is none shines into the house so when men thinke they understand most yet they want this light to shine into the house Luke 24.45 Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures They had heard Christ before but they understood not his Word like those which sowed seed on ill ground and therefore received not the fruit of it but when the Holy Ghost comes into thy heart that will convince thee of evill it will expell darknesse and set right thy Iudgement otherwise though you heard Paul preach yea Christ himselfe were your Iudgements never so good yet it would not be done till the Holy Ghost teacheth you you will never know him never see him aright in his glory never see him so as to delight and long after him so as to desire nothing in the world so much as communion with him Thus it is when his Image is renewed in Knowledge and Truth and where this Knowledge and Truth is Holinesse instantly followes There are many that know and practice not and there are many which neither know nor practice but where this Image is what ever they know they practice Well let us apply this unto our selves briefly If to bee a New Creature there is required of us this Faith and Love Truth and Holinesse Knowledge and Righteousnesse then let us learne not to bee deceived to regard nothing else in comparison of this Doe as the Apostle Gal. 6.15 For in CHRIST IESVS neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature that is it is no matter for any thing in a man Circumcision is no better than Vncircumcision Goe thorow all the duties of Religion you shall finde them nothing till you bee made a New Creature I know many doe many things they come to Church and give almes well saith the Apostle Circumcision and Vncircumcision is all one so say I Prayer and no Prayer is all one doing justly and unjustly it is all one untill a man bee a New Creature Therefore saith Paul 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I give all my goods to the poore which is a glorious action nay though I could be content to bee a Martyr though I give my body to bee burned and have not love it profiteth nothing So except you be New Creatures your labour is lost for Nature may doe much with the knowledge of the Gospel As the Earth brings forth grasse of it selfe and some flowers of the lowest sort but to bring forth a crop and flowers of the finest sort it must be tilled and there must bee seed put in Nature I say may doe much but this New Creature must come from an Immortall seed sowen in the heart by God himselfe Therefore looke whether thou hast that wrought in thee or no. For this is all the comfort we have when the body is decayed and waxen old yet let us not be discouraged though this outward man decay and perish there is a new youth springing up This is all the comfort we have that when the old house is going downe we have a new house setting up in stead of it Every man is glad to see an old house pulled downe and a new set up in stead of it but to see an old house going downe and no new one to bee set up the ruine of it is a most miserable Spectacle Take an Husband-man who hath taken great pains in plowing and sowing his ground when he sees his corne is rotten he is glad of it because he knowes new will come up in stead of it so when we see the body decaying and our day drawing towards evening when the Sunne of life is ready to bee set upon us when we shall grow no more this presents nothing but confusion yet here is hope for us There is light Sowen unto the righteous All the consolation and all the comfort wee have in these dayes of our vanity is that we have a New Creature that is not subject to vanitie The end of the Third Sermon THE FOVRTH SERMON VPON THE NEW CREATVRE 2 COR. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature NOw we come to the last thing to be observed in the New Creature which is that there is not only an infusion of a new Quality but a weakning of the old Therefore we put that into the description A man is a New Creature when his heart is cast into another mould by the infusion of a new quality of grace and by a destroying of the old And this is specially to be observed because there bee two parts of the New Creature a mortification of sinne as well as a vivification For Common Nature is like a Bowle between two byasses Corruption is the wrong byas carrying us out of the way and Grace the good byas carrying us into the way So you must knocke off the old byas as well as put on a new one that is Common Nature lyes as an indifferent thing betweene Grace and Sin the Flesh and the Spirit Corruption and Holinesse so that as the body is betweene health and sicknesse so is Common Nature between originall sinne which is as the sicknesse or death of the Soule and Holinesse which is the health of it Now it is not only required that there be an infusion of the new Quality but likewise a weakning of this old both cannot stand together so farre as you strengthen one the other is weakned it is alwayes so where is contrariety where there is no contrariety two may stand together but when things be opposite the comming in of the one is the weakning of the other the comming of heat is a weakning of cold this is of speciall use And this use we are to make of it that hence then you see this will follow that if you finde much newnesse in your selves according to your owne opinion you finde you can doe many things you could never doe before you are able to doe these and these duties of new obedience well suppose it yet except there be a mortification of the old lusts if thou find that there be any lusts continue in thee in strength that in that regard thou art the same man still whatsoever addition there be it is no matter it is certaine thou art not yet a New Creature for a New Creature consists not in superinduction of the new Quality the old remaining but in a weakning of the old too It is not only a superaddition of the new but the death of the old also Therefore if thou findest any corruptions continuing in the fulnesse of their first strength not weakned at all though thou hast all signes of grace all parts of a New Creature to thy seeming yet thou art deceived because if thou wert new there would be a mortification of the old lusts So againe it is true on the other side Put case thou finde a great change in thy selfe such lusts as have been vigorous and lively thou findest to be
mee so that you shall be my people and I will be your God For you shall turne to mee with all your heart In a word they are never disjoyned take it for a sure rule as Ezek. 26. I will wash thee from thy Idols that is from thy lusts and idolatry and will give thee a new heart and a new Spirit he never doth one without the other therefore apply it It may be there be many particular sins which thou thinkest are forgiven Sabbath-breaking Swearing Vncleannesse goe thorow any particular sin if they be not healed they be not forgiven and so thou art in a miserable condition Therefore doe not say though I sinne againe and againe yet God is mercifull and I hope ready to forgive It is very true but thou must know that he is never merciful to forgive but he is as ready to heale and cure thy sins likewise therefore deceive not yourselves in that Only before I passe from this point mistake me not my meaning is not that it is so healed that there is not the least vigour left in it that it is so dead and buried that thou shalt never heare of it againe that the Spring of originall corruption is dried up that none of it is left but the meaning is it is healed that is Sinne is pulled downe from his Regency it may assault thee as a Rebell but it comes no more as a Lord as a King it is put out of possession it may creepe in as a Theefe but it comes no more as the owner of the house for that is resigned up to grace and the New Creature Sin creepes in as it were but there is another Master of the house so that now thou mayest say I doe it not but sinne that dwelleth in me that is that creepes in thy denomination is from that that beares rule in thy heart for that is all that is done in Regeneration Sin is put out of possession and Grace is now the Ruler the Lord of the heart therefore we may say it is healed that is it is so shut out that thou hast dominion over it it may assault thee now and then it may overcome thee now and then but it dwels not in thee thou never entertainest as a guest thou never biddest it welcome thou never makest peace with it thou hast perpetuall warre with it as there was with the Amalekites Againe corrupt nature must bee lessened weakned and mortified so there must be more than nature in thee that is thou must be able to doe more than any natural man in the world can doe or then thou wast ever able to doe before this change was wrought in