A DEFIANCE TO DEATH. WHEREIN, BESIDES SUNNDRY HEAVENLY Instructions for a godly life, we have strong and notable comforts to uphold us in death. BY Mr. WILLIAM COWPER, Minister of GOD'S WORD. PHIL. 3.20.21. But our conversation is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, even the Lord jesus Christ. Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is even able to subdue all things unto himself. LONDON, Printed by I.W. for john Budge, and are to be sold at his shop at Britain's Burse. 1610. TO THE RIGHT Honourable Sir Thomas Stewart of Gairntilie, and his virtuous Lady, Grizzell Mercer, Grace and peace from God the father, through our Lord jesus CHRIST. IT is a notable saying of the Apostle, If in this life only we have hope in Christ, 1 Cor. 15.19 we are of all men the most miserable: For, whereas others being ignorant of bet●er things to come, set their hearts on these, which are present: if we despising such comforts as now we may enjoy, should also be disappointed of those, which afterwards we look for, Our case indeed were most lamentable: but praised be God, it is far otherwise; for where the comfort of the worldling ends, there the greatest comfort of the Christian begins. Psal. 17.14 The men of this world (says David) have their portion in this life: Luk▪ 6.24. yea our Saviour saith, They have received their consolation here. Luke 16. It was spoken in that Parable by Abraham to Dives, Remember that in thy life thou receivedst thy pleasures: And it appertains to all the wicked: better things than these, which presently they see, need they never to look for. And therefore no marvel, that as the taste of the Coloquint, or wild Gourd, made the children of the Prophets abhor thei● meat, so the taste of death make all the pleasures & refreshments of their life loathsome to them. Or as the hand which wrote to Beltazar on the wall his imminent judgement, did in a moment turn all the solace of that house into sorrow, for the King's countenance was changed, his thoughts troubled, his Princes astonished, his musicans silenced, his servants amazed, their delightful drinking became despised, and all the house disordered: and in a word, his Banquet concluded with a cup of wrath, sent to him from the Lord: so is it unto all the wicked; the smallest signification of death interrupts their greatest joys, and causes them with the Peacock, looking to his feet, let fall the proud feathers of their high conce●tes within their own minds, what ever they pretend in countenance. As is the noise of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools, saith Solomon, Eccles. 7.8. both the one and the other quickly vanishes: and death like that worm, which eated up the gourd of jonas, devours at length all their Worm-eaten pleasures, and then woe be to them, When all these fat, and excellent things, Reu. 18.14 after which their soul lusted, are departed from them, and not so much as any hope of better remains unto them: But unto the Christian, death can do no more but demolish this parpen wall of clay, within the which the soul is captived for a time, it opens the door of the prison, and gives liberty to the soul, to go out and return to her Maker, as shall at greater length appear in the Treatis following, which I have offered, and presented to your Honour, partly to testify my unfeigned affection toward you in the Lord; for that unfeigned and incorrupt love, which in so corrupt a time ye have always carried toward the truth of the Gospel, and by which also ye have lived, as rare examples of piety and love, & godly liberality, and partly that ye may be remembered of these instructions concerning life and death: w●ich ye received from us by hearing, during your residence with us, and unto the practice whereof shortly ye must be called: for albeit it is not long, since it pleased the Lord beyond all expectation of man to deliver you out of the hands of the Sergeants & officers of death, which had violently seized upon you, and threatened to slay you both, yourself by sickness, your Lady by the sorrow of desolation, more heavy than death unto her: yet are ye to know (and I doubt not, are preparing ●o● for it) that the same battle will shortly be renewed against you, wherein both of you must be divorced from other, and divided from your own bodies, that ye may be married and conioyne● with your Lord, whom ye have not yet seen, 1. Pet. 1. but long to see him, because ye love him, and rejoice in him with joy unspeakable and glorious. And herein, if these little fruits of my Ministry may serve any way to confirm you in the end, as some way they have comforted you in the journey: and if for your sake they may be profitable to others who, constantly keeps with you the same course toward the face of jesus Christ, it shall be no small comfort unto me, knowing thereby that I have not run, nor laboured in vain; for there is no thing in the world I desire more, then that I may put my talon to the uttermost profit, fulfilling with joy the Ministration I have received, and so may be welcomed of my Lord, as one who hath been faithful in little: But because all increase comes from God, I humbly commend you, and al● that love the Lord jesus to the grace of God which is able to build you further, and give you inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith in Christ, and so rest Your H. in the Lord jesus M. William Cowper Minist. at Perth. A DEFIANCETO DEATH. Mine help is in the name of the Lord. 2. COR. 5.1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens IT is appointed (sayeth the Apostle) for all men once to die, As our death is, so shall our estate be after it eternally. and it is certain, that in whatsoever estate we die, in it we shall remain; for where the tree falleth, there it shall lie (said Solomon). He that dies in the Lord is blessed, Reu. 14.13. Eccles. 11.3 for he rests from his labours, and shall remain for ever in Abraham's bosom, which is the Paradise of God: he that dies in his sins goes down to the prison, out of which is no redemption, and shall never get licence to come back to learn to die over again, August. Hesych. Epist. 80 Qualis in novissimo vitae die quis que moritur, talis in novissimo mundi die iudicabitur, such as every man dies in the last day of his life▪ such shall he be judged in the last day of the world. It is therefore a special point of wisdom, Our life should make our death good, and our death should make our resurrection happy. so to live, that by living we may learn to die, that a godly life may prepare the way to an happy death, and happy death may make us sure of a joyful resurrection: these three follow one upon another inseparable; if the life be good, the death, whatever it be, cannot be evil: Nunquam mala mors putanda est, Aug. de civit De● l. 1. c. 11. quam bona praecessit vita: and if the life be evil to the end, it is certain the death cannot be good: for even that Thief, If that our life be not first good, our death shall never be good, and be the contrary. who was crucified with our Lord, before he got comfort in his death, was first amended in his life, ●or upon the Cross was he converted, & incontinent brought out the sweet fruit of righteousness, accusing him●elfe for his sins, Luke 23.40. rebuking the railing of his companion, pleading the innocency of our Lord, giving to God the glory of justice, and praying to Christ for mercy, that he would remember him, when he came to his Kingdom. As it is comfortable in death to think upon life, How the life and death of the godly each one of them help another. looking to jesus, who for us died before us, and hath left this comfort to us, who through death are to follow him, Ioh 11.25. I am the resurrection and the life: Ioh 5. 2●. And again, He that believes in me hath passed from death to life: So is it very profitable in our life to think upon death, in our youth to remember the evil days and years approaching upon us; wherein every work and secret thing must be brought to judgement. Our Saviour at the Banquet in Bethania had his conference of his death and burial: and joseph of Arimathea had his Sepulchre in his Garden, both of them teaching us to season the pleasures of our life with the remembrance of our death, Gregor. moral. lib. 13. for Meditatio mortis vita est perfecta, quam dum justi solicit peragunt, culparum laqueos evadunt: The meditation of death is perfit life, which while the godly carefully practise, they eschew the snares of sin: and for this same cause Bernard commends the meditation of death, Bern. Tanquam summam Philosophiam, as the most high and profitable Philosophy that we can learn in our life. The Apostles purpose and manner of proceeding her● offers two things. To this purpose the Apostle in this Treatise delivers to us a most wholesome preservative against the fear of death, 1 preservatives against the ●eare of death. set down summarily in the first verse, and then draws out of it three notable conclusions, which if we can lay up in our hearts, 2 Instructions for a godly li●e. shall learn us to order our life well, and so serve as preparatives to make our hearts ready and capable of this comfort in death. The preservative given us in the first verse, is the certain knowledge of a better estate, into the which we shallbe translated by death. In handling of this, he first sets down the loss we have by death: it is no more but a dissolution of our earthly Tabernacle: and then subjoins the vantage we get by it: to wit, that we are entered into a better building, given of God, not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens, and so lets us see, that the vantage we receive by death, doth far exceed the loss that we sustain by it. We know, He first affirms it as a thing not doubtsome but certain, Two ways know we that a better estate abides us after death. and well enough known, that by death we are translated into a better estate: the warrants of our knowledge are two; for first we know it by the revelation of the word, ●oh. 14.2. In my father's house are many dwelling places, I go to prepare a place for you. Our sojourning place is on earth, our Mansion place in heaven: And next we know it by the persuasion of faith, which is proper only to Gods elect children effectually called. And of this we learn how the Christian man only walketh in light, Only the Christian walks in light, the r●st of the world are in dark●nesse. where all the rest of the world are groping in darkness, in their life wandering after vanity, and in their death departing comfortless or at least doubtsome, and uncertain where-away to go: Something they knew by experience of the vanity of this life, for the which some of the natural Philosophers, did think it was Optimum non nasci, and others, as Heraclitus was moved to mourning by every thing which he saw, Naturalists knew some thing of man's misery in the body, but had no certain knowledge of a better life. but certain knowledge of a better life to come they have not, & therefore in their best estate go doubting (as I said) & lamenting out of the body, as did that Emperor Hadrian, like a wilsome man, not knowing whither to go, Animula Vagula, blandula, quae nunc abibis in loca? And no marvel, he being destitute of the light of the word, and taught by his Master Secundus the Philosopher, that death was incerta peregrinatio, an uncertain peregrination. And truly no better is the comfort, The doctrine of the Rom●sh Churchleaves her disciples comfortless in death. which that Stepmother the Church of Rome giveth to her children, for she sends them away out of the world without any assurance of salvation, and keeps them in suspense with a vain hope of help to be sent unto them, for their deliverance from the pains of Purgatory, by soul Masses, and such like rotten caddle as must be made for them when they are dead, upon their own or their friends expenses. And in this all the bastard Religions of the world are alike, that they render no solid comfort to their professors in death. Neither can it be otherwise, for seeing they are not upon the Foundation jesus Christ, in whose merits only we get life, who are dead in ourselves; what marvel if they die oppressed with doubtings and fearful despairs. But as to us we know whom we havebeleeved, It is otherwise with the Christian taught by the word os God. & that when our course is finished & our battle ended, a crown of righteousness shall be given unto us: we know that the day of our death is but the day of our change from the worse to the better. And this should animate us to constancy & perseverance in godliness, because we go not like uncertain men carried upon vain hope to an unknown end, but before hand we are both forewarned & certified of the'nd whereunto we are called: why then shall we linger in the way, and suffer our spirits to be discouraged with doubting of the event. It is the praise of Abraham the father of the faithful, Abraham followed God calling to a country which h● knew not. that albeit he knew not the land, whereunto God called him, yet he obeyed the calling, and willingly forsook his native country and kindred, being assured the