here wee must entertaine it well into this house of our bodie it s but a guest use it not basely it s no ill guest it gives us sight taste speech motion when it goes away our body is but a dumbe dull base lumpe of earth Nay when it is gone whilst the body is in the ground the soule having a most vehement and earnest desire to be knit to it again puts God continually in minde of raising it up at the last day of the generall resurrection and of glorifying it in a holy eternall and happy estate Secondly out of the words wee may observe That these vile bodies of ours shall bee changed this we receive as anarticle of our faith and yet were it beleeved truely as it ought it would worke a strange alteration in the mindes and manners of men contrary to that they are now and howsoever it is not imbraced yet it remaines a grounded truth that these bodies of ours sowne in corruption shall rise incorruptible 1 Cor. 1.15 It was foretold in way of consequence in Paradice for the head of the serpent could not bee broken but by conquering death which is the last enemie it was figured out unto us in Aarons dead seare rod that budded and Ionahs deliverance out of the bellie of the fish where he had beene 3. dayes and three nights It was beleeved of all the fathers Heb. 12. And for securitie before the floud Enoch and after the floud Elias were taken up in their bodies And besides it is not contrarie to reason I doe not say that reason can reach unto it for Christ he is alive still the dust whereof we are made and whether we goe is preserved it is not annihilated and why cannot Christ raise a body out of the dust as at the first make it out of dust why should he not be as able to quicken dust now as at the first and especially seeing the soule is reserved in heaven to this end till the day of his second comming Nay it is not contrarie to the course of nature we see every yeere summer comes out of winter day out of night youth out of infancie mans age out of youth And the Apostle in the Corinthians Thou foole the corne is not quickned except it die nay wee see what strange changes are dayly wrought by Art and shall wee thinke Gods almighty power cannot worke farre more strange effects The use therefore is to instruct us if we beleeve that Christ shall change these vile bodies Then sure the same bodies shall rise that died for change is of qualities it abolisheth not substances and therfore Iobs confidence herein is remarkable Iob. 19. Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold speaking of Christ so is it 2 Cor. 15.53 This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie and the ancient Creeds had credore surrectionem carnis hujus Secondly it s very unequall that one body should honour or defile it selfe and another bodie should be honoured or damned its comfortable therefore to us that love our bodies and honor them that they shall rise againe and wee shall injoy them for ever Thirdly Christ our surety hee raised the same body that was crucified and therefore the same bodies here that fulfill the measure of the sufferings of Christ here shall partake of his fulnesse in glorie A second use is for comfort is this a life of changes let it not daunt us but know they are all to end in glorie and they all tend to bring us thither we ever change for the better and the last change of all is the best of all and therefore let us indure these changes with a light heart In the third place who is the Authour of this change in us the Text saith that Christ shall change us Iob. 6.39 and 40. I will raise them up at the last day saith Christ of those that know him and beleeve on him Hee is furthermore our head now wee know the body must be conformable to the head if it bee crowned the body is crowned and therefore Rom. 8.11 the Apostle saith that if the spirit dwell in us that did dwell in him the spirit that raised him up will raise us up also Thirdly Christ is a whole Saviour he therefore will raise up our bodies as well our soules for he is the Saviour of both he hath delivered both from hell hee will raise up both to heaven Fourthly he is the second Adam as wee did beare the image of the first Adam in corruption so must we beare the image of the second Adam in glorie Fifthly hee is the seed of the wowan that must breake the serpents head and therefore hee must worke this change Sixthly Christ changed his owne bodie being burthened with all our sinnes and therefore as an exemplarie cause shall much more raise us up for sinne being once overcome which is the sting of death what can keepe us in the grave Let this strengthen our faith in the consideration that wee have such a strong Saviour that nothing shall bee able to separate us from his love nor to take us out of his hande Secondly make it a ground how to direct us how to honour our bodies not making them instruments of sinne against him but so to use them that we may with comfort and joy expect and desire his comming to change these our vile bodies Thirdly let us labour to assure our selves of our parts in this change in this resurrection This we shall know if we finde Christs spirit in us the same spirit that raised up him if it bee in us will raise us up also Rom. 8. for the first resurrection is an argument of the second and he that findes his understanding in lightned his will pliable his affections set upon right objects will easily beleeve the second resurrection of his bodie Secondly if wee hope for this change and so hope that we are stirred up thereby to fit our selves for it to cleanse our selves Thirdly if wee grow in grace 2 Pet. 1.11 it is a siâ—ne that wee have an entrance into Christs kingdome for God doth ever honour growth with assurance of a blessed estate Fourthly this should comfort us in time of death considering wee lose nothing but basenesse and our bodies are but sowne in the earth and this depositum which God committeth to the fire ayre earth and the water they must render up againe pure and changed by Christ and therefore it was a foolish conceipt of the heathen to burne the Martyrs bodies and to cast their ashes into the water thereby to put them out of hope of their resurrection not knowing God is as able to raise them out of fire and water as out of earth Fifthly this ought to administer comfort to us at the death and departure of our friends out of this life knowing that they are not lost that the earth is but a house and a hiding place
