righteousnes vnto eternall life That all that beleeue in him walking after the spirite and not after the fleshe might be pertakers of his heauenly kingdome and made the sonnes of God For which cause to the better confirmation of our faith and hope of saluation It is requisite to shewe the ordenance and promyse of God from the beginning touching our iustification in his sonne Iesus Christ that thereby wée may be stirred vp by the great goodnes of god for to séeke by Christe Cor. 1.2 the riches of his glorious inheritance vpon the Sainctes Ephe. 11. hée béeing ordained thereto of God before the beginninge of the worlde was made vnto our glory Touching whome in this Booke of mans glorification wée must especially looke vnto Christes two coÌ„mings séeing that hée is the Author and finisher of our redemption and hath adopted vs to be the sonnes of glory by appearing once in the fleshe to put sinne to flight by the offering vp of him self to death whome the Father raysed vp to lyfe and is entred into heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs and shall come againe to chaunge our vile bodyes Phil. 3. to be facyoned lyke to his glorious body Wherfore in that wée haue such an high Aduocate in heauen by whome wée haue an incorruptible crowne of blessednes propounded and set before vs Let vs walke woorthy and laudable vnto God according to the grace giuen vs in Iesus Christe that wée may obteine the rewarde thereof And now to consider the purpose of the heauenly Father how hée hath blessed vs in all manner of heauenly thinges by Chris te according as hée hath chosen vs that wée should be Saints through the beloued Iesus It followeth that wée kéepe alwayes a ioyfull remembrance that as the glory of the last house or teastament of God was greater then the first so is it in the manner of the two commings of Christ for first hée came in the humilitie of the fleshe to be to vs a sauing health béeing borne of the Virgin Mary by the woorking of the holy Ghoste very man and mortall and yet the same very GOD and immortall who béeing in the shape of God and equall with God Collos s â— Phil. 2. in whome dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godhead bodyly yet did he neuerthelesse make him self of no reputation takeing vpon him the shape of a seruant and became lyke vnto man and was founde in his apparell as a man humbling him self to all obedience for though hé e were Gods sonne yet learned hée obedyence Heb. 5. by those things which hée suffered and was made perfect Ihon. 1. and the cau se of eternall saluation vnto al that obey him according to Iohn In the beginning was the woord and the woord was with God and the woord was God and this woorde was made fleshe beeing the lyfe and light of men giuing power to all that beléeue in him to be the sonnes of God for it pleased the father to send his sonne in the sinfull fleshe béeing without sinne and by sinne dampned sinne in the flesh and loused the woorkes of the deuill Rom. â— Whome he maketh heire of all things béeing the brightnes of him self bearing vp all thinges with the woord of his power for so it was the will of the Father that in him should all fulnes dwell Heb. 1. and that in him all thinges should haue their béeing that hée might be all in all Thus the Almighty Creator hath performed his blessed promyse Collossians â— when hée sayde that the séede of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head and when long after he sayd vnto Abraham vnto thy séede will I giue this land Gen. 3. for one that come out of thine owne body shall be thyne heire and thy seede shall bee as the starres in number And Abraham beléeued the Lord and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Gen. 15. And also the Lord sayde againe to Abraham when he was 89 yeare olde I will make my couenant betwéen mée thée and will multiply thé e excéedingly for behold my testameÌ„t is with thée that thou shalt be a father of many nations my bond betwéen mée thée thy séed after thée shal be an euerlasting testament Gen. 17. I wil be good to theÌ„ giue theÌ„ the land wherin thou art a stranger euen all the lande of Canaan for an euerlasting possession and wil be their God for Saâ—a shall beare a sonne and thou shalt call his Name Isac and she bare Abraham a sonne euen the same season which the Lord had appointed Thus it pleased the Almightie God to choose vs and not we him shewing foorth hereby the abundancie of his loue and mercie in that he hath mercie vpon theÌ„ which are not yet in the worlde and in that he declareth his great goodnes in multiplying his louing kindnesse towarde those that are present and to them that are past and to them that are to come for after that Adam thorough sinne brought in the corruption of nature that the euill seede of wickednesse was sowen in all mens hearts whereby death raigned by meanes of sinne then this darnell and cockle of vice and iniquitie did grow ripe in the first generations of Adam that they walked after their owne stubborne and fleshly will neglecting Gods goodnes That the Lord was thereby prouoked to bring his water floud vpon the world and destroy all mankind except Noye and his houshold And then after that the ofspring of Noye was againe multiplied to a great people by processe of time they waxed also