word of God could not beguile him, and that the Lord never bids his children exchange but for the better: And we certainly are unworthy to be accounted the children of Abraham, How much more should we, being called to ● Country which we know. if we refuse joyfully to follow the heavenly vocation, considering the Lord hath foretold us, or ever we go out of the body, of a better building into which we shall be translated. Let them doubt and fear, who know not of a better: let us give glory to him that hath called us, and through the valley of death he shall lead us to eternal life. That if, The Apostle speaks not this doubtingly, as if it were uncertain whether our bodies were to be dissolved, or not, but by way of concession, having in it a strong affirmation: as if he did say, albeit it be so, that the earthly house of our Tabernacle must be dissolved, Some godly men be●ore us have been taken away, and their bodies not dissolved by death after the common manner. yet are we sure of a better. It is true that in the ages before us, there hath been some of God's Saints, whose bodies were not dissolved by death after the common manner: before the flood HENOCH was taken away, and he saw no death: after the flood ELIIAH was transported into a Chariot of fire: and strange is it that is written of MOSES, Deu. 34.7. that when he died on the top of P●sgah, being an hundred and twenty year old, his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. But we have not upon these to fancy unto ourselves a privilege, But w●e must not dream of any such privilege to ourselves. whereof God hath not assured us, neither are we to think we are the less beloved of God, because after the same singular manner, he takes us not away out of the world, but we must look on the other hand to the remanent patriarchs, Prophets and worthy Apostles▪ But must look to other of the Fathers who d●ed the common course of death. who finished their days as joshua speaks, after the way of all flesh: so Abr●ham the father of the faithful died, being worn with the infirmities of his age, Gen. 27.1. and Isaac through weakness waxed blind before he died: and jacob that famous Patriarch, Gen. 49.33. being in his bed, by ordinary death pulled up his feet unto him: and we must be content after the same manner to suffer the dissolution of our bodies by diseases, which are the Sergeants and officers of death. The godly also alive at Christ's coming shall not be dissolved. It is true also that they who shallbe found alive at the second coming of Christ shall not be dissolved but suddenly transchanged: but this privilege in like manner we are not to look for, having no warrant that we shall continue alike until that day, for that man of sin is not yet so weakened by the Gospel as he must be: But we have no warrant that we shall be of that number. Neither are our eldest brethren, the jews converted to the faith of Christ, as in likelihood they will be, before Christ's second appearing: Sixteen hundred years were they in the covenant, when we were strangers from it: During that space sundry of the Gentiles in sundry parts of the World became Proselytes, as Naaman in Syria, and Ebedmelech in Ethiopia: For before Chri●ts coming the I●wes must be recalled. but that was not the accomplishment of the promised calling of the Gentiles, till the body of JAPHETS' house were persuaded to dwell in the Tents of SEM. And now other sixteen hundred years have we been within the covenant, & they strangers from it: in which space sundry of them also have embraced the faith of the Gospel, but that (as we conceive) is not the performance of the promised recalling of the jews, but the body of that people shall be converted, that the prophecy may be fulfilled, Rom. 11.24. And there shall be one Shepherd, and one Sheep fold: then shall our Lord appear the second time for our full redemption. It is out of all doubt, our bodies must be dissolved by death. So that these words of the Apostle do not make any peradventure of our death, far less do they give us any exemption from death, but rather assures us that our bodies must be dissolved. Our life on earth is no inheritance, Heb. 13.14 our breath is but a vapour, we have here no continuing City: Men may press to repine, All fortification against death is in vain. and sit the summons of death, made by sundry diseases as long as they can, and do all they may to fortify themselves against the dart of death, but it shall not be eschewed. These dainty women which will not suffer so much as their soles to touch the earth, Deu. 28. must at length lay down not the soles of their feet only, but the Crown of their head also to be covered by it. The labour of man in his life is to turn over the earth in the sweat of his brow, seeking in her bowels food and fuel, materials for building, and Minerals of sundry metals for his other uses; in all which she renders to man her service, receiving at length for a recompense, man in her bosom, to fill up her wants, whose finest flesh, is turned by her without difficulty into dust. If we were as Adam who never saw one die before him by the course of nature (for Abel was taken away by violence) it were somewhat more tolerable than now it is, marg As Adam was the first living man, so the first that died by the course of nature. to doubt whether if, or not, we shall be dissolved. It was threatened against him, that if he broke the commandment, he should die, yet after the transgression he lived, a bodily life I mean, nine hundred and thirty years, even to the eight generation; a father of many children in both the houses of Cain and Seth: as he was the first man that lived in the world, so it seemeth he was the first that died by the ordinary course of nature. But now so many have gone through death before us, that it is a shame for us to scare at it But now death is become Via trita, a paid gate: All generations of men since the beginning of the world have walked through it, Patriarches, Prophets, Apostles and all that Congregation of the first borne, who stand as witnesses, that there is no danger in death, and shall we only scare at it, and stand afraid, as though it would devour us: yea even the very ethnics esteemed death to be Non supplicium, Seneca. sed tributum vivendi, Not a punishment but a tribute which every man must pay for his life; and therefore said one of them, Quod debeo paratus sum solvere, ubi me faenerator appellat: I am ready to pay my debt, when he who lent me it shall call upon me, and require it: And if notwithstanding o● all this we live in security, as if we were in covenant with death, and it would not long come near us, in very truth we deserve that we should perish in it. By the earthly house our body here is to be understood. Our earthly house. Sometime both the soul & body of man are compared to an house, and that is in regard ofGod dwelling in them by his spirit: but here by th● house the body alone is to be understood, in regard of the soul that sojourns in it: and this is clear in that also he calls it an earthlyhouse. And here we have three things to consider: First, that the body is called a house: next a house of earth: and thirdly, a Tabernacle, and the reasons why. For two causes is our body called an house. Our body is called an house for two respects: I For the c●mly and orderly workmanship thereof. first in respect of the comely and orderly workmanship thereof: for as Artificers out of an inordinate heap of things amassed together, do raise up most pleasant buildings, by walling out one of them from another, by preparing than and placing every thing in the own room, and making them by line, and measure one, of them proportional and answerable to another: so that now they make up a comely house, pleasant to look unto, where before they were a dissordered mass. So is it with the body of man, which of a confused lump of clay without form, God hath builded up in this pleasant form and comely order, wherein now it stands. It is true, Other creatures were made by the word of God, but to the making of man God put too his hand also. all the works of God are very wonderful, what ever is done by him, cannot be but very excellent and good, he himself being most excellent and infinitely good. But a singular wisdom & goodness hath God shown in the creation of man, for he came out in the last room▪ as the perfection of God's works, and last design of the thoughts of God: and therefore was he not created after the common order, which God observed in the rest: for where other creatures were made by his word only, he puts too his hand to the making of man, Consultation also among the persons of the blessed Trinity going before, And consultation among the persons of the blessed Trinity goes before. which was not in the creation of any other creature, whereof thou mayst learn, Basil hexam. h●m. 10. O man, Quantitu unus venias est●mandus, in what great account thou art in regard of all the rest of his creatures: all other like▪ servants were brought out by naked commandment, Tortul. de resur. car. homo tanquam eorum dominus ipsa Dei manu est instructus, Man as their Lord is built up by Gods own hand. All this preparation going before, This preparation before shows that some great th●ng was to follow, as it did indeed. was to show that some great thing was to follow, as indeed it did: for man is so made a work of God his wisdom, that he is a compend of all God's creatures, admired by those▪ who had no more but nature's light, as a little world, but more highlycommended bythose who had also the light of the word whereby to discern him▪ Omni miraculo quod fit per hominem, Aug. de civit. Dei. l. 10. cap. 12. maius miraculum est ipse homo: Man himself, said Augustine is a greater miracle, than any miracle that ever was done by man. Man an excellent workmanship even i● respect of his body. And this not only in regard of his soul but even of his body also, which here the Apostle calleth a comely house: If there were no more to commend it, yet, as saith Gregory, this wereenough, Quod a corpore humano in se similitudinem trahat deus, Gregor. m●ral. l. 32. Sect▪ 13. That God borrows Similitudes from the body of a man to express and shadow himself unto us: a scribing to himself an eye, a mouth & a hand, and such like, which we are not to think with the Anthropomorphites, that he hath per naturam, Bernard. sed per effectum. A short view of the excellent workmanship of man's body as it is given by Solomon. But beside this▪ if we do take but a short view of the workmanship of man his body, we shall be compelled every one for himself to say with David, O Lord I am fearful and wonderful made. Psal. 139. The entry to this house is the mouth, which God hath fenced with a folding door of the lips, opening and closing most commodiously at the will of the Indweller. Next unto it are the grinders which God hath set in the entry to prepare food for the whole man to nourish him: the third room he hath assigned to the tongue, which he hath made most artificially, and set in the through gate of the hou●e▪ as the Trenchman and Messenger of the soul▪ to declare his will unto all that come near: And he h●t● set the head as an eminent Tower in the body, wherein he hath placed the seat of four most excellent senses, every one o● them near unto another, and not one of them impeding the function of another, he hath locked up the brain within it, as a treasure, and fenced it not only with a covering of hair, of skin, and of bone without: but hath also spread over it within the Golden Ewer the least rupture whereof importeth death: and because the windows, Man even in regard of his body is a world of wonders. and watchmen are also in it, he hath made it to turn like a Wheel pleasantly and without pain, to prevent all dangers that from any side may come unto the body: and if we shall yet go further in into this house, and consider the daughters of singing, which he hath made most artificially for modulation of the voice: if we look to the silver cord stretched throughout the length of his body; if we consider the Well, how it prepares and furnishes blood to all the members of the body: if we look to the Pitchers, by which as through Conduits it is conveyed through the whole body. If we consider the Cistern which is the heart, the fountain of life: if this manner of way, I say, with Solomon, we view the building of man's body, beside other innumerable things which Naturalists and Theologs have marked concerning it; Eccles. 