by creation c. according to the diuersitie of their groundes so is the dispensation of God to men diuers The first is the ground of his dispensation to the reprobates yea to all his other creatures The second is the ground of his dispensation to his elect And because the first ground concerneth this life therefore is it that God bestoweth on the reprobates aboundance of earthly things as riches honour kingdomes and Empires and yet al in his wrath because they receyue them not in Christ the only cause of his loue to man so it shall come to passe that many who haue most of this wordly wealth ritches and pleasures from God shall neuertheles be cast by him in hell fire therefore we must not iudge of Gods favour to men by the outward blessings of this life whereof all are partakers for God maketh his sunne to arise on the evill and the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust Math. 5.45 The second ground of Gods dispensation concerneth speciallie the life to come albeit the children of God haue the promise both of this life and the life to come therfore is it that the Lord bestoweth his love his mercie his grace and all his spirituall blessings to none but such as are liuely members of Iesus Christ his Sonne who doe worship him in Christ his Sonne made man who do come to him by Christ who doe call vpon him in the name of Christ who doe acknowledge Christ to be their wisedome their righteousnes 1. Cor. 1.30 their sanctification and redemption Therfore we should studie to haue part in Christ if wee desire to receiue from God eternall life but more of this in the next point to wit that it behoueth Christ to be our Lord before we receyue the blessings from God which now followeth In this point wee have to consider First how many wayes Christ is the Lord of Mankinde and next in what sense hee is called our Lord by the Apostles As for the first we finde him in the scriptures three maner of wayes Lord. First How many wayes Christ is Lord. as wee haue God the Creatour of all things in which respect he is also Lord of all things seeing all things receyued their being from him and are sustayned by the power of his worde Concerning the first in Psalme 102. Heb. 1.3 Hee is called Lord Thou O Lord from the beginning laydest the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the workes of thy handes Further it is said concerning his authoritie Thy Throne O God is from euerlasting to euerlasting And touching the same and the second also in the first to the Hebrues it is said that by him God made the world therafter that he sustaines all things by the mightie power of his worde Secondly he is called Lord as he is the sonne of man Mat. 28.18 for euen as he is man he hath receiued all power both in heauen and in earth Colos 2.10 and is made the head of all principality power Psal 8. and is crowned with glory and honour and is sett aboue all the workes of Gods handes Heb. 2.7.8 and hath all things put in subiection vnder his feete Phil. 2.4 and 10.11 and hath a name giuen him aboue all names that at the name of Iesus Ephe. 1.21 should every knee bowe both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth Iohn 17.2 And that every tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glorie of God the Father And this dominion is generall ouer all flesh and aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and every name that is named So that hereby he is Lord of the very Diuels and of the reprobates no lesse then of the godly and elect Iohn 17.1 But the end wherefore hee receiued this power is not one to both for to the elect it is that he may giue to them eternal life but to the other it is that he may crush them with a scepter of yron Psal 2.9 Reuel 2.27 and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Which is a great consolation to all that are his members 2. Thes 7.8 9.10 knowing that all their â—enemâ—â—ts both bodily and spirituall are ruled by their Lord and Saviour and that the heauens are his and all that therein is and the earth is his and that therein is So that nothing can be wanting to them that feare him Lastly he is Lord speciallie and only of his Saints and Church of God Ephe. 5.25.26.27 which he hath purchased to him selfe by his own blood 1. Pet. 2.24 Colos 1.14 Luc 1.71.72 and 73 74.75 Psal 2.6 Luc. 1.32 Ephes 1.22 Ioh. 10.19 Iohn 17.2 and 6 and 9.11.24 1. Pet. 2.4 Heb. 2.5 And therefore besyde this generall Dominion which is giuen him ouer all creatures he is speciallie anoynted and set king vpon Sion the Lordes holy Mountaine and hath receiued the throne of his father Dauid to raigne ouer the house of Iacob for ever and is made aboue all things the head of the Church in which respect the elect are said only to be giuen to him of the Father whereas in respect of his general Dominion all things are given him of the Father This Dominion and Lordship consisteth in the Right that Christ hath to vs by his owne purchase in the spirituall gouernement of his Saints by his spirit and word Ruling thereby in their hearts not suffering any more Sathan nor sin to beare rule in their mindes but making them as a chosen generation a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a people set at libertie to shewe foorth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darknes into his marvelous light And this is the kingdome of