the naturall sonne in whom is no blemish should suffer and the adopted sonnes who are the causes of all offence should goe free It is equitie that we having taken Christ for our husband he should bee accompanied by us in sicknesse and in health in dishonour as in honour Thirdly it is long agoe decreed of God and predestinated and therefore cannot bee avoyded Rom. 8. â— 9 Whom hee did fore-know them he predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Fourthly its equall that if hee were conformed to us we should be conformable to him now he was conformed to us in that hee suffered that which wee should have suffered and did that for us which we were to do and could not he having drunke deepe of the cup prepared for us let us therefore at the least taste of it Yea let us suffer any thing with an undaunted courage when we are called thereto for Christ he will come with comforts he is not emptie he will make us like him hee will prepare us hereby for glorie feare not therefore God will turne all thy troubles to thy good And thus we doe fill up the measures of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh Col. 1.24 And are made partakers of Christs sufferings 1 Pet. 4.13 We have the like exhortations hereunto 1 Pet. 2.21 1 Pet. 3.14 to 18. Thus did Paul 2 Cor. 4.10 hee carryed the dying of Christ about with him Let no Christian therefore promise to himselfe immunitie from crosses he that will be a Christian must be conformable to Christ and he that will be like to him in glorie he must be like to him in drinking the Cup hee dranke of while hee was here in the flesh VERS 10. If by any meanes I might attaine to the Resurrection of the dead BY Resurrection of the dead he meanes the glorious estate after this life whereas the resurrection is but the beginning and the words sound as much in effect as if the Apostle had said I know I shall be happie at length but betweene this time and that I know I shall meet with troubles with many crosses yet let the way be never so difficult I passe not by any meanes to come to such an excellent end as the resurrection of the dead is in which words wee will First consider that there is a happie estate reserved hereafter which begins with the resurrection of the bodie whereby wee are farre more happie than the Angels that fell and also more happie than we were in our first estate in Adam which we lost and therefore our hearts should be inlarged with thankes to God that respects us above the Angels whom hee hath left without hope of recoverie In the next place consider that the beginning of our blessed estate hereafter is at the resurrection which is called the day of restoring of all things and a time of refreshing Acts 3.19 It s a day when all good shall be perfected and all evill shall cease all griefe of minde all trouble of body and death it selfe shall be swallowed up into victorie But why are we not happie before our resurrection I answer because our bodies and soules are partakers of miserie and sinne here and therefore cannot partake of fulnesse of happinesse before they be united together again God will have us to stay while all his familie of blessed Saints shall meet together as well us that are now alive as our seed and posteritie after us In the third place observe that the Apostle makes resurrection of the dead the last thing establishing thereby an order that there must be meanes to the resurrection and then the resurrection it selfe Ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into his glorie Math. 28. And if we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him the second resurrection must begin with the first we are sonnes and Saints hereafter but so we must also be here onely a difference there will be in degree of holinesse this resurrection doth not follow every manner of life although men ordinarily expect a crowne without crosses and never looke for justification and sanctification but thinke they shall be in heaven at an instant without them But we must suffer with Christ in Mount Calvarie before wee come with him to the Mount Olivet In the fourth place wee may likewise note that its hard to come to heaven because of this order established by God not in comparison of the end for that surmounteth in excellencie the hardnesse of the meanes but in respect of the meanes some by faire death with many crosses in their life some not by many outward crosses yet have store of inward troubles of the minde by reason of their inward corruption that doth trouble them others by violent deathes and by martyrdome the wayes are so many and the meanes so diverse as there is no certainty which way wee shall passe As St. Paul knew not the meanes so he cared not what the means were for he was content to go thither by any meanes let the cup of affliction be never so bitter the glorie insuing will sweeten all Away therefore with all idle and secure thoughts of sparing our selves Pitie thy selfe said Peter to Christ but was answered sharpely get thee behinde me sathan no the way is very hard we must come to health by physick the end is so amiable as it will sweeten all sowre meanes and therefore its good for us to be afflicted crosses bring at length the sweetest comforts Denie wee our selves therefore in Christs cause know no bodie looke upon God and Christs promises and promise wee ourselves no more than God promises it s beyond our knowledge what God will doe with us he promises no immunitie from crosses Nay the Saints and the Apostles chose crosses and afflictions rather than the pleasures of sinne who were wise and had triall of both kindes and yet accounts these momentanie afflictions not worthy of comparison with the glory that shall bee revealed they were but light 2 Cor. 4.17 Rom. 8.18 And if wee would truly beleeve this it would be easie for us to be resolved as St. Paul was to come to heaven by all assurances and to come to all manner of assurances by any meanes for no worldly thing can bring content like these heavenly assurances of the presence of the light of Gods love which the children of God will by no meanes lose Secondly in all crosses let us not looke into the state we are in so much as that we are going into we are going to a Pallace let us not bee dejected in the consideration of the narrownesse of the way that leadeth thereto God will not suffer this fierie triall to consume any thing but drosse and therefore let us with Christ suffer the crosse and despise the shame Heb. 12. Thirdly labour for a right esteeme of the things of this world they are but momentarie and fading yea our lives they are given to us by