vngodly and wicked but the Lord had giuen his raine bowe for a couenant that he would neuer destroy the world with watermore And then the most highest did choose him a man from among them whose name was Abraham whom he loued and to him onely God shewed his wil and made an euerlasting couenant with him promising him as is aforesaid that he will neuer forsake his seede and so in his old age gaue him Isaac the first testimonie of Gods promise and couenant begun so faithfully performed in Christ Iesus to the ioy and comfort of man in that we see euidently that God is righteous and true and hath giuen vs an assured hope of our election that by that onely seede of Abraham we shal enioy the euerlasting possession of that new blessed land of Canaan the first lande of promise Therefore this record we must beare in our selues that God is true and that what hee do or say can no man change what he promiseth he can not but perfourme And nowe the more to confirme this ioye faith hope which Abraham our first father of beliefe had to God in respect of the birth of Isac and prosperitie of his seede The Lorde to our example tryed whether righteous Abraham would beare an immutable minde towardes his God to loue him aboue all the dearest thinges which he
of our selues for it is the gift of God and commeth not of woorkes Ephe. 2. least any should boa st him self for we are his woormanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good woorks that wee shoulde walke in them so that none can looue Christe in purenes of hart but that of verry force hée will walke in good woorks as thinges that are vnpossible to bée seperated from him that is sanctified with the spirit of adoption and grace for as Christ is the fountaine of all holynes and righteousnes and of all grace and goodnes so it must needes followe that whome Christe hath sanctified with his Spirit that they must of necessitie doo the woorkes of grace and righteousnes so long as they labour and indeuour to be renued and confirmed in the spirit of grace which wée receiuing and takeing of Christe must of force confesse that without it wée haue no power to crucifie our fleshe and to resist sinne and therfore by it wée haue power to mortifie our earthly members and to doo the woorkes of righteousnes whereby it is moste euident and plaine that by the grace giuen by Christe through faith wée may assuredly and boldely perswade our s elues that wee are only iustified and saued Therefore saith Peter Pet. 1.1 blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus which through his aboundant mercie begat vs againe to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Christe from death to inioy an inheritance immortall and vndefiled reserued in heauen for vs after which the prophets inquired and searched prophesying of the grace that shuld come vnto vs by the spirite of of Christ which testified before of the passions that should come vnto him and the glorie that should follow after for by Christ we are made spirituall and not carnall whose spirite doth certifie our spirite that we are the sonnes of God and heires annexed with him who was ordained before the worlde was made that by him our faith and hope might be in God so that our iustification come not by the deedes of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ according to Paule Thess â—â— God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctifying of the spirite and through the beleeuing of the truth whereunto he called you by the gospell for Christe is the end of the law to iustifie all that beleeue Rom. 8 Gal. 6. walking not after the flesh but after the spirite for what soeuer a man soweth that shall he reape if he sow in the flesh hee shall of the flesh reape corruption but if he sow in the spirite he shall of the spirite reape life euerlasting for they that are Christes Gal. 5. haue crucified the flesh with the appetites and lustes thereof for Christ hath called vs to holynes and not to vncleannes and hath called vs out of bondage into libertie from the curse of the law vnto grace from darknes to light from death to life from the spirite of feare to a liuely hope from a earthly mansion to an heuenly kingdome from transitorie glorie to euerlasting glorification therefore stand grounded and established in faith not moued away from the gospell but stand fa st in the liuely hope to obtaine the glorie that commeth by Christ Rom. 8. being vnfainedly pers waded that there is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesus walking after the spirite and hauing their conseruation in heauen For Christ our sauiour sitting now in the right hand of God in his maiestie Ephe. 1. was before the world was by whom wee are predestinated heires according to the purpose of him that worketh all things after the purpose of his owne will that through his gospell should be brought life and immortalitie to all that do beleeue in his sonne Iesus Christ the seede of promise to Abraham who now is declared openly whom we looke for to come shortly in the glorie of his Father and all holy Aungels with him in all power and maiestie And that all eies shall see him and they also that pearsed him so that al kindreds of the earth shall mourne when they behold Christ comming in the cloudes Reu. 1. to reward euery man according