Christ which is not of this world but is called the kingdome of the world to come because it concerneth not the things of the world belonging to this earthlie and corruptible life but the things that belong to the spirituall life of God in vs in creating vs over againe to his Image 1. Cor. 7.31 and making vs partakers of all the spirituall blessings that are in the heauenlie places in Christ Iesus him selfe And secondly it is so called because it shall not be perfyted in this world but in the world to come when the shape and forme of this world shall be abolished and passed away These are the three wayes that Christ is to be considered Lord in the scriptures In the first respect he is Lord with the Father and with the Spirit and he is the very life of the world in whom al things haue their naturall being and moouing and so are bound for this very life to serue him In the seconde respect hee is made Lord by the Father who hath giuen him the preeminence in all things aboue all creatures Iohn 5.2.7 that hee should rule the world and execute
therefore in our greatest tentations when it seemeth according to our sense and feeling that Sathan hath taken from vs our peace our ioy our righteousnes our confidence our light and communion with our God so that it appeareth to vs that we are vtterlie forgotten of God all hope of life taken from vs yet we may boldlie answere that our life is not lost although all sense be taken from vs of it for our life is not in our keeping but in his who is stronger then all therefore no tentation is able so to overcome vs that we bee compelled to cast away our confidence in God who is faithfull vnto whom in all our sufferings according to his will we cōmit our soules in wel doing as to a faithfull Creator according to the exhortatiō of the Apost Pet. in his 1. Epi. cha 4. 19. verse For he doth not expone our life to hazard as he did the life of Angels of Adā in paradise The gates of hel are not able to prevail against the elect of God in Christ since God him selfe is the keeper of their life The second part is Our life is in the heavens concerning the place where it is kept and that is saith the Apostle Heaven Doubtles it is much more sure which is layd vp in heaven thē that which is kept in earth for there Sathan hath no such accesse nor power to execute his craft and malice Iob. 1.7 as he hath in the earth For his labour is in compassing the earth to fro as he sayeth himselfe in the booke of Iob. Therefore whatsoever is taken out of the earth and put in the heavens is exempt from all daunger of the Divilles malice Therefore is it that our God willing to assure vs that our lyfe is in no daunger doth shew vs that it is in the heavens For that which wee enioy here in this worlde is an earnest of our lyfe but not the life it selfe For it is true which the Apo. Col. 3.3 sayth to the Colossians That we are dead and that our lyse is hid with Christ in God The vse of this point is to make vs lift vp our mind to those things which are aboue as the Apostle in that same place exhorteth vs and to set our affections on these things which are aboue because our lyfe is above with Christ and therefore it becōmeth vs to have our conversation Phil. 3 20. as Citizens of the heaven From whence we look for the Saviour even the Lord lesus so cōsequently for our lyfe for our lyfe is with him Col. 3.4 and when he shall appeare from heaven then shall our life also appeare with him Therefore ought we to mortifie our members which are on the earth For where shall a mans heart be but where his treasure is what cā be our treasure more then our lyfe Therefore heavie is the iudgement that the Apostle teacheth against them that minde earthlie things writing to the Philippians Philip. 3.18 19. There is nothing can moove a man more to seek for heaven then this to know that his life is there and nothing can serve to moderate our love of this world of all things in this world more thē this to know they belong not to our life which consisteth not in them nor in any thing vnder the sūne seing that it is in the heavens Moreover this warneth the godlie with the Apostle Paul to thinke that they have not yet attayned to the Resurrection from the dead or that they are already perfect Philip. 3.12 c. so long as they are in this world seeing their life is not in this world And therefore that they ought to forget that which is behynde indevour thēselves to that which is before and follow harde toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Further it is a singuler comfort against the fall of Adam For hee had his life in Paradise but not in the heavens therefore was his lyfe subiect to spoyle whereas ours is in the heavens and therefore not subiect to spoile And yet to augment our ioy in this point wee have to consider that which the Apostle sayeth to the Colossians concerning our lyfe It is saith he hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 First it is hidd Secondlie it is hid with Christ Thridlie it is hidd with Christ in God Wee our selves who have further sight of things that are above thē Sathan hath do not see our lyfe it is yet hid frō vs for never eye did see 2 Cor. 2.9 nor eare hath heard neither came in mans heart thethings which God hath prepared for them that love him much more then is it hid from Sathan that he can not see it Secōdly it is hid with Christ even with him who hath given his life for it and purchased it to vs by his owne death It can bee with none to whom we can more securely credit it or who cā have more care to preserve it Iohan. 