the hazard of this world vp to the crosse downe to the graue and yet vp againe to glorie What should I say more see the vaulte where they laide him saith the Angell all hollow emptie ther 's the graue where be the Corpes ther 's the Shrine whereis the Sainct Indeede hee is risen hee is not heere goe to Galilie there shall yee see him as he hath said why seeke ye the liuing among the dead Quem mortuum queris viuentem tangere non mereris Marie thou deseruest not to feele him aliue whom still thou seekest thus dead nor was this Sermon preached by the Angell to her alone but was afterward mightily confirmed by many seueral apparitions of our Sauiour Christ ere he left this world that if in the mouth of two or three witnesses euerie truth should be established this so acceptable a Doctrine of Christ his resurection from the dead might want no testimonye eyther of these women of Cephas of the twelue or of moe then fiue hundreth Bretheren at once whose witnesse is true our conscience bearing vs witnes therto in the holie Ghost And thus my deere bretheren beeing fully assured of the Lords resurrection we are well secured of our owne knowing as the Apostle saith that he which hath raised vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs vp also by Iesus and set vs with the Saints in euerlasting tabernacles whereof yet lest any the weakest reedin this assemblie might faile in iudgement and so saint in hope I haue thought good without straine of Scripture to secure your religious hearts of your owne resurrection by these few grounds of Faith following First for that it is in the will of the Father so to haue it as also a worke of the Sonne so to effect it for this saith Christ is the will of him that sent me that euerie man which seeth the Sonne beleeueth in him shold haue euerlasting life I will raise him vp at the last day will the Father haue it who shall resist his wil will the Sonne worke it who can resist his power if in any work assuredly moste of all in this hath the Lord declared himselfe mightilie to be the Son of God touching the Spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead his ours I say his and ours because hee that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are both one 2. A second ground of our resurrection to builde vppon is the Lords oathe that by two immutable thinges wherein it is vnpossible that God should lie we might haue strong consolation he that hath former he said it is his wil he hath likewise said it is his worke and the Lord his Say might be our assuraÌ„ce yet God willing more abouÌ„dantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsell hath bound himselfe by an oathe of old thus as I liue I will not the death of sinner c. Of new thus verily verily I say vnto you the houre shal come and now is when the dead shal heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue where God hauing no greater to sweare by swore by himselfe as he is life and by his Christ as he is truth wheruppon Tertullian infers this blessing O nos felices quorum causa deus iurauerit sed ô nos infelices si ne iuranti Deo credimus O happie wee for whose good God himselfe hath sworne But ô wee most vnhappye if vppon his oathe wee doe not beleeue him Tollit diuinitatem qui tollit veritatem wee greeue the deitie if wee checke the veritie 3. A third assurance is the instrument wee hold by euen our letters pattents from the King of heauen I meane the olde â—estament from Horeb sealed with the blood of Goates and the new testament from Syon sealed with the blood of christ both vnsealing the doore of the Sepulchre that as vppon the touch of Elisha his bones the dead body of the Moabit did rise and at Christ his dolorous crye Lazarus came foorth so both might be pregnant types truthes of our resurection to come and the bookes mentioning the same still remaine as instruments of our holde authentical good to conuey vnto vs an assurance of our immortalitie in which Saint Augustine is bolde to say Euangelium legimus instrumentum nostrum Wee haue read the Gospell which is our euidence wee hold by wherein I dare say there is nothing more current from leafe to line then the doctrine of death's deliuerie 4. A foorth ground of our future resurrection is taken from sufficient testee and clowd of witnesses compassing vs round on euery side Patriarches Prophets Apostles though in diuers ages of the worlde yet all making good this one truth from one God Spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ by which they spake Enoch as Iude saith the seauenth from Adam prophesied of it And Iob said I shall see God in my flesh I my selfe myne eyes and no other for me Isaiah said the dead men shal liue euen with my body shal they rise awake and sing ye that dwel in the dust for thy dewe is as the dewe of hearbes and the earth shall cast out the dead Ezekiell said O Sonne of man prophesie ouer these dead bones say heere ye the word of the Lord when I haue opened your graues ô my people and brought you vp out of your Sepulchres and shall put my Spirit in you yee shall liue then shall ye know that I am the