here wee must entertaine it well into this house of our bodie it s but a guest use it not basely it s no ill guest it gives us sight taste speech motion when it goes away our body is but a dumbe dull base lumpe of earth Nay when it is gone whilst the body is in the ground the soule having a most vehement and earnest desire to be knit to it again puts God continually in minde of raising it up at the last day of the generall resurrection and of glorifying it in a holy eternall and happy estate Secondly out of the words wee may observe That these vile bodies of ours shall bee changed this we receive as anarticle of our faith and yet were it beleeved truely as it ought it would worke a strange alteration in the mindes and manners of men contrary to that they are now and howsoever it is not imbraced yet it remaines a grounded truth that these bodies of ours sowne in corruption shall rise incorruptible 1 Cor. 1.15 It was foretold in way of consequence in Paradice for the head of the serpent could not bee broken but by conquering death which is the last enemie it was figured out unto us in Aarons dead seare rod that budded and Ionahs deliverance out of the bellie of the fish where he had beene 3. dayes and three nights It was beleeved of all the fathers Heb. 12. And for securitie before the floud Enoch and after the floud Elias were taken up in their bodies And besides it is not contrarie to reason I doe not say that reason can reach unto it for Christ he is alive still the dust whereof we are made and whether we goe is preserved it is not annihilated and why cannot Christ raise a body out of the dust as at the first make it out of dust why should he not be as able to quicken dust now as at the first and especially seeing the soule is reserved in heaven to this end till the day of his second comming Nay it is not contrarie to the course of nature we see every yeere summer comes out of winter day out of night youth out of infancie mans age out of youth And the Apostle in the Corinthians Thou foole the corne is not quickned except it die nay wee see what strange changes are dayly wrought by Art and shall wee thinke Gods almighty power cannot worke farre more strange effects The use therefore is to instruct us if we beleeve that Christ shall change these vile bodies Then sure the same bodies shall rise that died for change is of qualities it abolisheth not substances and therfore Iobs confidence herein is remarkable Iob. 19. Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold speaking of Christ so is it 2 Cor. 15.53 This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie and the ancient Creeds had credore surrectionem carnis hujus Secondly it s very unequall that one body should honour or defile it selfe and another bodie should be honoured or damned its comfortable therefore to us that love our bodies and honor them that they shall rise againe and wee shall injoy them for ever Thirdly Christ our surety hee raised the same body that was crucified and therefore the same bodies here that fulfill the measure of the sufferings of Christ here shall partake of his fulnesse in glorie A second use is for comfort is this a life of changes let it not daunt us but know they are all to end in glorie and they all tend to bring us thither we ever change for the better and the last change of all is the best of all and therefore let us indure these changes with a light heart In the third place who is the Authour of this change in us the Text saith that Christ shall change us Iob. 6.39 and 40. I will raise them up at the last day saith Christ of those that know him and beleeve on him Hee is furthermore our head now wee know the body must be conformable to the head if it bee crowned the body is crowned and therefore Rom. 8.11 the Apostle saith that if the spirit dwell in us that did dwell in him the spirit that raised him up will raise us up also Thirdly Christ is a whole Saviour he therefore will raise up our bodies as well our soules for he is the Saviour of both he hath delivered both from hell hee will raise up both to heaven Fourthly he is the second Adam as wee did beare the image of the first Adam in corruption so must we beare the image of the second Adam in glorie Fifthly hee is the seed of the wowan that must breake the serpents head and therefore hee must worke this change Sixthly Christ changed his owne bodie being burthened with all our sinnes and therefore as an exemplarie cause shall much more raise us up for sinne being once overcome which is the sting of death what can keepe us in the grave Let this strengthen our faith in the consideration that wee have such a strong Saviour that nothing shall bee able to separate us from his love nor to take us out of his hande Secondly make it a ground how to direct us how to honour our bodies not making them instruments of sinne against him but so to use them that we may with comfort and joy expect and desire his comming to change these our vile bodies Thirdly let us labour to assure our selves of our parts in this change in this resurrection This we shall know if we finde Christs spirit in us the same spirit that raised up him if it bee in us will raise us up also Rom. 8. for the first resurrection is an argument of the second and he that findes his understanding in lightned his will pliable his affections set upon right objects will easily beleeve the second resurrection of his bodie Secondly if wee hope for this change and so hope that we are stirred up thereby to fit our selves for it to cleanse our selves Thirdly if wee grow in grace 2 Pet. 1.11 it is a siâ—ne that wee have an entrance into Christs kingdome for God doth ever honour growth with assurance of a blessed estate Fourthly this should comfort us in time of death considering wee lose nothing but basenesse and our bodies are but sowne in the earth and this depositum which God committeth to the fire ayre earth and the water they must render up againe pure and changed by Christ and therefore it was a foolish conceipt of the heathen to burne the Martyrs bodies and to cast their ashes into the water thereby to put them out of hope of their resurrection not knowing God is as able to raise them out of fire and water as out of earth Fifthly this ought to administer comfort to us at the death and departure of our friends out of this life knowing that they are not lost that the earth is but a house and a hiding place