thee for you must know Grace doth not onely mortifie and heale Sin but it goes beyond the power of Nature as we say Physicke helpes where Nature failes and Art helpes where Nature fals short Such a thing is Grace where Nature failes there is use of Grace indeed else what were the efficacie of the Word and the vertue of the Spirit and the power of Christ If they did not enable a man to do more than Nature doth Grace comes from an higher Well-head than Nature therefore it raiseth a man to an higher pitch than Nature can ascend to Therefore consider if thou hast that which goes beyond Nature Sampson had a strength beyond Nature he could doe what a common man could not doe but God being with him he had more than the strength of Nature How do we know that He was able to carry away the gates of the Citie c. which none else could do therefore there was in him strength above Nature Now examine canst thou doe that which no man else can doe that is a meere naturall man Thou must have a strength put into thee which none can reach to that hath nothing but Nature in him that is canst thou love the Lord Iesus and the Saints An Hypocrite can counterfeit many things but not love Againe canst thou delight in the Law of God in the Inner man I aske not if thou canst approve of it but canst thou delight in it counting it as meat and drinke to doe the will of thy Father This is a thing which cannot be counterfeit So canst thou deny thy selfe I aske not if thou canst deny this or that particular sinne but the whole body of sin if thou favourest the things of the Spirit if thou canst mortifie the deeds of the Body and walke according to that Spirit In a word whatsoever it is if thou art a New Creature thou must find thy selfe able to doe that which no naturall man can doe and which thy selfe could'st never doe before for otherwise what wilt thou have to answer for thy selfe when the Destroying Angell shall come if hee finde not in thee more than Nature the Destruction shall passe on thee as it was in the Passeover except there was found bloud on the door-posts they died for it Now the bloud that this Destroying Angell must see when hee shall passe over the world is that which is more than Nature You must know the bloud of Christ leaves an impression Their garments were made white in the bloud of the Lambe that is not onely the guilt of sin is taken away but a new vertue is put on them a new efficacie is put into them and if thou hast not the vertue of the bloud of Christ as well to purge thy conscience from dead workes as to take away the guilt of sin all is nothing you must know all the old world shall be destroyed and the workes of it and whatsoever is in it whatsoever is old shall be destroyed the Lord will spare nothing but what is new he makes a new Heaven and a new Earth and what is new shall be spared when he comes to take an examination of men and findes nothing but old in thee thou art sure to be destroyed if thou be new he will spare thee there is a blessing there this is the marke in the forhead this is that new Name this is that certain watch-word which if a man know not hee is counted as an enemie you have a fashion sometimes to give markes if they have that marke that token in their hand they are knowne to be of them that are allowed So there is a certaine sealing of men to life God gives a new name a white stâ—ne with a new name written on it which none can reade but God and thy selfe I say except thou art a New Creature for that is the new name the Destroying Angell shall not spare thee but thy sinnes shall be cast on thy conscience as usually hee doth when thou are on thy death-bed he never binds the burthen till then you have it before but you never feele it till then but when God shall charge it on thy conscience what wilt thou say if thou findest not these two things a weakning of this old nature an healing of sin and something morethan
man what 2 73 Old man must be mortified 2 83 Old nature to be abhorred 2 114 Old custome wee are redeemed from 2 122 All that is Old must bee pulled downe 2 127 Grace takes not away Nature but the Oldnesse of it 2 129 Omission Sinnes of Omission 1 73 Omission of acts ibid. Omission of graces 1 75 Omission of occasions ibid. Opinion Opinion advanceth the Creature in our thoughts 1 266 Originall sinne Originall sinne 1 40 Originall sinne how it is one sinne and many 1 42. How it is privative and positive ibid. Actuall sinne leads us to Originall 1 103 Others Sinne excused from the badnesse of Others 1 106 Successe of Others with God should encourage us 2 29.3 21 Outward Men fare not the worse in Outward things for holinesse 2 43 Overcome To Overcome what 3 76 P Parents NAture received from Parents 2 96 Passeover Passeover why eaten with sowre herbes 1 25 Peace Peace one benefit by Christ 3 75 Pearle Zealous men Pearles 1 287 Personall Men condemned for their Personall sinnes 1 39 Perswade Hard to Perswade men in Divinitie 1 45 Perfect Of Perfect walking with God 1 260 Pleasant That which is natural is pleasant 2 110 Plentie Plentie one priviledge by Christ 3 74 Portion God is a Christians Portion 3 85 Poore Out of Christ we are Poore 2 209 To be Poore What 2 210 Power Power of Gods wrath 1 115 Practise Practise sets the Truth at liberty 1 173 Want of Practise of known truths a great sinne 1 200 Prayer prayer sets the Truth at libertie 1 172 Prayer stops Gods wrath 1 301 Prayer unites us more to Christ 2 180 Preaching The Ministers businesse in preaching 2 156 To see how the Word workes in the Preaching of it 2 164 Pride Pride of the will of man 1 50 Prize New Creature how to be Prized 2 79 See Christ. Priviledges Priviledges of a Christian reall 2 219 Prophane Difference betweene civill men and Prophane 1 127 Professe Truth not Professed is unrighteously detained 1 211 Pronenesse Pronenesse to sinne no excuse of it 1 29 Promise Promise of God should incourage us to pray 2 22 Punishment Punishment of with-holding the Truth in unrighteousnesse 1 138 Purpose Good Purposes in extremitie seldome true 2 99 Good Purposes nothing without change of nature 2 102 Q Qualitie NEw Qualitie infused in sanctification 2 71 New Qualitie what ibid. R Reason TRansubstantiation against Reason 3 11 Record Sins committed remaine on Record 1 277 Recreation Recreation too much used is an impediment 1 208 Reformation Reformation must be joyned with fasting 1 250 Reformation a remedie against Gods wrath 1 280 Relapse Relapse into sinne 1 28 Relish See Knowledge Religion Religion impaired by the neglect of the Sabbath 1 256 Reluctancie Reluctancie in the Saints when they sinne 2 134 Remaine Sinnes Remaine in Gods people 2 90 Remember Remembrance Memory corrupt in that wee ought to Remember 1 53 Conscience corrupt as it is a Remembrancer 1 55 End of the Sacrament to bring Christ to Remembrance 3 4 Renewed How to get our natures Renewed 2 116 Reprobation Election and Reprobation how frustrate 2 150 Rest. Men prone to Rest in duties 1 249 Rest a motive to take Christ 2.186.3 68 Restraine Conscience corrupted in its Restraining power 1 56 Riches Riches for what end they serve 2 210 Riches of a Christian is Christ 3 77 Riches by Christ what 3 78 Riches the property of them 3 80 Righteousnesse Righteousnesse of Christ imputed 1 39 See Iustifie S Sabbath SAbbath ought to be sanctified 1 255 Antiquitie of keeping the Sabbath 1 256 Vsefulnesse of keeping the Sabbath ibid. Sacrament Sacrament a seale of the Covenant 2 22.3 15 Sacrament the end of it 2 25.3 4 Sacrifice Two things in Sacrifice 2 86 Salvation Being in Christ the ground of all Salvation 2 171 He that beleeveth hath Salvation 2 197 Damnation and Salvation of great moment 2 199 God desires mans Salvation 3 20 Sanctification Iustification and Sanctification inseparable 2 4.17 Sanctification how it riseth from Iustification 2 5 Sanctification what 2 13 Incouragements to pray for Sanctification 2 22 Sanctification the necessity of it 2 33 Sanctification how to prise it 2 36 Not to challenge Iustification without Sanctification 2 44 Cloathing of the soule in Sanctification 3 95 Satisfie Spirituall food Satisfieth 3 89 Seales Two Seales 3 19.54 Schoole-master The Law a Schoole-master how 1 11 Scripture Gods truth manifested in the Scripture 1 182 Transubstantiation against Scripture 3 13 Secrets Secrets of God not knowne by carnall men 1 154 Selfe-love Selâ—e-love sanctified 2 13 Sense The new life hath new Senses 2 40 Present Sense a signe of the New Creature 2 49 Transubstantiation against Sense 3 10 Sensible Sensiblenesse of conscience lost 1 56 Spirituall things Sensible 2 220 Sensitive appetite Sensitive appetite corrupted 1 58 Selves Men must be humbled to know them Selves 1 14 Serve One part of the covenant to Serve Christ 3 25 Wearinesse in Serving sin 3 69 Short