Lord. Daniel said many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life some to shame and perpetuall contempt The distressed Martir said when vppon demaund hee yeelded his tongue and hands into the power oâ— the tormenter These haue I had from the heauen but now for the law of God I despise them and trust that I shall receiue thâ— from him againe What should I say more the new Testament is rather in the practise then proof of this Doctrine and Paul is peremptory that it is sowne in corruptioÌ„ but riseth in iâ— corruption sowen in dishonour but riseth againe in glorie sowen in weakenes riseth againe in power sowen a natural bodie riseth againe a spirituall body for there is a naturall bodie and that shall fall but there is a spirituall bodie and that shall rise and all is but one in the substance of beeing the difference is of well beeing as now being made more honorable vppon the fall by Christ who shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe Yea and to make it a palpable and feeling Doctrine as to the heart so to the hand of each Christian all the Apostles in one Iohn and one Iohn for all the Apostles brings in the verdict thus That
assured hope to all Gods Children of a ioy ful resurrection to come it remaines we presse the Doctrine yet further to your comfort and tell you how wee shall bee changed and when For the first rise we shall with these verye bodies of flesh skin blood bone nor shal the least ioynt sinew or Artery bee lost but found and fashioned to the rest of the members to giue the body all feature grace and beautie There shall bee no transubstantiacion from one substance into another but an alteration of quality tending to further perfection and therefore wee say with one who said well Gloria non tollit sed perficit naturam our glorie shall not destroy our nature but perfect it And for distinction of ages there shall be no more there as saith the Prophet a Childe of yeares nor an olde man that hath not fild his daies that is in this wonderfull worke of restauration there shal be no weakenes of youth not infirmities of age but all shall bee fresh and flourishing for as when GOD first created man and woman hee made them not eyther Infants old crooked or deformed but strong ripe and beautifull so in the resurrection which is called a new creation It is not like but shal be conformable to the first if not much more excelleÌ„t nor doe I doubt but as the Apostle saith wee shall all meete together vnto a perfect Man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ so fully blessed with daies glory and immortalitie This so wonderful change and excellent state is shadowed out vnto vs by Christ his transfiguration vppon the holy mounte when the fashion of his countenance was changed and his garments white and glistred splendor infacie splendor in vestimentis sic gloria in capite gloria in membris brightnes in the face of Christ with brightnes in his garments is nothing else but glorie in the head and glorie in the members This sawe the disciple whome the Lord loued when with a feeling soule and spirit he said dearely belooued now are wee the Sonnes of God but it is not yet made manifest what we shall bee for we knowe that when he shall bee made manifest meaning Christ wee shall be like him for wee shall see him as hee is like him see him and see him as hee is ô excellent state of immortallitie and soueraigne dignitie of Gods elect to bee like him is much to see him is more but to see him as he is moste of all Paul saw the like when he longed after a deliuerance and said wee looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like vnto his glorious bodye according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all thinges vnto himselfe whereuppon I may inferre to your further ioy and greater wonder thus That wee shall bee changed is much that our vile bodies shall bee changed is more but that our vile bodye vppon the change shall bee fashioned like vnto the gloryous body of Iesus CHRIST is moste of all Manye fashions there are in this worlde and all weare out of fashion There 's but one suite for the Saints of GOD and for that it 's cut after the best Patterne viz. after CHRISTS it neuer weareth or waxeth olde but is alwayes faire fresh and glorious had wee been apparelled like Aaron in his holyeâ—obes or like Salomon in his Royall array had wee put on the brightnesse of Angells vpon our change wee might haue thought our selues sufficientlye graced but as and if all that were not sufficient The Lord hath changed our vile bodie that it might bee fashioned like vnto his glorious bodye And this will hee doe when our case is most desperate euen finde vs out when we are lost take vs vp when wee are furthest fallen from him when our woundes are deepest then rediest to power in oyle and to binde them vp when no eye pityeth vs I say when by blacke death we shall be made vile base and despicable Then will he fashion vs like vnto himselfe and as the Psalmist saith make vs glorious by deliuerance For it is an excellencie in our Christ and a mercie infallible found true in the practise