of abundance and he may live in the world though not to the world which is a dutie easily spoken of yet not easily performed neither was it easily wrought in our Apostle who being a persecutor of the Church was powerfully altered and changed from Heaven and thus doth God deale with his children whom hee doth first cast downe and afflict that they may finde by experience that these outward things can stand us in no stead it may be hee suffers them to fall into some grievous scandalous sinne that they might see the bodie of sinne that lies in them and seeing no good nor help in themselves their desires are stirred up to the imbracing of some better thing wherein they may finde comfort then doth God reveale Christ to us to whom he will have us to flie and say Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe So as this power of changing our selves is not in our selves but it is an almightie power If we thinke therefore that wee are selfe-lovers goe to God present thy selfe in the meanes and then our eyes shall be opened to see and discerne good and evill For God hath promised to annex his spirit to the use of the meanes if that wee in obedience submit our selves to them VERS 8. Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse THe words containe a kinde of correction as if in few words he had said All things whatsoever I formerly boasted in nay my very priviledges I count them not onely dung but I doe count them to be losse to me nay I have suffered the losse of them all in comparison and for Christ my â—ord Yea I desire to expresse the earnest intention of my affections by my desire to win him to know hâ—m to be found in him and to formable to his death In generall observe The Apostles resolution and zeale his assured certainty his large heart being not able to expresse his affection but by many words viz. his love of Christ and hate of all outward things whatsoever Therefore we also in maine fundamentall points must be resolute carrying a full saile as in the truth of the thing there is a certainty so in us there must be an assured perswasion thereof For even from these uncertaine irresolute hearts comes Apostacie men being not grounded are carried about with every winde of doctrine and hence also comes different measures of grace in Christians some say with Paul Doubtlesse others are of doubting hearts But the end of the word is to settle us Ephes. 4.13 And though it be never so true yet if we not beleeve it though the foundation be sure yet if we not build on it the tru hand force of it is not good unto us In the second place fâ—om the Apostles example We are to learne in fundamentall truthes to be zealous The Apostle speaking of any thing that â—eâ—kes competition with Christ for value how doth he vilisie it that he hath not words sufficient to eâ—prâ—sse his fervent hatred thereof For zeale is such an affection as causes a constant hatred against any thing that opposes that which we intirely love even such a hatred as will cause us not to indure to heare of it And God therefore promiseth Ephraim he shall so abhorre Idols as he shall not have to doe with them And indeed a jealous God and a zealous heart doe well agree when wee have to doe with any one that opposes God in his â—ruth we are not to be cold but to be zealously affected In the third place Wee are to learne to bee large hearted in expressing our affection wee beare to the truth and therefore we are to bee ashamed of our shortnesse of breath in speaking or meditating of Gods honour and glory and his truth But particularly from our Apostles esteeme wee may learne That Gods children have sanctified and regenerate thoughts and esteemes For with new soules they have new eyes new senses new affections and judgements what they saw before to be gaine they see now to be losse Beasts we know conceive not of mens matters neither doe weake simple men of state matters that which weake silly men admire the Apostle scornes and contemnes Moses accounted of the afflictions with the children of God more than of the pleasure of Egypt We may observe this as a marke to know our estates by what is high in thy esteeme is honour riches pleasure or the like thou art not yet throughly sanctified for if thou wert thou wouldst have a sanctified judgement But some may say did Paul esteem all things to be losse yea his good workes I answer good workes in their own nature are good but weighing them with Christ as Paul did they are also drosse and dung Secondly it teaches us that wee are not righteous or justified by any workes ceremoniall or morall either before or after our conversion The Papists alledge works as meritorious we contrarily doe disclaime them As to that purpose I say they you meane ceremoniall works we say no we meane also morall For Paul was unblameable as concerning the works of the law and yet counts them dung O say they St. Paul meaned those works before his conversion and not those after his conversion I answer yes all things in respect of Christ I doe now account them as drosse and losse To prove this the fuller If nothing after conversion bee perfect then cannot they intitle us to heaven but all our best works in state of regeneration are imperfect to prove this See the examples of David a man after Gods owne heart Psal. 143.2 None righteous in thy sight and who can say his heart is cleane And Esay 64.6 Wee are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse as filthie ragges O but Bellarmine sayes the Prophet speakes this in the person of the wicked I hope he will not put the Prophet into that number for he saith wee and our and our righteousnesse not our ill deeds and all our righteousnesse Nay of himselfe in particular Esay saith as much in Esay 6.5 And besides the wicked doe not use to pray as the whole Chapter is to that end And Daniel also includes himselfe in his confession Dan. 9.20 And to prove this by reason We know that weake and corrupt principles must needs produce imperfect effects now the principles of all our motions are evilly affected our understandings memomories affections all are corrupt and weake Corruptions make combates in all parts of the soule and body in whatsoever therefore we doe there is flesh and spirit and their owne Authours agree hereunto as Ferus and Catharen a Cardinall of their owne sayes there is donatajustitia and inhaerens When the question is what we must leane to it must be onely on Christ and his righteousnesse wherewith from him we are indowed And a Pope of theirs Adrian the fourth saith that all our righteousnesse is as the reed of Egypt which will not onely faile us if we rest on it but will pierce our