17.12 He was faithfull in all that the Father did commit to him for none of them that the Father gave him Iohn 17.2 did he lose And this is the Fathers will that he should give eternall life to all thē that the Father hath given him this life that he should give vs is with him who should give it Therefore it must be in sure keeping yea more it is hid with him because he is our life it selfe and now hee being taken out of our sight and hid in the heavens our life can not be seene til he be seene againe this is the suretie of our lyfe that it is with our Savior Who in purchasing of it did spoyle the principalities Colos 2.17 Ephe 1.22 Colos 2.10 and powers and made a shew of them openlie and triumphed over them in the Crosse to whom all things are subdued who is the head of all principality and power Thirdly it is in God O what a comfort is this that the Lord himselfe is the place even the Coffer or Christ in the which our life is kept so that Sathā must spoyle God himselfe before he be able to spoyle our life The damned Angels had their life in the heavens but kept in thēselves therfore lost they it And therfore as the keeping of our life in heavē assureth vs against the feare of the lyke losse that befell to Adam who had his life in earthlie Paradise vnto the which Sathan found accesse So this keeping of it with Christ in God assureth vs against the terrour of the Angells fall This now concerning the place where our life is kept Now followeth the end wherfore it is kept Life is kept for vs. and that is for vs saith the Apostle It were no comfort to vs how surely soever this inheritāce so excellēt were kept by God if God did keepe it for Angells or if he did keepe it for any
his aboundance so can not all his aboundance preserve a man from death nor yet procure the restoring of one dead to life againe as the Lord declareth in the 49. Psalme Ps 49.6.7 neither can any redeeme his brother nor give his raunsome to God so precious is the redemption of their soules and the cōtinuance for ever that he may live still for euer Eccl. 6.7 and not see the grave Thirdlie Salomon sheweth that all the labour of man is for the mouth yet the soule is not filled and therefore man paineth him selfe in vaine in traveling for the winde seeing he never can fill his soule nor satisfie his heart with all his labours Lastlie sayeth the Lord in the foresaid Psalme Psal 49.17 Man shall take nothing away when he dieth neither shall his pompe descend after him When vaine man seeth this that all his labour is in vaine seeing he can not thereby preserve his life but he must die Eccl. 2. c. and lye like a sheepe in the grave then doeth his soule abhorre all comfort nothing is there in the world that can be able to make him reioyce Eccl. 3.18.19 c. feeing he must lose that for which all other things are desired and without the which al things do serve for nothing Eccl. 2.15.16 Salomon doth teach this who seeing that he must die and leave all his labours to the mā that should be after him Eccl. 2.17.18 cōsidering that mē in them selves were as beasts the condition of both being one seeing as the one dieth so dieth the other all go to one place and all was of the dust and al shall returne to dust and perceyving that wisedome nor riches nor strength c. made no difference but that it did befall to the wise as it did to the foole then began he to hate all his labour yea even the life it selfe because it was to end A most evident proove that albeit a man doe enioye all pleasures riches and honors yea all whatsoever he traveleth for vnder the sunne or whatsoever his hart can wishe in this world yet is there no peace to the hart of him nor ioye to the soule of him nor happines in the estate of him so long as he seeth he must die and his life must end then doeth he with Salomon conclude al not onely to be vanitie but also vexation of spirit yea the more he doth possesse of these earthlie blessings the greater is his miserie and more greevous are his sorrowes when death cometh to plucke him from his house to the grave Thus even the verie life of man wherein is the chiefest comfort of man by mortalitie becometh a grief to man and a vexation to the spirit of man For all the ioyes of this world and all the comfortes of this life are eclipsed by death This being rightlie weyghed and well considered wee shall then apprehend what infinite consolation this firste propertie of the life vnto the hope whereof our God hath begotten vs againe doth minister vnto vs. for therein we see that taken away which alone is sufficient to make our life miserable cursed even mortalitie and death which is the curse of God vpon mā for sinne Surelie let a man looke to his life albeit in the eyes of mā never so happie yet if he looke to it as it is in deed that is to saye mortall and deadlie although it be busked with all the beauties of this world and fortified with all the strength of this worlde and crowned with all the glorie of this world yet shall he never haue comfort in it and it is most certaine that they see not what this life is who glorie in it and it is the verie blindnes of their eyes which do not