best indeavours it is but a while and it shall not be in vaine is it not better thus to doe and partake of this blessed change than to spare this vile body and pamper it by sacrificing all or to imploy all our time in the serving and pleasing others and to that end not to care to prostitute our selves to all manner of filthinesse what shall we get by these courses but at the resurrection of the just when wee should lift up our heads because our redemption draweth nigh then shall we be overcome with shame griefe terror and horror of conscience But happie are we therefore if in a good course wee can so resigne up our selves so as to bee resolute with Hester If I perish I perish if I live I live to Christ if I die I die to him what I have committed to him he will keepe I am assured thereof and therefore I will not offend him for any pleasure or profit whatsoever these resolutions had the Patriarches and Gods Saints and these made them die with comfort VERS 21. According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to Himselfe THe word that is translated working may and doth signifie power and so it was translated heretofore and is to be meant But the words being plaine we will come to some observations And first of all observe That Christ hath a power able to subdue all things to himselfe and this hee hath by vertue of his office of Mediatorship and this in respect of God to reconcile and appease him Secondly in respect of opposite powers to overcome all of them Thirdly in respect of the persons to be saved that he might free them from all ill and raise them to all happinesse and these things requires a power that must be above all created powers for God could not bee appeased but by an infinite price the bloud of one that is God and wee could not bee defended from sinne and hell whose power is the greatest of all finite power but by a power beyond it and such a power as must regenerate and renew us notwithstanding the opposite power of the divell and our corruptions within us which is a greater worke than the worke of our creation And all this he hath done he hath subdued him that had the power of death the Divell Heb. 2.14 He hath subdued diseases and windes with a word and with a word he smote his enemies to the ground he hath subdued all ill of the body and minde forgiving sinnes opening our hearts subduing our corruptions and death hath yeelded to his power O death I will bee thy death In the next place as Christ hath this power so he will use this power for the good of his Saints and this hee will doe because what ever Christ is he is for the good of his Church hee is powerful merciful and loving for his Churches sake And secondly because our bodies doe require it for it must be an infinite power that makes the body of dust and therefore though Christ was the sonne of God declared from the beginning yet it was said hee was mightily declared to be the son of God by his resurrection from the dead for from a privation to a habit there can be no regression by a naturall course and therefore for our bodies to returne from dust must be by a supernaturall infinite power of one that is God Let those that are enemies to Christ his members consider this against whom doe ye strive even against the Almighty who in his humiliation was able with a word to strike his enemies to the ground and now being in glory how fearfull and terrible should his power be to such who should learn betimes to kisse the sonne before they perish in the mid-way And for his children let them comfort themselves that are under the government of so powerfull a majesty for he will bruise all their enemies under them Nay they are already all conquered and let them consider of all his promises and apply them to his power It is a powerfull Saviour that said Come to me all you that are heavie laden I will raise you up it is he that is able to subdue all things to himselfe that promises my grace shal be sufficient for you he is a Prophet to instruct fully a Priest to satisfie Gods wrath to the utmost a King to subdue all their corruptions Thirdly let this incourage us to set our selves against our corruptions some there are that having a little strove with their lusts and finding not that they have gotten any sensible ground against them they as out of hope and heart sit down with this opinion as good never a whit as not the better and so yeeld up the bucklers what a distrustfull incredulous estate is this is not he God that hath promised is hee not truth it selfe hath he said and shall it not come to passe feare not these Anakims nor Cananites depend on God in the use of the meanes and let him alone with the performāce of his promises Fourthly despaire of none though never so weake so long as they use the meanes for Christ hath created all by his word hee will raise us up by his word and will change us by his word and by this word he is able to change others though never so obstinate for so long as they are under the word and meanes they are under the armes of an almighty power and therefore if any be in our power or if wee wish well to any we should perswade them to prize the word and to use the meanes In the next place this is a ground of triall of our estates would we know whether we are of the number of those that shall bee raised up hereafter and changed then examine whether we have found this power changing us and bringing us to grace here for Eph. 1.19 20. the same power worketh in us to beleeve that raised up Christ doe wee then finde our understandings inlightned our wils conformable to his wil do we finde the strong holds of sin in us rased and new spirits new thoughts new desires in us O these are blessed evidences of Christs almighty power in us that will raise us up at the last day By this meanes also wee may try our profession doe we come by faith and religion with pleasure and ease alas this is no signe of any powerfull strong worke in us it s easie to goe to Church to heare the word or reade it to receive the sacraments contrarily if we finde an inward change that our hearts are so altered as we can over rule our members contrary to our lusts and contrary to occasions then stronger is he that ruleth in us than hee that ruleth in the world 1 Ioh. 4.4 it is easie to resist a temptation where none is the mightie power of Christ is seene when being invironed with temptations we are inabled to resist I pray saith Christ that thou should keepe