them from evill in the world and not that thou shouldst take them out of the world Ioh 17.15 If we be under crosses if this spirit and power of Christ be in us it will enable us to beare all patiently it will keepe us from murmuring and fretting It will also convince us of our naturall estate so as wee shall see evident necessitie of Gods almighty power to change us this made the Apostle Paul and the Iaylor to looke about them for helpe Lord what wouldest thou have me to doe and thus it will make us never to give God rest nor Christ respite till that power that shall raise up our bodies doe raise up also our soules and he shine in us by his spirit that did bring light out of darknes and fashion us as in his wisedome shall be most meet In the next place the consideration of Gods Almightie power should teach us not to be dejected or cast downe at the reports of the afflicted state of the Church abroad it should bring us rather to God to rely upon his goodnes and power for God is ever God almighty and the same mercifull God that ever he was and therfore we should pray for the Church the more instantly that God would give them beautie instead of ashes wee should urge him with his promise of building up and defending of his Church and destroying of Antichrist and let us make the resurrection of the body a ground to strengthen us in the beleefe thereof as the returne of the children of Israel from Babylon was sealed by the resurrection of the dry bones Ezek. 37. as also the Apostle from the resurrection of the dead gathereth that God by that power hath and will deliver him 2 Cor. 1.9 10. Furthermore when wee are oppressed with any extremitie though never so great by continuall meditation of his promises wee should strengthen our selves and apply them to our present estate and condition knowing that he that raised us out of dust will not suffer us to bee buried in miserie but will with the triall give us a gracious issue at the last by raising up our bodies at the last day by his almighty power which made also the Patriarch Abraham to hope above hope what though our helpes be few its no matter what the instrument is so as Christ is the chief worker In the next place This should incourage us to stand out sted fast in a good cause for the truth do not think with our selves alas I am but one and a weake sillie man what can I doe against a multitude let not such thoughts discourage thee thinke of Luther a poore Monke who alone set himselfe against the whole world and wrought that effect that wee have all cause at this day to honour the memorie of him it is not thou but God in thee that is able to confound all thine enemies and therefore with Moses behold him that is invisible Yet further this should bee observed by a Christian as a ground of his perseverance to the end for when wee know we are Christians what can bereave us of our blessings what can make our faith faile its Gods power that will keepe us to salvation and he that beleeveth shall have life and shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 6.39 40.44.47 and many other places and Christ by his almighty power swayes all our life to our building up to salvation and therefore in contraries we should beleeve contraries that death will worke life miserie happinesse corruption incorruption and this vilenesse glorie for its Gods order to worke by contraries that his power might the more appeare And at the houre of death then behold him that is thus able and all-sufficient that shall presently glorifie our soule and at length will raise up our bodie also and unite it to our soule to partake with it in glorie and happinesse that will then quit us of all sinne corruption death change all our enemies shall bee troden under our foote and all this by his almightie power whereby he is able to doe farre above that wee are able to think and therefore let us with a holy admiration thereof say with the Apostle Ephes. 3.20 To him be glorie for evermore Amen FINIS Loâ—uere ut videa 1 Cor. 8.5 Animus â—ujusque is est quisqueâ— 1 The Appellation 2 Exhortation 3 Limitation Meanes to get Ioy. Answ. 1. Ob. Answ. Psal. 120.5 Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Note 3. Doct. 4. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Rev. 1. and 2 3. Doctr. 1. 1 John 4.1 Quest. Answ. Ob. Answ. A threefold judgment to wit I Of Discretion II Of Directiâ—n III Of Jurisdiction Doctrine Quest. Answ. Rev. 22.15 Remedies against seducers Remedy 1. Remedy 2. Remedy 3. Remedy 4. Meanes and waies to mortifie sinne Three parts viz. 1 The Act Worship 2 The Object God 3 The most part viz. in Spirit Reasons why God must be worshipped in Spirit Vse Reasons why outward worship is so well liked and loved Ob. Answ. Signes of spirituall worshippers Helps unto spiritual worship Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Quest. Answ. Causes of true joy Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Answ. Signes of true Christian joy 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe Quest. Answ. Doctrine Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4 Reason 5. Quest. Answ. Signes of fleshly confidence St. Pauls prerogatives Obj. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Wherein and how the knowledge of Christ exceeds humane knowledge Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Signes of the choice of Christ. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Answ. The meanes how to be united to Christ. Vse 1. Signes of mortification Quest. Answ. Obj. 1. Obj. 2. Ob. Answ. Doctrine Vse 1. 1. Direct 2. 3. 2. Hind 3. Hind Direct 1. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Hind 4. Hind Doctrine Vse Doct. Vse 2. Doctr. Vse Doctr. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe Vse 2. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doct. 1. Signe 2 Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe 6. Signe 7. Signe 9 Signe 10. Signe Meanes unto perfection Motives to the use of the meanes and unto perfection Doctrine How to walk according to the Rule Ob. Answ. Doct. Wherein imitation consists Why examples are laid downe in Scripture Vse 1. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Who were enemies to Christs crosse Gal. 5.4 A threefold judgment Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Reason 1. Helpes Remedies against vaine-glory Rules Signes Doctr. Quest. Answ. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. 4. Direct 5. Dir. 6. Dir. Obj. Answ. 7. Dir. Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Vsâ— Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doctr. 1. Quest. Answ. Vse Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Quâ—st Answ. Obj. Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Vse 6. Vse 7. Doctrine 1.