12. we shall be compelled to acknowledge that man even as concerning his body is a world of wonders. And this have I but briefly marked, We should not d●shonour the body which God hath honouredso highly. that we might learn to possess our vessels in honour, acounting it a great shame unto us, to pollute and defile this body in any dishonourable manner, which GOD hath created so honourable, comely and pleasant. Secondly, 2 The body is called a house in respect of the soul dwelling in it. The body is called an house in respect of the soul, which dwells in it: and this also highly commends the excellency of the workmanship of man, marvelous for the substances, whereof it consists, more marvelous for the wonderful union and conjunction of them: in heaven there are understanding spirits without bodies, Man for his two substances whereof he consists, is a compend of all God's creatures. as Angels: In earth are bodies without understanding spirits, as beasts; in man ye shall find them both; wherefore one affirmed man to be all things, for there is no creature which lives, but man partakes of the li●e thereof, the plants and trees have a life vegetive, by which they grow, the beasts a life sensitive, by which they hear, see, smell, taste and touch: the Angels a life reasonable, by which they understand: in the first two man communicates with earthly creatures: in the third he transcends them, and is companion to Angels. But the conjunction of these two substances is more marvelous. But the conjunction of these two substances, and the habitation of the one into the other is yet more marvelous, commonly the honourable and the ignoble, Bern. in die ● Natal. dom. er. 2. the foolish and the wise, thestrong & the weak, agree no better than Iron and Clay, Non sic in opere tuo, non sic in commixtione tua, O Domine: Not so in thy work, O Lord, not so in the mixture which thou hast made: for here the Lord hath joined in most marvelous manner Spirit with flesh, a heavenly substance with an earthly, Nazian. That fl●sh and spirit should agree so well together. so that Communio haec mentis ad corpus in●ffabilis sit, & incomprehen●ibilis intellectu, This communion of the mind and body can neither be conceived by our understanding, nor uttered by our speech, the soul being so in the body, that yet it is not mixed with the body, it is within us, and yet goes through all things that are without us, That the soul should be kept in the body by blood and breath, yet not living by them it is kept in the body by blood and breath, and yet lives not by blood and breath, being a Spiritual thing, it gives understanding to any other Spirit by the earthly Organ of the tongue, and receives again intelligence from another spirit by the earthly Organ of the ear: God hath done it, we feel it, but know not the reason of it: all these and many more ●hould move us to reverence the goodness and wonderful wisdom of our Maker, ●hewed in the creation of man. Carnal men so live as if they were nothing but fl●sh only. And of this we learn how far the judgement of God's spirit, differs from the judgement of man, and that even as concerning man himself: It is thought among carnal men, that the body is the man, Sic dediti sunt carni ac sanguini, ac si nihil aliud, quam carnem se esse reputarent: and therefore are they so given to pamper flesh, as if they were no other thing but flesh: these do not separate the vile from the precious, jerem. 15. the Lord from the servant, the indweller from the lodger, ●or in the judgement of God's spirit, the body is no more but the house: Whereas the body is but the house, the man is he who dwells in the body. the man is he that dwells in the body; and look what difference there is between a house and him that dwells in it, such are we to put between the soul, and the body: in exterial dangers though the house be burnt and blown down with winds, if the indweller be safe, we account that the loss is the less, and much more if the soul escape when the house of the body is thrown down by death, are we to esteem that the loss is but small: It is reasonable indeed, Let us so care for the house, that much more w●●●re for him who dwells in it. that the soul should love the body, but so that it neglect not the own self: let A●am love his Eva, but so that he hearken not unto her voice more than to the Lords: if we seek the welfare of our bodies, with neglect of our souls, we shall lose them both, but if we subdue the body by discipline, that the soul may be safe, then shall the body also be partaker of her glory. The body is called an earthly house. Earthly. The second general observed here, is, that the Apostle calls 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 upholden, for they are earthly. First, because it was made of the earth As to the first, that man is made of earth, which is manifest out of the second of Genesis, it doth highly commend the great power of the Creator: to do great things by great means is no great matter; but when by smallest means 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, And herein appears God's power and wisdom that of so base a matter hath made so excellent a creature. he made man a more excellent creature, than any other that he had brought out before him; he made him of clay, but in many respects more honourable than that whereof he made him, & in this that he hath given to man, Vt sit aliquid sua origine gloriosius, Tertul. de resurrect car. He hath set out the glory of his power and wisdom: As likewise in that he hath placed such a Grace and Majesty in that same face, which he framed of Clay, that the fear and terror of him was upon all living creatures, Gen. 2. which they acknowledged by their first comperance before him at his calling to receive names from him as it pleased him to improve them, and yet even after the fall, by the benefit of restitution, we have in CHRIST, they so reverence man, that albeit in nature there can be none stronger than the Elephant, stowter then the Lion, fiercer than the Tiger: yet all these doth service to man, Et naturam suam humana institutione deponunt. Ambros. hexam. l. 6. cap. 6. Secondly we learn here GOD'S Sovereignty over man, The sovereignty of God over man, is more th●n that which the Potter hath over his clay. he is but a vessel of earth, framed by the hand of God & therefore Woe must be unto him, if he strive with his Maker: a vessel 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 he enter into enmity with God, to bethink himself of an answer to that question of the Apostles, 1. Cor. 10.22 Do ye provoke God unto anger, are ye stronger than he? Therefore woe to him who lives in enmity with God. The Sidonians would not make war with Herod, because they were nourished by the king's land; and it might more justly be a reason to keep vain man from waging battle with the Lord, Act. 12 20. that he holds his life of the Lord, & that if he do but take his breath out of our nostrils we fall incontinent as dead unto the ground. Surely of all follies in the world this is the greatest, for a man to cast himself in danger of God's wrath, which he is neither able by flying to eschew, nor yet by suffering to endure. The consideration of our original does le●rne us humility. Thirdly, the consideration of our original learns us humility, si●ce we are of the earth, why shall we wax proud, specially for any quality of our body, which was taken from the earth, and must return to earth again? Therefore God gave unto the first man the name of Adam, signifying red earth, that as oft as he heard his name, he might remember his original, and and his posterity also, considering the Rock from whence they came, might let fall the comb of their natural pride. Which if we cannot learn, They who will not learn it by their original, ●et them look to their end, and they shall see no cause of pride. by looking to our original, let us at least remember our end, & it shall learn us, that we are but dust: yea much more vile than common dust, for as beautiful Snow, when it is resolved into water whereof it was congealed, becomes fouler water than any other else, so man being turned again into earth, it becomes viler earth than any other earth whatsoever: so that the flesh which in life is most beloved, death causes to be most abhorred: Gen. 23.4. Abraham loved Sarah well, but from the time that her soul departed from her body, he was glad to entreat the Hittites for a Sepulchre, that he might bury his dead out of his sight. And truly, Greg. moral. l. 16. sect. 105 if, as Gregory counsels us, unusquisque hoc quod viwm diligit, quid sit mortuum pensaret: every man would ponder, what that creature is being dead, which so greatly man loveth, while it liveth, it would serve to repress in us the immoderate desires of our affections. O man, Neither is there strength nor beauty, nor stature of the body to be delighted in. why wilt thou be bewitched with that which in the body seems worthy to be loved? Is it for the strength, or the beauty or stature thereof, that thou art delighted with it? I pray thee consider what these are: Is not the strength of the body weakness? Ere it be long the grasshopper shall be a burden to the strongest: And as to beauty, is it not deceitful? Esa. 40.6. All flesh is grass, and the glory thereof as the flower of the field. The body like a wall of clay. plastered over and painted with colours. As a wall of clay plastered over, and painted: after that a little wind and rain hath beaten uponit, the Lime falls away, and the clay appeareth: so is it with the most pleasant body, which now being trimmed with the colours of God seems very beautiful, but after that the storms and showers of diseases hath beaten upon it: then shall it appear that which it is, to wit, but Clay indeed; and though for stature thou were like to the sons of Anack, yet neither art thou for that the more precious: for the highest trees are not most fruitful, Esa. 14.11.19. the mighty Oaks of Basan bears fruit for Swine, where the little Vine-tree renders comfortable fruit for man, neither can thy height protect thee against death, for even gold thirsty Babel which grew up like a great tree, so high that the fowls of heaven made their nests under it, was at length brought to the grave like an abominable branch: so shall it be with the pomp of all flesh, the worms shall be spread under thee, and the Worms shall cover thee. Remembrance of that which we have been, should keep us from waxing proud for that which we ar●. Let it therefore be far from us to glory either in the strength or beauty, or stature of our mortal bodies: they are but rotten and ruinous habitations; nothing is there in them to puff up our pride, if we consider them aright, but much matter to humble us. It is written of Agathocles, who of a Potter was made a King, that he caused to furnish his table with vessels, some of Gold, and some of loam, that by the one he might be served as a King, and by the other admonished that he was once a Potter: and it much more becomes us, who now are called to the high dignity of the sons of God, to remember what we were before, that so we may be humbled in ourselves, & be thankful to our God. Secondly, the body is called an earthly hou●e, Secondly, the b●dy is called an earthly house because it is upholden by earthly means. because by earthly means it is sustained and upholden, so that the very food by which we live doth warn us of the fragility of our mortal bodi●, the fowls of the air, and beasts of the earth are slain to feed us, they must quit the silly life they have, before they can be convenient food for us: And I pray you, what enduring life can they cause unto us, which must die before they can help our life: yea within short time, if they be let alone, they corrupt and putrefy of their own accord: thus every creature that feeds us, testifies to us in their kind, that our life is but a silly life, the end whereof is death and filthy rottenness. Of this Tabernacle: the third general point we marked here is: Our body is called a Tabernacle, first because we have here a covering, but not a foundation. how our body is called a Tabernacle: And that first for some similitude of the building, a Tabernacle being such a sojourning place, as Tectum habeat non fundamentum, Ber. parvi Sermons. hath a covering, but not a foundation, to warn us, that how ever in this life w●e have above us the protection of God, Esa. 4.6. as a Covert for the storm and for the rain, yet beneath there is here no foundation, whereon we may rest, Heb. 11. and settle ourselves: but we are with Abraham, Isaac and jacob, to look for that City above, having a Foundation: that is, our Temple's building, in which without danger, we may lay up our treasure, having both a roof & a foundation, fundamentum est stabilitas aeternae beatitudinis, Ibid. tectum consummatio & perfectio ipsius. Secondly, our bodies care called Tabernacles in regard of the use of them, S●condly, because we should use it as a Sconce or Tent for the warfare. since our life is a warfare, we should sojourn in the body, as soldiers in their Sconces & Tents, that out and in them we may watch for vantage over our enemies, to annoy them, and defend ourselves from them: but it is to be lamented that our bodies, which should be used as Tabernacles for war, Basil. ser. 10. in Psal. qui habitat. are turned in domicilia turpissimae captivitatis, in little houses of servitude & bondage Thirdly, because it is not fixed in one place, as an house, but is made for transporting. And thirdly, to show their mortality, they are compared to Tabernacles, for they are movable at the will and arbitrement of God, who hath pitched them, we have here no continuing City, but should live in the body, as ready every hour to be transported, for we know not when it shall please the Lord to pull up the stakes of our Tabernacle, to slake the cords, and fold up the covering thereof, which shortly must be done to every one of us: but our comfort is, that as the Ark of God, which in the Wilderness dwelled in a movable Tabernacle, was afterward placed in a fixed and established Temple in Canaan: so our souls shall be translated from this earthly Tabernacle to have their dwelling in that Temple of God in heaven Great joy was in jerusalem, when Solomon transported the Ark from the Tabernacle to the Temple, but greater joy shall be to our souls, when God shall carry them from this earthly Tent, to that heavenly and eternal habitation. Be dissolved. here we see, that in the Christian, death doth no more, but dissolve his earthly Tabernacle. That death wherein all deaths concur, is the proper punishment of sin. It is demanded by Augustine, what kind of death it was, which God denounced to man in paradise, if he did eat of the forbidden tree, Aug. de civit. Dei. l. 13. cap 12. Vtrum corporis, an animae, an totius hominis, an illa quae dicitur secunda: And he answers; that into that death, which is the proper punishment of sin, all kinds of death concurs: for as the whole earth consists, says he, of many earths, & the Catholic Church consists of many particular Churches, so universal death, which is the proper punishment of sin consists of all sorts of death. Now the Scripture makes mention chiefly of two sorts o● death the first and second: Of the two kinds of death mentioned in holy scripture. the first death hath in it two deaths, the one of the soul, the other of the body: the death of the soul is, when the soul quickening the body, is not quickened of God, Eph 4. but is as the Apostle speaks a stranger from the life of God, & by this death many are dead, who in regard of their bodies seem to be living, Eph. 2. 