the grace by which we come to it that the praise of all may returne vnto himselfe alone Who hath also giuen vs the earnest of the Spirit The second argument by which the Apostle prooues that the desire of immortality in the godly is no vaine desire is here that God hatâ— not onely in his word promised to giue it but hath also therevpon geuen vs the earnest of his Spirit and therefore of necessitie it must be performed for God is not as man that he shouldlye or repent the Lord is faithfull and will doe as he speakes This is the greatesâ— argument of comfort that we haue in this life to susteine vs It is indeed much that we haue the word the promises and the Oath of God sounded in our eares and that we haue the sacraments as the seales of God presented to our eares but none of these can make vs sure of a better life after this vnlesse with them we haue receiued the earnest of the spirit into our harts By the workes and word of God wee may know that vniuersall couenant which God hath made with all mankind â—hat he wâ—ll not drown the worlâ— againe with waters for as God in his word hath promised it so hath hee also set his rainebow in the firmament for a witnesse to confiâ—me it By the word and Sacraments all that are in the visible Church may know that speciall cauenant which God hath made with his adopted children but that this same couenant of grace is particularly bound vp with thee thou canst not know except with the Sacraments thou hast also receiued the spirâ—t Now to make this comfort the more sensible vnto vs we are here to consider these foure things first what is meant here by this Spirit Secondly why is it called an earnest Thirdly how is it receiued Fourthly wherby may we know whether wee haue receiued it or not By the Spirit here we vnderstand that speciall grace of the holy Spirit by which the Lord renews strengthens stablishes and confirmes his own children which for the purging vertue that is in it to make cleane them who receiue it is compared to fire and water and for the corroboratins and strengthening vertue that it hath is compared to holy oyntment for the vertue it hath to stablish and confirme our hearts against all doubting is caled the earnest the Seale and the 〈◊〉 And this grace of the spirit is called the earnest of the spirit first for the measure next for the nature and vse therof for now we haue it in a small measure in comparison of that which we shall receiue hereafter And wee are to obserue it against the customable policie of Satan who casts vp to Gods children the smalnes of their faith loue and other graces of the spirit of purpose to driue them to dispaire as if they had no grace at all because it is but small and little which they haue but we are to remember against him that the best measure of grace we haue in this life is compared to an earnest pennie wee will not therefore faint because now wee haue not the fulnesse but rather will be comforted knowing assuredly that the Lord who now hath giuen vs the earnest will afterward giue vs the principall for the Kingdome of God in vs proceedes to perfection from smal beginnings and therefore is the groúth thereof coÌ„pared by our Lord to the grouth of a little grain of mustard seede which in the beginning is small but by time increases to an high tree And truly that same little beginning of grace which god hath wroght in vs howsoeuer SataÌ„ extenuates it labours to make it seeme little in our eies yet is it not smal in our owne eyes but much more theÌ„ he wold with to be in vs therfore doth hee what hee can vtterly to quench it but in vaine this same seed of grace in vs how little soeuer yet is it blessed of God shal grow and increase to cast Sacan vtterly out of that Kingdome which once he possessed in vs for if the beginnings of grace inable vs to resist Satan shall not the perfection thereof much more inable vs to oueâ—come him Now the nature and vse of the earnest is as we know to binde both the giuer and receiuer the giuer is bound by it to stand to his word and promise whats'euer that he hath made the receiuer againe is bound to staÌ„d to the conditioÌ„ whervpon he receiued it here we are admonished that if on Gods part wee would haue his earnest valid to binde him to stand to his promises wee must on our part declare that they are forcible to binde vs to stand to our promised dueties But alas in this generation men liue as if the Lord were onely bound to bee mercifull to them and they were not bound to be seruiceable to him but it were free to them to liue as pleases them The Lord giue vs wise vnderstanding hearts and sanctified memories to remember it as oft as our enemies would solicite vs to transgresse the commaundements of our God that by the bond of creation by the right of redemption by our oath in baptisme by receiuing the earnest of God in our regeneration beside innumerable other obligations wee are bound seruants to the Lord our God with a solemne renuntiation of the Deuill the world and the flesh As to the third the giuing and receiuing of this Spirit it is certaine that the giuing is euery where ascrybed to God as Eph. 1.13.2 Cor. for the ministry of grace God hath reserued it to himselfe the Ministry of the word by which hee giueth grace he hath concredited to men Moses gaue the law but grace comes by Christ Iohn baptises with water Iesus baptises with the holy Ghost Paul may plant and Apollo water but God must giue the increase Yet is it much that it pleses god to giue his grace by the ministery of the word and therfore if we loue the one we must not mislike the other That same holy spirit who commanded Philip to ioyne himselfe to the Eunuches Charioâ— to teach him might by himselfe haue taught the Eunuch but he would do it by the minstery of a man And the Lord might haue caused th' Angel whoÌ„ he sent to Cornelius to haue taught him but he would do it by the ministry of Peter and notable is it that while Peter is preaching the holy Ghost descended vpon Cornelius and his friends Thus we see how God who giues the grace giues it by the ministrie of the word God hath linked in one chain all the meanes of saluation and man should not presse to sunder them they who call on the name of the Lord shall be saued but how shall they call on him on whom they beleeue not how shal they beleeue but by hearing how shal they heare but by preaching and how shall men preach