a Christian by his proper act Worship and by the proper object thereof God and by his most proper part in spirit And the word Worship is taken for the inward worship of God commanded in the first Commandement also comprehending our feare love of God and joy in him issuing from the knowledge of the true God All our obedience issuing herefrom is worship of God including our duties to man in obedience and relation to Gods Commandement The ground of this obedience and worship is the relation betweene God and the reâ—sonable creature being the Image of God now this image being lost in the fall of our first parents wee must worship him not onely as our creator and maker but as reconciled to us in Christ as he hath made us anew Secondly we are to worship him as the well-spring of all grace goodnesse excellencie and greatnesse Thirdly As he doth communicate all unto us he is ours Christ is ours all is ours this should carry our soules to love him be his as he is ours especially to be his in Spirit By which is meant the reasonable soule understanding will and affections And Secondly with sanctified understanding sanctified will and sanctified affections Thirdly with all our strength spirit life and chearfull readinesse Wherefore God is the proper object of spirituall worship Trust on him love him joy in him invoke and pray to him and to him onely not to the Virgin Mary Saints or Images as the Papists doe Mat. 4.10 Him onely shalt thou serve as Christ saith because our commandement is onely from him and extends onely to him The promises are onely from him he onely is present in all places he onely supplies our wants and he onely knowes what our wants are and how to helpe Saints are not present in all places they cannot heare many at once nay they cannot heare our prayers unlesse they be present they are finite creatures they have no infinite properties Christ he bids us invites us to come to him he hath promised to heare us and to ease us And further God knowes the secret wants which the Saints cannot know no wee our selves know them not and therefore are we to goe onely to God in all our necessities because it is most gainfull for us to goe to him that can helpe us nay we owe him this honour by going to him to acknowledge his omnipresence his willingnesse and ability to doe good VERS 3. In Spirit THe Apostle in these words shewes the manner of true worship by the most proper and fit part of a Christian to wit his Spirit that is as soule truely sanctified lively and cheerfully with a willing and ready mind fitly disposed Contrary to outward false and hypocriticall worship And the reason is Because God is a Spirit and therefore must be worshipped in spirit Secondly it is the best part of a man and God who challenges all and that justly looks especially that he hath the best part Thirdly the Spirit hath a being of it selfe and praiseth loveâ—h and rejoyceth in God when it s out of the body and the body is stirred up to this duâ—y onely by the spirit it being of it selfe senselesse as a blocke and outward worship without inward is but the carkasse of worship The Prayer of a wicked man is abominable because he regards iniquitie in his heart Psal. 66.18 And this spirit of ours without the spirit of God cannot worship him and therefore every one that is not changed makes God an Idoll This may deprive all such of comfort as care not for this spirituall worship thinking they have done enough if they have mumbled a few idle words over God accepts it no more than if they had sacrificed a dogges head as he saith Esay 66.3 And verily what other is Poperie but a bodie without a soule when they worship in blinde sacrifices in a strange language Is this a spirituall worship when they neither know what they doe nor say Let us shew that we are not of their number Come we with love and with the intention of all our affections and this will sway the whole man body and soule and so shall we worship him in truth and not in hypocrisie as many doe that bring their Idols with them their mindes are on their pleasures and riches though their body be present before God And it hath ever been an error in the world this limiting and tying Gods worship to outward worship of the body with a kinde of ceremonious gesture and it is very much liked for such like Reasons as these are First the outward gesture as holding up hands bending the knee casting up the eyes they are things that may easily be done Secondly they make a glorious shew in the eyes of the world its a commendable and good quality to be religious especially if they bee observed so to be Thirdly its beneficiall to men when as hereby they are knowne to be no Atheists and therefore not that way uncapable of preferment or the like Fourthly outward worship satisfies conscience a little men know they must worship God and goâ— to Church that these are means to save men and thâ—y thinke that in doing so they stoppe the cryes of their consciences Alas Alas these sleepie blinded consciences of theirs will â—t length awake and will accuse them for the outward ceremonious hypocriticall worship of him that requires the spirit to worship him with But some men may say how shall we know whether we serve God in spirit or no I answer observe these properties First Wâ—ether thou lamentest thy defects in the best actions thou dost and art not puffed up with conceit of the sufficiencie of thy performances Paul found this in him for although he lived being a Pharisee as concerning the Law unrebukable yet when he was converted he saw much corruption which before he knew not and laments and bewailes it Rom. 7. Secondly Examiâ—e thy selfe whether thou makest conscience of private closet duties Of prayer in thy studie when none sees thee Of thy very thoughts Dost thou serve God with thy affections and thy very soule Dost thou weepe in secret for sinnes yea for thy secret sinnes Dost not thou doe good duties to be seene of men as the Pharisees did Contrariwise wilâ— thou omit no place nor time but alwaies and in all places thou wilt worship God This must be done for God is alwayes and for ever God and he is in all places in private as well as publike and therefore a Christians heart must be the Sanctum Sanctorum where God must remaine present continually and therefore he makes conscience of and is humbled for the least sinnes yea those that the world esteemes not of and counts them as niceties and that in as great a measure as ordinarily men are for the greatest sinnes they commit Thirdly Canst thou indure the search of thy selfe and thy infirmities by all meanes by thy selfe by others by the word