them from evill in the world and not that thou shouldst take them out of the world Ioh 17.15 If we be under crosses if this spirit and power of Christ be in us it will enable us to beare all patiently it will keepe us from murmuring and fretting It will also convince us of our naturall estate so as wee shall see evident necessitie of Gods almighty power to change us this made the Apostle Paul and the Iaylor to looke about them for helpe Lord what wouldest thou have me to doe and thus it will make us never to give God rest nor Christ respite till that power that shall raise up our bodies doe raise up also our soules and he shine in us by his spirit that did bring light out of darknes and fashion us as in his wisedome shall be most meet In the next place the consideration of Gods Almightie power should teach us not to be dejected or cast downe at the reports of the afflicted state of the Church abroad it should bring us rather to God to rely upon his goodnes and power for God is ever God almighty and the same mercifull God that ever he was and therfore we should pray for the Church the more instantly that God would give them beautie instead of ashes wee should urge him with his promise of building up and defending of his Church and destroying of Antichrist and let us make the resurrection of the body a ground to strengthen us in the beleefe thereof as the returne of the children of Israel from Babylon was sealed by the resurrection of the dry bones Ezek. 37. as also the Apostle from the resurrection of the dead gathereth that God by that power hath and will deliver him 2 Cor. 1.9 10. Furthermore when wee are oppressed with any extremitie though never so great by continuall meditation of his promises wee should strengthen our selves and apply them to our present estate and condition knowing that he that raised us out of dust will not suffer us to bee buried in miserie but will with the triall give us a gracious issue at the last by raising up our bodies at the last day by his almighty power which made also the Patriarch Abraham to hope above hope what though our helpes be few its no matter what the instrument is so as Christ is the chief worker In the next place This should incourage us to stand out sted fast in a good cause for the truth do not think with our selves alas I am but one and a weake sillie man what can I doe against a multitude let not such thoughts discourage thee thinke of Luther a poore Monke who alone set himselfe against the whole world and wrought that effect that wee have all cause at this day to honour the memorie of him it is not thou but God in thee that is able to confound all thine enemies and therefore with Moses behold him that is invisible Yet further this should bee observed by a Christian as a ground of his perseverance to the end for when wee know we are Christians what can bereave us of our blessings what can make our faith faile its Gods power that will keepe us to salvation and he that beleeveth shall have life and shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 6.39 40.44.47 and many other places and Christ by his almighty power swayes all our life to our building up to salvation and therefore in contraries we should beleeve contraries that death will worke life miserie happinesse corruption incorruption and this vilenesse glorie for its Gods order to worke by contraries that his power might the more appeare And at the houre of death then behold him that is thus able and all-sufficient that shall presently glorifie our soule and at length will raise up our bodie also and unite it to our soule to partake with it in glorie and happinesse that will then quit us of all sinne corruption death change all our enemies shall bee troden under our foote and all this by his almightie power whereby he is able to doe farre above that wee are able to think and therefore let us with a holy admiration thereof say with the Apostle Ephes. 3.20 To him be glorie for evermore Amen FINIS Loâ—uere ut videa 1 Cor. 8.5 Animus â—ujusque is est quisqueâ— 1 The Appellation 2 Exhortation 3 Limitation Meanes to get Ioy. Answ. 1. Ob. Answ. Psal. 120.5 Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Note 3. Doct. 4. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Rev. 1. and 2 3. Doctr. 1. 1 John 4.1 Quest. Answ. Ob. Answ. A threefold judgment to wit I Of Discretion II Of Directiâ—n III Of Jurisdiction Doctrine Quest. Answ. Rev. 22.15 Remedies against seducers Remedy 1. Remedy 2. Remedy 3. Remedy 4. Meanes and waies to mortifie sinne Three parts viz. 1 The Act Worship 2 The Object God 3 The most part viz. in Spirit Reasons why God must be worshipped in Spirit Vse Reasons why outward worship is so well liked and loved Ob. Answ. Signes of spirituall worshippers Helps unto spiritual worship Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Quest. Answ. Causes of true joy Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Answ. Signes of true Christian joy 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe Quest. Answ. Doctrine Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4 Reason 5. Quest. Answ. Signes of fleshly confidence St. Pauls prerogatives Obj. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Wherein and how the knowledge of Christ exceeds humane knowledge Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Signes of the choice of Christ. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Answ. The meanes how to be united to Christ. Vse 1. Signes of mortification Quest. Answ. Obj. 1. Obj. 2. Ob. Answ. Doctrine Vse 1. 1. Direct 2. 3. 2. Hind 3. Hind Direct 1. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Hind 4. Hind Doctrine Vse Doct. Vse 2. Doctr. Vse Doctr. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe Vse 2. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doct. 1. Signe 2 Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe 6. Signe 7. Signe 9 Signe 10. Signe Meanes unto perfection Motives to the use of the meanes and unto perfection Doctrine How to walk according to the Rule Ob. Answ. Doct. Wherein imitation consists Why examples are laid downe in Scripture Vse 1. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Who were enemies to Christs crosse Gal. 5.4 A threefold judgment Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Reason 1. Helpes Remedies against vaine-glory Rules Signes Doctr. Quest. Answ. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. 4. Direct 5. Dir. 6. Dir. Obj. Answ. 7. Dir. Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Vsâ— Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doctr. 1. Quest. Answ. Vse Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Quâ—st Answ. Obj. Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Vse 6. Vse 7. Doctrine 1.