See Naturall Sinne. Sinnes thought to bee lesse than they be 1 27 Sinne aggravated by circumstances 1 89 Difference in Sinnes 1 96 Sinne wee should labour to see what it is 1 118 Frequencie of Sinne argues want of faith 1 255 Difference of men in regard of Sinnes 1 281 Zeale against Sinne 1 290 Striving against Sinne 2 53 Turning from Sinne a part of the Covenant 3 25 See Personall and Wrath. Sincerity Sincerity wanting in carnall mens actions 1 159 Sincerity little at the first 2 113 Sicknesse Sin the Sicknesse of the soule 3 71 Sleepe Sinne seemes dead when it is a Sleepe 2 85 Small Men excuse sinnes by thinking Them Small 1 230 No sinne Small and why 1 282 Species Hatred sets against the whole Species 1 290 Spirit Good things in evill men wrought by the Spirit 1 144 Morall vertues the gifts of the Spirit 1 158 Worke of the Spirit in sanctification 2 5 Spirit workes holinesse 2 21 Sorrow Sorrow corrupted 1 67 Sinne excused by pretended Sorrow 1 233 Soule Matters of the Soule of great moment 2 199 Soule to bee regarded especially 2 200 T Taking TAking of Christ what 2 185.3 24 No losse by Taking of Christ 2 222 Two things should invite us to Take Christ 3 45 Taught Nature cannot be Taught 2 97 Temptation The lesse Temptation the greater the sinne 1 95 Sinne excused from Temptation 1 227 Evill men doe good for want of Temptation 2 135 Thanke See Truth Thoughts Thoughts corrupted 1 68 Thoughts the importance of them 1 69 Thoughts of two sorts 1 91 Thirst. Thirst satisfied in Christ 2 202 What Thirst heal'd in the Saints 2 204 Transubstantiation Arguments against Transubstantiation 3 3 Fathers not distinct against Transubstantiation 3 66 Transubstantiation set abroach by Damascene 3 67 Transubstantiation brought into England 3 68 Treasure Gods wrath a Treasure 1 273 Trust. Trust in God the nature of it 1 258 Truth Truth with-held in
him off But you will say these things that you speak are wonderfull things how shall we have this wrought in us By being in Christ this wonder is wrought in us when a man is once ingrafted into Christ when hee hath once received him this great worke is wrought in him in his heart hee is made a new Creature But if you adde to this the second way of raising this Sanctification from our Iustification then you will understand it yet more fully and distinctly There are certaine actions wrought in our soules by which this Sanctification followes Iustification and those are these First when a man seeth great reason for it for when a man is once convinced of a thing that it is best for him to doe it and takes a resolution to him to performe it Now when a man hath beene humbled and knoweth what sinne is when he hath had his heart prepared when he comes in once to take Christ that is when he seeth his owne basenesse and Christs excellencie what he was without Christ and what he hath by Christ that when he expected nothing but death then the Gospell came and said Thou shalt live when he seeth that Christ deales with him after this manner then hee thinkes surely It is good reason that I should serve him before indeed we thinke his service to be an hard service and we doe with him as people that are under a tyrannous King they refuse to obey such an one so doth all the world with Iesus Christ they thinke his Law to be an hard Law written with bloud and they thinke him to be an hard Governour such a King as they know not how to be subject unto But when a man is once convinced by the Spirit when he sees reason for it when he is perswaded that Christ will governe him for his wealth that Christ hath suffered for him and freed him from the wrath of God then hee thinkes thus There is reason that I should suffer him to rule over me and when a man seeth reason for it he comes then willingly to submit himselfe to Christ. This is the worke of the Spirit whereby he perswades a man that there is reason for it and it is attributed to the Spirit Iohn 16 The Spirit convinceth of Sinne of Righteousnesse and of Iudgement that is it shewes us that we are sinfull and that there is a Righteousnesse in Christ to heale that And thirdly it convinceth us that there is reason for it why we should serve God in Sanctification and Iudgement The meaning of the word He shall convince is that the Spirit shewes us reason why we should embrace Sanctification and serve the Lord in all things Now when the heart of man is brought to this to see reason and equity in this then a man takes resolution to cleave to Christ to serve him Secondly as he deales with the reason so he doth likewise with the affections for he begets love in us which love sanctifieth us it sets us on worke and turnes the whole heart as the Rudder turnes the Ship for it sits in the sterne of a mans Soule and the reason that when we are justified we love Christ is because when as before a man magnified himselfe setting himselfe at an high rate like a virgin that is coy and curious thinking no man good enough for her now the Law comming and convincing him of the need he stands in of CHRIST and shewing him what he is in himselfe he is hereupon content to marry with the Lord Christ Nay further the Spirit of God not only shews him the need that hee stands in of an husband he being not under covert and deepely in debt the whole weight of his debt lying on himselfe but it goes further and shewes him the beautie of Christ as Ioh. 14.21 To him that loves me I will manifest my selfe that is I will declare my beauty and when the Spirit shewes Christ to the Soule it makes it in love with him We may shew him to you an hundred times over and yet beget not this affection in you but the Spirits shewing is effectuall to that end and when you love him you must needs please him in all things it being the care of the married wife to please the husband So that when the heart is prepared by humiliation and takes Christ love is wrought in the Soule and love sanctifies for Sanctification is nothing else but a setting our selves apart from common uses and keeping of the heart close to God making it peculiar to him and this love makes us to doe when the wife loves the husband shee will be his altogether she will be only to him she will be divorced from all Adulterers and have nothing to doe with them and thus the Lord deales with the affections Thirdly there is wrought not only a love to the Lord but a perswasion that it is good for our selves to serve him in holinesse Indeed many times to satisfie our affections we love a thing too much though wee doe not thinke our selves gainers thereby but in this matter the Lord perswades us that it is best for our selves to sanctifie him in all things to draw neere unto him to sanctifie his Name in our hearts so that now not only love to Christ but even selfe-love also is set on worke to the making us New Creatures for the wayes of God are propounded as good and profitable and pleasing things and when the heart lookes on them it sees them as good for it selfe so that the heart turnes towards them as it cannot but doe to every thing that it apprehends to be good and profitable to it So that when the Holy Ghost shall perswade a man that it is best for himselfe that he shall best provide for himselfe every way by taking Christ hee cannot choose but come in when hee shall see it is best for him to goe to the Citie of refuge that he cannot live else and that if he comes there he shall have life and not only life but a kingdome too and that the way that leads thereto is grace and holinesse hee will goe and goe fast enough When a man is perswaded Christ is the Citie of Refuge to whom I must go else I cannot be safe and that the way to him is to be a new Creature this makes him to goe on and willingly too for it is out of selfe-love Againe when a man is justified and hath taken Christ there is bred in him an holy Ingenuitie which makes him so thankfull to Christ that hee is ashamed to joyne Christ with any sinne As Rom. 6.21 What profit had yee in those things whereof yee are now ashamed you are now ashamed to commit them any more A man will thinke it now an unreasonable thing that Christ should doe so much for him be crucified for him and so give him life being before dead men that he should take flesh for the remission