to his deedes therfore it behoueth vs to watch and pray and to become new creatures thereby making our election sure by holding fast his gospell in a stedfast faith by walking after righteousnes that we may ouercome and be found faithfull at the appearance of Christ comming in glorie that we also may be crowned with glorie ioyfully saying Blessed is the kingdome that commeth in the name of him Mark 11. that is Lord of our Father Dauid Hosanna in the highest Ephe. 1. BLessed be God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all maner of spirituall blessings in heauenly things by Christ according as he had chosen vs before the foundation of the world was laid that we shoulde bee Saintes through loue who ordained vs before through Christ to be heires vnto him selfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glorie of his grace wherewith hee hath made vs accepted through the beloued Iesus by whom wee haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenes of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Therefore to him be all honor and glorie world without end Amen THE GLORIOVS and beautifull garland of mans glorification CAP. 2. How man shall bee chaunged at the sounde of the laste troump from mortalitie to immortalitie and from an erthly nature to an euerlasting nature and appeare before the iudgement seat of Chris t to be rewarded according to his deedes eyther with eternall reproufe or els with euerlasting glorification SVch is the eternall ordenance of the Almightie God touching our saluation in his Sonne Iesus Christe that all men ought too knowe that as by a man came death so by a man come the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead for as by Adam all dye so by Christe shall all bee made alyue according to Iohn Iohn 5. The houre shall come in the which all that are in their graues shall heare Christes voice and shall come foorth they that haue done good to the resurrection of lyfe and they that haue done euill to the resurrection of dampnation Esdras 22. as the Lord sayd by the Prophet Those that be dead will I rayse vp againe from their places Daniell 12. bring them out of their graues and they that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting lyfe Acts. 17. some to perpetuall shame and reproufe as it is in the Acts that the Lord hath appointed a day in the which hée will iudge the world according to righteousnes by that man Christe whome hee hath appointed and hath offered faith to all men after that reysed him from death to whome saieth Iohn the Father hath coÌ„mitted all iudgement because that all men should honor the sonne euen as they
rent in pieces â—â—me in a consuming 〈◊〉 Now the truth hereof iâ— so 〈◊〉 â—laine that there need no great circumstance to prooue with many witnesses out of the holy scriptures any so ignorant as to doubt hereof although saith Micheas Micheas 1. the rebellious people hope that it shall not be so ill Peter 2.3 saith Peter in the latter dayes shall come mockers that will say â—â—â—h where is the promise of his comming But now that you may behold as in a looking glasse the glorious coÌ„ming of Christ as from a farre yet use wtin the compasse of our hearts Iohn 11. as Christ saide to Martha If thou beléeuest thou shalt sée the glorie of God I wil place therefore your soule in the spirit of heauenly meditation fixing your féete in the path of righteousnes and standing immoueable at the â—indow of Gods promises beholding in the glaâ—â—eâ— of tâ—neth with the stedfast eies of faith Iesus the King of glorie comming in a wonderfull glorious and magnificall progresse from heauen to visite the kingdomes and Lordshippes of the earth and the inhabiters thereof with power of mercie and iudgement touching the which the messengers of this glad tidings haue flowâ—â— thorowe the middest of heauen and gone through all the worlde with the ioyfull sounde of trumpet signifying the ioy of redemption to be come and the day of glorie to beâ—â—ie at hand the kingdome of euerlasting rest to draw néere therefore lift vp your heades Matth. 16. and be ready to the reward of your kingdome make haste to meete the king of glorie comming in the glorie of his Father with al his holy angels set 〈◊〉 his glorious throne of all maiestie there shining in his euerlasting clearnes glittering in his eternall brightnesse appearing in his preciousnes excéeding in his righteousnes exalted in his highnes magnified in his worthines sanctified in his holines triumphing in his gloriousnes when the puisance strength power of his omnipotent maiestie shall lighten into all the secrete places of world and his voice imperial shall pearce thorow the vnspeakable borders of all places to raise froÌ„ death to life all humane creatures that euer had being wheresoeuer and to gather them together before his eternall excellencie where all thinges in heauen and earth shall stand before his presence and all knees shall bowe and all tongues 〈◊〉 knowledge to the glorie of God Rom. 14. and then shall take perfourmed that Christ sayd to the high priests that were offended at him when hee was come in his â—owle humanitie saying Matth. 