sought not his owne it was his communicative goodnesse that drew him from Heaven to take our nature Thirdly he is present and ready to doe all good for us he is present with us to the end of the world nay Fourthly we are his members he is in us we are his wife nay we are him Saul why persecutest thou me 1 Cor. 12. We are all one body with Christ. Fifthly We are even whiles we are here glorified with Christ he is our husband if hee be honoured we his spouse also are advanced if he be our King we are his Queene if the head be crowned the body is honoured and Sixthly all this is from God and freely comes from him Christ is anointed by the spirit and sent from the father 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption to us And Ioh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him and it is further said that God sealed him So that we may rejoyce in Christ because that thereby we come to joy in God for he reconciles us to God who called him to this office which was witnessed at his baptisme when as the whole Trinity bare witnesse thereof But it may be questioned What may wee not joy in any other thing else but in Christ. I answer there may be two causes of our joy One principall the other lesse principall We must onely rejoyce in Christ as the maine and principall cause of our happinesse But we may rejoyce in creatures so farre forth as they are testimonies of Christs love and in peace of conscience as comming from Christ and in the word of God as it is the Gospell of the revelation of Christ to us For use We may observe this doctrine as a ground of the necessitie of particular faith For none can boast but the boasting must arise from a particular faith which onely is the true ground of every mans particular assurance Secondly let it serve as a direction to every Christian that will rejoyce let him goe out of himselfe and rejoyce in Christ his King his Priest and his Prophet let him observe what he hath done for him and what he will doe for him and thereby see himselfe perfectly happy and In the third place Let us first boast that we have Christ and then in his benefits and blessings that folloâ— him First rejoyce that we have the field then rejoyce in the pearle And therefore the Apoâ—tle sayes not rejoyce in faith or in obedience but in Christ who being once mine how shall I not have all things with him Those that are burdened with sorrow for their sinne let them consider Why doe they grieve doe their sinnes trouble them Christ hee came to dye for sinne he is their high-Priest he came to save sinners Doth the devill accuse them let them know Christ chose them he pleades for them who can lay any thing to their charge Christ he is dead risen nay he is ascended into Heaven Are they troubled with crosses That is the best time to rejoyce in Christ. We joy in tribulation Rom. 5.3 When nothing comforts us then hath Christ sweetest communion with our hearts St. Steven when the stones â—lew about him and Paul in the dungeon had the most sweet consolation and comfortable presence of Gods spirit that upheld them Nay in death wee may glory most of all it lets us into that state into that sweet society with our Saviour and the Saints the very hope whereof doth now sustaine us and cause us to glory here as in Rom. 5.2 And death now is but a droane the sting is gone all enemies are conquered In the fifth place See wherein the glory of a man of a nation of a kingdome consists it is in Christ and that which exhibites Christ. What made the Iewes rejoyce marke the prerogatives they had Rom. 9.3 Adoption covenant promises and Christ. What made the house of Iuda so famous and Mary so blesse her selfe All generations shall call me blessed Christ that vouchsafed to proceed out of her loynes and from that stocke Abraham rejoyced to see Christs day though he saw it a farre off by the eye of faith And what should we glory in above the Iewes above other nations but in this the vaile is taken away Christ shines and we have the Gospell in its puritie This the Apostle lookes for in the Corinthians 2 Cor. 2.3 Having confidence that my joy is the joy of you all Now what was Pauls joy God forbid saith he that I should rejoyce but in the crosse of Christ Gal. 6.14 Let us not therefore rejoyce in peace or plenty fortified places or the like No if we had not Christ to rejoyce in we were no better than Turkes Happy is the people whose God is the Lord for in him shall we have fulnesse of joy and comfort make use of this in time of temptation When the divell would robbe us of our joy fly to Christ oppose him against all oppose the second Adam against the first he came to doe what ever the other did undoe Learne to see the subtilty of the divell and thine owne heart and fill thy heart with the Scriptures and with meditations of the promises and they will cause our love to be so fervent as all our service of God will seeme to be easie to us As the time that Iacob served seemed nothing for the love he bare to Rachel But how shall wee know whether wee rejoyce in Christ or not I answer by these signes First when we glorie see the ground whence it arises whether from God reconciled to us or not If otherwise remember that of Ier. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength all such rejoycing is evill But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord. Secondly If we glory in the Lord it will stirre us up to thankes What we joy in we will praise if we joy in Christ we shall like the Spouse in Canticles ever be setting forth the praises of our beloved Thus did Paul Ephes. 1.3 and Peter 1 Pet. 1.3 and therefore where deadnesse and dulnesse is it shewes no true Christian joy Thirdly Our glorying will be seene in dutie delight ever implies the intention to doe any good worke and diligence Fourthly if we glory in Christ aright we shall not indure any addition to Christ and therefore we shall abhorre that Popish Tenent which puts so many additions to Christ in the meritorious worke of our salvation A true rejoycer in Christ sees such all-sufficiency in Christs merits and worke that he abhorres purgatorie and such trash and so much the more by how much his glorying in Christ is the more fervent and sincere Christ is our husband we are his spouse if we cleave to any other than