that we may strengthen our soules because we recover our Communion with him For what is Sanctification but a drawing neere to the Lord And then we draw neere when we renue our Communion and our Covenant with him when the match is renewed between us and if we doe so we shall goe from him every day as men refreshed at a banquet like men that have fed on fat things full of marrow as men full of wine Be you filled not with wine wherein is excesse but with the Spirit What is the meaning of that Antithesis but to shew that the Spirit is like wine it strengthens and how receive we the Spirit Is there not the same meanes of renuing of it from day to day Is not the same meanes of renuing it as there is of receiving of it at the first Didst not thou get it first by going to Christ and shall not thou still regaine and repaire thy strength by that meanes I cannot stand to presse this farther Secondly in that they are put together thus Iustification and Sanctification hence wee should be stirred up to prise it to set it at the same rate as wee doe Remission of sinnes because we see the Holy Ghost doth so For seeing this thing is promised seeing it is chosen out among the great benefits wee have by CHRIST that we shall be renued we should learne so to judge of it to set it at an high rate in our conceits to conforme our Iudgement to the Iudgement of the Scriptures Every man would bee content to be saved but to be made a New Creature men are so farre from reckoning it a priviledge that they reckon it a bondage you would fain be free from Hell you would faine goe to Heaven without such a necessity put upon you this is the common fashion of men but marke the Holy Ghost puts this among the great benefits wee have by Christ. You know the comming of the Messias how it was magnified by the Iewes what great things they should have when Christ should come What were those great things One of the chiefe was to make them New Creatures to set them at libertie from their spirituall enemies That they should be taught of God that they should have his law written in their hearts and have their hearts circumcised to love him that they should have new hearts and new Spirits given them this is that great benefit that hath beene so much magnified so many yeares before the comming of Christ. It is that which the Apostles when they came to preach the Gospell set out as so great a Priviledge learne we to prise it for certainly there is nothing in the world so precious a grace whereby we are made New Creatures It is a true saying because indeed there is no excellencie that is like it if you would rectifie your judgments and teach them to apprehend things as they are therefore let us reason with you a little for that old man those lusts that you prise so much that you will not part with that you cherish and nourish in your selves and you are Enemies to those that are Enemies to them I say consider what you doe this old man is it not the sicknesse of the soule is it not the filth and the foulenesse of the soule is it not the slavery and bondage of the soule And the new man is it not the contrary doth it not excell it Therefore as much as health exceeds sicknesse as much as cleanenesse exceeds impuritie foulenesse and filthinesse as much as liliberty exceeds slavery and bondage so much and more doth the New man excell the Old man Besides if you looke to other things take all other things which the world hath all the profits all the pleasures all the learning and knowledge whatsoever it is that in the world is precious yet to be made a New Creature goes beyond all because indeed it puts you into the same condition that Adam had in innocencie you will say to be made like Adam againe to be restored to that happinesse it is beyond all that the world can afford Now to be made a New Creature it puts you into that estate But you will say that is not so Adam was in Paradice he had outward contentments in abundance but to be made a New Creature is not so It is true there were two Conditions that Adam had one was his outward Condition being placed in Paradice the other was his happinesse to be a New Creature this was incomparably beyond the other as wee shall easily make that plaine to you Put case there were a man that had faire Pallaces and Gardens and Orchards and all things that his heart could desire to have but all this while he hath not health would he regard all this On the other side suppose he had health put him into a Cottage if he have strength would hee not beare it well enough That is our case When Adam had all that yet when he had lost Gods Image when hee had lost being a New Creature he was like a man that was fallen into a great sicknesse he was fallen into terrour and horrour of conscience what good could all that doe A man that is out of Paradise that lives as wee doe among men that hath Gods Image renued on him which hee lost that is made a New Creature he is happie when Adam was miserable Let us consider a little What was it thinke you that made Adam happy in Paradise Was it the being in a Garden full of pleasant things No it was not that but his Communion with God that made him happy Therefore you see wherein his misery consisted it consisted not in the losse of Paradise for there he was still he had all that he had before for outward things but he felt shame and horrour of conscience he felt inward trouble and anguish of spirit when he heard the voice of God walking in the Garden therefore it stands not in that but to be made a New Creature is to be put into the inward condition that Adam was in and therefore you have reason to seeke it If any thing in the world be worth the seeking it is this to be made a New Creature All other things are not the proper excellencie of a man you know the Angels and the Saints want them and the Beasts enjoy them but the excellencie of man is to be made according to the first Rule to be squared according to the Image of God after which he was first created and hee is never well till he come to that As no Creature is well till it have that excellencie belonging to the kinde of it this is an excellencie peculiar to man therefore seeke happinesse as long as you will in other things you shall never finde it but in being made New Creatures in having Gods Image repaired in being sanctified in Body and Soule and Spirit this puts you into an happy
that can never be revoked because it is the Sentence of the Gospel therefore you must know this that al the judgements that are pronounced in the Gospel they are without all reservation there is no more revoking of them therefore Paul saith Rom. 2.16 He shall judge the secrets of mens hearts according to my Gospell So that you must know that the Gospell hath a judgement and a terrible judgement as wel as the Law There is a judging by the Law that is men that have lived without the knowing of Christ they shall be judged by the Law but when we come to Christ to live under the Gospell as we all doe wee shall be judged by the Gospell What is that those that receive not Christ shall be damned that is one part of the Gospell you know therefore you see that there is a judgement there He that beleeves shall be saved but he that beleeves not shall be damned Well as it is true concerning the point of Iustification hee that beleeves not and takes not Christ shall bee damned for it So it is as true in the point of Sanctification he that is not a New Creature hee that is not borne againe he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3.3 There is a peremptory judgement therefore consider with thy selfe when thou commest to die what thou wilt say then Satan will then come and lay thy sinnes to thy charge thou must then thinke what thou hast to answer thou hast nothing to say but I am in Christ well but how dost thou prove that he will aske thee that question Art thou a New Creature If thou doe finde that thou art not a New Creature thou art not in Christ and thou needest not a new condemâ—ation but thou art condemned already For Christ found all the world in a state of condemnation and if thou be not in him thou art in the same estate and therefore if you should but heare these words if wee should bee silent and should but reade these words Whosoever is in Christ let him be a New Creature it may make a man tremble and looke about him and consider his state and take heed of disjoyning these things that the Lord hath joyned together if being in Christ and being a New Creature be inseparable think not that thou canst take Christ divided that thou canst take him halfe and leave the other part that thou canst take him as a Saviour and not take him as a Prophet and a King thinke not to have Iustification and to want Sanctification and therefore you see when the Gospell was preached this was the maine thing that was urged Marke 6.13 when the seventie were sent out saith the Text this was their preaching it sets downe the summe that men should amend their lives When Christ himselfe was to preach Matth. 