dissolued by death after the common manner before the flood HENOCH was taken away and hee sawe no death after the flood ELIIAH was transported into a Chariote of fire and strange is it that is written of MOSES that when hee died on the toppe of Pâ—sgah beeing an hundred and twentie yeare olde his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated But we haue not vppon these to fansie vnto our selues a priuiledge whereof God hath not assured vs neither are wee to thinke wee are the lesse beloued of God because after the same singular maner he takes vs not away out of the world but we must looke on the other hand to the remanent Patriarches Prophets and worthie Apostles who finished their daies as Ioshua speakes after the way of all flesh so Abrâ—ham the father of the faithfull died being worne with the infirmities of his age and Isaac thorough weaknes waxed blinde before he died and Iacob that famous Patriarch being in his bed by ordinary death pulled vp his feet vnto him and we must bee content after the same manner to suffer the dissolution of our bodies by diseases which are the Sergeants and officers of death It is true also that they who shal be found aliue at the second comming of Christ shall not be dissolued but suddenly transchanged but this priuiledg in like maner we are not to looke for hauing no warrant that we shall continue alike vntill that day for that man of sinne is not yet so weakened by the Gospell as hee must bee Neyther are our eldest brethren the Iewes conuerted to the faith of Christ as in likelihood they wil be before Christs second appearing Sixteene hundred yeares were they in the couenant when we were strangers from it During that space sundrie of the Gentiles in sundrie partes of the World became Proselytes as Naaman in Syria and Ebedmelech in Ethiopia but that was not the accomplishment of the promised calling of the Gentiles till the bodie of IAPHETS house were perswaded to dwell in the Tentes of SEM. And now other sixteene hundred yeares haue wee beene within the couenant they strangers from it in which space sundry of them also haue embraced the faith of the Gospel but that as wee conceiue is not the performance of the promised recalling of the Iewes but the body of that people shall be conuerted that the prophecy may be fulfilled And there shall be one Shepheard and one Sheepe folde then shall our Lord appeare the second time for our full redemption So that these words of the Apostle doe not make any peraduenture of our death farre lesse doe they giue vs any exemption from death but rather assures vs that our bodies must be dissolued Our life on earth is no inheritance our breath is but a vapour wee haue heere no continuing Citie Men may preasse to repine and sit the summonds of death made by sundrie diseases as long as they can and do all they may to fortifie themselues against the dart of death but it shall not bee eschued These daintie women which wil not suffer so much as their soles to touch the earth must at length lay down not the soles of their feete onely but the Crowne of their head also to be couered by it The labour of man in his life is to turne ouer the earth in the sweate of his brow seeking in her bowels food and fewell materials for building and Mineralles of sundrie mettals for his other vses in all which shee renders to man her seruice receiuing at leÌ„gth for a recompence man in her bosome to fil vp her wants whose finest flesh is turned by her without difficulty into dust If we were as AdaÌ„ who neuer saw one die before him by the course of nature for Abel was takeÌ„ away by violence it were somwhat more tollerable then now it is to doubt whether if or not wee shall bee dissolued It was threatned against him that if he brake the commandemeÌ„t he shold die yet after the transgression he liued a bodily life I meane nine hundred and thirty yeares euen to the eight generation a father of many children in both the houses of Caine and Seth as he was the first man that liued in the world so it seemeth he was the first that died by the ordinary course of nature But now death is become Via trita a paide gate All generations of men since the beginning of the world haue walked through it Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all that Congregation of the first borne who stand as witnesses that there is no danger in death and shal we onely scare at it and stand affraid as though it would deuoure vs yea euen the very Ethniks esteemed death to bee Non supplicium sed tributum viuendi Not a punishment but a tribute which euery man must pay for his life and therefore said one of them Quod debeo paratus sum soluere vbi me faenerator appellat I am ready to pay my debt when he who lent mee it shall call vppon me and require it And if notwithstanding oâ— al this we liue in securitie as if we were in couenant with death and it would not long come neere vs in verie truth wee deserue that we should perish in it Our earthly house Somtime both the soule bodie of man are compared to an house and that is in regard ofGod dwelling in them by his spirit but heere by thâ— house the bodie alone is to bee vnderstood in regard of the soule that soiournes in it and this is cleare in that also he calles it an earthlyhouse And here wee haue three things to consider First that the bodie is called a house next a house of earth and thirdly a Tabernacle and the reasons why Our bodie is called an house for two respects first in respect of the comely and orderly work-manshippe thereof for as Artificers out of an inordinate heape of things amassed together do rais vp most pleasant buildings by walling out one of them from another by preparing theÌ„ and placing euery thing in the owne roome and making them by line and measure one of them proportionall and answerable to anoâ—her so that now they make vp a comely house pleasant to looke vnto wher before they were a dissordered masse So is it with the body of man which of a confused lumpe of clay without forme God hath builded vp in this pleasant forme and comely order wherein now it stands It is true al the works of God are very wonderfull what euer is done by him cannot bee but very excellent and good hee himselfe being most excellent and infinitly good But a singular wisedome goodnesse hath God showne in the creation of man for hee came out in the last roome as the perfection of Gods workes and last design of the thoughts of God and therefore was he not created after the
the Lord from the seruant the indweller from the lodger â—or in the iudgment of Gods spirit the body is no more but the house the man is hee that dwelles in the bodie and looke what difference there is betweene a house and him that dwelles in it such are wee to put betweene the soule and the body in exteriall dangers thogh the house bee burnt and blowne downe with windes if the indweller be safe we account that the losse is the lesse and much more if the soule escape when the house of the body is throwne downe by death are we to esteeme that the losse is but small It is reasonable indeed that the soule should loue the body but so that it neglect not the owne selfe let Aâ—am loue his Euah but so that hee hearken not vnto her voice more then to the Lords if we seeke the welfare of our bodies with neglect of our soules we shall lose theÌ„ both but if we subdue the body by discipline that the soule may be safe then shall the body also bee partaker of her glory Earthly The second general obserued here is that the Apostle cals our body an house of earth and this he doth for two causes first in regard of the matter for it was made of the earth next in regard of the means by which our bodies are continued and vpholden for they are earthly As to the first that man is made of earth which is manifest out of the second of Genesis it doeth highly commend the great power of the Creator to doe great thinges by great meanes is no great matter but when by smallest meanes greatest things are done it doth argue without all doubt the great excellency of the worker as that God made all things of nothing and