2. Tim. Revel 3. as is spoken of the Ephesians before their calling▪ of the wanton widows who living are dead, & of the Angel of Sardis: the death of the body is the separation of the soul from the body. Death of the whole man, what it is. So then the death of the whole man is, Cum anima sine deo & corpore ad tempus paenas luit▪ but the second death, which is so called, because by many degrees it is greater than the other: and there is not any other behind it, is, Cum anima sine Deo, cum corpore aeternas paenas luit. Where that we may yet more clearly distinguish the death of a Christian from the death of the wicked, it is to be inquired, It is demanded seeing the soul and body of the wicked sh●ll be vni●ed in the resurrection: how shall they be punished with the second death. seeing in the resurrection the wicked shall have their souls and bodies united together, how shall they be punished with death? The answer is, that this union of their souls and bodies shall be with such a fearful division from God, & among themselves, that they shall rather wish to be extinguished, and turned into nothing, then be united again, Gregor. moral. l. 15. Sect▪ 55. Ad augmentum tormenti, & hic de corporenolens educitur impius, & illic in corpore tenetur invitus. In this life the wicked is taken out of the body against his will, and in the life to come, he is kept in the body against his will: and by both of these his torment is increased: In the first creation God conjoined soul and body; that they might be a mutual comfort one to other, It is answered that this ●nion of their ●oule and body, is for their greater punishment. but in the second death by the contrary they are united for the mutual punishment one of another: so that the body shall be for no other end quickened by the soul but to make it feeling, and sensible of horrible pain: for if even now in this life it be come upon man, as a just punishment of his rebellion against God, that the body is not so serviceable to the soul as it was in the beginning, Anima quip quia sup●riorem Dominum suo arbitrio deseruit, Aug. de. civit. dei l. 13. c. 13 inferiorem famulum, sibi subiectum non habet, how much more shall it be so in the last recompense that either of themshal become a grief, and burden to others. Here is then to be taken up that great difference which is between the death of the Christian and of the worldling, A great difference between the death of the Christian and the wicked. in the death of the wicked, all sorts of deaths concurs, ●hereas the Christian suffers but Aliquid mortis a piece of death, to wit, the dissolution of his earthly house: the Serpent can do no more to him, but manducare terram eius, fasten his teeth upon his earthly part, as to the heavenly soul it falls not under the danger of death. So that the vantage is great, which the Christian hath over his enemies, The Christian shall never die that death which is the punishment of the wicked. in that the death which the wicked shall die, the Christian is exempted from it, but that part of death which he shall suffer, and they are able to inflict upon him, they themselves shall shall not escape it. jezabel may make her vow to have the head of Elijah: but how little effect there is in such fury of flesh, is manifest in that same example, And the wicked cannot free themselves of that death, which they inflict on the godly ● beside that, a worse abides them. for God preserved his servant safe, and her own head was given in a prey to the dogs, and they like the Burrios of the Lord devoured her, leaving nothing but the skull of her head, and palms of her hands: why then shall we be afraid of them, who are not exempted from that doom, which in their greatest anger they give upon us: when it was told Anaxagoras the Philosopher, that by his enemy's means he was condemned to die, he never troubled himself for the matter, but made this answer: jam olim istam sententiam tulit natura in illos aeque ac in me, that long since nature had given out the sentence of death upon them, as well as upon him. If such strength was in any Ethnik, what should there be in any Christian? But beside this, By death we get deliverance from our present evils. the excellent benefits we receive by death should confirm us against all the terrors and pains thereof; for first it relieves us of much evil: for by it our days of sin are finished, and we are delivered from the miseries of this life. If we had been immortal in this this miserable mortality, our estate had been most lamentable: even the ethnics by the light of ●ature understood, that it was a great benefit that the body was but Mortal vinculum animae, Aug. de. civit. Dei. l. 9 cap. 10. a temporal or mortal band of the soul; and they gave the reason, What a great benefit it is, that our bodies are mortal. Ne semper huius vitae miserijs anima tener etur, lest the soul should be for ever detained under the miseries of this wretched life: but praised be God, this comfort is made sure to us by a clearer light, that our souls shall not for ever be detained in the body, as in a house of bondage, but that shortly they shall be delivered, and that in so wonderful a manner, that death which is the daughter of sin shall become the destroyer of her own mother: for unto the Christian, death is a perfit mortification of all his earthly members. Neither are we by it only delivered from evil, By death we are set at liberty to enjoy our greatest good. but also entered to the fruition of our greatest good: for as a cloud dissolved gives us clear sight of the Sun, which before was obscured from us, or as the doors of the prison being opened by the Angel, made a fair way to Peter to come out and enter into jerusalem, so is it, Aug. de. civit. dei. l. 9 c. 20. , dissolutio corporis, absolutio est animae, the dissolution of the body is the absolution of the soul: as the snare being broken, the bird escapeth, so the body being dissolved, Athanas in q●estionibus quaest. 18. Euadit reclusa intus columba hoc est anima, the soul hath a ready way to the face of God. There is wrought by death, Many looks to the dissolution, but not to the conjunction made by death, and therefore are afraid at it. as saith the Apostle, both a dissolution and a conjunction. The cause why death seems terrible to many, is, for that they look to the dissolution, and not to the conjunction, the dissolution is of the soul from the body, the conjunction is of the soul with Christ: if then we be afraid, when we look to the dissolution, let us also look to the conjunction, and be comforted, I desire to be dissolved, there the dissolution: and to be with Christ, there the conjunction. We use commonly to call death a departure, and so it is a departure from them who are dear unto us, but to them who are more dear: and therefore should we not so much be grieved at our departure from that company we leave behind us, as rejoiced by thinking of that blessed fellowship, which is before us, for we return to our father, from whom we came, to our eldest brother, whom we have not yet seen, but long to see him, because we love him, to the company of innumerable Angels, to the Congregation of the first borne, and to the Spirits of just and perfit men. But here two things must be removed, Two things removed which make death fearful. which impair this comfort, and makes death seem much more terrible, 1 The fear of punishment after death than it is indeed. The first is the fear of punishment after death, but in very deed, quid hoc ad mortem, quod post mortem est? Ambr. de bono mortis. c. 8 Why shall death be blamed for that which falls out after death, Acerbitas non mortis est, sed culpae, the bitterness is not in death, But indeed death is not to be blamed for thatwhich comes after it but in sin: let a man therefore purge his conscience, and death shall neither be fearful, nor bitter unto him: As a Serpent wanting the sting, may be put in our bosom without peril, so if sin, which is the sting of death be taken away, we may boldly welcome death, yea embrace it without fear: it cannot hurt us. The other cause is, that men apprehend death, 2 An apprehension that death destroys man. to be the destruction of man, but in very truth it is not so, but rather as I said, the absolution of man, it is neither total, for it only dissolves the body, nor yet perpetual. Some ethnics falsely called it, Aeternus Somnus, it is a sleep indeed, but not eternal, for in the resurrection the body shall be wakened and raised up again, so then Non mors ipsa, Ambros. ibid. Death itself is not terrible but the opinion of death. sed opinio de morte est terribilis, it is not death itself, but an opinion of death which is terrible, for since it translates us from this present evil world unto everlasting life: I know not said Nazianzen, how it can be called death, it being Nomine magis, quam re sormidabilis, fearful in name, Nazian. orat. de funere patris. rather than in deed. The separation of the soul from God, that is death: the separation of the soul from the body, Greg. moral. l. 4. sect. 47. Vmbra tantummodo est mortis, is only the shadow of death, and therefore such as are dead, not in ●he soul, but in the flesh, non vera morte, sed umbra tantum mortis o●eriri dicuntur, are not said to be truly dead, but only covered with the shadow of death. We are not then to look upon death in the glass of the law, Death should not be looked upon in the glass of the law, but in the mirror of the Gospel. but in the mirror of the Gospel: life looked upon with the eyes of nature, seems a better thing than it is, covered as it were with a white vail, though in deed it be very black: for if the pleasures thereof be compared with the pains, it will be found that the pains exceed the pleasures, both for their number, greatness and continuance, it being most certain, that no pleasure in the earth hath been found to endure so long, as the pains of a fever, whereas on the other hand, if death be looked upon with the eyes of nature, it seems to be very terrible, & as it were covered with a black vail, but is white indeed, being to the godly but a finishing of our miseries, & entrance to our endless glory. And this shall be evident if we mark these phrases by which the spirit of God describes death to us in holy scripture: Comfortable phrases, by which death is described by the spirit of God. the death of Abraham Gen. 25.8. is called a gathering of him to his fathers: Deu▪ 31.16. the death of Moses a sleeping with his fathers, Psal. 16.9. David calls the death o● his body a resting of his flesh in hope: Luke. S. Luke calls the death of our Lord the time of his assumption: 2. Pet. 1.14. S. Peter calls it the deposition of an earthly Tabernacle: Now I pray you, what here is terrible, unless to be gathered to our fathers, to let our bodies sleep for a time, and rest in hope, that our souls may be assumed up into heaven be terrible to us. S. Paul expresses the nature of our death by thr●e similitudes. But most clearly doth S. Paul by three proper similitudes, expresseth nature of death unto us; for first he compares it to the laying aside of an old rotten garment, in stead whereof, we put on a better, teaching us thereby, that as no poor man will grudge to lay aside his contemptible garment when a better is offered unto him, 1. He compares it to the changing of a garment. far less should a Christian murmur, when God uncloths him of his corruptible body, since he doth it, that he may clothe him with a more excellent garment of glory, and immortality. Secondly, he compares the laying of our bodies in the grave to the sowing of seed in the earth, To the sowing of seed in the earth, tha● it may grow again. 