to Christ we are adulterers No let him kisse us with the kisses of his mouth and none but he Fifthly this joy where it is it will breed content in all estates Paul could want and abound and so can a true rejoycer in Christ he hath all he cares not for earthly wants so he wants no heavenly comfort if he be poore he is rich in heaven nay what he most complaines of are good for him life or death all 's one with him Christ is his and in him all things But it may be said There are many Christians are not in this happy condition I answer It s their owne fault to yeeld to the divels policie and their owne weaknesse that will not labour to breake through these clouds and challenge the promises VERS 3. And have no confidence in the flesh THese words are in truth included in the former for he that glories in Christ will have no confidence in the flesh But the Apostle notes this as a plaine demonstration and evidence of the glorying in Christ. For by the copulative conjoyning of them it is all one as if he had said what a man trusts to he glories in and what he glories in he trusts to and is confident of If in wit his glorying be he trusts to it though it be to his ruine as it fell out with Achitophel If in eloquence of speech hee trusts to it and it brings shame as it did to Herod If in honour hee trusts to it and brings himselfe to dishonour as Haman did By flesh is meant outward things as prerogatives priviledges actions of a mans owne doing and particularly he aimes at Circumcision which he calls outward and that of the flesh So as the observation that wee may gather is That confidence in Christ takes away confidence in outward things The reason is if Christ be fully all sufficient what need is there of any outward thing to put confidence in For these are two opposite things and one overthrows the other The second instruction is That naturally men have confidence in outward things for having not hearts filled with grace they relish not Christ but flye to ceremonious outward actions as their refuge Nay in the Church till we be converted we naturally flie to outward fleshly confidence We have the Word taught to us we come to heare it twice on the Lords day alas what is this if thou be not transformed and inwardly and outwardly conformed in obedience Hast thou the Sacraments dost thou uncover thy head or bow the knee these are good and they seeme faire but where is the heart how is that prepared hast thou an earnest desire to leave off thy course of sinning and dost thou resolve hereafter to amend thy life O here is the hard spirituall worke So in outward fasting and abstinence it s an easie matter the Pharisee did it often but this is the fast that God hath commanded to loose the bands of wickednesse Esay 59.6 to fast from sinne The suffering of the flesh if it be separated from spirituall use and almes they profit nothing 1 Cor. 13.3 All Pauls prerogatives which were many 2 Cor. 11 and 12. chapters Yet were they in his account but drosse and dung in comparison of Christ. Most men are like Ephraim Hosea 10.11 as heiferâ— who serve to tread out corne and to plow Ephraim loved to tread corne where hee might eate his belly full for by the law of Moses the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne was not to bee musled men they are delighted in the performance of slight duties but to put their necke under the yoke to plow its a hard worke who can beare it But some will say O what doe you condemne outward duties and use of them I answer wee may consider religious duties two wayes First as they are outward meanes to salvation for so they are Secondly as they are expressions of inward truth and so out of a sincere intire affection wee beare to them and out of a desire to bee wrought upon by them we doe them thus they are commended that use them but let them want but an inch of this all is abominable all is flesh The Iewes they boasted in the name of holy people in their law in the Temple in the Holy land yet for all these saith God you shall goe into captivity against such Christ preached Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees you tithe mint but let passe justice and judgement And Paul bee not high minded but feare And the reasons why men are taken up with this fleshly confidence are First outward things are easie and men cannot bend themselves to performe the hard matters of the law Secondly they are glorious and men desire to be observed Thirdly men have a foolish conceit that God is delighted with the outward act when the inward sinceritie is wanting Fourthly men want knowledge of themselves want the inward change want sense of their owne unworthinesse and Christs worthinesse Fifthly God followeth such with prosperitie in this world thereby they thinke God is well pleased with them til the houre of death come and then they finde all but froth How shall we know whether our confidence is fleshly or not I answer where this fleshly confidence is there is bitternesse of spirit against sinceritie the Pharisees the Doctours of the law sate in Moses chaire yet who more opposed Christ than they Nay they wholly and onely in their whole course sought to persecute him and made it their trade Secondly where this fleshly confidence is there is also a secret blessing of our selves in our performance of good duties without humiliation of our defects Hypocrites think that God is beholding to them and therefore doe blesse themselves in the deed done In the fourth verse hee comes to an argument taken from himselfe against those of the Concision VERS 4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more AS if he had said if any other man may glory in the flesh then may I much more But I doe not thinke that I have cause sufficient to glory in the flesh therefore have not they or may not they glory in the flesh And the reason or ground of this proposition is taken from his many prerogatives he had which he comes to in the 5. and 6. verses following Circumcision was the first prerogative before conversion and it was not before the eighth day to the end that the childe might gather some strength to beare and indure the ceremony for it was of it selfe grievous and a bloudy ceremonie Wherefore it was that Moses his wife called him a bloudy husband and this ceremony was not to be respited above eight dayes that the parents might not be delayed in their comfort Whence we may gather that dying before baptisme is no necessary