that of the basest matter he had made before man hee made man a more excellent creature then any other that hee had brought out before him hee made him of clay but in many respects more honourable then that whereof he made him in this that he hath giuen to man Vt sit aliquid sua origine gloriosius Hee hath set out the glorie of his power and wisedome As likewise in that hee hath placed such a Grace and Maiestie in that same face which hee framed of Clay that the feare and terrour of him was vppon all liuing creatures which they acknowledged by their first comperance before him at his calling to receiue names from him as it pleased him to improue them and yet euen after the fall by the benefite of restitution wee haue in CHRIST they so reuerence man that albeit in nature there can bee none stronger then the Elephant stowter then the Lyon fiercer then the Tygre yet all these dooth seruice to man Et naturam suam humana institutione deponunt Secondly we learne heere GODS Soueraignty ouer man he is but a vessell of earth framed by the hand of God therfore VVoe must be vnto him if he striue with his Maker a vessell of clay is not so easily broken by the Potter as man is confounded by his Maker if once his wrath kindle in his breast against him It were therefore good for man before hee enter into enmitie with God to bethinke himselfe of an answere to that question of the Apostles Do ye prouoke God vnto anger are yee stronger then he The Sidonians would not make warre with Herod because they were nourished by the kings land and it might more iustly be a reason to keep vain man from waging battel with the Lord that he holds his life of the Lord that if he do but take his breth out of our nostrils wee fal incontinent as dead vnto the ground Surely of all follies in the world this is the greatest for a man to cast himselfe in danger of Gods wrath which he is neyther able by flying to eschâ—e nor yet by suffering to endure Thirdly the consideration of our originall learnes vs humility siâ—ce wee are of the earth why shal we wax proude specially for any quality of our body which was taken from the earth and must returne to earth againe Therefore God gaue vnto the first man the name of Adam signifying redde earth that as oft as hee heard his name he might remeÌ„ber his originall and and his posterity also considering the Rocke froÌ„ whence they came might let fall the comb of their naturall pride Which if we cannot learne by looking to our originall let vs at least remeÌ„ber our end it shall learne vs that we are but dust yea much more vile then common dust for as beautifull Snow when it is resolued into water whereof it was congealed becomes fouler water then any other else so man being turned again into earth it becomes viler earth then any other earth whatsoeuer so that the flesh which in life is most beloued death causes to be most abhorred Abraham loued Sarah well but froÌ„ the time that her soule departed from her bodie hee was glad to entreate the Hittites for a Sepulchre that hee might burie his dead out of his sight And truely if as Gregory councels vs Vnusquisque hoc quod viuum diligit quid sit mortuum pensaret euery man would pondâ—r what that creatur is being dead which so greatly man loueth while it liueth it would serue to represse in vs the immoderate desires of our affections O man why wilt thou bee bewitched with that which in the bodie seemes worthy to bee loued Is it for the strength or the beautie or stature therof that thou art delighted with it I pray thee consider what these are Is not the strength of the body weakenes Ere it be long the grashopper shall be a burden to the strongest And as to beauty is it not deceitfull All flesh is grasse and the glorie thereof as the flowre of the field As a wall of clay plastered ouer and painted after that a little winde and raine hath beaten vponit the Lime fals away and the clay appeareth so is it with the most pleasant bodie which now being trimmed with the colours of God seemes very beautifull but after that the storms and showers of diseases hath beaten vppon it then shall it appear that which it is to wit but Clay indeede and though for stature thou were like to the sonnes of Anack yet neither art thou for that the more pretious for the highest trees are not most fruitfull the mightie Oakes of Basan beares fruit for Swine where the little Vine-tree renders comfortable fruite for man neither can thy height protect thee against death for euen gold thristy Babel which grewe vp like a great tree so high that the fowles of heauen made their nests vnder it was at leÌ„gth broght to the graue like an abhominable branch so shall it bee with the pompe of all flesh the wormes shall be spread vnder thee and the Wormes shall couer
Lord of his speciall grace fauour hath disponed it vnto vs Feare not little flocke it is the fathers will to giue you the kingdome besides that the same is left to vs in legacie by our elder brother Iesus Christ who before that hee offered himselfe in a Sacrifice for our sinns vpon the Crosse did first commend vs to his father by an euerlasting prayer Father I will that these whom thou hast giuen me bee where I am that they may see the glory I had with thee from the beginning O most sweete O most sure word What sweeter word can there be thâ—n this that the Sonne in his latter Will will haue vs to bee with him what surer word It is spoken by him in whom the Father proclaimes himselfe to be well pleased and who then will reuoke or annull it Surely most comfortable is it that we haue not onely the Father bidding the son aske what he will and promising to giue it but wee haue also the Sonne asking and in his asking crauing no other thing but that we may be with him Is not then our heauenly Inheritance sure enough vnto vs But we haue yet more beside this disposition made vs of God strong Confirmations thereof for the father hath coÌ„firmed the disposition made by him with an oath that as the Apostle saies to shew to the heyres of promise the stability of his Counsell Again the Legacy made by the sonne hee hath ratified by his owne bloode and the death of the Testator interuening hath made the TestameÌ„t vnchangable and both of them are sealed in our hearts by the holy Spirite of promise whom God hath giuen vs as his witnes his earnest and his seale to assure vs of that which hee hath promised And thirdly the Lord our God by his Stewards seruants whoÌ„ hee hath ordeyned to gouerne his house deliuering to vs in the Sacrament the Symbols of tâ—e body and blood of Christ Iesus hath thereby seazed vs and giuen vs inuestment of our heauenly Kingdome Last of all hee hath put vs in present possession thereof by deliuering vnto vs the keys of the Kingdom which are Faith and prayer by which euery Christian enters in at the doore of that building and gets familiar accesse to the Throne of Grace â—uppose he be on earth he hath his conuersation in heauen talkes familiarly with God his father and viewes to the great delight of his soule that glorious inheritance into the which after death hee knowes hee shall fully be perfited In all these respects it is that the Apostle here sayes not only we shal haue but wee haue alreadie a building in heauen