1. Cor. 15. teaching us thereby, that suppose our bodies being covered with moulds rot & putrefy under the earth yet they shall spring up again, and therefore we should willingly render our bodies to the Lord that great husbandman, to be dimpled like pickles of lively seed by his own hand, in any part of the earth he pleases, yea if it were in the bottom of the sea, seeing the whole world is the Lords husbandry, which he can cause to bring out fruit to him at his pleasure: At his word both the earth and water brought out to him living creatures which never had been: and shall we not think that at his word they will render to him these creatures, 3 To a flitting from one house to another. which have been before? And thirdly he calls it here a flitting from one house to another, a removing from our cot house on earth, to a Palace of glory in heaven. Albeit death be certain, yet the time, place, and kind thereo● is uncertain Now this being spoken upon the word Dissolved for our comfort in death, something further must we mark out of it, for our preparation to death: However death be most certain, yet the Apostle speaks indefinitely of it, both in regard of the time, the place, and the kind of death: it is out of all doubt, our bodies must be dissolved, but we know not when, nor where, nor how: in these three respects death is uncertain. As to the time of our death, Many dream of more days than they have & are far deceived at the length. Aug. God hath hidden it from our eyes, Nihil certius morte, nihil incertius hora mortis. Many go out of the body, being disappointed as concerning the time, lipning and looking in their own thought for a longer time, than they find ordained for them. In this folly by nature we are all followers of that rich man, who dreamt to himself that he had many days to the fore, when in very deed he had not one: for that same night his soul was taken from him, Ber. de fallatia vitae praesentis. Vita haec multipliciter illudit hominibus, longam se simulat, ut fallat. Time of our death left uncertain to make us the more vigilant Always the uncertainty of death in regard of time, God hath done it in wisdom, to make us the more careful: Ignoratur unus dies, ut obseruentur multi: He hath made one day unknown, that many days may be observed▪ If the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, & not suffered his house to be digged through. Be ye therefore prepared: the house is the body, the thief that breaks it is death, the treasure thou keep'st in it, is thy soul, therefore watch & pray: the conclusion of the Parable tells us, that God hath hid the hour of death from us, not to snare us but to stir us to vigilance, Ideo voluit horam mortis incertam esse, Gregor. ut semper sit nobis suspecta, God hath made the hour of death uncertain, because he will have it always suspected. The life of man is but a life that turns upon seven days, and in one of them man must die. The life of man on earth, is but a life of seven days, how many years soever he live, yet hath he but these same days multiplied unto him: As he therefore, who having seven servants to serve him, if he be advertised that one of the seven will slay him; takes service from them, with the narrower observation of every one of them, when they come by course to serve him: so man, Therefore sh●ld he take heed to them all. whose life runs upon seven days in the week, which together with their shadows serve him by course, since he is told that in one of them he must die, and he knows not which it is, he should the more carefully observe them all, to live holily, and godly in them: let all of them be passed over in fear: let none of them want their own exercises of godliness, so shall we die peaceably, and with comfort in any of them, wherein it shall please God to call upon us. Secondly, The place of death uncertain. in regard of the place death is also so uncertain, somehave died in the womb wherein they took life, some in the Cradle▪ as the infants of Bethlem, some in the bed, as Ishboseth, some in the Parlour, as Eglon, some on the stool, as Arrius, some at the table, as Ammon, some in the Chapel as Sennacherib, some in the Temple, We can come to no place in the which some have not died before us. as joab: In a word, what place is there wherein we can come, in the which, or the like of it, some men have not died before us: and this to warn us, how in every place we should be prepared, ubique te expectatmors, Bernard. & tu, si sapiens fueris, ubique came expectabis. Thirdly, the kind of our death is also left uncertain unto us, The kind of death is also uncertain, that for all deaths we might be prepared. that against all kinds of death we may be prepared; there is one way by which we all come into the world, but many ways by which we go out of it, for some die in the water, as Pharaoh, some in the fire as the King of Edom, some by Lions as the disobedient Prophet, some by Bears as the railing children, We come all into the world by one way, but we go out of it by many. some by dogs, as cruel jezabel, some by vermin as proud Herod, some by the sword, as swift Azahel, some smothered in the house as the children of job, some by the fall of a wall, as those eighteen men, slain by Siloam Tower, some by the cast of a stone as Abimelech, some of a pain in their head as the Shunamits son, some of a pain in their belly, as Antioc●hus, some of a Gout ●n their feet as Asa, ●ome by the private corruption of their own distemperate humours, some by distemperature of public humours, which are corrupt laws. In a word, We should not much care for the kind of death but for the way we go after death. so frail a vessel is man, that easily by innumerable ways he is broken: and all these have we seen before us, that for a●l them we might be prepared, making ready ourselves to die, & referring the kind of our death to the good pleasure of God, Aug. de civit. dei. l. 1. c. 11. Non est multum curandum, necessariò morituro, qua morte moriatur, sed quò post mortem ire Compellatur, since of necessity we must die, let us not care much for the kind of death, but rather of the way which after death we are to go: And for this cause, did our blessed Saviour undergo a cursed death, that every death might be made blessed to them who die in the faith of the Lord. Be dissolved. Men should not be violent actors of their own death, but patient sufferers. Last of all we observe here that the word which the Apostle uses, being passive, we are taught, that men should not be violent Actors of their own death, but patient sufferers at the good pleasure of God: In all the Book of God there is not asillable allowing self-murder: The law which forbids to kill, doth first of all forbid to kill thyself: I will require (saith the Lord) your blood at the hands of Beasts, at the hands of a man himself, Gen. 9 at the hands of every brother will I require it: And hereby that story of the Maccabees, 2. Mac 14. commending RAZIS, A self murderer never allowed, but condemned in holy scripture for self murder may be known to be but a bastard breath, being so discordant f●om the rest of Scripture, breathed by divine inspiration of the holy Ghost. ethnics counted it magnanimity in desperate troubles to dispatch themselves, but indeed it is pusillanimity; that is a great mind, which can endure trouble with patience: and it is but a feeble spirit, which being impatient of trouble, seeks by self-murder to eschew it. Properly did Jerome call such Martyrs slultae philosphiae. As to Samsons fact it was singular, no more to be followed, than Abraham his offering of his son, or Israel's policy in spoiling the Egyptians, which had their own warrants, but cannot warrant us to transgress the known and common commandments of God. The second par● o●●he verse contains the vantage we ●aue by death. We have a building. Now follows the second part of the verse, containing the vantage we get by that exchange we make in death, to wit, that by it we are translated into a better building: where before we enter into the words, if it be demanded, what then? Is there no more to be done to the body? When it is dissolved, must it lie still in Dust and Ashes? And have we no further comfort concerning it? The comfort given here against death concerns the soul only. The answer is, that the comfort which here is given doth only concern the soul but if we will conjoin with this, other places of Scripture, we shall find full and perfit comfort, both for body and soul. For not only know we that our bodies shall be raised up again in the last day, Comfort concerning the loss of our bodies by death is to be sought ●n other places of Scripture. but that when they shall sleep in the grave, the holy Ghost who now dwells in them shall watch over them, to preserve them to immortality, from the time we be dead, our bodies are neglected and forsaken of these, who loved us most dearly in our life, after that they have laid us in the grave they return to eat and drink, and in their wont manner to refresh themselves, and within short time they quit all remembrance of us; The Lord will no● forsake that body, whi●h was the Temple of h●● spirit, ●ut will ke●pe the d●st thereof. But as to the Lord our God, he will never neglect, nor forsake, nor forget that body which he honoured to be his own Temple, dwelling in it by his holy spirit, but will keep the very dust thereof, till he restore it again to life. An example whereof we have in the favourable dealing of God with jacob, who died in Egypt, and was conveyed to Canaan by joseph and Pharaoh his Chariots, I●cobs dead body honourably buried by God. yet unto none of them will God give the praise of the burial of Jacob's corpse, he is not ashamed to take to himself, according to the promise he made unto his servant, that he would not only go with him down to Egypt, but also would bring him up again to Canaan, thereby declaring how precious in his sight the death of his Saints is, and how honourable he esteems these bodies, which have been the Temples of his holy spirit. Three things to be considered here. Now in these words we have three things to be considered: first, what is meant by this building: secondly, how says the Apostle, that we have it: Thirdly, what are the properties, by which it is described. By this building some understands that immortal and glorified body, The fi●st thing to be considered here, is, what is meant by this building. which shall be given us in heaven: the same body in substance which now we have, but transformed, and made like unto Christ's glorious body, and indeed unto it agrees this description; for that body is of God not made with hands, not preserved by the help of secondary means, as is this body which was begotten by our father, conceived by our mother, By this building is not to be understood our glorified bodies, for those we get not till the resurrection. nourished and brought up to the state wherein now it is, by the help of hands: and again, where this mortal body is a temporal Tabernacle, the immortal shall be an eternal habitation. All these are true: but because our souls shall not dwell in these bodies till the resurrection, they cannot be meant here by this building to the which we are transported incontinent after death. By this building then we are to understand that place of glory, But that place of glory into which we are transated after death. which in the third heavens God hath prepared for his children, called in the Gospel the everlasting habitations, Luke. and by our Saviour his Father's house, joh. wherein are many Mansions: Hebr. called by Saint Paul a City, having a foundation, whose builder and maker is God, Revel. and by Saint john called the New jerusalem; a City having the glory of God in it, a City four squared, in length, breadth and height equal; a City wherein all the Citizens sees the face of God, through the streets whereof runs the water of life, and in every side thereof the tree of life: this is the glorious building, into the which our souls are carried by Angels, so soon as they depart out of the body. The second thing to be considered here, is, how says the Apostle we have this building. The second thing we proposed here to speak of, was, how is it, that the Apostle says, We have this building, he says not we shall get it, but that presently we have it: The reason is, because presently we have the rights and securities: If worldlings account themselves sure enough of earthly inheritances, when they have the charter, The reason is, because presently we have the rights and security's of it, which are, Charter, Confirmation, Seizing and Possession. seizing, confirmation, and possession of them, how much more arewesure