of his pyetye euen then to shewe mercye when wee are mosse miserable then to feele him nearest when wee deeme him furthest gone his graces to abound when our sinnes doe superabound I say his mercies are preuentions euer meeting with our miseries and then when wee are moste wofull and wanting When the Scepter was gone from Iudah then Shiloh came when the diseased woman had spent all without remedye then came CHRIST and cured without cost when the poore Paralyticke had laine eight and thirtye yeares by the Poole of Bethesda and none would helpe to put him in Then Iesus said rise take vp thy bed and walke when the Disciples said vnkindely send the people away nay saith Christ giue ye them to eate What should I say more The Lord raysed Lazarus when he stunke in the graue and whilst Martha mooued and Mary mourned he grieued in heart and was troubled in Spirit put to his hand tooke him out deliuered him said now loose him and let him goe So wil he doe in the day of our redemption when our sinnes shall bee full and miserie moste abound then mercie shall bee more full and grace superabound and as at his first coÌ„ming of his aboundance we al receaue grace for grace a chereful refreshing to our sinful soules so at his coÌ„ming againe wee that dwel in the dust shal awake sing at the shoute and shower of his glorie as also of the aboundance of his glorie receaue glory for glory Thy dew ô Lord is as the dew of hearbs for euen as hearbes dead in winter florish againe by the raine in the Spring tyme so shall they that liue in the dust arise vp to joy when they feele the dew of Gods grace as the hony droppes that water the earth And then shall wee say with a Godly â—uation now death is swallowed vp in victorie for our drie bones are moistned our forlorne hope is recouered we were cleane cut off but now are wee growne againe our bed is precious and our withered branch is glorious the Lord hath opened our graues wee are come out of the Sepulchres and he hath brought vs into the land of the liuing where wee shall see no sinne nor feele corruption any more Hasten thy iudgements ô Lord bowe the heauens and come downe discharge the graues of their dead the world of it doome our soules from sinne and our bodies from corruption ô hasten the daie of our deliuerie that wee may see in glorie what we feele in grace euen the beholding of thy face in righteousnes that when wee shall awake from death wee may be satisfied with thy likenesse and fild with
which we haue heard which wee haue seene with our eyes which we haue looked vpon these handes of ours haue handled declare wee vnto you Hands haue handled what meaneth that Woe is mee to tell doubtfull Thomas demur'd vpon the Doctrine till his itching fingers had fetched it out of the prints of the nailes his sinful hand out of his sore side How bee it vpon the touch his heart resolu'd into sighes his eyes into teares when hee said with an holy resolution my GOD my Lord my God I am thy creature my Lord I am thy redeemed I finde thee risen and I feele I shal be raysed Thy woundes are deepe enough to pleade thy death sufficieÌ„t wide to purchase life for me and all the worlde For conclusion of all let Christ his witnesse bee instar omnium and stand for all who to take away the doubt forbids the wonder of our new repaire saying maruell not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in graues shall heare his voice and come forth 5. Fiftly we are well assured that we shal rise againe by double pledge or hostage 1. First of the soules of the Saints now lodgers in Heauen vnder the Altar killed for the word of GOD and testymonye which they maintained whose loud crye is after a deliuerance of their owne bodyes and of vs their long detayned bretheren to whome silence was inioyned for a while that they should rest vntill their fellowe-seruants and bretheren that should bee killed euen as they were were fulfilled 2. Secondly of their bodyes lodged in their graues there to remaine as lodgers for vs likewise vntill the time that all thinges bee restored God prouiding this good for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect 6 A sixt assurance is the pawne of the Spirit of God within vs for as the Apostle saith if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwel in you he that raised vp Christ froÌ„ the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you And now my bretheren how this spirit hath entred wimbled into your soules to make passage for this Doctrine I know not reade the caracters of your own hearts you are spiritual I feele no spirit but mine own yet I hope well that the cheareful spirit of God mooueth within you lifteth vp your sad peÌ„siue spirits this day from the dead graue to the blessed hope of immortalitie 7. Seauenthly we are secured per Arram when the earnest is giuen it strikes the bargaine part of the debt is paied so was it wheÌ„ vpoÌ„ the resurectioÌ„ of Christ the graues yeelded part of their dead as an earnest of the generall resurrection and full payment to come then contracted betwixt Christ and the graue binding both alike the graue to deliuer