26. You shall see the Sonne of man sitting on the right handâ— of power and comming in the cloudes of the skie whereof the two Angels testified to the Disciples at the ascension of our Sauiour Christ Actes 1. saying Yeâ— men of Galilee why stande yee gasing vp into heauen This saâ—â—e Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen is returned to the Father whence he came as he hath tolde you before and shall sâ—â—â—â—e againe euen as you haue s eene him god into heauen and that according to Matthewe accompanied with all the godly Angels Matth. 25. Iude. and saith â—â—och with thousandes of blessed Saintes with him and according 〈◊〉 Iohn In a white cloude sitting in his feare of dominion and dignitie Reuel 14. and in his glorious throne of wonderfull gâ—â—â—nes se which is according to Daniel as the 〈◊〉 flame Daniel 7. and his wheeles as the burning fire there went out froÌ„ him a fierie streame as glorious sparkes of eternall heauenlinesse like glisterings of perpetuall beames of 〈◊〉 proceeding froÌ„ the glory of his Godhead and 〈◊〉 out 〈◊〉 him and yet euer in him shewing the 〈◊〉 treasure of his grace and goodnesse â—he â—â—â—d â—â—prehensible 〈◊〉 out of his right cleare Maiestie the infinite and vnsearcheable vertues and giftes of glorie which issues eternally from his deuine Godhead and â—â—nipotent power And thus hee shall appeare most maruellous and all eyes sée him and all nations gathered before him Daniel 7. as saith Daniel A thousand times a thousand serued him a thous and times ten thousande stoode before him And theerfore Blessed be the kingdome that commeth in the Name of him that iâ— Lorde of our Father Dauid Marke 11. Hos anna Praising him in his holines praising him in the â—â—rmament of his power praising him in his 〈◊〉 Actes praising him according to his excellent greatnesse For nowe is the full time wheÌ„ the mysterie of the will of the Father shall bee opened in his Sonne Iesus Christ comming in the glorie of the father when shall be opened the endlesse clearenesse of diuinitie the incomprehensible â—â—â—â—our of Gods Maiestie the glorious riches of euerlasting glorie the incomparable profoundnesse of Gods wis edome the flowing fountaines of Gods goodnesse the shining light of all trueth the glorious kingdome wherto wée are called and the tresures of rewardes to men with glorie and dishonour and then the brightnes and sight of all things shal be apparent and all things past shall be as one thing present according to Mathew there is nothing so close that shall not be opened nothing so hyd that shall not be knowen Math. 1â— such s halbe the omnipotent potentiall and in comprhenssble clearnes of God that before him all that were in power in spirit in act in thought in intent in heauen in earth or in hell from the beginning shall there shew it selfe present apparent cleare and manifest by the endlesse brightnes of God that all the nature of sathan and the power of hell shal be made manifest for euer and the nature of man as it was and now is and shal be in glorie or dishonour shall be expressed for euer and all the great woorkes of GOD and beautie of Angells Cherubins and Seraphins shall there be knowen for euer and all the goodly mansions of God shall then be reuealed mo ste euident and the eternall shyne of Gods maiestie shall then bee vniuersall transparent for sayeth Paul Ephe. 1. The whole misterie of the will of the Father shall then be declared according to the purpose of his owne will therefore moste blessed shall you be that shal be found watching and waiting for his comming looking vp to heauen with pure eyes of faith and lyfting vp cleane hands of righteousnes well washed at the fountaine of penance that you may be found at his appearaÌ„ce to laude glory and honour pertaking with the treasures of the heauenly misterie of the will of the father ordained in Christe Iesus who béeing the Author of our glorie whereunto hee hath called vs by his Gospell by shedding of his owne moste precious blood to bring vs to GOD and to make vs heires of his kingdoÌ„e Did not omit the least godly meanes of all to drawe vs and quicken vs by his spirit diligently and with all our indeuours to seek after his kingdome And
the way of godlines and to follow Christe setting our affection in heauen that according to Paule when Christ which is our lyfe shall shewe him self that wée also may appeare with him in glory therfore saieth Iames Coloss 3. be yée patient vnto the comming of the Lord and settle your harts in goodnes Ieames 5. for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh when wée shall see him as hee is and bee lyke him made by him the sonnes of God who shall chaunge our vile bodies to be facioned lyke to his glorious body that wée shal enioy the fruition of his euerlasting tabernacle heauenly Ierusalem at his apperance againe to s aluation wherunto hee called vs by the Gospell to obtaine the glorie that commeth of our Lord Iesus Christe for Christe dyed for vs that wee should be partakers of his kingdome and haue our names in the booke of lyfe as s ayeth the Apostle wée shall be deliuered from this bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8. according to Christ s aying I am the resurrectioÌ„ and life he that Iohn 12. beleeueth in mee yea though hee were dead yet shall hee lyue and whoso euer lyueth and beleeueth in mee shall not dye for euer according to Luke Luke 20. They which be made woorthy