seeing once their blindnesse might be the more able to confound them as being not a whit inferiour to them in any outward respect whatsoever when they were of their beleefe In the fourth place God having to deale with men of a desperate condition suffers great and famous men to be in ignorance nay to be persecutors that after their conversion they might comfort weake Christians and therefore let them comfort themselves doe they finde that their sinnes are many and great Paul was a Pharisee a persecuting Pharisee and continued so a long while Nay after his conversion he complaines of a body of sinne and yet found mercie and therefore doe not despaire But to proceed wee see what St. Paul was and what now he is how his judgement is quite contrary to that it was for where grace is it makes men opposite to themselves and therefore this re-creation is called a new creature Paul quite contrary to Saul and yet both one person Out of which we may gather First That a man before conversion hath ever that which is his gaine for wee are prone to thinke too highly of naturall things and our esteeme shall be grounded upon probabilities rather than we will lose our esteeme of them For we know this outward gaine is easily gotten the duties are easily performed faire outwardly and will procure praise from men which is all we naturally looke for Secondly observe hence That that which we before conversion thought gaine is indeed losse and unprofitable nay it is dangerous for things may in use be good but in abuse dangerous Riches are good in use but in abuse mammon and thornes as Christ termes them Circumcision and Sacrifices and Baptisme in themselves were good and many things are still good yet when we trust in them and neglect inward graces sacrifice is no more acceptable than a dogges head Good workes are in their proper nature good yet if wee relye on them they stoppe the way to Christ. So as it is our wicked and abusing affections that hath brought an ill report on the good creatures of God so as to us they are drosse and dung nay losse these termes doth the holy spirit give to alienate our affections from these earthly things an outward civill and conformable life are by our too high esteeme of them stoppes staying many from Heaven for while they tell themselves they live honestly and justly doing no wrong they suppose themselves to be very Saints and looke no further But every true Christian knowes his infirmity and the more he is inlightened the more hee sees his darknesse he knowes these things cannot be gaine to him For first he knowes they are meaner than the soule these are earthly the soule is from heaven these are outward the soule is spirituall and therefore is onely satisfied with spirituall and heavenly comforts Secondly A Christian sees these things are fading arising of nothing and tending to nothing contrarily he knowes his soule is eternall and requires comforts that may last with it for ever For those that joy in these outward things when they leave him or he leave them as of necessitie he must its true they vanish to nothing but he cannot but must continue comfortlesse for ever and undergoe the just wrath of God Furthermore a Christian doth not only know these things to be no gaine but he also knowes them to be losse For that 's losse which a man findes by experience to be losse when his understanding is awakened But all things outward what ever they bee whether that a man is a Christian by profession or that hee is a Preacher who hath good utterance and is imbraced of the people and approved of or what priviledge else soever when the conscience is awakened they breed more horrour at the houre of death when we are to give an account of them and they set us further off from Christ. A prophane person is nearer conversion than a proud Pharisee as Christ saith the publican and harlots goe before you into the Kingdome of God the reason is because they that are thus outwardly affected sing peace to their soules wheÌ„ as the prophane man hath no starting holes of excuse his vilenesse being more manifest Secondly God detests such boasters more than those that are outwardly prophane and therefore Christ inveighes against such ever Woe to you Pharisees Hypocrites and often threatens such with the punishment that is provided for hypocrites as if those were the men which his soule abâ—orred and for which onely hell was prepared But how shall we be qualified that outward things may not be hinderers of us First looke to the foundation of all conversion consider the nature of God and his law by them we shall see a further degree of holinesse than the best of us can attaine to The excellencie of Gods nature is such as Gods children have beene ashamed to be in his presence As Iob when God spake abhorred himselfe Peter when he saw the power of Christ said Depart from me Lord for I am a sinfull man We are therefore to thinke often of the presence of God before whom ere long we must all appeare Secondly Bring thy selfe to the spirituall meaning of the law as Paul did Rom. 7. See into thy thoughts and behold the uncleannesse of thy heart Thirdly converse with those that are better than thy selfe and compare thy selfe with them Not as the Pharisees who compared themselves with the Publicans and herein are many deceived and by undervalewing others they over-valew themselves For things compared with lesse they seeme somewhat but with bigger seeme nothing it ought not to be so with us let us compare our selves to that rule that we live by and to such examples as we are to follow Compare we our selves with Christ our righteousnesse with his and then shall we see our wants Fourthly Practise that which Christ so much beates on that is selfe-deniall hate father mother world nay thy selfe or never thinke to come to Christ they will be losse to thee unlesse thou account them losse the young rich mans wealth made him a loser the love of the praise of men kept the Pharisees that they could not beleeve Whosoever nourisheth any lust it will rule him and his affections that he shall make it his gaine be it never so vile in it selfe But St. Paul being guided by another spirit casts away all and so must we if we will not lose Christ and suffer shipwracke cast away these commodities that loade us and hinder us in our course Neither is it meant here of an actuall casting away of our goods thereby to establish the foolish vow of povertie But herein is meant a judicious discerning of the true worth of these things in comparison of Christ and from thence a preparation and arâ— solved minde to part with all that may hinder us from the injoyment of peace of conscience and the love of Christ. For a man may have a weaned soule in the middest