the rest of her dead and Christ to receaue all to life and immortalitie 8. The eight and last yet not the least Anchor of our sure hope and hold is our possession of heauen already taken whither our head is gon before and there sits in potioribus Dei at the right hand of the Father in the best place of heauen that the head and the members might be togeather So then I say in the Man Christ we make our claime in the Man Christ hath euerie one flesh blood bone and portion I beleeue I shall liue where my flesh liueth I hope I shall reigne where my head reigneth and I knowe assuredly that I shall bee glorified where my portion is exalted These groundes of faith my bretheren are so many nailes of the sanctuary to fasten vs in hope to the hold where Christ our redeemer is they are so many Chrysolits Saphiers and Emeralds to support the wall of the holy Cittie where wee shall dwel and so many Pearls they are to garnish the gates of the holy Temple for the Saints entrance where the light of the Lambe is the people which are saued shall walke in the light of it and as Iohn saith the glorie and honor of the Gentils whereof you are shall bee brought into it Lord what is man that thou art so mindefull of him or the Sonne of man that thou shouldest thus visite him in mercie and prouide for him in glory And yet my beloued I know not howe but notwithstanding all these proofes and this my text yet hath not the tempter ceased from the beginning of the world vnto this day eyther like a roaring Lyon feircely to assault or like a Serpent by deceite craftily to impugne the same yea it is a woe and a wonder to see how mightily the Diuell hath preuailed in the Children of disobedience to worke their iust condemnation through mis-beleefe euen in this point of the resurrection of our liuing againe whereof I haue thought good to giue you a taste of their different errors the rather to season you in the knowne truth The Saducâ—s say there is no resurection at all erring as Christ tolde them in that they knew not the Scriptures nor the power of God Hymeneus Philetus say yâ— resurectioÌ„ is past alreadie the Heluetian Heretickes say It is dayly in there generation The ArchaÌ„tici that the soule liueth but not the bodye The Hirarchits that the flesh liueth againe but not this flesh The Maniches that we shall be turned into an other substance but into what they knowe not The Marcionits say wee shall bee turned into the nature of Angels and the Ualentinian Heretickes into the nature of Deuils the Appelleits thinke the flesh shal simbolize into the Spirit that the spirit shal vanish into the sostayre the Chiliaste w e are called the Millenarie Heretickes doe dreame of a ciuil gouernmeÌ„t for a thousand yeares heere on earth wherein they thinke the Godly shall liue with Christ in all delights delicacie then goe to heauen in the eight thousand yeare of the world But all these different errors and Heresies are mightily confounded by the alone spirit of God in these words of my text If a man die hee shall liue againe as and if the truth should say that graue that shutteth shall open againe that bodye which falleth shall rise againe that man which dyeth shall liue againe not in part but in whole not another from that it was but the verie same that now it is These my feete shall treade in his Courts these my handes shall bee lift vp to his praise these mine eyes shal behold his glory these mine eares shall be filled with that heauenly melodye yea and this my spirit shal reioyce in God my maker my sauiour my redeemer my glorifier I say this my bodye and this my soule once feuered on earth with a wofull farewell shall meete againe in heauen neuer to part but followe the Lambe whither euer he goeth And thus hauing cleered in some measure the necessitie of our liuing againe with an
especially in these last fiue hundreth yeares he had wel-nere conquered the worlde if the Spirit of the Lord with the breath of his mouth had not beaten him backe when his innumerable and filthy Locustes blasted the growth of true Religion in the greatest part of Christendome when Kings became his vassels and Emperours held his stirrop when aboue al that was called God he did aduance himselfe as God to reigne and rule in foro poli inforo pluti inforo conscientiae In the Court of heauen in the court of hell and in the court of each good conscience But leaue we here his iudgement to the day of try all and all curious spirits to the search of their owne follyes in seeking that they shall neuer be able to finde I meane the times seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Paul was taken vp into the third heauen and heard wordes which cannot be vttered yet heard he nothing of that The Angels behold the face of God they stand in his presence know much yet nothing of that God gaue vnto Salomon wisdome and vnderstanding exceeding much yet it was too short of that he spake 300. Prouerbs and yet he neuer mencioned that his songs were a thousand and fiue yet he neuer sung of that otherwise then in this harmonye There is an apoynted time for all thinges vnder the Sâ—â— Nay in