let them see their end that maketh the wretches of this world to reioyce in any thing vnder the sunne seeing all shal perish and come to nought No No they see not life to reioyce in that seeth not this life of the children of God vnto the hope whereof the Lord begetteth them This is the ground of the reioycing and gloriation of the Saintes saith the Apostle to the Romanes even the hope of this inheritance which is immortall And this same sight of this immortalitie of that lyfe was the thing that mooved the Apostle himselfe to desire with sighes to change this earthlie tabernacle with that which is not made with handes but is of God For hee did knowe that it was eternall therefore desired hee to be clothed with it even to this end that mortalitie might be swallowed vp of lyfe This then is the comfort of this first propertie that death shall have noe dominion over our lyfe in heaven but it shall remaine for evermore And herein standeth one of the chief pointes of the happines and felicitie of the Saints in the world to come that their inheritance is immortal All whatsoever a mā inheriteth in this worlde is mortall his life here endeth but in the world to come it endureth eternallie The honour ritches and pleasures of this world perish but in heaven there is prepared for vs an induring substance Heb. 10.34 saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes And the pleasures which are at the right hand of God are for evermore saith David Psal 16.11 These heavens shall passe away and the elements shall melt with heate and this earth with the workes that are therein shal be burnt vp sayeth Peter 2. Pet. 3.10 13. but we hope for new heavens and a newe earth according to the promise of God wherein dwelleth rigeteousnes So whatsoever we vnderstand by this inheritance all is eternall in the world to come the life eternal the heavens the earth the glory the riches the pleasures the reast theioy that we shal enioy eternal The first vse of this point is to make vs who doe finde nothing perfectly happie nor comfortable which is subiect to mortalitie to take our hearts and affections of this perishing life and world and to cast away the love of corruptible things and to beholde and affect the lyfe blessings that are permanent and everlasting The second vse is to comfort vs against two tentatiōs wherwith we have to fight the one is touching our present estate and feeling the other is touching the feare that might enter in our mindes of that might befall vs in the possession of this life of God in heaven In this present lyfe wee have not onely to looke for an ende of our lyfe and of all creatures but the Saintes they have a feeling of the dayly decay of the outwarde man themselves hasting to an end now this death that cometh in betwixt vs and our hope for lyfe can not but sometimes trouble and grievouslie torment the mind that hath no sight of that immortall state to come Therefore the wicked are weary in beating of affliction and are altogether vnable to digest the dolours and paynes which they
God is dishonored with as earnest diligēce to preasse forward to that other lyfe which they see to be freed from all vncleannes so from all occasion of offending or dishonoring their God And yet further to weigh the cōfort of this point we must remēber that which is cōtained in the former which instructeth vs that this inheritāce is immortall These two so still accompanie one another that the one that is immortality can not be without this other property of vndefilednes For death is the rewarde of sinne Rom. 6.23 so that were sinne is not there is no death Hereby appeareth that excellēcy of this lyfe in that it is exempt from sinne and so consequently from death so that this propertie may very well be called the cause of the other whiche precedeth that is Immortalitie Like as Immortalitie may be compted the cause of the last property that is vnchangeablenes for sinne is the sting of death 1 Cor. 15.56 saith the Apostle And therefore take away sinne which is the thing that defileth both vs and our lyfe yea the heavens the earth and al creatures death shal have nothing wherewith to annoy vs the strength of death which is sinne being taken away Now to come to the vse of this point it serveth for a threefolde comfort to man when either hee looketh to his estate evē vnder grace in this presēt world or to the estate of man in his first creation or yet to the estate of Angels in their first creation In his estate vnder grace albeit he have begun to live the life of God yet still as wee have said he findeth a rebellion of sinn in his flesh resisting the will of God in his minde which wee have sheweth to be a matter of continuall grief to the godlie now to the heart oppressed with this godlie sorrow for sinne that daylie defileth him what can bee more comfortable then that hope of that lyfe in the which he shall cease from sinne and bee wholy freed from all the bondes cordes of iniquitie in the ful freedome and libertie of holines Herewith did the Apostle take vp him selfe from his griefe in his exclamation wherein he lamented his owne miserie in the seventh Chap. to the Rom. After hee had saide Rom. 7.24 O miserable man that I am who shal deliver me from the body of this death Looking to that blessed estate of perfect holines vnto the which we were called by God in Christ he