The Third thing to be considered heere is the description of this building wherein first we see how the builder and maker thereof is said to bee God Secondly the maner therof it is not made with hands Thirdly the endurance thereof it is eternal and fourthly the place thereof it is in heauen First then that God is called the Author maker of this building it leades vs to forethink with our selues what a glorious and excellent building it must be Among men theirworks are according to their power and greatnesse â—f Kings goe to build they build Palaces if they prepare banquets they make them royal esteeming it no honourable thing for them to do that which without difficultie may bee performed by the common sort of people When King Ahasuerus made a banquet to shewe the riches and glory of his Kingdom and honour of his Maiestie hee prepared it in a very pleasant place the Court of the Garden of the Kings Palace was decked with Tapestrie of white greene and blew clothes fastned with cords of fine linnen and purple in siluer ringes and pillars of Mâ—rble the beddes were of golde and siluer vpon a pauement of Porphyrie and Marble and Alablaster in blew color the banquet was made to his Princes of an hundred and twenty Prouinces and it lasted one hundred and foure score daies Now if such prouision was made by a mortall man to shew his glory what shal we thinke of that preparation which the eternall God hath made for declaration of his glorie not into the vtter Court of his Palace which is this visible world but in the inner Court thereof the heauen of heauens not in a banquet to last for an hundred and foure score daies but for euer and euer Salomon built a Temple which was iustly counted the glory of the world but God furnished vnto him both the matter for in his dayes he made gold as rife as stones as also the engine for hee gaue vnto Hiram and other Artificers to worke all manner curious worke in Golde Siluer Brasse what euer was excellent in that building was done by the wisedome of God in the Artificer which is but a small sparkle of that infinite knowledge and wisedome which is in God himselfe yet seeing of these earthly materials with the small sparkles of his owne light such excellent workes haue beene done by men as drawes others in admiration of them may wee not thinke that it is a worke farre surpassing in glorie and aboue the reach of all our vnderstanding which hee himselfe without helpe of handes hath built in heauen for the comfort of his children and declaration of the honour of his Maiestie Beside this in iudging of the workes of God we must lay this for a sure ground that the inuisible works of God are alway most excellent In man there is a soule and body both of them very beautifull workemanshippes but that the invisible soule is a far more excellent workemanshippe then the visible body appears in this that whatsoeuer beauty sense agilitie or any other worthy commendation the body hath it hath it from the quickning vertue of the soule without which the most beautifull bodie is but for matter a lumpe of clay for forme like an Idoll hauing eyes but see not eares and hear not feet and walke not And so is it in all the rest of Gods workes the inuisible being euer more excelleÌ„t then the visible this Vniuerse with the plenishing and furniture therof is indeede a comely workemanshippe the Grecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the ornaments thereof the Latines called it Mundus for the cleanenesse and tightnesse thereof but the Apostle comparing it with that building which is aboue calles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is but a figure of a better and more enduring substance which is not seene The most pleasaÌ„t part of this lodging is the sylering thereof the firmament which God hath garnished with the Sun Moone and Stars as it were with shining pearles to giue light by course to all that dwell in it yet is it no more but the nethermost part of the Pauement of our heauenly Palace yea the Sunne which now is the most pleasant and profitable creature that
is none but good and if the pasturage heere bee so pleasant where Goats Sheep feede together what pleasures are there where the Sheepe are gathered together by themselues and their Pastor lies with them and rests feeding them without feare in the noone tyde of the day And as the consideration of the place renders vs comfort so doth it also giue vs this instruction that we must be holy if we desire to dwell there for no vncleane thing can enter into heauenly IerusaleÌ„ we see that in the frame of this world thingsare placed according to their excellency the earth as grossest is set into the lowest roome â—boue the earth is the water as being purer then the earth aboue the water is the ayre which is purer then the water aboue the ayre is the fire aboue the fire is the Firmament with the celestiall spheres which ar purer then any of them and aboue them all is the third heauen wherein our building is situate excelling in purity all these things which are seene whereunto wee are admonished that we who by nature are not onely of the earth but are also earthly minded must be transchanged by grace and endued with a heauenly disposition before we can be admitted to these new heauens wherein as saies Saint Peter dwels righteousnesse and none but righteous and renued men can inherit them Ver. 2. Therefore we sigh desiring c. The Apostle hauing laid downe that solide ground of comfort which stands to all Christians as a strong preseruatiueagainst the feare of death comes now to build vpon it and drawes out of it a three-fold fruit of godlinesse which hee protests the certain knowledge of the glory to come wrought in his heart and which if wee also can feele wrought in our owne hearts by the spirit of God shall serue vnto vs as wholsom preparatiues to prepare vs in our life and makes vs capable of that comfort of all Christians in our death the first fruite is an earnest desire of that glorie to come the second a contentment with boldnesse to remooue out of the bodie the third a continuall care both in life and death to please the Lord. Heere first wee perceiue the nature of that true and liuely knowledge which by the Gospell is wrought in the minds of men not onely doth it let vs see high and excellent things but also carries our hearts affections after them for the Gospell is not onely a mirrour wherein wee behold the glorie of God with open face but also the power of God vnto saluation by which we are transformed into the selfe same Image similitude therefore the Apostle denies that they haue learned Iesus Christ who haue not learned to cast off the old man which is corrupted thorough deceiueablelusts and to put on the new which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse And if by this rule the meÌ„ of this generation be tryed many shal be found ignorant of Christ who seeme vnto themselues to haue learned him well enough In the heauens are two lights wherof the one to wit the Moone hath light without heat or chaunging vertue the other to wit the Sunne doth not onely shine but sends out such heate and vertue that by it things hard are mollified dead creatures are reuiued and fading hearbs and trees are