christ euen all these shall be iudged And the dead are mentioned as well as the liuing because the carnall and vnbeleeuing heart of man maketh more question how those who haue beene resolued into dust many thousand yeares agoe can bee quickened and raised to iudgement theÌ„ those that shall bee found aliue at that day therefore is the Scripture verie expresse in this particular Rev. 20.12 I saw the dead both great and small stand before God 2. Cor. 5.10 We shall all appeare before the iudgment seat of Christ. In like manner those speaches admit no exception which we euerie where meete withall as Euery eie shall see him euery man shall beare his owne burden euery man shall giue account of himselfe vnto God And that wee should not doubt of the certainty hereof the Scripture condiscendeth so farre to our weaknesse as to shewe vs the meanes how this great worke shall be brought about As 1. by the mightie and powerfull voice of Christ which whilest he was in his abasement could call dead Lazarus out of his graue Ioh. 5.28 those that are in the graues shal heare his voice 2. By the ministerie of the Angels who shall all not one excepted come with him and they shal gather the elect from all winds and present and force the wicked to the barre before the Iudge of all the earth euen then when they shal flie to the hills to couer them if it were possible from his presence 3. By the diligence of all the bruite creatures who in their kinds shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God The sea shall giue vp her dead so shall death and the graâ—â—e giue vp their dead the verie fire shall giue vp againe the bodies it hath wasted In a word all the creatures shal helpe forward this work of the great day which although it transcend the shallow reach of man yet is it not aboue the power of God Obiect But how can the quicke and dead bee then presented to iudgement seeing the godly shall not enter into iudgement and for the wicked they are iudged alreadie for he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie Answ. First for the godly they shall not enter into the iudgement of condemnation 2. they are by their particular iudgement acquitted alreadie but they must also by the generall iudgement receiue in their bodies which till that day are not absolued according as they haue done in the flesh 3. they must be solemnely and publikely inaugurated and invested into the glorie
keepe them lowe in their owne eies as also prouoketh them to walke awfully in regard of God and watchfully ouer their hearts and liues still groaning to God vnder their daily infirmities By this meanes out of the eater commeth meate as was said in Samsons riddle Iud. 14.14 2. Death is not now to Gods children as it was to Christ ioyned with a sence of Gods anger against it or paying a debt to the iustice of God for it were against the rule of Gods iustice to require the paiment of the same debt twise but wherein they haue a sweete sense of Gods fatherly loue wherein sinne is perfectly to be abolished whereby way and entrance is made vnto life euerlasting where we shall be with God and Iesus Christ which is best of all The Saints of God in these regards haue rather desired thē feared it for what man hauing bin tossed a long time vpon a dangerous sea would feare the hauen or who beeing wearied with the trauells of the day would feare to goe to his rest at night 3. Sence of hell keepeth in vs an hatred of sinne and a longing after heauen yea how beneficial the terrors of conscience are to Gods children were too long here to discourse The speach is as true as common the way to heauen lyeth by hell gates 4. The Deuill maketh vs flie to God our helpe and relie vpon his strength yea when men by no other meanes wil be drawn God setteth the deuill in their necks to dragge them to heauen as a graue Diuine speaketh 5. All the euills in the world worke to the best to them that loue God and hasten them to the fruition of the victorie obtained by Christ they weigne them from the world and the loue of it And whereas they are as prone to pitch their tabernacles here belowe as others God vseth these as meanes to keep his from being of the world euen while they are in it They conforme them to Iesus Christ their head and traine them in the imitation of him both in patience and obedience Now how could any of these parcells of Gods curse against the sinne of man or mans cursed sinne it selfe bring to any such sweete and profitable fruits but by the ouerruling power of Iesus Christ who bringeth life out of death light out of darknesse and who only can make his owne wise out of ranke poyson to sucke most sweete and soueraigne preseruatiues which who doth not hee neuer as yet knew the benefit of Christ his resurrection The second sort of blessings procured to the Church by Christ his resurrection is the fruition of good things which it putteth vs in possession of euen in this life by giuing vs our first fruits and a sweete taste but vpheapeth our measure after this life when our haruest commeth and we admitted to feed fully at the supper of the lambe The benefits which I will mention are three First we are confirmed hereby in the whole truth of all our religion the maine foundation of which laid by all the Prophets and Apostles is that Iesus Christ the sonne of Marie was the Sonne of God the true Messias perfect God and perfect man and so indeed hee was such a one as hee was foretold to be one that was to die and yet saw no corruption one who must make his soule an offering for sinne and yet