of abundance and he may live in the world though not to the world which is a dutie easily spoken of yet not easily performed neither was it easily wrought in our Apostle who being a persecutor of the Church was powerfully altered and changed from Heaven and thus doth God deale with his children whom hee doth first cast downe and afflict that they may finde by experience that these outward things can stand us in no stead it may be hee suffers them to fall into some grievous scandalous sinne that they might see the bodie of sinne that lies in them and seeing no good nor help in themselves their desires are stirred up to the imbracing of some better thing wherein they may finde comfort then doth God reveale Christ to us to whom he will have us to flie and say Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe So as this power of changing our selves is not in our selves but it is an almightie power If we thinke therefore that wee are selfe-lovers goe to God present thy selfe in the meanes and then our eyes shall be opened to see and discerne good and evill For God hath promised to annex his spirit to the use of the meanes if that wee in obedience submit our selves to them VERS 8. Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse THe words containe a kinde of correction as if in few words he had said All things whatsoever I formerly boasted in nay my very priviledges I count them not onely dung but I doe count them to be losse to me nay I have suffered the losse of them all in comparison and for Christ my â—ord Yea I desire to expresse the earnest intention of my affections by my desire to win him to know hâ—m to be found in him and to formable to his death In generall observe The Apostles resolution and zeale his assured certainty his large heart being not able to expresse his affection but by many words viz. his love of Christ and hate of all outward things whatsoever Therefore we also in maine fundamentall points must be resolute carrying a full saile as in the truth of the thing there is a certainty so in us there must be an assured perswasion thereof For even from these uncertaine irresolute hearts comes Apostacie men being not grounded are carried about with every winde of doctrine and hence also comes different measures of grace in Christians some say with Paul Doubtlesse others are of doubting hearts But the end of the word is to settle us Ephes. 4.13 And though it be never so true yet if we not beleeve it though the foundation be sure yet if we not build on it the tru hand force of it is not good unto us In the second place fâ—om the Apostles example We are to learne in fundamentall truthes to be zealous The Apostle speaking of any thing that â—eâ—kes competition with Christ for value how doth he vilisie it that he hath not words sufficient to eâ—prâ—sse his fervent hatred thereof For zeale is such an affection as causes a constant hatred against any thing that opposes that which we intirely love even such a hatred as will cause us not to indure to heare of it And God therefore promiseth Ephraim he shall so abhorre Idols as he shall not have to doe with them And indeed a jealous God and a zealous heart doe well agree when wee have to doe with any one that opposes God in his â—ruth we are not to be cold but to be zealously affected In the third place Wee are to learne to bee large hearted in expressing our affection wee beare to the truth and therefore we are to bee ashamed of our shortnesse of breath in speaking or meditating of Gods honour and glory and his truth But particularly from our Apostles esteeme wee may learne That Gods children have sanctified and regenerate thoughts and esteemes For with new soules they have new eyes new senses new affections and judgements what they saw before to be gaine they see now to be losse Beasts we know conceive not of mens matters neither doe weake simple men of state matters that which weake silly men admire the Apostle scornes and contemnes Moses accounted of the afflictions with the children of God more than of the pleasure of Egypt We may observe this as a marke to know our estates by what is high in thy esteeme is honour riches pleasure or the like thou art not yet throughly sanctified for if thou wert thou wouldst have a sanctified judgement But some may say did Paul esteem all things to be losse yea his good workes I answer good workes in their own nature are good but weighing them with Christ as Paul did they are also drosse and dung Secondly it teaches us that wee are not righteous or justified by any workes ceremoniall or morall either before or after our conversion The Papists alledge works as meritorious we contrarily doe disclaime them As to that purpose I say they you meane ceremoniall works we say no we meane also morall For Paul was unblameable as concerning the works of the law and yet counts them dung O say they St. Paul meaned those works before his conversion and not those after his conversion I answer yes all things in respect of Christ I doe now account them as drosse and losse To prove this the fuller If nothing after conversion bee perfect then cannot they intitle us to heaven but all our best works in state of regeneration are imperfect to prove this See the examples of David a man after Gods owne heart Psal. 143.2 None righteous in thy sight and who can say his heart is cleane And Esay 64.6 Wee are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse as filthie ragges O but Bellarmine sayes the Prophet speakes this in the person of the wicked I hope he will not put the Prophet into that number for he saith wee and our and our righteousnesse not our ill deeds and all our righteousnesse Nay of himselfe in particular Esay saith as much in Esay 6.5 And besides the wicked doe not use to pray as the whole Chapter is to that end And Daniel also includes himselfe in his confession Dan. 9.20 And to prove this by reason We know that weake and corrupt principles must needs produce imperfect effects now the principles of all our motions are evilly affected our understandings memomories affections all are corrupt and weake Corruptions make combates in all parts of the soule and body in whatsoever therefore we doe there is flesh and spirit and their owne Authours agree hereunto as Ferus and Catharen a Cardinall of their owne sayes there is donatajustitia and inhaerens When the question is what we must leane to it must be onely on Christ and his righteousnesse wherewith from him we are indowed And a Pope of theirs Adrian the fourth saith that all our righteousnesse is as the reed of Egypt which will not onely faile us if we rest on it but will pierce our