4.17 this was the summe of his Doctrine Amend your lives for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand Paul when he would tell them what was the summe of his preaching Act. 20.21 saith hee Wee goe about preaching witnessing to Iewes and Grecians repentance towards God and faith towards Christ. So that this Repentance that makes a man a New Creature it was pressed as a thing of absolute necessity as well as the taking of Christ. You know when Iohn Baptist came what he called for Fruits worthy of amendment of life Deceive not your selves apply not the promises of the Gospell except you finde this Symptome of being in CHRIST that you are made New Creatures This distinguisheth betweene a Temporary Beleever and another both goe thus far both have an insition into the Root but the Temporary Beleever partakes not of the fatnesse of the Root he receives not life from the Root It may be thou hast taken Christ in thy sense but hast thou tasted of the fatnesse of the Root hast thou drawne life from him art thou made a New Creature as a graft that is put into a new stocke when wee are ingrafted into Christ there is an inversion of the order there the stocke changeth the graft in the other the graft changeth the stocke into its Nature Againe when thou takest Christ without this it is as putting stones one upon another when there is nothing to sement them and to glew them together whosoever is in Christ is built upon him as upon the corner-stone now an Hypocrite may be built on him as well as a true Professour but here is the difference they are living stones their Nature is altered they differ as much from themselves what they were before as living things differ from dead stones so it may be thou hast had an adhesion to the Body of Christ thou hast stucke to it as it were but if thou be a true member then thou art knit to it by ligaments and sinewes thou hast communion with the head there is an influence of bloud and spirits into thee therefore consider that with thy selfe it may be thou livest in the Church and art such a member of it as a glasse-eye is of the body but hast thou communion with the head art thou made a New Creature by being in Christ Is thy heart changed and sanctified by being in him If it be so then conclude thou art in Christ For if any be in Christ he is a New Creature Examine thy selfe in this deceive not thy selfe to whomsoever he is made Righteousnesse he is made Sanctification It is impossible they should be disjoyned as I told you in the morning his bloud hath not onely a vertue to cleanse thee from the guilt of thy sinnes but a power to purge thy conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Hebr. 9.14 And wheresoever it is a plaister to cover thy sinnes it doth likewise heale and cure them therefore thinke not that thou art in Christ except thou finde this to be thy condition Yea but you will say Is there such a condition in the world who is it that findes himselfe such a New Creature this I find that my old lusts returne the same Inclinations I had I finde them still and this experiment of being all new that all old things are passed away I have not yet had what shall we say to this Wee will answer it very briefely Though thou hast it not already yet thou must not bee discouraged thou must not say there is nothing done because al is not done for motions are denominated from the termes they tend to not from that they are already when a thing is a little white though it bee not perfectly white we say it is white when the Lord begins new qualities if it be in sincerity it is properly said to be a New Creature for in time it will come to that that will be the issue of it therefore that which stands you in hand is to consider whether you be so or no for indeed it is a difficult thing to discerne and needfull for you to consider it therefore I
in those two things doth the Kingdome of God consist it is the ground of all the priviledges we have we have them therefore because we be in Christ It is the ground of all the graces we have because we are in Christ therefore wee are New Creatures therefore wee have the Image of God repaired in us which is nothing but the bundle of all graces as the old man is the bundle and heape of all corruption and sinne Now we will shew what it is to be in Christ and of what moment it is then we will make use of it The two first are so neere conjoyned that we will handle them together what it is to be in Christ and of what moment it is to be in Christ that is to be united to Christ. A man then is said to be united to him when he may truly say that which is in the Canticles My Beloved is mine and I am his When a man can say Christ is mine and I am Christs then we are in Christ for then we are his Now that this may be done there must be a mutuall act of giving and receiving that is it is God that gives his Sonne and Christ that gives himselfe as the Apostle speakes He loved me and gave himselfe for me When this is done on Gods part and we have taken him that makes Christ ours So there must be a giving and taking to unite us unto Christ there must be a giving that is the Father must give Christ now giving is nothing else but Quod meum est efficere tuum nullo jure cogente This definition the Civill Lawyers give of it and it is a true one So the Lord gives Christ to us he makes him ours nothing compels him to it for if it were by law it were not by gift but by debt I say he gives Christ and freely and to give him is nothing else but to make him ours But to give him is nothing it is not enough except we take him likewise for giving and taking are Relatives remove one and the other is taken away Though God give his Sonne freely yet except we take him that gift is no gift therefore there must be a taking on our part and when these two are done when God hath given Christ and we have taken him then we are united to Christ and we are in Christ and he in us as in marriage the husband gives himselfe to the wife and she takes him againe the wife gives her selfe to the husband and he takes her and when this is once done and done really they are united together And such a match is made betweene Christ and us there is a mutuall giving and taking on both sides and when this match is made Christ is said properly to be in us and we in him Yea to goe a little further Marriage is a neere union yet but a Relative union but there is something more in this Christ hath taken our Nature He is bone of our bone and flesh of our fâ—esh And againe he hath given us his Spirit that the very same Spirit dwels in us as doth in him that we may be said to be spirit of his Spirit This is more than is in marriage this is a neerer union therefore the Scripture useth a neerer expression we are as members of the same Body he the Head we the members we have the same Spirit that he hath we are flesh of the same flesh and bone of the same bone so neere an union there is betweene us So then there is more than a Relation in our being in Christ he indeed comes in to us as the Sun is said to come into the house You know the Sunne is in the heaven but when the light comes in we say the Sun comes into the house for there comes a reall light which is an effect of the Sunne So the Sonne of God IESUS CHRIST though he be in heaven yet he comes into the heart by his Spirit as the Sunne doth by the light which revives us and quickens us and workes a change in us Againe we grow into Christ as the branches grow into the Vine into the Root into the Stocke so that we are one in another and we grow one in another as the branches grow in the Vine and the Vine groweth in the branches Such a mutual union there is between us And thence comes all the benefits which is the second thing I will shew you that is of what moment it is I say hence come all the benefits we have by him in that we are united to him after this manner that we are in him as the branches in the Vine thence it is that we are made New Creatures that is there is a new Sap shed into the branches which weares out the old Sap the old man originall sinne which was there before and changeth it by the ingredience of the new Sap. So doth Christ Therefore we are said to be ingrafted into the similitude of his Death and Resurrection that is the old nature in us is worne out by the comming in of the new now as Christ did die but revived againe so we put on another nature so we have this benefit by this union we are made New Creatures Besides this we have an hundred others when we are in Christ we are under covert he hath interest in all our debts and we have interest in all his riches as the husband is bound to pay all the debts of the wife when he hath married her she is under covert she hath interest in all her husbands riches So we have interest in all the wealth of Christ and that is a very large wealth as you have it expressed in 1 Cor. the last Chapter Paul and Apollo c. and the world is yours it is a wealth beyond all that men can give you The world is yours no man in the world can goe so farre Princes may reach thorow their owne Kingdomes but the World is yours that is Christ who hath the command of it causeth every thing there to serve your turne even every Creature that man cannot command the wind and the seas obey him for your good for you have interest in all his riches there is nothing in the world but is yours Things present and things to come are ours If men can helpe you to things present yet things to come are beyond their reach If the things of this life be theirs yet death is not theirs but herein Christ likewise furnisheth you In a word you have interest in all his wealth looke how farre he can goe beyond a man so farre are you advantaged by him and have interest in all his riches he hath interest in all your debts you are under covert and nothing can hurt you the gates of Hell Men Devils Sinne and all the Creatures in heaven and earth are not able to hurt you because you are in him you are as Coneyes in their Burrowes he covers you