must surviue to see his seede and prolong his daies one that had power to laie downe his life and power to take it vp againe In a word one that was put to death concerning the flesh but was quickned in the spirit that is by vertue of his dietie raysing that flesh vp againe Let all the Iewes and Atheists in the earth dispise the indignitie of his death we with the Angels will admire the glorie of his resurrection The second benefit is that hence we are assured that our 1. Iustification 2. Sanctification 3. perfect saluation is not only obteined but applied vnto vs. For our iustification before God by meanes of Christ his resurrection hee brought into vs an euerlasting righteousnesse in that hee not only bare our burden vpon himselfe but bare it away from vs for what is his resurrection else but his actuall absolution from our sinnes which were imputed vnto him and for which he subiected himselfe vnto the death Whence we grow vp in full assurance that the whole price is not only paid to the vttermost on Christs part but that the satisfaction is accepted also on his Fathers whose iustice would neuer haue absolued him if all the bills and writings which were to be laid against vs had not beene fastned to the crosse and so cancelled and fully discharged so as now we may with the Apostle hold out a flagge of defiance and challenge our righteousnesse for who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe And the same Apostle thirsting after that righteousnesse which is by faith in him counteth all things losse and donge saue only to know him and the vertue of his resurrection 2. From this resurrection of Christ issueth our sanctification which is our first resurrection or raising of our soules from the death of sinne because in euery reconciliation making must be two conditions 1. A forgetting vpon satisfaction of all old wrongs and iniuries 2. A binding from future offences the former Christ effecteth by his death the latter by his resurrection into the which whosoeuer are grafted they cannot henceforth serue sinne but beeing risen with Christ they seeke the things which are aboue where Christ sitteth they cease further by sinne to offend as such who are begotten to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead and for this cause our Sauiour was carefull after his departure hence to send out his spirit in more plentifull and abundant manner then before that hee might continually inspire his people with ardent desires after the beginnings of that life eternall vnto which Christ himselfe is risen who then manifest themselues members of such an advanced head when this new life manifesteth it selfe in them Thirdly our perfect saluation is also hence fully assured vs for if our Lord Iesus hath foyled all the powers of hell death and darkenesse in himselfe when he was yet dead how much more doth he it for vs his members beeing now aliue if he could driue backe and disperse all spirituall enmities euen when he was in hell it selfe after a sort how much more now beeing ascended farre aboue all mooueable and aspectible heauens for we must not behold the victorie triumph of Christ as performed onely in and for himselfe but as the ground and pledge of the victorie and conquest of all the beleeuers in the world Looke vpon this sonne of Dauid prostrating the great Goliah of hell for all the Israel
of God as for gold and treasures he accounteth of the graces of faith loue hope humilitie and the feare of the Lord aboue all pearles and precious things he prouideth for himselfe and his the food that perisheth not and thinketh himselfe warmely and comely arraied when he hath put on the Lord Iesus Christ as knowing that onely the garment of this righteousnesse can fence him from all the iniurie of wind and weather The naturall man doth not more seriously listen after great purchases of land and fields as he doth cast with himselfe to purchase the pearle hid in the field for which he will sell himselfe as we say into his shirt nay and further his owne selfe libertie life and if he had any thing dearer then that As for the things of this life if he haue them not he wanteth not his portion If he haue them his care is that they haue not him or become his portion If riches increase hee setteth not his heart vpon them If they decrease his heart faileth not with them In abundance hee carrieth himselfe warily and weanedly In want cheerefully and contentedly The things he hath hee vseth as not vsing them the things he hath not he knoweth he hath no good vse of them or else hee should haue them And thus as the naturall man bestirreth himselfe and all his motion tendeth to the bettring of his outward estate at home so contrarily doth an heauenly minded man accounting himselfe from home while hee is heare in the bodie bend his cheife care to settle his estate at home in heauen and all his trading and conuerse in this straunge country tendeth to the enriching of him in his owne country Further if we looke to the naturall mans course in the matter of his religion we shall see as great difference betweene them For it is cleare that whereas matters of religion are a burthen to the one they are the ioy of the other The one as heauie to pray to heare to read and meditate on the word and of his owne estate as a beare to the stake if law or shame or some such by-respect mooued him not it were all one to him to be on his horse backe as in the Church the other would account his life tedious were it not for these meetings of God and his people in the assemblies and