made to flourish so is there in the minde of man two sorts of knowledge the one lets him see the good way and allures his heart to follow it the other giues him light whereby he may discerne things but allures allures him not to follow the best it encreases light in the minde but works not holines in the heart it doth not conuert but convince them so is it with many in this age whose knowledge is better then their conscience of whom wee may say with the Apostle it had bin better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse nor after that they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commandement giuen vnto them We sigh The first effect which the certaine knowledg of the glory to come wroght in the Apostle is as we heard a feruent desire therof which caused him to breake forth in sighing for it for the man who knowes better things which are to come can not be coÌ„tent with the best of these which are preseÌ„t but doth in such sort vse theÌ„ that he declares he longs for better by sighing and lameÌ„ting for the long delay thereof as Iob protests that his sighing came before his meat and Dauid mingled his cuppe with teares so al the godly who know a better thinke long till they enioy it Non satis futura gaudia nosti nisi reâ—uat consolari anima tua donec veniant Thou knowes not rightly the ioyes to come vnlesse thy soule refuse all other comforts till thou obtaine them In the children of God desire goes before satisfaction but it is certaine what they desire according to Gods word they shall obtaine it It is the faculty of them who are in heauen that they are satisfied with the fulnesse of ioy which is in Gods face it is the felicity of them who are militant on earth to hunger and thirst for righteousnes with the which they shall be satisfied they haue obteyned in a great part that which they desired we ar made sure by Gods word to obtaine that which now we desire through his grace for his promise is The Lorde will fulfill the desires of them who feare him whether it be righteousnes here or glory hereafter If then we cannot do as we shold at least let vs desire to doe so tota vita boni Christiani Sanctum desiderium est the whole life of a good Christian is a holy desire yea the Apostle is not ashamed to protest of himselfe that his desires were better then his deede for hee desired to doe the good wherunto hee could not attain such is the fauor and indulgence of our God toward vs that our desires hee accepts them for deeds therfore should wee bee comforted against the conscience of our waÌ„ts insufficiency by the vnfeined desires of better which through his grace are in vs for true desire of grace and glorie is an vndoubted argument of grace receiued and glory to be receiued But this as I haue said is to bee vnderstood of true not of vain desires such as was the desire of Balaam who desired that he might die the death of the righteous Two wayes may the one be discerned from the other first these desires which are wroght in the soule by the holy spirite are ay the longer the more feruent wheras the other is but a false conception which incontinent dies and euanishes away Secondly true desire of the glorie to come vses carefully all those meanes which may bring vs vnto it such as are the exercises of the Worde
except they bee sent I will not so be content with preaching that I neglect prayer because the ministrie is of men but the grace is from God neither will I so depend on prayer that I despise preaching for hee can neuer receaue grace froÌ„ God who despises the means by which it pleases God to giue it Now as to the fourth whereof wee promised to speake it is a point most necessary to bee knowne for our comfort how we may know whether if or not wee haue receiued this spirit there are many in this age who haue heard the Testimony of God in his Gospell who as yet haue not receiued the seale and Testimony A very lamentable thing indeed for albeit the Gospell be a doctrine of ioyful tydings yet what comfort can it bring to theÌ„ who are not assured they belong vnto theÌ„ The Apostle writing to the Corinthians thaÌ„ks God not onely for that they had hard the word but because the testimony of God was confirmed vnto theÌ„ suchlâ—ke to the â— phefiaÌ„s he thaÌ„ks God not onely for that they heard the word of truth which is the Gospel of saluation but álso for that after they had beleeued they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise but truly as the disciples at Ephesus being asked if they had receiued the holy Ghost answered we know not if there be such a thing as an holy Ghost so is it with many in this age who haue heard the gospel which is the testimonie of Gods loue if they bee asked whether if or not they haue receaued the earnest of the Spirit which is the seale and confirmation of the testimonie shall bee found not to knowe what the earnest of the Spirit is But now to shew in one worde how it may be knowne wheâ—her if or not wee haue receaued him let vs remember that the same holy Spirit which is heere called the earnest of God is also called the seale of God Now the nature and vse of a seale is that it leaues behinde it in that which is stamped by it and impression of that same forme which it hath in it selfe Euen so also the Spirit of God imprints the very image of God in the hearts of so many as are sealed by him in which sense the Apostle sayes that the Romanes were deliuered vnto a forme of doctrine whereunto from the heart they had been obedient thereby declaring that euen as wax is made conforme to the print of the seale vnto which it is deâ—iuered so the hearts of the Godly are made conforme to the Image of God so soone as they are stamped with his holy spirit So that they who liue licenâ—iously after the lusts of the flesh declare themselues to be of their father the deuill because as our Sauiour said to the carnall Iewes they doe his workes and it is but a lying presumption when the like to these men dare say that they haue receiued the earnest of the spirit VER 6. Therefore we are bold FOllowes now the 2. conclusioÌ„ which the certain knowledge of that glory to come wrought in the Apostle to wiâ—te a contentment with boldnes to remooue out of the body that hee might dwel with the Lord and this hath in it more tâ—en is in the former for where in the 1. he protested only he had a desire to that glory yet so that he had no wil to want the body but now hee goes further considering that hee was not able to enioy them both together he protests he was gladly conteÌ„t to remoue out of the body that hee might dwell with the Lorde This meaning of the wordes shall bee cleare if after the sixt verse wee reade the eight passing by the parenthesis which is in the seuenth verse The word the Apostle vses heere signifies such a boldnes as stout-hearted men vse to set against great daungers for where there is no cause of feare where can the praise of boldnesse be there is then will the Apostle say matter of great feare in death I see before mee a terrible deepe and gulfe of mortality through which I must goe many fearefull enemies with whom I must fight before I wonne to my Lord yet am I not affraid to encounter with them Against me is Satan with his principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse but I know that the seede of the woman hath brused the head of the Serpent Against mee are a greate multitude of my sinnes â—nd the terrors of a gilty conscience but I know that Christ hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust that â—ee might bring vs to God so that now there is no condemnation to tâ—em which are in him Against me stands in my way dreadfull death with the horrors of the graue but I know my Lord hath taken away the sting of death and spoiled the graue of victorie Shall I then bee afraide No certainely but through the vally of death will I walke with boldnâ—s â—ill I come to the Lord my God And this boldnesse against death in the godly proceedes not onely from the sure knowledgâ— of a better life but from the present sense and feeling of the same life begunne in them which they know cannot be extinguished by death Notable examples haue we therof in all ages to proue that it is no vaine content but the effectuall power of God working in his children Ignatius Bishop of Antioch beiâ—g brought to Rome in the third persecution which was vnder Traian gaue a proofe of his boldnesse for being condemned to be cast to the beasts to bee deuoured by them hee gaue this answere nihil visibilium nihil inuisibilium moror modo Christum acquiram I stand sayes hee vpon nothing visible nothing inuisible so that I may finde and obtaine the Lord Iesus let fire come let the crosse let beasts let the breaking of my bones the convulsion of my members the grinding of my body yea let all the torments of Satan come vpon me I care not for them so that I may inioy the Lord Iesus And Policarpe who suffered in the fourth persecution vnder Aurelius Antoninus beeing brought to the place of execution and desired by the Emperours Deputy to blaspheme Christ and he would let him goe answered these fourescore and sixe yeares haue I serued Christ and haue found him a good Master to mee how then can I curse my king who hath saued me But if ye will not saide the deputy I will cast thee to wilde Beasts who shall teare thee Call them when thou wilt said the Martyr it is fixed and determinat with mee that from good thinges by repentance I will neuer goe back vnto worse But if ye feare not beasts said the Deputy I shall bridle and danton you with fire thou boasts me said the Martyr with a fire that burnes for an houre and shortly after will be extinguished but knowes not that fire of the iudgement to
presence of euill whereof now we would faine be releeued and yet it lyeth still vpon vs. Concerning this last it is a notable saying the Apostle hath we are now in heauines through manifold tentations that the tryall of our faith being much more precious then Gold when it is tryed by fire might bee found to our praise honour and glory at the appearing of Christ there we see that the end of euills which now are suffered to lie vpon vs is the tryall of our faith and thaâ— for our owne greater praise and glory for where no fire is how can gold bee purged where no trouble is how can faith be tryed and where faith is not yet tryed how can it be praised And as to the other when these good things which God hath promised are not seene of vs but hidden from our eyes and delayed to bee performed vnto vs this is also for the tryall of our faith for where we see saluation what praise â—s it to beleeue but where we can neither see nor feele thâ—â—e good things which God hath promised but rather are exercised with contrary terrours and feares if yet wee still cleaue to the truth of the wordofgod that certainely is an argument of a great faith and such was the faith of that woman of Canaan who beeing not onely refused but as it were disdainefully reiected by Christ did so trust vnto the truth of Gods word that constantly shee looked foâ— mercy at the hand oâ— Christ who strongly by word had denied it vnto her and therefore receiued this commendation in the end O woman great is thy faith Thus we see how in â—he children of God all these hinderances which wee hâ—ue to stay vs from beleeuing do so much the more commend and approue our faith vnto God Wee loue rather Of two loues wee see in the Apostle the stronger ouercomming the weaker he loued his body protested before he had no will to want it but he loued the Lord Iesus better then his body and therfore perceiuing that hee cannot now enioy them both together for while hee was in the body he was absent from the Lord he is now very wel content to remoue out of the body that he might dwell with the Lord there is nothing naturally a man loues more then his body nothing he feares more then death because it imports a dissolution of his body but where the loue of Christ is strong in the heart it casts out not onely the feare of death but ouer comes also all other loue whatsoeuer And here haue wee a point of holy wisedome discouered vnto vs by which we may cure that vnquietnesse of minde which arises in vs of the wandring of our affections after secondary obiects the best way to remedy it is to set our affections vpon the right obiects if the loue of the creature haue snared thee set thy loue on the Lord and bend thy affection toward him and the otheâ— shall not troble thee If the feare of men terrifie thee learne to sanctifie the Lord God in thine hart make him thy feare and and thou shalt not feare what flesh can doe vnto thee and if the care of the world disquiet thee cast thy care vpon God and labour by continuance in prayer how to feele the sense of his loue toward thee in Christ and thou shalt finde that where the one care like thornes did pricke thee with sorrowes the other shall bring contentment peace and ioy vnto thee But to returne when we consider this strong loue of Christ that was in the Apostle wee we haue great cause to be ashamed of that weak and little loue which in our heartes wee feele towardes our LORD how many this day professe that they loue him who for his loue will not want the superfluities of this life and what hope then is there that for his sake they will lay down the life it selfe if smaller crosses be vnpleasant to vs and his loue be not so strong in vs as to make vs reioice in them how shall death be welcommed of vs wherin there is a concurse of all crosses into one Wee must therefore learne for the loue of Christ to inure our selues with the beginnings of mortification not onely to slay the vnlawful affections but also to want ouâ— wills euen in those things which are lawful that so by degrees we may be inabled willingly to want the body and all that euer we loued in the body for Iesus Christs sake To remooue out of the body Two manner of waies in this treatise doth the Apostle discribe death first in regard of that which it doth to the body and then he calleth it a dissolution of our earthly Tabernacle Next in regard of that which it doth to the soule and so he calles it a remouing out of the body so that if we will think of death as the spirit of God doth teach vs there is no cause why wee should bee discouraged with it Againe we see heare that the death of the godly is a voluntary remoouing out of the bcdy to dwell with the Lord as to the wicked like as they liue in disobedience so they die in disobedience