a wing yet is she as surely the fowlers as if her whole body were bound so if we favour or like and imbrace but one sinne though we thinke not thereof there is a floud of sinne comes in at that gate he that is guiltie of one sinne is guiltie of all But the weake Christian will object are wee not yea the best of us troubled with our personall secret infirmities what shall then become of us I answer feare not for its true though the best child of God be thus troubled yet hee pleades against it he hates it he undermines it and strives against it and thus opposing it it is not accounted to him by God But if hee forsakes all sinne in heart but one the devill will suffer it and indure it well enough for he knows he is sure enough The fifth note is That such an one can be content to be at some cost yea losse and paines for the Word for the field wherein this pearle is hid hee that is not of this minde cares not for the word It is not that men can speake well and commend it for many will doe so yet afterward make a mocke of it especially being in some company but he that esteemes it once will ever esteeme it and in all company wil extoll it Herod a very reprobate may seeme well affected where there is no temptation or while the word is preached can this be a plea to God at the last day who searcheth and knowes thy heart many dream they have this when indeed they have naught but the shell How few can say in truth I have denied this or that commodity and refused my profit for Christs sake Those that have done this let them know they have a most rich gaine and the best gain of all others they have an universall gaine that will comfort at all times riches and honours cannot cure the troubled minde neither can they deliver in the day of wrath Then in the next place let them know they have an everlasting gaine that will comfort us for ever and ever In the last place such as have wonâ—e Christ they have such a gaine as makes them that have him truly rich and noble and good other riches without grace doe corrupt us the Image of God is the true and intrinsecall worth Let this incourage us to labour to get Christ to attend the meanes that lay his riches open and thereby shall our love bee so stirred up and our judgement so sanctified as wee shall bee of St. Pauls minde to account all other things losse in regard of him and therefore it s no wonder that those that have not the benefit of the meanes want this esteeme VERS 9. And be found in him SOme reade the words actively thâ—â— may finde Christ but the phraâ—e is in the originall varying from the former and therefore it is better translated as we have it passively But when is it that St. Paul desireth to be found in Christ Ever no doubt but especially at the houre of death and day of judgement The Phrase implies first that there is an estate in Christ Secondly an abiding in it and Thirdly to be found abiding in him For the handling whereof wee will first explaine the phrase Secondly we will shew what doctrines it doth cleere then we will come to some instructions arising therefrom The phrase to be in Christ is taken from plants which are grafted into stocks or from the branches which are said to be in the tree thus are we in the vine it s Christs owne comparison and of this union with Christ there are three degrees First we are in Christ and in God first loving us and so wee were in him before wee were he chose us from all eternitie Secondly when Christ died then we were in him as a publike person Thirdly we are said most properly to be in him now when we beleeve in him and thus principally is the sense understood in this place and thus we are in Christ not as the manhood is in Christ but mystically not as friends in one another by love but by faith wee are ingrafted as truly as the branches are in the vine so are we one But Christ is in heaven wee are on earth how can we be united to him that is so farre distant from us I answer if a tree did reach to heaven and have its roote in the earth doth this hinder that the branches and the roote are not united In no wise So Christ he is in heaven and we on earth yet are we united to him by his spirit and receiving influence from him of all grace and goodnesse Now le ts see what doctrines are cleared hereby first it cleares the point of justification by Christ For if the question be how wee are saved by Christs righteousnesse I answer Christ and we are both one doth not the eye see for the bodie are not the riches of the husband and wife all one yes and even also whatsoever Christ hath is ours he is our husband he is our head In the second place it cleares the matter of the sacrament the Papists would have the bread transubstantiated into the bodie of Christ that it may be united to us I answer how is the foot in the head is it not by spirituall vigour passing to and fro through the body but chiefly in the head it is not therefore necessary that there should bee any corporall union Nay Christ comforted his Disciples more by his spirit when he departed from them than he did by his corporall presence We say also that the mysticall body of Christ is invisible because the spirit whereby we are made one is invisible This should comfort us at all times and in all estates before we were in Christ we were in an estate of horrour in an estate of damnation now to be reduced to Christ what comfort is it to be one of a politique body it s but for life or to be in any mans favour it s but at will this is a most excellent glorious and eternall being that mans nature should be so highly advanced as to be unitâ—d to the Godhead yea our persons are mystically united to Christ. Secondly In all crosses or losses what though we lose other states here is a state cannot bee shaken Thirdly in the houre of death wee are in Christ and blessed are they that dye in the Lord death that separates the soule from the body cannot separate eyther from Christ. Fourthly after death can it go hard with me that am in Christ that am his spouse I am in him in whom is fulnesse of comfort Fifthly in all wants here I have him to supply all hee will give what is necessarie if we should have fulnesse of grace here we should not desire to be in heaven hereafter Sixthly in persecution all my hurt redounds to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me that which thou dost to my members thou doest to me