those sweet refreshments they bring backe from thence The one if hee pray sometimes in publicke he maketh little conscience of priuate prayer in his family and so of other priuate duties to which God and a good conscience would bind him as strait as to the former The other walketh wisely and religiously in the midst of his house and preserueth the worship of God at home and maketh his house a little Church and house of God The one maketh little or no conscience of such sinnes as either in comparison of other or in his owne corrupt conceit are smaller sinnes such as are inferior oathes idlenesse gaming sinnes of omission idle words or hurtfull vncleane or wandring thoughts words hee thinketh to be but wind if he meane no hurt and if he meane hurt but doe none thoughts are free As for the sinnes of the time hee will not be so vndiscreete as to swimme against the streame he is here violently carried without resistance into a gulfe of knowne euills and all is well he doth but as others doe and it were worse for him if he did not the other maketh conscience of all sinne lesser sinnes and secret sinnes hee can hate all euen those which hee cannot auoid he hateth the euill that himselfe doth and willingly will not displease God though all men be therefore offended with him To conclude this point the one seeketh to approoue himselfe vnto man the other to approoue his heart to God because hee knoweth hee made it and knoweth what is in it And this shal serue for a tast of the opposite disposition betweene naturall and spirituall life The second note to discerne this heauenly life by is the similitude or agreement which it hath with the life of the Saints in heauen For the life of the Saints in heauen must be a counterpaine of the beleeuers vpon earth to which they must be daily framed in sundry regards 1. In respect of the things they are called from 2. In respect of the things they are called vnto 1. The Saints in heauen are called from three things 1. the world it selfe 2. the corruptions that are in the world through lust 3. The companie of the wicked of the world Euen so must beleeuers in the world in their degree and measure carrie themselues as those that are chosen out of the world and such as are bought from the earth medling no more with earthly things then needs must enioying them so as they ioy no more in them then in things which are not their owne but borrowed only for a time vsing them so as they abuse them not because they are to be counteable for them abiding in their earthly businesse and callings so as they be neuer earthly minded in one word so desiring pursuing hauing holding and parting from the profits of this life as those to whom God hath shewed better things then any below yea and esteeming of their present life it selfe so indifferently as that they can account the day of their death better then the day wherein they were borne 2. As the Saints in heauen beeing deliuered out of the prison of the bodie haue all the bolts and chaines of their corruption struck off so the godly who haue their parts in the first resurrection haue after a sort changed their liues and put on a diuine nature they haue bid farewell to the follies of their former times yea renounce and as farre as frailty will permit loath their sinnes saying vnto them as Ephraim to his reiected Idols get you hence what haue I to doe with you they that were of the Synagogue of Satan are now in the Temple with true beleeuers Thus is it said of the 144000. that were bought from the earth that they were not defiled with women but were virgins that is sanctified in part and washed from their filthinesse and will haue no more fellowship in the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse wherein sometimes they were cheife actors 3. The Saints in heauen neuer ioyne with the wicked of the world any more that beeing verefied which Moses spake to the Isralites concerning the Egyptians The enemies whom your eyes haue seene this day you shall neuer see more euen so the faithfull hate the companie of the wicked with whom they can neither doe good nor take any whereas before their calling they were mixt with them and ran with them to the same riot of excesse Now their fellowship is dissolued they are no more companions with them the light of the one admitteth no communion with the others darknes and that they are often forced to dwell in Mesech with them it
necessarie obedience so to do 4. doubting is forbidden and therefore no vertue but a vice Math. 14. O thou of little faith why doubtest thou Obiect But experience teacheth that euery man is full of doubting and therefore no faithfull man can beleeue it Answ. The consequent is false seeing this doubting exerciseth but destroyeth not faith and that they goe together not only the speach of our Sauiour formerly alledged but the prayer of the father of the child prooueth Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe as also the two natures of which euerie Christian consisteth flesh and spirit which are in continuall combate Obiect But no man can knowe Gods minde and so cannot be assured Answ. By his minde is there meant his secret will but his minde revealed wee may and must a part of which is that whosouer beleeueth in his name shall receiue remission of sinnes which generall promise while we specially apply to our selues the spirit begetteth this assurance Obiect But we are commanded stil to feare Blessed is he that feareth alwayes Ans. We must not feare the mercie of God concerning saluation but carrie a