checke of al sith Christ hath said it I may not passe it of that day and houâ—â— the Sonne himselfe is ignorant I say with Chrisostome according to his diuinitye he knewe it but according to his humanitye he knewe it not for reseruing as Hillary hath it to the onely begotten Sonne in him selfe his true veritye yet according to the infirmitye of flesh hee wept hee slept hee hungred thirsted was wearyed and fearful and also it is agreable vnto his humane nature of the day and houre as himselfe professeth to be ignorant So then for conclusion of all this is the summe true it is the coÌ„ming of our Christ is the Kingdome of our Christ and if you marke it well you shall finde it neuer came by obseruation his first comming in the flesh long expected of vs but not determined by vs and when he came he fell like a showre of rayne vpon a fleese of wooll in softnes in silence Likewise the promise of the Father concerning the spirit out in deed and irreuocable but when to fall the Disciples wist not they must to Ierusalem and wayte with pacience tarry the time expecte the good houre Euen so his comming to iudgement in maiestye and great power it must be expected of vs at al times but when it may not be determined by vâ— at any time And for the cast awayes of this our nation who by the deceit of Balaams wages haue euer since the first yeare of her late Maiesties most blessed and happy gouernment dreamd of a drye Sommer still breathing out destruction to her person change of Religion and desolation to the state and Kingdome now by a blacke Fleete from Norway then by a â—â—â—ell Dragon whose head must be in England and tayle in Ireland this yeare by an headlesse crosse and that yeare by a popish cursse yea and earst while a wonder of all wonders our Lord lights in our Ladyeslap and therfore England must haue a clap I say of all these they haue sought too much to yâ— witch at Ender and were there no more to proue that our God standeth for vs and against them this were sufficient that their wyâ—ardes haue fayl'd them and their wits that waye a 〈…〉 worne out their Popish Prophesies are a 〈…〉 an end and their â—lattering diuinations o 〈…〉 better times haue still proued their dis 〈…〉 dayes their câ—rssings haue bene our blessings and their plotting Achitophels hau 〈…〉 pul'd the halter ouer their owne heads Curssed bee the man before the Lord saith Iosua that riseth vp and buildes the Citye Iericho so haue you built vp your Babel of all confusion with a cursse to your selues and a plague to your posteritie for most of you haue layd the foundacioÌ„ therof in your eldest Sonne and in your yongest Sonne reared vp the gates that is you haue built to the destruction of all your stocke as Hiel did in Bethel 1. Kin. 16. 34. Yea and to you be it spoken a curssed crewe of popish repyners maugre all your spight and poyson the state yet standoth religion groweth we increase and you decrease our Prince liueth a blessed Prince and you are scattered a rebellious â—out for yet God is good vnto Israel euen to those that are of pure hearts And he that keepeth England dooth yet neither slumber nor sleepe Our Sonnes growe vp as the young plants and our Daughters as the polished corners of the Temple yet our Garners are full and plentious with all maner of store Our Sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streetes our Oxen are yet strong to labour yet there is no decay no leading into captiuitye no complayning in our streetes and happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are the people which haue the Lord for their God multi habent in Deum pauci in Dominum many haue him for their God but fewe for their Lord to rule in theÌ„ ô God establish with vs the Kingdome of thy Christ with the Scepter of thine annoynted Amen Amen And now my bretheren for the last part of my Text and in caution of the second sinne I meane the great sleep and slumber of all flesh in great securitye it stands vs vpon to be watchfull vntill the time of this our changing shall come least when the Lords iudgements shall fall vpon vs our sinnes be found with vs and so we dye in our securitye The knowledge of which day to vs is bounderd in with these banks as it were Nylus Floud from it vndation to make vs the more watchfull 1. that it will come and that speedily for there is an assured day of euill 2. That it will come at an vnset steyne and then when th 〈…〉 worlde is most secure 3. That it is ine 〈…〉 uitable and none shall escape for all shal 〈…〉 appear before the Tribunal seat of God c 4. Lastly that euery man shal be accountant for himselfe and receiue doome according to that he hath done in this life be it good or euil For proof of all which marke when and where the Scripture speaketh of that great day you shal finde it alwaies draweth it on with such expedition and seueritye as and if it were at hand euen ouer our heads and in our neckes to make vs the more watchful Enocke saith Iude the seauenth froÌ„ Adam prophesied of it saying Beholde the Lord coÌ„meth with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgement against al men and to rebuke all