their death is involuntary that which is spoken of that one wicked rich man O foole this night they will take thy soule from thee is true in all the wicked their spirits are taken from them against their will exeunt istinc necessitatis vinculo non voluntatis obsequio whereas the Godly willingly commend their spirits into the handes of GOD offering vp both soule and body to him in death in a full free and voluntarie oblation This difference betweene the death of the Godly and wicked men may be commodiously shadowed by the fourth comming of Pharao his Butler and Baker out of prison whereof the one knew he shold be restored to serue the king his Master and therefore went out with ioy the other knew by Iosephs Prophesies hee should be hanged within three dayes and therefore if it had beene giue to his choice would still haue remained in prison rather then to haue come foorth to be hanged euen so is it with the godly who are certified before hand that they are receiued into fauor and after death shall haue plaâ—â— to stand about the throne of God there to serue him by praising him continually are well content wheÌ„ the Lord cals them to remoue out of the body whereas the other having receiued a sentence of condemnation within themselues no maruaile they go out of the body with feare and trembling like malefactors going from the prison to the place of execution vincti impliciti catenis variorum peccatorum ad terribâ—le illud iudicium trahuntur Or otherway if at any time the wicked bee willing to dye it is not for any loue or knowledge they haue that they shall be with the Lord but either els because they are impatient of
the well of life and in thy light shall we see light O what a loue of God is here discouered vnto vs Angells made Apostasie from God and mercy neuer 〈◊〉 to them to restore them Man also made Apostasie from God mercy is both offered giuen vnto him to restore him Angells left their habitation and are now reserued in chaines vnder daâ—kenesse to the iudgement of the great day Man is translated from the Kingdome of darkenesse to be raysed vp to the place from which Angels fell And where that state of glory was not made sure to Angels for they lâ—ft their first estate it is made sure to man wee shall so be placed there that we shal dwel there neuer any more to bee remooued from it so hath the Lord declared the riches of his mercy vpon vs his holy name be praised therefore Now out of all this let vs tak vp in one short Sum the reasons which here moued the Apostle and makes all the rest of Gods children willingly content to remoue out of the body we reduce theÌ„ to three First the miserie vnder which weely while wee are in the body Next the Felicity to which we goe when wee remoue out of the body and thirdly the helpes wee haue to carry vs on in this iourney froÌ„ the body to the Lord and these are not vnlike those 3. motiues which made Iacob willing to depart froÌ„ Canaan suppose it was the Land of promise to the land of Egypt wherin he knew his seed shold be afflicted 1. the scarsity and famine which was in Canaan Next the plenty that was in Egypt whereof Ioseph his beloued sonne was gouernor and dispenser liuing there in great honour notwithstanding that all his fathers house supposed him to haue beene dead and rotten and thirdly the oracle of God warrnting him to goe and the Chariots which were sent by Ioseph to helpe him in the iourney but we haue as I said three greater motiues to make vs willing to goe from this Egypt a land of darkenesse a house of vile seruitude and bondage to our heauenly Canaan For 1. what haue we here in this life but a feâ—refull famine and scarsitie of all thinges which are truely good it is not worthy of the name of good which commonly among men is esteemed good non solum quia facilem habeat ad res contrarias conuerâ—ionem seâ— quod etiam possessores suos meliores red dere non valeat not onely because it is easily turned into a contrary euil but also for that it is not able to make the possessors there of any better and what a good I pray you can that bee by which he is not made good that possesses it Beatus ille qui post illa non abiit quae assequi miserum est quia possessa oner ant amata inquinant amissa crusiant happy is he that walkes not after these things which to obtaine is a misery because being possessed they burden vs being loued they defile vs being lost they torment vs and truely no better are the best thinges which growe heere in this land of our Pilgrimage and absence from God Our life is but an exchanging of many sorrowes we liue in the body like Israel in the Wildernesse in danger to bee sting'de euery houre with fiery Serpents like Daniell in the Den in danger to be deuoured by Lyons like Lot in SodoÌ„ vexed with the vncleannesse which is within vs in our selues without vs in others But were it so that we had abundance of good things in this life yet shold webe coÌ„tent to go from them seeing we know that by so doing we shal exchange for a a better for euen now while we are in by body we may finde the experience that at no time wee haue such ioy in the spirit as when by feruent prayer and heauenly contemplation after a sort wee are rauished and transported out of the body to walke with God and haue familiar conuersatioÌ„ with him whereas otherway when the soule comes downe from contemplation to exercice her function by externall senses toward these things which are below then is shee incontinent disquieted with perturbations so that she cannot looke out by the eye and not be infected nor heare by the eare and not bee distracted nor touch by the hand and not be defiled Thus if the soul take a view of the thinges of this world by the senses a world of strange cogitations are wakened in her which quickly againe euanishes if the soule forsaking the familiar vse of the senses by continuance in prayer ascend vnto God Tunâ— anima non fallitur quando solium veritatis attingit quando se sâ—cernit ab isto corpore decipiturenim visu oculorum auditu aurium That same reason by which Athanasius did prooue that the Soule liues out of the body may serue to prooue that it shall liue in greatest peace and ioye out of the body Si enim connexa corpori extra Corpus vitam agit corpore enim in lectulo cubante as velut in morte quiescente ipsa naturam corporis transilit For if the Soule euen while it is knit to the body liues a life without the body as may bee seene in that while the body is sleeping and as it were resting in death the Soule transcends the nature of the body howe much more shall wee thinke that out of the body it liues the own quiet and peaceable life deliuered from this waltring Sea of restâ—esse temptations wherein it is tossed too and fro so long as it is in the body And as to the second if wee looke to these things which are before vs in heauen there is our most louing Father in whose face is the fulnesse of ioye and at whose right hand are pleasures for euer More there is not our yonger but our elder brother liuing and rayning in glorie he once died for our Sinnes but he is risen againe and gone vp before vs to prepare a place for vs. Since hee is the fairest among the children of men and we haue not yet scene him if we loue him why doe wee not long to goe to him Many also of our beloued are gone there before vs to that assembly and Congregation of the first â—orne wherin are the Spirits of iust and perfect men and to the which all these Sonnes of God which shall remaine behind vs shall shortly bee gathered and shall it be grieuous to vs to remooue to so sweete a fellowlowship when it shall please GOD in our coursâ— to call vpon vs. And thirdly we haue most notable helpes giuen of God to aduance vs in our iourney for not onely haue wee the Oracle of God to warrant vs from all euill which may follow vpon our remoouing and to assure vs of a ioyfull welcome Come thou faithfull seruant and enter into thy Masters rest And againe Blessed are