you shall want that beauty which God only accepts Againe if you be out of Christ you shall be hungry you shall be wretched and miserable for I pitch on that generall one because that is one of the outward miseries when a man is hungry when he is starved when he wants that which should strengthen him and refresh him and maintaine his life This is the case of every man out of Christ he wants that which should feed him that which should strengthen him for you must know that the soule hath a meat as well as the body otherwise why doth Christ say I have a meat to eat that you know not of They wondred to see him neglect his dinner when hee stood talking with the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. Why saith he I have another meat to eat And why doth David say Thy Law is sweeter to mee than the honey if there were not somewhat that his soule did feed on And so why is it said that Manna was Angels food You know Manna was a materiall thing such as a spirituall substance cannot feed on but because by that Manna Christ was represented You know he is said to be the true Manna The true Bread that came down from heaven the Angels they feed on this and in that respect it is called Angels food they feed on the same spirituall meat 1 Cor. 10. Your Fathers did eat that spirituall meat that is the corporall meat did typifie the spiritual meat which is Angels food therefore there is a food thâ—t the soule feeds on out of Christ there is none of this but your soules are starved are miserable and wretched For what is it that food doth It maintains life in a man take away food and you die for it Now it is Christ that gives that His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drinke indeed that is Whosoever beleeves not in him whosoever partakes not of him he dies for ever Againe meat strengthneth and so doth the Lord when we come to him he gives spirituall strength Without him we are able to doe nothing As you have it Ioh. 15. Without me you are able to bring forth no fruit But as the Apostle speakes Phil. 4. Through Christ I am able to do every thing It is the Lord that giveth strength If you will come in you shall have strength given you which is the property of meat Againe meat refresheth and revives the spirits so doth the Lord by his graces by the joy of the Holy Ghost by peace of conscience by those things that he puts into the heart of every beleever I say they refresh the soule more than flaggons of wine and there is as evident refreshing and therefore you know that metaphor is used often in Esay 26. I will make a feast of fined wines and of fat things And in Mat. 22. he cals them to come in for his fatlings were prepared and all things were ready What is the reason that the Lord resembleth spirituall things by a Feast because they doe the same things as a Feast doth a Feast is a refreshing to a man a continuall feast is a continuall comfort and this you shall have if you will come in to the Lord if you will not come in you shall be starved you shall be wretched and miserable This you shall have by the Lord Iesus Let this move you to come in But now a man will be ready to object you tell us of these things and indeed these are goodly things if they were present if they were reall if they were not Imaginary things onely that consisted in notion and in speculation if they were things that were sensible but they are not so these things are future things they are remote things they are things but in Imagination they are things that we have no feeling of they are things that if we looke after them we shall lose other things in this life This objection all the world makes against such motives as these and therefore I will answer these briefly and proceed First whereas men say they are things that are farre off and indeed such things move not much I say they are already present they are a great part present we have the first fruits present though the harvest be deferred and wee may boldly say to you that those very gleanings for the present are beyond the vintage that the children of this world enjoy the peace of conscience the joy of the Spirit boldnesse in death security and freedome from all deaths and dangers familiarity and acquaintance with God to enjoy his favour with all that hee can doe the grace the prevent us the blessing that followes us in all our actions the comforts of the Saints whose hearts are made glad with the light of Gods countenance these things I say are beyond the wine and oile beyond the dainties and honours which they have who have their portion in this life therefore you have something for the present indeed the outside of these things are but base but the inside is precious This is the difference betweene heavenly things and earthly in heavenly the worst is first the best is last In outward things it is true the beginning is sweet but the latter end is bitterest but let that be one answer to it that you have much of it for the present And besides this remember though you have it not present yet you shall have it after and what great matter is it to want a little to enjoy more for the future Are we not content to buy great reversions with the losse of a little money for the present for we say it will come in Are we not content to endure an Apprentiship of seven or eight yeares for our greater advantage Doe not men willingly serve a Master or a Mistresse a long time for hopes hereafter Now what folly yea what Atheisme and unbeliefe is it for a man in things that concerne salvation not to be content to want a little for the present to enjoy happinesse for ever If a man should be put to his choise whether he would have five shillings to day or many thousands to morrow a man no question would have it to morrow You know this life is not so much to eternitie as to day is to the next day why should we not be content to want a little that we may have the more afterwards And besides if you consider what men are men are reasonable and to what end is reason given you but to looke on things past and future That is the part of a Beast only to look on present things you should doe more than the Beasts doe you should looke to things that are future and should order your lives according to that And what have you faith for For faith is that which distinguisheth a Christian from another man as reason distinguisheth a man from a beast surely this should teach you to goe beyond reason reason teacheth you to goe
for his glory and if it be not for his glory then certainely the power of God must not bee brought downe for the working of it And as it is against his glory so it is against his wisdome for the Lord doth nothing to no purpose hee doth nothing in vaine hee never wrought miracles when they might be spared where the thing might be done without a miracle Since this might be done without a miracle all that we have by Christ all that is represented in the Sacrament what necessity is there and if there be no necessity it beseemes not the wisedome of God to doe it Againe would not the smallest miracle really and visibly exposed to sense helpe more than such a miracle as this Besides all this I say it is not possible make your owne senses judges you see nothing but bread now this is a sure rule that of all demonstrations of reason that we have to prove things nothing is so firme as that which is taken from sense to prove the fire is hot we feele it hot or honey to be sweet when we taste it to be sweet There is no reason in the world makes it so firme as sense As it is true in these cases so it is an undoubted truth in Divinity that in all matters of sense sense is a competent judge Indeed if it be a matter of reason there sense is not able to judge the eye is able to judge of his owne sense of sounds it cannot judge but I say objects proper to sense peculiar to sense in these sense is a competent judge And therefore Christ himselfe