of that heavenvly building, who have already received all these rights and securities thereof from the Lord our God. The Charter Of the Charters of our heavenly building. of our heavenly inheritance is the good word of God, wherein the Lord of his special grace, & favour hath disponed it unto us, Luke 12.32. Fear not little flock, it is the father's will to give you the kingdom: besides that, the same is left to us in legacy by our elder brother jesus Christ, who before that he offered himself in a Sacrifice for our sins upon the Cross, Most comfortable Meditations. did first commend us to his father by an everlasting prayer: Father, I will, that these whom thou hast given me, be where I am, that they may see the glory I had with thee from the beginning. joh. O most sweet, O most sure word: What sweeter word can there be th●n this▪ that the Son in his latter Will, will have us to be with him: what surer word? It is spoken by him, in whom the Father proclaims himself to be well pleased, and who then will revoke or annul it? Surely most comfortable is it, that we have not only the Father bidding the son ask what he will, Psal. 2. and promising to give it: but we have also the Son ask, and in his ask craving no other thing, but that we may be with him: Is not then our heavenly Inheritance sure enough unto us? Of the confirmation we have received upon our Charter. But we have yet more beside this disposition made us of God, strong Confirmations thereof, for the father hath confirmed the disposition, made by him with an oath, Heb. 6.17. & that as the Apostle says, to show to the heirs of promise, the stability of his Counsel. Again, the Legacy made by the son, he hath ratified by his own blood, and the death of the Testator intervening, hath made the Testament unchangeable, and both of them are sealed in our hearts by the holy Spirit of promise, whom God hath given us, as his witness, his earnest, and his seal to assure us of that which he hath promised. And thirdly, Of our seizing and investment in our heavenly building. the Lord our God by his Stewards & servants, whom he hath ordained to govern his house, delivering to us in the Sacrament the Symbols of t●e body and blood of Christ jesus hath thereby seized us, and given us investment of our heavenly Kingdom. Of our present possession we have of that building Last of all, he hath put us in present possession thereof, by delivering unto us the keys of the Kingdom, which are Faith and prayer, by which every Christian enters in at the door of that building, and gets familiar access to the Throne of Grace: suppose he be on earth, he hath his conversation in heaven, talks familiarly with God his father, and views, to the great delight of his soul, that glorious inheritance, into the which after death he knows he shall fully be perfected. In all these respects it is, that the Apostle here says, not only we shall have, but we have (already) a building in heaven. The 3 thing to be considered here is the description of the building wherein are four things. The Third thing to be considered here, is the description of this building, wherein first we see how the builder and maker thereof is said to be God: Secondly the manner thereof, it is not made with hands: Thirdly, the endurance thereof, it is eternal: and fourthly, the place thereof, it is in heaven. First then that God is called the Author & maker of this building, Fi●st God is called the Author and maker of this building, and therefore it must be a glorious house it leads us to forethink with ourselves, what a glorious and excellent building it must be. Among men theirworks are according to their power and greatness: ●f Kings go 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 difficulty may be performed by the common sort of people. When King Ahasuerus made a banquet to show the riches and glory of his Kingdom, Ahasuerus made a royal banquet, in a very pleasant place, to show his glory. Esth. 1. and honour of his Majesty, he prepared it in a very pleasant place: the Court of the Garden of the King's Palace was decked with Tapestry of white, green and blue clothes, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple in silver rings, and pillars of Marble, the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of Porphyry, and Marble, and Alabaster in blue colour, the banquet was made to his Princes of an hundred and twenty Provinces, What shall we then think of that building and banquet God hath prepared for declaration of his glory. and it lasted one hundred and four score days. Now if such provision was made by a mortal man, to show his glory, what shall we think of that preparation which the eternal God hath made for declaration of his glory; not into the utter Court of his Palace, which is this visible world, but in the inner Court thereof, the heaven of heavens; not in a banquet to last for an hundred and four score days, but for ever and ever. The glory of Sa'omons' Temple may lead us to consider of the glory of our heavenly building. Solomon built a Temple, which was justly counted the glory of the world: but God furnished unto him both the matter, for in his days he made gold as rife as stones, as also the engine, for he gave unto Hiram and other Artificers to work all manner curious work in Gold, 1. K. 7.14. Silver, Brass: what ever was excellent in that building, was done by the wisdom of God in the Artificer, which is but a small sparkle of that infinite knowledge and wisdom which is in God himself: yet seeing of these earthly materials with the small sparkles of his own light, such excellent works have been done by men, as draws others in admiration of them: may we not think, that it is a work far surpassing in glory, and above the reach of all our understanding, which he himself without help of hands hath built in heaven▪ for the comfort of his children, and declaration of the honour of his Majesty. Beside this in judging of the works of God, we must lay this for a sure ground that the invisible works of God are always most excellent. In man there is a soul and body, It is taken for a sure ●ule, that the invisible works of God are most excellent. both of them very beautiful workemanshippes, but that the invisible soul is a far more excellent workmanship than the visible body, appears in this, that whatsoever beauty, sense, agility, or any other worthy commendation the body hath, it hath it from the quickening virtue of the soul, This we may see in the workmanship of man. without which, the most beautiful body is, but for matter a lump of clay, for form like an Idol, having eyes, but see not, ears and hear not, feet and walk not. And so is it in all the rest of God's works, The same is to be understood in the Fabric of this world, which is very pleasant, and yet but a figure in respect of that which is above. the invisible being ever more excellent than the visible: this Universe with the plenishing and furniture thereof is indeed a comely workmanship: the Grecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the ornaments thereof: the Latins called it Mundus for the cleanness, and tightness thereof, but the Apostle comparing it with that building which is above, calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because it is but a figure of a better, and more enduring substance, which is not seen. The most pleasant part of this lodging, How far this visible world is inferior to that invisible building. is the sylering thereof, the firmament: which God hath garnished with the Sun, Moon and Stars as it were with shining pearls, to give light by course to all that dwell in it: yet is it no more but the nethermost part of the Pavement of our heavenly Palace: yea the Sun, which now is the most pleasant and profitable creature that serves man in this present world, shall not have that honour as to shine in that heavenly building: there shall be no need of Sun nor Moon, there the glory of God shall be the light of that City: as lesser lights are obscured at the presence of greater, so shall all these created comforts subject to sense, vanish, when God shall receive us in his everlasting habitations, and he himself shall become all things in all unto us. The 2. thing in this description is the manner of the building. Not made with hands. The second part of this description points out the manner of the building, the house is built by God in such sort, that no hand of man, nor any other creature did help him in it. It is the Lords praise, that he made and prepared that dwelling place for us, before he made ourselves: yea as our Saviour witnesses before the foundations of the world were laid; Mat. 25.34. The Lord hath prepared that house for us, and also prepares us for it and it is also his praise, that he makes and prepares us for it, which two are very comfortably conjoined by the Apostle Saint Peter, that God reserves that inheritance for us in heaven, and keeps us also by his power on earth unto it: so that all hands are here excluded from the praise, either of the building, or yet of the obtaining of it by any thing that man can do, that the praise alonely may be reserved to God, who is both the builder & giver of this house, to the children of his good will in Christ. The glory of both the creations belong to God only. The work of the first creation God rejoices in it, & will have the glory thereof only given to himself: he spoke it to his servant job to humble him: Where wast thou, job. 38.4. when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare if thou hast understanding, who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou know? or who hath stretched the line over it, & c.? And much more are we to think that the glory of the second creation, he will have ascribed to himself. Of all his works he craves no more but the glory, Of all God's works he cra●es no more but the praise, & gives us the profit. and is content that the fruit and benefit of them be ours: let us give unto him that which he will not give to any other, namely his glory, & content us with that which willingly he gives us, he would not suffer Israel tothink or say that fortheir righteousness, they were entered in earthly Canaan, far less will he be content that our entrance to heavenvly Canaan should be ascribed to the righteousness of man, or that man should say, My right hand hath done it: Psal. 116. Not unto us O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name be the praise, thy hand hath made that building, & thine hand must also bring us unto it. The third thing in the description of this building, is the eternity thereof. Eternal. It is thirdly described from the endurance thereof, which is unto all eternity: Here we sojourn in a Tabernacle, there we shall dwell in a Mansion house: here there is a definite time of days months and years assigned to us, our life on earth is but momentanean, wherein if we speak as the truth is, Our present life is but for a moment. we live no more, but a moment at once, for the begun time is passed unto us, and we are dead unto it: the time to come is uncertain, and we cannot be said to live unto it; it is only the present moment, wherein we live, which shortly is done, and must give place to an other, that so by moments, one of them succeeding to another, our silly life may be prorogate here upon earth. And to the same purpose belongs that meditation of Basil, Basil. in Psal. 143. that our life on earth is finished by many deaths, for if we shall divide our life into these four ages, Our life is finished by many deaths. infancy, youth, manhood and old age: Our infancy is dead and gone already▪ we may say with the Apostle, when I was a child I ●pake as a child, but to that estate of childhood shall we never return again. Our youth in like manner is past, This is made clea●e by parting our life into ●oure ages, every one whereof doth die before we enter to another. and of it we may say with David, I have been young and now am old, but what we were shall we never be again. Our manly age in like manner in most part of us is finished, or at least wearing away, & there remains no more in them, who are falsely named to be of longest life among us, but theiroldage, which shortly also by death shall be abolished, the most part of us have passed through three deaths already, & have no more but the last and weakest time of our life to sojourn upon earth, but in heaven our life shall not be measured by days, months nor years: our house there is eternal, our estate in glory unchangeable. Since by nature we love a long life, and care for it, why will we not love an eternal life. And this should warn us with all godly care to make sure to ourselves the rights of that heavenly building, whereof I have spoken: If we once miss it, we shall never recover it: and if once we get entrance into it, we shall never any more remove out of it: It is a shame that we should take so much pains for a long life on earth, & so little for an eternal life in heaven; to prolong our life on earth, what is it we leave undone, that may help it? For this cause we care for garments, we provide for nourishing meats, we purge the body by medicines, but since nature hath learned us to do so much for a long life, what a folly is it that we should remain so careless as we are of eternal life, notwithstanding that by the light of the Gospel we are taught, how by godly care we might obtain it. In Heaven. The last thing in the description of this building, is the situation thereof. In the last room that building is described from the place whereunto it stands. Among men, buildings commonly are commended from their situation: and the Apostle to extol ours above all that are on earth, tells us, that it is situate in heaven. The Lord hath not given us with Esau, the fatness of the earth to be our portion, neither hath he set our Habitation among Dragons: he hath lifted us up into the place of Angels, from whence they fell by their pride, even there hath the humble suffering and obedience of our blessed Saviour exalted us, and set us, as says the Apostle, in the heavenly places: so that we may rejoice with David. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, Psal. 16 and I have a very fair Heritage. Dwelling places assigned to men according to the disposition of their persons. I find in holy Scripture, that God hath assigned habitations to men, according to their estate, changing places to them according to the change of their manners. Man in innocence had his dwelling in pleasant Paradise: Man after his Apostasy was cast out to labour the cursed earth whichbears thorns and thistles: Man continuing in Apostasy shall be sent down to the place of utter darkness, and man received again to mercy, is restored to a Paradise, as much more pleasant than that of adam's, as the second Adam is more excellent than the first. In heaven are none but Elects, If such comforts be on earth, what may we look for in heaven. in hell none but abjects: in earth there is a mixture of chaff andcorne, wheat and popple. Goats and Sheep, always if such comforts be here where good and evil are together, what delicates are there, where there is none but good and if the pasturage here be so pleasant, where Goats & Sheep feed together: what pleasures are there where the Sheep are gathered together by themselves, Cant. and their Pastor lies with them, and rests, feeding them without fear in the noon tide of the day. The place of our dwelling admonishes us that we should be holy and heavenly. And as the consideration of the place renders us comfort, so doth it also give us this instruction, that we must be holy if we desire to dwell there, for no unclean thing can enter into heavenly jerusalem: we see that in the frame of this world thingsare placed according to their excellency: the earth, as grossest, is set into the lowest room, above the earth is the water, as being purer than the earth, above the water is the air, which is purer than the water, above the air is the fire, & above the fire is the Firmament with the celestial spheres, which are purer than any of them: and above them all is the third heaven, wherein our building is situate, excelling in purity all these things which are seen, whereunto we are admonished, that we who by nature are not only of the earth, but are also earthly minded, must be transchanged by grace, and endued with a heavenly disposition, before we can be admitted to these new heavens, wherein, 2. Pet. as says Saint Peter, dwells righteousness, and none but righteous, and renewed men can inherit them. Ver. 2. Therefore we sigh, desiring, The Apostle now comes to show a threefold fruit of godliness, which the knowledge of the glory to come works in the children of God. etc. The Apostle having laid down that solid ground of comfort, which stands to all Christians as a strong preseruativeagainst the fear of death, comes now to build upon it, and draws out of it a threefold fruit of godliness, which he protests the certain knowledge of the glory to come, wrought in his heart, and which if we also can feel wrought in our own hearts by the spirit of God, shall serve unto us, as wholesome preparatives to prepare us in our life, The first is ●n earnest desire of that glory to come. and makes us capable of that comfort of all Christians in our death: the first fruit is an earnest desire of that glory to come: the second, a contentment, with boldness to remove out of the body: the third a continual care, both in life and death to please the Lord. here first we perceive the nature of that true and lively knowledge, The nature of the lively knowledge, wrought in us by the Gospel. which by the Gospel is wrought in the minds of men, not only doth it let us see high and excellent things, but also carries our hearts & affections after them: for the Gospel is not only a mirror, wherein we behold the glory of God with open face, It is not only a mirror whereby we see God, but it is his power, whereby we are carried after him. but also the power of God unto salvation, by which we are transformed into the self same Image & similitude: & therefore the Apostle denies that they have learned jesus Christ, who have not learned to cast off the old man, which is corrupted through deceiveablelusts and to put on the new, which after God is created in righteousness, and true holiness▪ And if by this rule the men of this generation be tried, many shall be found ignorant of Christ, who seem unto themselves to have learned him well enough. How the two lights of heaven shadow two sorts of knowledge in the mind of man. In the heavens are two lights, whereof the one, to wit, the Moon hath light without heat or changing virtue: the other, to wit the Sun, doth not only shine, but sends out such heat and virtue, that by it, things hard are mollified, dead creatures are revived, and fading herbs and trees are made to flourish: so is there in the mind of man two sorts of knowledge, the one lets him see the good way, and allures his heart to follow it, the other gives him light, whereby he may discern things, but allures allures him not to follow the best, it increases light in the mind, but works not holiness in the heart, it doth not convert, but convince them; The knowledge of many wo●kes nothing but their conviction. so is it with many in this age, whose knowledge is better than their conscience, of whom we may say with the Apostle, it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, nor after that they have known it to turn from the holy commandment given unto them. 2 Pet. 2.21. We sigh. T. ●●godly while they sigh for things that are to come do thereby declare, that they find no contentment in these which are present. The first effect which the certain knowledge of the glory to come, wrought in the Apostle, is, as we heard a fervent desire thereof, which caused him to break forth in sighing for it, for the man, who knows better things, which are to come can not be content with the best of these, which are present, but doth in such sort use them, that he declares he longs for better, by sighing and lamenting for the long delay thereof: as job protests, that his sighing came before his meat, and David mingled his cup with tears, so all the godly, who know a better, think long till they enjoy it, Non satis futura gaudia nosti, nisi re●uat consolari anima tua donec veniant: Thou knows not rightly the joys to come, unless thy soul refuse all other comforts, till thou obtain them. Desires in the godly go before satisfaction. In the children of God, desire goes before satisfaction, but it is certain what they desire according to God's word, they shall obtain it. It is the faculty of them who are in heaven, that they are satisfied with the fullness of joy, which is in God's face: it is the felicity of them, who are militant on earth, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, with the which they shall be satisfied: they have obtained in a great part, that which they desired; we are made sure by God's word to obtain that which now we desire through his grace: for his promise is, Psal. 145.19 The Lord will fulfil the desires of them who fear him, whether it be righteousness here, or glory hereafter. Our perfection upon't earth consists rather in desiring to do as we should, then in doing it. If then we cannot do as we should, at least let us desire to do so, tota vita boni Christiani Sanctum desiderium est, the whole life of a good Christian is a holy desire, Aug. in joan. tract. 4. Rom. 7. yea, the Apostle is not ashamed to protest of himself, that his desires were better than his deed, God accepts our desires for deeds. for he desired to do the good whereunto he could not attain: & such is the favour and indulgence of our God toward us, that our desires he accepts them for deeds, & therefore should we be comforted against the conscience of our wants & insufficiency, by the unfeigned desires of better, which through his grace are in us: for true desire of grace and glory is, an undoubted argument of grace received, ●ut this is to ●e understood of true desires, which a●e discerned from urine desires two ways. and glory to be received. But this as I have said, is to be understood 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 ways may the one be discerned from the other: 1 True desires are ay the longer, the greater. first these desires which are wrought in the soul by the holy spirit, are ay the longer, the more fervent, whereas the other is but a false conception, which incontinent dies and evanishes away: Secondly, true desire of the glory to come, 2 True desire uses all means lawful to bring us to the thing desired. uses carefully all those means, which may bring us unto it, such as are the exercises of the word and Prayer, the forsaking of our sins, which have divided us from God: for who can think with any reason, that he truly desires to be with the Lord, who neither delights to hear the Lord in his word, nor to speak to the Lord by prayer? and is not careful to remove these impediments, which may stay his peace and reconciliation with God. An example of true desire we have in Zacheus, An example thereof in Zacheus. Luk. 19.2 who being desirous to see CHRIST, and finding himself impeded by the multitude, ran before, and climbed up upon a tree, to supply the wants of his low stature: and when he was called upon by JESUS, he obeyed the calling, resolving to part from his evil gotten goods, that he might keep still the Lord jesus. So is it with e●eri● soul which earnestly longs to enjoy the Lord, it runneth by all impediments, useth all lawful means, and refuses no required condition; so that they are even content to deny themselves, take up his cross and follow him. Whereas the men of this world, The desire which worldlings have of Christ, is described. if they have any desire of jesus Christ, it is like unto that which Merchants have, who having tasted wines, like them very well, but refuse to buy them for the greatness of the price, so they, having tasted of the powers of the life to come▪ have a desire to be partakers of them, but when they hear it, cannot be, but upon this condition, that they deny themselves & mortify their earthly lusts, they refuse with that young man, who being called by Christ to forsake all & follow him, did first crave licence to go and kiss his father: thus are they deceived with a vain hope, that a man may overtake both, that is, embrace the perishing pleasures of sin in this life, and after be partakers of the enduring pleasures of the life to come. Clothed with our house. The 〈◊〉 of glory ●o come is shadowed to us by sund●y similitudes. That state of glory, which before he compared to an house, he now compares to a garment: for it is a customable thing to God's spirit, to shadow that glory to come, under sundry similitudes. The Apostle says it is a glory to be revealed: Now it is shadowed, but now it is not re●ealed: Whatsoever is spoken of it, is as much less than itself, Rom. 8. as a shadow is less than the body: we see the shadows by which it is figured, and hear of them, but the glory itself is such, as the eye hath not seen, and the ear hath not heard, No glorious thing, but glory itself is promised unto us. Be●●de fall ac p●●sen vitae. it is pondus aeterū gloriae, an eternal weight of glory, saith the Apostle Non enim gloriosa vestis aut gloriosa domus, sed gloriaipsa promittitur, siquid vero illorum aut similium aliquando dicitur, figura est, it is neither a glorious garment, nor a glorious house ●hat God promises to us, but glory itself: and if at any time mention be made of any such thing as house or garment, it is a figure. And yet for our information the spirit of God is forced to use such figures, The spirit of God uses many similitudes to declare that no similitude can express that glory. as are borrowed from most delectable things, and best known unto us, some way to make us conceive that which fully we cannot understand, sometime calling it a buildding, sometime a house, sometime a City, sometime a garment, & sometime an inheritance: it is ay one thing which is promised, but many manner of ways expressed To the Church of Ephesus is promised the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God: to the Church of Smyrna is promised immunity from the