to inioy the kingdome of the world to come and the resurrection from death can dye no more for they are equall to the Angells and are the sonnes of God for saith Christe Reue. 2 3. He that ouercommeth and is faithfull to the end I will giue him to eate of the tree of lyfe whiche is in the midst of the Paradice of God and he shall haue a crowne of lyfe and shall not be hurt of the second death but haue his name in the booke of lyfe and be a piller in the temple of my God and shall sit with me in my seate and this is the victorie that ouercoÌ„meth the world euen our stedfast and vnfeigned faith in Iesus Christe by whome GOD hath giuen vnto vs eternall lyfe and to bee glorified by him at the day of his appearance when the misterie of Gods will shall be opened in his sonne Iesus Christe at his comming at the end of the world at which time shall be performed that all that haue done well shall go into euerlasting lyfe and all that hath done euill into euerlasting dampnation Therfore let vs fight the good fight of faith and walk as children of the day waiting with stedfast hope for the adoption and fruition of the heauenly kingdome that wée may méete him ioyfully comming in the cloudes and receiue the garland of glorification crown of eternall lyfe Iohn 1.5 and so be clothed with our heauenly mansion and translated into his kingdome there receiuing the glorious garments of immortalitie and the blessednes of our new IerusaleÌ„ where beholde loe wée shall shine as bright as the sunne beames béeing in all glorie in the presence of the brightnes of our omnipotent and resplendant GOD. To the obtaining of the high rewarde whereof watch and pray that your conuersation may be according to the Gospell and therefore let this be your watchman while you heare do lyue to think 〈…〉 Saint Ierome that whether you eate or drink or what so euer elles you dooe that moste dreadfull Troumpet soundeth in your eares Aryse you dead and come vnto Iudgement O Lord God almightie which art and wast and art to come who art Alpha and Omega to thee be all prayse Reue. 7. honor and glorie and all power and dignitie be ascribed to the almightie maker sitting vpon the seate and vnto the Lamb for euermore for now all thy people are gathered togither in thy sonne Iesus Christe that the misterie of thy holy will may be declared Ephe. 1. beeing called by the troump of the Arch-angell to come vnto the mouÌ„t SioÌ„ and to the citie of the liuing God the celestial Ierusalem and to an innumerable sight of Angels Heb. 12. and vnto the congrogation of the first borne soÌ„nes which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men to Iesus the mediator of the new Testament Phil. 3. who dooth change our vile bodies to be facioned like to his glorious body therfore to thee be prayse honour and power world with out end AMEN THE GLORIOVS AND BEAVTIFVL GARlande of mans glorification CAP. 3. The mysterie of the glorious comming of Christ at the end of the worlde and howe he shall sit in his glittering seate of Maiestie in all brightnesse of glorie power and dominion And where and howe all thinges both in heauen and earth shall be gathered together in Christ and see his glorie and in him our glorification EXcellent was the coÌ„ming of God when in his glorie like shining fire he came downe vpon mount Sinai where Moyses brought the people out of the tentes to meete the Lorde so marueilously descending downe vpon the hill which burnt with fire eueÌ„ vnto the middes of heauen Exod. 19. and the Lorde spake vnto them with his mightie thundring voyce out of fire Deut. 4. that it was exceeding fearefull and also so wonderfull glorious that wheÌ„ Moyses had talked with God the people were not able to beholde the glistering beautie and brightnesse of Moyses face Exod. 34. But nowe howe shall his glorie bee exalted in the highest what time he shall make him vp to shake the earth in the ende of the worlde when the appearance of his comming shall exceede in all greatnesse of power and might according to Micheas Micheas â— The Lorde shall come out of his holy place Micheas 1. and come downe and â—â—eade vpon the high things of the earth that the mountaines shall consume vnder him and the valleyes cleaue asunder And then the Sunâ—â—e and Moone shall be ashamed at his glorious face of incomparable clearenesse brightnes from which all the beautie glorie and pompe of this world shall flée away into rebuke dishonour not able to endure the perfection of his beautie and incomprehensible pureness e before whome it consumeth to nought perish and vanish away for euer and thâ—â— O how Christ shall glister in the magnificence of his omnipotent kingly maiestie in the preheminence noe of dignitie aboue dignities that all the glorie of kings kingdomes shall giue place and vanish at his mightie appearance not worthy to endure the glorie of his coÌ„ming before which they waste and fall into emptines and he shall shew him selfe from the top of the high heauens with such triumphant power of vnspeakeable glorie dominion and might that from his presence shall â—â—â—â—away â—eâ—rth heauens and their place no more souÌ„d for he shall shake the earth againe remooue â—â—â—ne away those things which haue ended their course wheÌ„ the powres of heauen the vniuers al frame of this world shal