in this very businesse when he would prove that he had a true bodie he sends them to their senses A spirit hath not flesh and bloud as you see me have And Thomas he bids Put thy hand into my side and feele c. He sends them to their senses Looke thorow the Scriptures and see if there be one miracle there if sense be not a competent judge according to that part of the miracle that concernes the sense would you not thinke it strange if Christ should have come to the master of the feast when he wrought the miracle and have said Sir you must beleeve that this is wine though you see nothing though you taste nothing but water yet you must beleeve that it is turned into wine And if GOD should have said unto Moses Though you see nothing but a Rod thou must beleeve it is turned into a Serpent If there had beene no change indeed and such as sense might see we would think it a ridiculous thing and next doore to an Imposture And therefore certainly in matters of sense sense is a competent judge and therefore when all the senses tell us that it is bread when we taste when the eye and the touch when every thing makes it evident that it is bread why should wee say there is any thing else but bread Besides if we will adde to sense reason it is against reason as well as against sense It is against reason that Christ should be in heaven and yet have ten thousand bodies on earth and yet Christ hath but one body and a body can be but in one place And againe this body must be without all circumscription and qualities and properties of a bodie And again that the bread that we see should be no bread say they there is the whitenesse of bread there is the taste of bread there is the quantitie of bread and that is all I would but aske them one thing when this bread is eaten since there is nothing there but these accidents there is nothing but the meere quantity and the like I would aske whether it nourish the body or no they must needs answer no if they follow their principles because the body of Christ is not there they say it is removed as soone as the bread is destroyed when it begins to turne into flesh it loseth these accidents well the bread returnes not againe there is nothing but accidents of the bread and yet certainly it doth nourish for it is reported by credible Authors that some have beene so holy that they would feed upon nothing else but the Eucharist for a Priest may consecrate a Cellar of wine and as much bread as he will and may feed upon this and with these he may be nourished and yet there is nothing but accidents of bread In a word the Schooles that traverse this so accutely are not satisfied at all in this but they leave it as a wonder as a thing that cannot be explained So it is against reason as it is against sense But you will say faith is beyond sense and reason it is true it is beyond both but it is not contrary to both faith teacheth nothing contrary to reason for sense and reason are Gods workes as well as grace now one worke of God doth not destroy another if they should there must be an imperfection in the workeman and therefore grace and faith contrary not sense and reason indeed it elevateth reason and makes it higher it makes it see further than reason could it is contrary indeed to corrupt reason but to reason that is right reason it is not contrary only it raiseth it higher And therefore faith teacheth nothing contrary to sense and reason But besides these if we shew them Scripture too what will they have then to say when we say it is against sense and reason say they the Scriptures affirme it if it do we will yeeld Let us examine the words if the Scripture affirme it Yes say they the Scripture saith This is my body they are Christs words but if the Scriptures say so yet the Scripture saith no where that that bread is turned into the bodie that no where saith that there is such a Transubstantiation onely those words used which as you heard may have a metaphoricall tropicall figurative sense But besides this what if the Scripture say the contrary you shall finde this in the next Chapter five times called Bread and after it is consecrated too as the Apostle saith The Cup of Blessing that we blesse and the bread that we breake After he had blessed the bread then he tooke it and after hee had tooke it then hee brake it hee thus tooke that which is called Bread Againe they say the body of Christ is not broken but that is broken which is alwayes after the words of Consecration but it is the bread that we breake Againe if it could be understood otherwise you see what a Tautologie would be in the words The Bread that wee breake it is the Communion of the body of Christ if the meaning was that it is the body here the words must be thus rendred The body that we breake is it not the communion of the body But I say five times you shall finde it in this next Chapter that it is Bread after the words of Consecration and you know it is said to
will come What will their condition be then when there is no sprinkling of the bloud on the doore-posts of thy soule It is the case of every man out of Christ What are we out of him when the avengers of bloud when the pursuers shall set on us and pursue us from whom we cannot flie And when we shall be shut out from the hornes of the Altar when we cannot come to Christ the Citie of Refuge it is a terrible thing if we consider it seriously It is said that Aaron when he caused the people to commit that sinne or was an instrument rather it is said that he left the people naked why because he deprived them of the presence of the Lord Now when Christ shall be taken from us when we are without him when we are deprived of him are we not naked is not the hedge broken downe there is nothing left to shelter us what are we without him but as the Conneyes out of the rockes that have nothing to shelter us from the devouring Lion Now Moses was but a type it is Christ that holds the hands of God that he cannot destroy us it is he that stands in the breach and keepes out the inundation of evils that we be not over-whelmed with them he is the Arke of God that causeth the house of Obed-Edom to be blessed and we have more cause to take to heart the want of him a thousand times than they had to lament the losse of the Arke when it was among the Philistims for the Arke was but a type of Christ This is the case of every man living out of Christ. I but you will say Christ is mercifull he is very ready to forgive I hope I am not out of him but he is ready to receive me It is very true he is mercifull but to whom surely not to the wicked he holds not the wicked innocent so speake plainly to you Whosoever continues in any knowne sinne be it never so small to such a man Christ will not be mercifull No sinne shall have dominion over you Rom. 6. for you are not under the Law but under Grace As if he should say there are none whom Christ takes to himselfe and puts into the condition of Grace but he frees them from the dominion of every sinne there is not one ruling lust there You know there are many paths that lead to hell the way that leads the right way is but one errour is manifold there are a thousand paths that lead the wrong way and will not one path lead to hell as well as a thousand He that is in Christ hath crucified the flesh and all the affections there is not one raigning lust there so that as Antichrist had his marke and they received the marke of the Beast So Christ hath his marke too as you have it Ezek. 9. The Writer marked all that mourned God set a marke upon them and he sets a marke upon all those that he is mercifull to You will say what is this mark of the Lord You shall finde 2 Cor. 5.17 Whosoever is in Christ he is a New Creature that is the marke of the LORD IESUS And therefore if thou wouldest know whether Christ will be mercifull to thee consider if thou finde that marke there Art thou a New Creature that is art thou made all New as if thou haddest another soule dwelling in thy body for thou must not be new by halfes thy whole spirit must be New Againe if you will come more properly to this marke you shall finde Ephes. 1. 2 Cor. 1. what it is The Seale and marke that Christ sets is his Spirit Whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his You know Merchants set seales upon their goods to know them that when they meet with their seale they may say This is my parcell of goods So it is in the multitudes of men All that Christ will be mercifull unto he sets his seale on them and where he finds his seale and his mark those he knowes to be his That Seale is his sanctifying Spirit that he hath given us it is as a Seale or earnest 2 Cor. 1. and Ephes. 