must looke to other of the Fathers who dâ—ed the common course of death Gen. 27.1 Gen. 49.33 The godly also aliue at Christs comming shal not be dissolued But we haue no warrant that wee shall be of that number For before Chriâ—ts comming the Iâ—wes must be recallâ—d Rom. 11.24 It is out of al doubt our bodies must be dissolued by death Heb. 13.14 Al fortification against death is in vaine Deu. 28. marg As Adam was the first liuing man so the first that died by the course of nature But now so many haue gone through death before vs that it is a shame for vs to scare at it Seneca By the earthly house our body here is to be vnderstood For two causes is our body called an house I For the câ—mly and orderly workmanship thereof Other creatures were made by the word of God but to the making of man God put too his hand also And consultation among the persons of the blessed Trinity goes before Basil hexam hâ—m 10. Tortul de resur car This preparation before shewes that some great thâ—ng was to follow as it did indeed Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 10. cap. 12. Man an excellent workmanship euen iâ— respect of his bodie Gregor mâ—ral l. 32. Sect 13. Bernard A short view of the excelleÌ„t workmanship of mans body as it is giuen by Salomon Psal. 139. Man euen in regard of his body is a world of wonders Eccles. 12. VVe should not dâ—shonour the bodie which God hath honouredso highly 2 The bodie is called a house in respect of the soule dwelling in it Man for his two substances whereof he consists is a compend of all Gods creatures But the coniunction of these two substances is more marueilous Bern. in die â— Natal dom er 2. Nazian That flâ—sh and spirit should agree so well together That the soule shâ—uld be kept in the bodie by blood and breth yet not liuing by them Carnal men so liue as if they were nothing but flâ—sh onely Ierem. 15. VVhâ—reas the body is but the house the man is he who dwels in the bodie Let vs so care for the house that much more wâ—â—â—re for him who dwâ—ls in it The bodie is called an earthly house First because it was made of the earth And herein appeares Gods power and wisdome that of so base a matter hath made so excellent a creature Tertul. de resurrect car Gen. 2. Ambros. hexam l. 6. cap. 6. The soueraignty of God ouer man is more thâ—n that which the Potter hath ouer his clay 1. Cor. 10.22 Therefore wo to him who liues in â—nmity with God Act. 12 20. The consideration of our originall does leâ—rne vs humility They who will not learn it by their originall â—et them looke to their end and they shal see no cause of pride Gen. 23.4 Greg. moral l. 16. sect 105 Neither is there strength nor beauty nor stature of the body to be delighted in Esa. 40.6 The body like a wall of clay plastered ouer and painted with colours Esa. 14.11.19 Remâ—mbrance of that which we haue bin should keepe vs from waxing proud for that which we arâ— Secondly the bâ—dy is called an earthly house because it is vphoâ—den by earthly meanes Our body is called a Tabâ—rnacle first because we haue here a couering but not a foundation Ber. parui Sermones Esa. 4.6 Heb. 11. Ibid. Sâ—condly because we should vse it as a Sconse or Tent for the warfare Basil. ser. 10. in Psal. qui habitat Thirdly because it is not fixed in one place as an house but is made for transporting That death whâ—rein all deaths concurre is the proper punâ—shment of sinne Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 13. cap 12. Of the two kindes of death mentioned in holy scripture Eph 4. Eph. 2. 2. Tim. Reuel 3. Death of the whole man what it is It is demanded seeing the soule and body of the wicked shâ—ll be vniâ—ed in the resurrectâ—on how shall they be punished with the second death Gregor moral l. 15. Sect 55. It is answered that this â—nion of their â—oule and body is for their greater punishment Aug. de ciuit dei l. 13. c. 13 A great difference betweene the death of the Christian and the wicked The Christian shall neuer die that death which is the punishment of the wicked And the wicked cannot free themselues of that death which they inflict on the godly â— beside that a worse abides them By death we get deliuerance from our present euils Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 9. cap. 10. VVhat a great benefit it is that our bodies are mortall By death we are set at libertie to enioy our greatest good Aug. de ciuit dei l. 9. c. 20. Athanas in qâ—estionibus quaest 18. Many lookes to the dissolution but not to the coniuction made by death and therefore are affraid at it Two things remoued which make death fearefull 1 The feare of punishment after death Ambr. de bono mortis c. 8 But indeede death is not to be blamed for thatwhich comes after it 2 An apprehension that death destroyes man Ambros. ibid. Death it self is not terrible but the opinion of death Nazian orat de funere patris Greg. moral l. 4. sect 47. Death should not be looked vpon in the glasse of the law but in the mirrour of the Gospell Comfortable phrases by which death is described by the spirit of God Gen. 25.8 Deu 31.16 Psal. 16.9 Luke 2. Pet. 1.14 S. Paul expresses the nature of our death by thrâ—e similitudes 1. He compares it to the changing of a garment To the sowing of seed in the earth thaâ— it may grow againe 1. Cor. 15. 3 To a flitting from one house to another Albeit death be certaine yet the time place and kinde thereoâ— is vncertaine Many dreame of more daies theÌ„ they haue are far deceiued at the length Aug. Ber. de fallatia vitae praesentis Time of our death left vncertaine to make vs the more vigilant Gregor The life of man is but a life that turnes vpon seuen daies and in one of them man must die Therefore shâ—ld he take heed to them all The place of death vncertaine VVe can come to no place in the which some haue not died before vs. Bernard The kinde of death is also vncertaine that for all deaths we might be prepared VVe come all into the world by one way but we go out of it by many VVe should not much care for the kind of death but for the way we goe after death Aug. de ciuit dei l. 1. c. 11. Men should not be violeÌ„t actors of their owne death but patient sufferers Gen. 9. 2. Mac 14. A selfe murtherer neuer allowed but condemned in holy scripâ—â—re The second parâ— oâ—â—he verse conteynes the vantage we â—aue by death The comfort giuen here against death concernes the soule onely Comfort concerning the losse of our bodies by death is to be sought â—n other places of Scripture The Lord will noâ— forsake that body whiâ—h was