a wing yet is she as surely the fowlers as if her whole body were bound so if we favour or like and imbrace but one sinne though we thinke not thereof there is a floud of sinne comes in at that gate he that is guiltie of one sinne is guiltie of all But the weake Christian will object are wee not yea the best of us troubled with our personall secret infirmities what shall then become of us I answer feare not for its true though the best child of God be thus troubled yet hee pleades against it he hates it he undermines it and strives against it and thus opposing it it is not accounted to him by God But if hee forsakes all sinne in heart but one the devill will suffer it and indure it well enough for he knows he is sure enough The fifth note is That such an one can be content to be at some cost yea losse and paines for the Word for the field wherein this pearle is hid hee that is not of this minde cares not for the word It is not that men can speake well and commend it for many will doe so yet afterward make a mocke of it especially being in some company but he that esteemes it once will ever esteeme it and in all company wil extoll it Herod a very reprobate may seeme well affected where there is no temptation or while the word is preached can this be a plea to God at the last day who searcheth and knowes thy heart many dream they have this when indeed they have naught but the shell How few can say in truth I have denied this or that commodity and refused my profit for Christs sake Those that have done this let them know they have a most rich gaine and the best gain of all others they have an universall gaine that will comfort at all times riches and honours cannot cure the troubled minde neither can they deliver in the day of wrath Then in the next place let them know they have an everlasting gaine that will comfort us for ever and ever In the last place such as have wonâ—e Christ they have such a gaine as makes them that have him truly rich and noble and good other riches without grace doe corrupt us the Image of God is the true and intrinsecall worth Let this incourage us to labour to get Christ to attend the meanes that lay his riches open and thereby shall our love bee so stirred up and our judgement so sanctified as wee shall bee of St. Pauls minde to account all other things losse in regard of him and therefore it s no wonder that those that have not the benefit of the meanes want this esteeme VERS 9. And be found in him SOme reade the words actively thâ—â— may finde Christ but the phraâ—e is in the originall varying from the former and therefore it is better translated as we have it passively But when is it that St. Paul desireth to be found in Christ Ever no doubt but especially at the houre of death and day of judgement The Phrase implies first that there is an estate in Christ Secondly an abiding in it and Thirdly to be found abiding in him For the handling whereof wee will first explaine the phrase Secondly we will shew what doctrines it doth cleere then we will come to some instructions arising therefrom The phrase to be in Christ is taken from plants which are grafted into stocks or from the branches which are said to be in the tree thus are we in the vine it s Christs owne comparison and of this union with Christ there are three degrees First we are in Christ and in God first loving us and so wee were in him before wee were he chose us from all eternitie Secondly when Christ died then we were in him as a publike person Thirdly we are said most properly to be in him now when we beleeve in him and thus principally is the sense understood in this place and thus we are in Christ not as the manhood is in Christ but mystically not as friends in one another by love but by faith wee are ingrafted as truly as the branches are in the vine so are we one But Christ is in heaven wee are on earth how can we be united to him that is so farre distant from us I answer if a tree did reach to heaven and have its roote in the earth doth this hinder that the branches and the roote are not united In no wise So Christ he is in heaven and we on earth yet are we united to him by his spirit and receiving influence from him of all grace and goodnesse Now le ts see what doctrines are cleared hereby first it cleares the point of justification by Christ For if the question be how wee are saved by Christs righteousnesse I answer Christ and we are both one doth not the eye see for the bodie are not the riches of the husband and wife all one yes and even also whatsoever Christ hath is ours he is our husband he is our head In the second place it cleares the matter of the sacrament the Papists would have the bread transubstantiated into the bodie of Christ that it may be united to us I answer how is the foot in the head is it not by spirituall vigour passing to and fro through the body but chiefly in the head it is not therefore necessary that there should bee any corporall union Nay Christ comforted his Disciples more by his spirit when he departed from them than he did by his corporall presence We say also that the mysticall body of Christ is invisible because the spirit whereby we are made one is invisible This should comfort us at all times and in all estates before we were in Christ we were in an estate of horrour in an estate of damnation now to be reduced to Christ what comfort is it to be one of a politique body it s but for life or to be in any mans favour it s but at will this is a most excellent glorious and eternall being that mans nature should be so highly advanced as to be unitâ—d to the Godhead yea our persons are mystically united to Christ. Secondly In all crosses or losses what though we lose other states here is a state cannot bee shaken Thirdly in the houre of death wee are in Christ and blessed are they that dye in the Lord death that separates the soule from the body cannot separate eyther from Christ. Fourthly after death can it go hard with me that am in Christ that am his spouse I am in him in whom is fulnesse of comfort Fifthly in all wants here I have him to supply all hee will give what is necessarie if we should have fulnesse of grace here we should not desire to be in heaven hereafter Sixthly in persecution all my hurt redounds to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me that which thou dost to my members thou doest to me