addeth these wordes of consolation to recreate his owne soule I thanke my God through Iesus Christ my Lorde This maketh the heart to reioyce which never could otherwayes have perfite pleasure nor ioy in the beginnings of grace righteousnes and holines graunted in this lyfe no not in the greatest measure that ever was given by Christ Iesus to any creature but this hope of victorie maketh vs not to faint nor wearie in our mindes striving against sinne but patiently to fight vnto the end wayting for that blessed hope Now if man looke further vnto that case wherein Adam was in Paradise albeit in the estate of perfection without sinne yet sinne did prevayle over him and did both defile him and all other things to him Furthermore the Angels that were created in perfection yet did not stand in their first estate but were overcome by sinn So strong a thing is sin that neither man in his integritie nor Angells in their glorie were able to resist it Here now appeareth vpon the consideration of this propertie of our inheritance how exceeding more happie is our estate in Christ then was the estate of Adam by creation yea the estate of Angells in glorie Their estate was subiect to falling as doleful experience in both did prove but in this estate wherevnto wee are renewed in Christ there is no possibilitie of sinning any more after we are possest with our life in the heavens and so the feare of the like miserie which might arise in our heartes vpon their fall is quite taken away for our life and inheritance is vndefiled For when we shal enioy the fruite of our high Priestes oblation and recōciliation Heb. 7.26 as he is holy harmeles vndefiled seperate from sinners and made higher thē the heavens so shall wee also be holy harmeles vndefiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the heavens So then when our God shal be al in vs all sinne shall haue no more place in our minde in will in affection nor any parte of our flesh And wheras now to those that are defiled nothing is pure Tit. 1.15 but even their mindes and consciences are defiled So then when wee shal be vndefiled all things shall be cleane to vs the heavens the earth and all things because wee our selves our mindes and consciences shal be cleane and therefore is it that wee waite for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnes For in that kingdome wherin no vncleane thing shall enter all things shal be cleane so established in cleannes that nothing shal be able to defile them for ever Here is the comfort for them that mourne in this life for their owne sinnes and the sinnes and abominations that are committed in the middes of the house of God even that they them selves and the whole house of God Ezech. 9.24 shal be delivered frō filthines of sinn being possest with that everlasting righteousnes which is brought in by the sōne of God The Saints in heaven not subiect to change Now followeth the third propertie of our inheritāce which is that it withereth not This maketh vp the perfectiō of our estate in heaven for nothing can make a man happie which is not constant and stable without change The rich man is not made happie by his vncertaine riches because as Iob he may be turned to povertie and his habitation made desolate So is it of all things earthlie for there is nothing constant vnder the sunne therfore all is but vanitie It is true that not only the wicked but even sometimes the children of God being in prosperite wil be brought to say Iob. 29.18.19 Psal 10.6 Psal 30.6 That they shall dye in their Nest that their roote is spread out by the water and therefore they shall never be mooved nor suffer any changes but they finde when the Lord shall hide his face that they are troubled and their estate changed Moreover albeit all other things should continew after one yet mans owne frayeltie maketh his life miserable for albeit he grew vp in strength and activenes yet age cometh changeth him So that the moysture of his life being dried vp they wither as grasse even as the herbe and grasse of the field trees of the forrest albeit they florish in summer yet in winter they wither and loose all their beautie of their life 1 Pet. 1.24 Therefore doeth de spirit of God compare all flesh to grasse Iam. 1.10 and the glorie of
other creature or for himself only For no happines of any other creature could cōfort me I being my self depriued of it but here is our cōfort that we know this life which is kept by God in heaven is kept for vs for none other Therfore the wicked who have no assurance to gert this life have no cōfort in the sure keeping of it The very speech of the Apostle leadeth vs to cōsider That blessed is the man who is in the fellowship of the clect for whom this life is ordained that he may say as the Apostle doth here That hee is one of the nūber for whō that life is kept This is the maner of the Saintes speach because they see that it is in the communion of Saintes that they enioy all the blessings of God in Christ Therefore to speake of their enioying of them in this fellowship as being of that number This is the third thing that sheweth the suretie of this life to vs even because it is for vs that God keepeth it It was doubtles a great tentation to the poore Cananitish woman of Sarophenica when she heard Christ say that hee was not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell and yet more heavie when she heard him say to hir That it was not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogges as though he had neither ben sent to her nor yet had gottē the dispēsation of grace to bestow ought on her therof if her faith had not overcome this assault it had bene better for her never to have knowen that he was the Lord of life sent into the world for the life thereof but her consolation could not be taken from her nor her confidence drawē out of her heart because shee did see through faith in him that even the dogges of the Gentiles were to eate of the crummes of the childrens table This also made the Gentiles to reioyce in their hearts be glad when they heard of the Apostle Paul Act. 13.48 that God had ordained Christ a Saviour a light to the Gentiles when before they heard of the promise made to the Iewes and fulfilling thereof in Christ in whom forgivenes of sinnes was preached desired besought the Apostles Paul and Barnabas that they would preach these wordes to them the next Sabbath day Doubtles they would haue given all the world to haue ben sure that that consolation which was preached to the Iewes might also haue belonged to them And therefore when the next Sabbath day they had it out of the Apostles mouth confirmed by the scripture that God had made Christ the light of the Gentiles that he should be the salvation vnto the end of the world It is said that they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. For what avayleth it a man to heare that there is salvation for men in Christ that there is an vnspeakable felicitie layed vp in the heavens except that he know that he is one of the men for whom it is prepared those mens religion that consisteth only in the certaine knowledge that there is a Saviour and that there is remission of sinnes in his blood and eternall life to all that beleeue in him and yet never labored to know if he was given to them a Saviour in perticular vnto the remission of their sinnes and giving of eternall life to them in particular is nothing but a fantasie without fruits or comfort Here is then the chief poynt that this life is surelie kept that for vs. Neither can ever the soule of a poore sinner receiue cōfort vntill it be said to his soule to thee belongeth remission of sinnes and to thee is reserved salvation in the heavens Then is his heart established in hope Thus much now for the suertie of our inheritance Now followeth the sure keeping of vs to it and this is brought by way of a description of the Saintes For when the Apostle had said that this inheritance is kept in the heaven for vs then he expoundeth whom hee doth vnderstand by that word vs even those saith he who are kept by the power of God through faith vnto salvatiō which is prepared to be shewed in the last time So that these words doe both containe a description of the children of God and in their description a declareation of their suretie vnto life The first point of this description standeth in their keeping the second in the power whereby they are kept The third in the meane whereby this power doth keep them And lastlie the end wherefore they are kept As concerning their keeping it is a matter of great moment to the child of God for although he knoweth that his life be sure enough because it is in heaven and there kept with Christ in God for him yet herein is his peace and ioy troubled because he himselfe is yet in the earth subiect and exponed to the tentations of Sathan of the world and of the flesh and daylie in daunger to bee overcome and so to bee spoyled from that life that is sure in the heavens Being therefore in this daunger and by experience trying oftimes his own weaknes and the strength of his enemies in his manifest slydings and fallings never can he have solide comfort till his minde be assured that the gates of hell shall not bee able to prevaile against him 1 Cor. 4.8 c. finding the power of God magnified in his mortall bodie in that though hee bee afflicted on everie side yet hee is not in distres though hee be in doubt yet hee dispaireth not though hee bee persecuted yet hee is never forsaken and although hee bee oft cast downe yet hee perisheth not They that trust in the Lord being as Mount Sion which can not bee removed but remaineth for ever So that they may sing in that song of the Saintes in the hundreth and twentie nyne Psalme Psal 129.1 They have oftentymes afflicted mee from my youth May Israell now say They have oftentimes asslicted mee from my youth but they could not prevaile against me For the same God who hath taken the keeping of ourlyfe hath also taken the keeping of vs to that lyfe Therefore the Apostle Paul who reioyceth in this 2 Timoth. 1.12 2 Timoth. 4.18 that God to whom hee had committed his lyfe was able to keepe it vnto that day doth also boldlie glorie in this assurance That the Lord will deliver him from everie evill worke and will preserve him vnto his heavenlie kingdome Our Saviour willing to comfort vs against the griefe of his bodilie departure out of this worlde before his death Ioh. 17.11.15 did recommend vs all who are in this worlde to his Fathers keeping least wee should thinke our selves left withou a keeper when hee who whyle hee was in the world did keepe vs was no more in the worlde It is impossible that the Father should deney the Sonn any thing that