1. He hath sealed us with the Spirit of Promise that is with the Spirit that he hath promised to us So consider if thou have that Spirit then to sanctifie and to change thy heart to make thee another man than thou art by nature to enable thee to do more than thou canst doe by nature If thou have not this seale of God thou art yet none of his But you will say I have the Seale I hope I have the Spirit Well it is well if thou hast but know this that Christ never gives that privie Seale and Signet of his that inward Seale that none knowes save those that have it but there is a Broad-seale likewise that followes that Seale spoken of 2 Tim. 2. This foundation of the Lord remaineth sure and hath this Seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let them depart from iniquity that call upon the name of the Lord hee addes to that other a parting from iniquitie from all kinde of iniquity there must be none exempt place in thine heart nor in thy life wherein thou wilt have a priviledge thou continuest not in the least sinne but departest from all iniquity then thou hast this Seale aswell as the other If thou want these two Seales if thou be not a New Creature if any sinne have dominion over thee if there be one living lust in thee that is not mortified that is not healed I assure thee thou never haddest yet any part in Christ and if thou be out of Christ thou seest what thou art subject to to the wrath of God and you see the particulars you are subject to death you are subject to the feare of death and to hell and this is the case of every man out of Christ and me thinkes this should somewhat move us to come in and to take him But this is not all that which we have by Christ may invite us a great deale more forcibly If we could but open the Casket and shew you the Iewels or if we could but unlocke the treasures that are hid in Christ it would bring a man in love with him it would make men doe as Paul Account all drosse and dung that they might have him Well though we cannot doe it fully yet we will endevour to doe it a little You will say What shall we have by Christ First you shall have life by him Iohn 6. the place spoken of in the beginning He that beleeves in me shall have eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day When he comes to speake of water to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. when hee would commend to us a motive to stir us up to come and take him and to drinke c. he saith Hee that drinkes this water shall thirst no more That is he
shall live for ever it is water that shall keep life in him for all eternity when she heard this she harkens to heare of water that could keepe life for ever When you reade the story in Genesis that the Angell was set with a sword shaken to keepe man from comming to taste of the tree of life you should thinke with your selves if the Angels were removed now or there were a man so happy that the Angell would give way to him that he might come and eat of the tree and when hee had eaten to live for ever you thinke that man in an happy condition Now the Lord doth say Revel 2. He that overcomes I will give to eat of the tree in the middest of the Paradice of God That is he shall eat of me and live for ever this is the great happinesse we have When Christ would use a compelling argument to move Revel 2.11 Hee that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death Why is it so great a matter Oh that is all not to be hurt of the second death The first death is nothing the first death is but the doore it is but the gate that leads to the passing thorow the first death is but a going over the threshold the breadth of it is but a step and the length of it is but a moment of time or two But the second death there are the chambers of death as Solomon speakes where you shall be led from one misery to another and where you shall dwell for ever And therefore consider this if you take Christ you shall not be hurt of the second death I beseech you consider seriosuly reckon nothing so sweet if this life be sweet that is but a spanne long is not abundance of life much sweeter It is naturall to every man to desire immortility if you could but have this life continued let every man aske his owne brest what he would give that his life might be continued that he might be immortall If there were such a thing as the Alchymists speake of I could draw out the threed of this life to keepe it firme and even as they dreame of what would you give to obtaine And will you not regard this that will doe that indeed Will you not take Christ which is life indeed which will give you another life of immortality for you must know that it is not immortality simply that man desires The Naturalists were deceived in that for a man had rather not to be than to be in misery And the soule in hell are immortall and therefore it is not immortalitie that we desire simply for death is not the extinguishing of life but the misery of life And therefore where the Scripture speakes of the losse of the soule it is to be meant thus a mans finger or his joynt is lost when it is seized on by any incurable sore So when eternal misery is on the soule then the soule is lost and yet you have the joynt still you have the soule stil you have life still and therefore it is not immortality simply that we desire if we consider what it is but it is happinesse it is such a life as is not only immortall but happy withall this life Christ hath promise we shall live and an happy life such as S. Paul expresseth 2 Cor. 5. saith he We desire not to be unclothed but to be clothed upon that immortality might be swallowed up of life As if he should say consider with your selves you that love this life so well that you neglect that which is to come saith he we love our lives as well as you we are not weary of them no more than you are we desire not to be unclothed no but we desire that immortality may be swallowed up of life how swallowed up as we see a rude draught in a picture swallowed up with the picture when it is perfected as child-hood is swallowed up of manhood as the glimmering light is swallowed up of the perfect light so their immortality is swallowed up of life that is if there be a small poore glimpse of comfort here saith Paul we would not be rid of these we would be content to have these as well as you onely wee would have them swallowed up of perfect life we would have imperfection swallowed up of perfection And therefore Iob saith I will wait till my change shall come he saith not till my destruction come till my perishing come or till my death come but I will wait till my change come and he that changeth doth it for the better If you will take Christ you shall have this immortality and life perhaps you will say but I could be content to have this temporall life continued And haply my brethren if the Lord would make that promise that he would proclaime to men that they should have immortall life here it may be he shall have more followes than now he hath when hee promiseth immortall life in heaven but to take away that in a word I say it is a foolish choice if you might have it For what have you heere Here the body is tormented with diseases the spirit is wearied with vexation and the state is assualted with losses and crosses evill things wound us with sorrow and the good things we here doe but infect our affections and weary us still and yet they whet our tired appetites with a new edge In a word every condition here is pestred and troubled with businesse one invites and drawes on another we are hampred with succeeding fetters and makes this short life more short than it would be with carefull griefe with bitter feares and with corrupt joyes and at last all cut off and end as many men many times spread their branches and flourish their estate over-swallowes their wishes their suceesse excceds their desires now on a sudden this pompe is no where to bee found their desires vanish the floud of their wealth is dried up the owners and their goods perish together they will not see this by experience What is it in this life you would have if there were immortality But I say it cannot be so that is not so you cannot have immortality in this life but as evidently as you see the heavens roll about evey day so plainly we may see if wee will take it into consideration mankinde hurried along with an unwearied motion to the West of his dayes their posterity posting after them by an unrepealeable law of succession our fathers you know are gone before and we are passing and our children shall follow us at our heeles that as you see the billowes of the Sea one tumbe on the neck of another and in the end all are dashed upon the shoare so all generations and ages in the end are split on bankes of death and this is the condition of every man Is it not our wisdome then to provide for another life Certainly if there bee any wisdome in the world it