before the comming of Christ as that the Gospell should bee preached in all places that the conversion of the Iewes might be hastened and the downefall of Antichrist might speedily come to passe And this hope will also incourage us and put us forward that in our severall callings and standings we should helpe on the performance of them as much as is in our power to performe by helping on the building of the Church and the inlargement of Christs kingdome and the confusion of his enemies Lastly this hope will worke in us a sweet and comfortable carriage in all estates and conditions carrying us through all impediments with courage For yet a little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarrie and hee will come full handed My reward is with me saith Christ and lest we should thinke it long before he comes hee told us long agoe that those were the latter dayes and that the ends of the world were then come upon them Doe men then molest us persecute and vexe us let us be comforted hee comes that will tread all our enemies under our feet Do we find that we have but short spirits that our graces are but weake let us not dishearten our selves hee that keepes heaven for us will give us necessarie graces to bring us thither if we want goe to the God of faith and love hee hath promised to give us his spirit to make all grace abound in us never to leave us nor forsake us till he hath perfected his worke in setting us with him in glorie But to proceed to the object of this expectation it is Christ who is described unto us by the Saviour whom hee calles also Iesus which signifies a Saviour and this he doth to impresse it the deeper into his affections But some may say Christ hath saved us already what need is there therefore of his second comming I answer it is to perfect our salvation for redemption of our bodies and glorious libertie are reserved to his second comming wee looke not that he should die any more but appeare as a Lord of glorie in glorie without humiliation for sinne having already gotten victorie of it The observation is that Christ is a Saviour and the Saviour by way of excellencie he saves all that are of his mysticall body from all evill and preserves them to all good hee saves their bodies and their soules now from the power of all evill and hereafter hee will free them from all evill he is the everlasting Saviour while we live here his bloud runnes continually this is the fountaine opened for the house of Iudah for sinne and uncleannesse in it are we cleansed from the guilt and damnation of sinne what would wee have more Wee are kept by faith to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Let this raise up our soules Are wee swallowed up with the sense of any miserie Let us know that we trust a Saviour that is every way absolute that invites those that are sicke with sinne to come unto him and how can wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 Away therefore with all â—opish conceipts of meriting by our works All glorie must bee given onely to his mercie all that hee did for us was to the glorie of his grace Ephes. 1.6 Lastly this should comfort us when wee thinke of the last day to thinke withall that he shall be our judge that is our Saviour and therefore should cast away all terrour from us knowing that our head will not destroy his members but that hee our husband being a great King will also crowne us his spouse with a glorious crowne therefore when wee see the fore-going signes come to passe let us lift up our heads knowing our redemption draweth neere To goe on in the next place Christ is not only our Saviour but he is our Lord wherein we may see the Apostles Christian wisedome hee useth such titles as may most of all strengthen his faith and affection of the present meditation which being a point of the resurrection a thing seeming contrarie to reason to flesh and bloud hee strengthens himselfe in this consideration that he is the Lord who haâ—h all power and authority committed to him Math. 28.18 Secondly he is Lord by title of redemption so as we are no more our owne but his for he hath bought us with a price Thirdly he is Lord of the world and of the divell by conquest Heb. 2.14 Fourthly hee is Lord over his Church by marriage hee is our husband governing his Church with sweetnesse and love He is also the Lord by way of excellencie above others depending on no creature hee is Lord of Lords Secondly he is Lord of body and soule and conscience punishing with terrors here and damnation hereafter Thirdly he is Lord eternall hee indures for ever and cannot die Fourthly he is such a Lord as cannot abuse his authority he cannot tyrannize his grace and vertue are of equall extent with his power Fifthly he is a holy Lord holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth that is Lord of hosts In all these hee is farre above any earthly man yea above all creatures And therefore it s a sweet estate to bee under government and rule They then that are Lords here on earth must consider though they rule and are above others yet are they under the Lord thus did Ioseph Therefore they must rule but in the Lord it is his will that must rule their wils Secondly this should comfort Christians that they have such a Lord as is Lord of Angels at whom the divells tremble whom stormes windes seas sicknesse death and all creatures doe obey Yet wee cannot challenge this comfort but upon condition of our obedience the Apostle joynes Lord and Saviour together to shew that he is a Saviour onely to those that take him for their Lord to governe and rule them as he is our Priest he must also be our King he comes by water to purge and wash us as well as by bloud to suffer for us The wicked they will not have this man rule over them but they shall not say nay God wil be a Lord over them ruling by his power with a rod of iron hee will bruise them in peeces none shall deliver them If we will avoid this miserable estate let us make him Lord in us thus shall we crowne him and then he will crowne us with himselfe VERS 21. Who shall change our vile bodie THe words are plaine and shall need no exposition therefore wee will briefly come to the doctrines And first we may observe hence That our bodies are base and thus are the bodies not onely of wicked prophane men but of the servants and dearest children of God all are vile and that in these respects First in life our originall is base wee are dust and to dust wee must returne and our continuance is full of change subject to diversitie of estates sicknesse health paine ease