for them to sleepe in and that at length God will not forget to raise them up with the residue of his Saints hee will change them and make them like his glorious bodie and this was the use made by the Apostle 1 Thes. 4.18 And lastly pray to God to teach us to number our dayes so as we may apply our hearts to wisedome But when is the time of this blessed change It is not laid downe onely it is implyed by the word Shall that the time is to come but out of all question it is meant at the last day and not before First because all are to bee gathered together even those that were baried 4000. yeers agone must stay till the number bee fulfilled and it will make for Gods glorie that we should all meet together to attend on him with multitude of Angels so as they cannot be perfected without or before us and wee shall not prevent those that are asleepe Secondly it is for the comfort of Christians that are weake that the Martyrs and constant professors of Christ should be pledges of their rising who continually cry how long Lord Thirdly God wils that things should now bee carried as in a cloud and that the last day should bee a day of revelation which could not be if before there should be this change For use this must teach us to desire that day and pray for the hastening thereof till when the soules in heaven are not perfectly happy for all must be brought in before they can be made perfect and therefore they desire and hope for and pray for to be united to those bodies again that they lived withall and so deerely loved But who are these that shall be thus changed The Text saith our bodies that is our bodies that have had our conversation in heaven and therefore those that have had no part in the first resurrection they shall have no pâ—rt in the second the Baker and Butler of Pharaoh all shall arise and be lifted out of prison but some to the resurrection of life and others to the resurrection of condemnation But to proceed VERS 21. That wee may bee fashioned like unto his glorious bodie SO that Christ shall be the exemplary cause as well as the efficient cause of our resurrection for he is our head and our husband and it is reason we should bee sutable to him and be ruled by him he came not to make himselfe like us but us like him he first must be a King blessed and anointed and a sonne the head makes us like to him Kings blessed and glorious and sonnes Enoch and Elias though before his reall incarnation yet they ascended by vertue of his resurrection and so shall we they are glorious like to him so shall wee in his good time and pleasure But how I answer in these particulars First as he is immortall never to die againe so shall we we shall bee freed from all sinne and so consequently from all mortalitie Secondly we shall be uncorruptible wee shall have no corruption whithin us or without us as it is 1 Cor. 15.53 We shall be embalmed with the spirit that shall cause us to remaine for ever incorruptible Thirdly we shall be unchangeable alwayes the same without sicknesse of bodie or indisposednesse of minde Then in the fourth place wee shall bee in perfect strength here we contract to our selves weaknesse by every little thing as alteration of â—ire study and the like there the body shall be inabled to every thing but here we are weak unfit and soone wearie of any dutie soone tired in prayer wearie of hearing so as even Moses his armes must be supported Fifthly we shall have beautie and comelinesse the most lovely complexion and proportion of parts there shall be no dregges in our body all shall be spent by death farre better than after Physicke which notwithstanding brings the body into a quiet repose all wants shall be supplyed what is misplaced shall be reduced into right order and therefore what though we lose limbes for Christs â—ake he will not be indepted to us none shall goe thither maimed But some will say Christ himselfe retained wounds after his resurrection and therefore much more shall we be imperfect I answer this was a voluntarie dispensation he suffered them to appeare for the faith of Thomas not of necessitie Sixthly these bodies of ours shall be spirituall as it is 1 Cor. 15. a naturall bodie is upheld by naturall meanes as meate drinke Physicke but then shall there be no need of such things Christ shall be al in all to us and again our body shal obey the spirit now the body keeps the spirit in slavery but theÌ„ shal it readily yeâ—ld to everie motion of the spirit The Vbiquitaries when they speak of the spiritualitie of Christs body they would have it in all places But they may as well conclude because wee shall have spirituall bodies therefore our bodies also shall be in all places like to Christs bodie The ground of the glorie of these our bodies shall be the beatificall vision and our union with Christ if our beholding him here in his ordinances bee of such a power as to transforme us from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3.18 What a change shall be wrought in us when we shall see him as he is and if his first comming had that power to make all things new 2 Cor. 5.17 much more when hee commeth the second time in glory shall he make all things new and glorious This therefore in the first place should incourage us in all causes of dismay and trouble rather than wee will offend God to lose our bodies knowing that wee give them to God and shall receive them againe with advantage Secondly labour wee to make our bodies instruments of his honour that honours us and let us honour our bodies wherein are the seeds of immortalitie and glory in so using them as that they bee carried to the grave with honour Let us also honour the bodies of the deceased Saints of God and the places of their sepulture as Cabinets wherein the precions dust of the holy Saints are laid up in keeping And let us not be like them without faith that thinke the bodies are lost for ever that are cast into the grave like children that seeing the silver cast into the furnace thinke it utterly cast away till they see it come out againe a pure vessell And when wee die let us not trouble our mindes with the discomfortable thoughts of wormes rottennesse darknesse and the like but with the eye of faith let us looke beyond these on the haven whether wee are going this made Iob though covered all over with ulcers to say with a cheerfull heart My redeemer liveth though after my skinne wormes consume this flesh If wee want limbes to our bodies comfort our selves the resurrection will restore all things Furthermore let us serve here with our