reuerent feare in regard of Gods iudgements 2. we are to feare in regard of our selues and sinnes by which we deserue the iudgements of God as well as others but this is not contrarie to the assurance of forgiuenesse of sinnes for mercie is with thee that thou maist be feared which the holy Prophet would neuer haue said if feare could not stand with assurance of mercie 3. such a feare is commanded as may shake our securitie but not to driue away the boldnesse of faith a feare of falling into sinne not of falling away from grace a feare least we offend a mercifull God but not least he take away his mercie from vs. A second let is the want of iudgement to discerne aright of the best things and of resolution to purchase or practise that which a truely enformed iudgement concludeth to bee the best This was the sinne taxed in Martha who sawe not the greatest good neere her as Mary did And the world is full of Marthaes who willingly hurried with many earthly distractions vtterly neglect the one thing necessarie namely their reconciliation with God and the things which serue to vphold and maintaine the Christian life whereby Christ should liue in them and they in him What else is it that maketh men runne ouer sea and land to prouide for the bodie and bodily life and in the meane time cast off all the care and meanes of the knowledge of God and conscience of their waies but that they see no profit in seruing God they tast a little sweetnesse of the creature but not of the creator himselfe a small peice of earth hath more sauour to them then the God of heauen This is it that causeth men to walke painfully all the weeke in their personall and particular calling but all the weeke and sabbath too neglect the generall calling of a Christian whereas had they any iudgement in the things of God reason would teach them that the particular must yeelde to the generall as the inferiour giue place to the superiour Yea this is it which strongly forceth men to choose the profits and pleasures of this life which altogether crosse and hinder this cheife principall care of gaining the fauour of God because they doe not follow the rules of wisedome which esteemeth of things according to their degree and measure of goodnesse and not aboue Which if men would giue themselues to bee ruled by they would with the Saints of God in this comparison account but meanely of the things in the highest account with earthly minded men The Apostle Paul comparing his gaine of Christ with the gaine of the world he esteemed this as losse yea as dung which indeede is the right estimate of it in this comparison Holy Dauid would rather be a door-keeper where Gods face may shine vpon him then enioy the honours and pleasures of the world in the pallaces of Princes without it Salomon himselfe the wisest and welthiest of all men after good triall pronounced of all earthly indowments abstracted from the feare and fauour of God that they were vanitie and vexation of spirit and determineth this to be the summe of all to feare God and keepe his commandements Thus are the wise mans eyes in his head and his heart is at his right hand both for deliberating executing of things most necessarie to be done whereas the heart of the foole is at his left hand he doth all as it were with a left hand for want of this iudgement A third and maine lette are friuolous and fleshly conceits which dead and quench any such motions as otherwise might prouoke men to this care of remission of sinnes As 1. what neede I be so foolish and precise I haue liued well hitherto without all this adoe if God loued me not he would neuer haue blessed mee as hee hath done Ans. But looke to thy selfe who thus reasonest It is not inough to say God loueth mee but to haue sure euidence of it yea surer euidences then any thou yet speakest of I meane common and outward blessings which like the sunne or the raine are generally disposed to the good and bad and by which no man can know loue or hatred Againe Gods loue goeth with election iustification sanctification effectuall calling faith loue hope patience repentance mortification Examine thy selfe by these notes for if God loue thee as his child thou louest him and keepest his commandements thou louest not sinne but hatest it euen thy dearest sinnes and preseruest a care to please him in all things Ioh. 14.23 If any man loue mee hee will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him 2. Whereas they say that others which nourish this care are as much crossed as any other and therefore they see no reason that they should make their life so vncomfortable to no purpose let them know that all the crosses Gods children whose care is to make vp their peace with God are exercised with 1. proceed from the loue of God and not from hatred 2. they are trialls of graces not punishments of sinnes 3. their end is not reiection from God but through their purging and amendment to draw them nearer vnto God 4. By this reason Christ and his Apostles might haue beene refused and all the Saints of God who through many afflictions are passed into heauen 5. The way to auoid crosses and punishments is to intend this one care of getting sinne remitted And 6. if the way to heauen be so strawed with crosses what is the way to hell If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the wicked and sinner appeare 3. Whereas they obiect further against this care that men of good note and perhappes Preachers too account it but fantasticall and more then needs and only a few and those despised ones in the