second death: to the Church of Pergamus is promised hidden Manna, a white stone and a new name, which no man knows, but he who receives it: to the Church of Thyatira is promised the ruling Sceptre and the morning Star: to the Church of Sardis is promised the writing of their name in the book of life: to the Church of Philadelphia is promised the honour of a Pillar in the Temple of God, and to the Church of Laodicea is promised a place with Christ on his Throne. That the spirit of God speaks of one thing under so many similitudes, is, to declare that the glory of that Kingdom, and riches of that Inheritance is greater than that any similitude is able to express it. And hitherto tends the manner of speech used here by the Apostle, The godly speak o●●e glory to come like men transported. it is strang●to hear that a man should be clothed with an house, seeing in common speech men are said to be clothed with garments, and not with houses, but we must consider, that no order of words can be kept in speaking of that, which passes understanding. It is said of those three disciples, who saw the glory of Christ on mount Tabor, that being ravished there with they spoke, and knew not what they said: For no order of words can be kept in speaking of that which passes understanding. Psal. 36.8. so doth the contemplation of the glory to come, transport God's children, that they become, as the Psalmist says, In●briati ab ubertate domus dei, so drunken with the pleasures of God's house, that they forget where they are, they speak not, look not, do not after the custom of nature, so long as their minds are carried after heavenly things: and these small beginnings may witness unto us the excellency of that life, which at length shall change us wonderfully from that which now we are. Ver. 3. If so be, we shall be found clothed, The Apostle expones what he meant by wishing to be clothed upon and not naked. Because in the former verse the Apostle had said, he desired to be clothed upon with his house, which is from heaven: that is, he desired not to lay aside his body, but keeping it still, he wished to be clothed above it with immortality and glory, he subjoins now a certain correction of it, I desire it, says he, if so it may stand with the Lords dispensation, that when I shall be received into that glory I be [sound Clothed] to wit, with my body: which way Henoch and Elijah entered into glory, and all the faithful, who shall be found a hue at Christ's second coming, shall also the same way enter into glory: for they shall not lay aside their bodies, but keeping them still as garments and coverings to their soul, shall upon them be clothed with the garment of immortality and glory, if this way says the Apostle, I be found clothed and not Naked, that is, if I be found without a body, which way Adam, Abraham, and the rest of the Fathers, Patriarches, Prophets, and Apostles, entered into glory, they were indeed clothed with their house from Heaven, but were not superuested or clothed upon, which here the Apostle protests he desired, if it might stand with the Lords dispensation. And of this condition which here the Apostle subjoins for correction of his former speech, The Godly in desiring things not absolutely promised, submit their will to Gods will. we may learn how the godly in desiring of things not absolutely promised to all God's children, albeit given to some of them do so temper and moderate their desires, that they submit their will to Gods most holy will: whereor we are admonished how much more we ought to mortify in ourselves the unlawful desires of things absolutely prohibit as being against the will of God. Since the Apostle will not seek that which God hath granted to ●ome, Unlawful desire of things simply against God's will, should be s●r from us. but conditionally, that it may stand with the will of God▪ may not we be ashamed, to seek that which he hath denied and forbidden unto all? Oh that we could remember this, as of● as our corrupt nature provokes us to desire those things which God hath forbidden: O man why wilt thou follow a will contrary to God his most holy will, or what good can that do unto thee, which thou knowest thou canst not enjoy with the favour of thy God. Again we see that albeit there be one end of all the children of God, All Gods children shall come to one end, suppose not in one manner. for at length they sh●ll all be gathered from under the four corners of heaven, and ●et down with Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, in the kingdom of God, yet do they not all come to it after one manner, for some of them as we have spoken, shall not lay aside their bodies, but keeping them still shall be transchanged in a moment, others again must leave their bodies behind them till the resurrection: And this last, suppose our nature abhor it, we must learn to be content with it even to be broken with the dolours of death, as other Godly m●n: yea and our blessed Saviour hath been before us, esteeming it comfort sufficient for us, Revel. 14.13 that we die in the Lord, and so are sure to rest from our labours, But of this we have spoken before. Ver. 4. For we that are in this Tabernacle, The Apostle d●sires not ●to want the body, if it might stand with the Lords dispensation, s●gh and are burdened, because, etc. The Apostle here insists in his former purpose, explaining more clearly, what it is that he desired: he protests he lived in this body as a malcontent, who knowing a better, and sighing for a better, esteemed it a burden to him to be holden back from it: And yet lest it should seem, he were offended at the body, he declares again that he desired not to sunder with the body, i● it might please the Lord, that keeping still the body, he might be superuested, or clothed upon with his other most excellent ho●se, which is from heaven. here first it comes to be inquired, How this pl●ce agrees with Philip. 〈◊〉 where he d●sires to be dissolved and loosed from the body. seeing the Apostle, Phil. 1. affirms that he desired to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, and again cried out, Rom. 7.6. Miserable man that I a●, who will deliver me from this body of death: how is it, that here he says he had no will to be unclothed of the body? The answer is, that these are not contrary, for in the one when he desired to be loosed from the body, it was not for any hatred of the body, but for the love of Christ, and hatred of sin, whereof he knew he could not be quit so long as he dwelled in the body: And now when he protests that he desired not to want the body, it is not for love of sin in the body, nor ●or a●y contentmenth had to be absent from C●●ist, for afterward considering he could not both abide in the body, and dwell with the Lord too, he resolves willingly to remove out of the body, that he might dwell with the Lord: So than the deire he hath to keep still the body is upon a two fold condition. First that sin and mortality wear not in it, but utterly swallowed up of that life, and next that in the body he were transported to abide and dwell with jesus Christ. In holy Scripture we find that there things hath moved God's children to wish a delay of death: Delay of of death is some time desired of the Godly for three respects The first is want of preparation in themselves, for the Godly are nor always in that estate of life, 1. That th●y may b● better prepared to 〈◊〉. wherein they dare be bold to die, and then they desire a prorogation of their life, Psal. 39.13. as D●uid did, Stay a little, that I may recover my strength before I go hence, and be not. It is a comfortable meditation, which Naziansen hath concerning this: Nazian▪ odd suum Animum. It is hard (saith he) for me to determine, whether I shall desire life or death: on every hand are extremities. As to life, Nazianz●ns doubt whether he should desire life or death. my sins have already made it bitter, & heavy to me, and as to death, alas if once it come, there is no medicine after it, left unto me, by which I may cure my sins: whereof it is evident that the desire, which this holy man had to live in the body, was that he might mourn for his sins, which he had done in the body, admonishing us by his example, that as long as God spares us, we should vs● our time we●l, not to multiply more offences, which may b●eed us terror in the hour of death, but careful to purge our consciences of the●e, which we have contracted already. When David came upon Saul in his camp and found him sleeping, A meditation how as Daui● spared Saul sleeping in the camp. he would neither slay him himself, nor suffer Abner to slay him, only he took away his spear, So God ma●y ● time hath found us sleeping in our sins and hath not s●●ine us ●ut wakened us. and his waterpot, and these also after that he had wakened him, he did again restore unto hi●, declaring thereby that he no manner of way intended his destruction. B●t this is no way comparable to these mani●old proofs which God hath given us of his loving kindness, for many a time hath he visited us in this camp of our warfare, and alas hath found us sleeping, when we should have been waking, and hath not taken us away in our sins to slay us▪ but only hath taken from us those things, wherein we placed ou● strength, and maintenance of our life, yet so that he hath graciously restored them unto us. But alas how many is th●re among us, But our waking hath been no better nor S●●ls, working in v● a temporal repentance. who are no other way wakened with all this working of God, than Saul was with the working of David, for it wrought in him a temporal repentance, and no more: incontinent he returned to his old sins, & no better is it with many of us, ●or a while after our recovery from sickness, or deliverance out of other troubles▪ we are somewhat religious, but shortly after our repentance vanishes, like the morning dew, and we return again to our old manners, 2 Pet. 2.22 How we should use the time of life, granted us on earth is sh●w●d by t●e example of David's ambassadors. as the Sow to the puddle, and the Dog to his vomit, this is but to abuse the time of God's patience. Where it were better for us to do, as did the Ambassadors of David, who being abved by the King of Ammon, who cutted their garments to their hips & shaved their beards; at the counsel of David their King, tarried still in jericho, the border of their land, till their beards were grown again, and their garments were prepared for them: so we if we follow the counsel● of our King and Lord jesus Christ, should tarry here upon earth, which to the Godly is the border of heavenly Canaan▪ for no other end but that the shame which Satan hathdone us, by deforming our face, in spoiling us of the image of God, may be taken from us, and therefore it ●hould ●ee far from us. to make o●r shame any more by new sins, but rather by growth in godliness, to recover again our former Image, otherway if we still abuse the patience of God, we justly deserve, that tribulation, & anguish of spirit, fearful shame and confusion should be upon us, and if we prevent it not, we may certainly look for it, Quo enim diutius expectat Deus, Aug. eo districtius ind●cabit. The second reason that hath moved the godly, 2. They desire delay of death, that they may do the greater good in the body. sometime to desire a prolongation of their days, is, that they might do the greater good in the body, and therefore David considering, that they who are gone to the grave, cannot praise God, Psal. 6. to wit●punc; as we do, who are clad with our bodies on earth, ●e prays God to relieve him of the heavy sickness vnde● which he lay. And this same also made the holy Apostle to doubt what he should choose, Phil. 1. whether to live in th● flesh, or to be loosed from the body, th● one being best fo● himself, the other better for the Church o● God: And herein als● we are admonished to embrace the Apostles, counsel, while ye have time, be doing good to all men, Gala. 6.10. especially to them who are of the family of faith, and our saviours warning, john 11.19. that we should work so long as the twelve hours of the day last. But this convinces th● blockish stupidity of many, whom God hath suffered to live, but they do no more praise him, nor if they were dead, and buried. And the thi●d motive, 3. Th●y desire delay of death for the ●oue they ha●e to the body, w●ich they desire not to want is the love of the body, Ineffahilis enim est animi ad corpus affectus. And no marvel is it, that the soul be loath to sunder from the own body, considering that the body was created in the great wisdom, and goodness of God, to be a companion to the soul and this reason the Apostle touches here in the subsequent words, while he saith, because we would not be unclothed, for herein he declares that the cause, why with sighing he desired to be clothed with his ho●se, which is from heaven, was not any misliking he had of the body, for he protests now, if it might please the Lord he desired not to want it. And this desire in itself is not evil, This love of ●●e body is not evil in itself. otherway it could not be in those souls which are glorified in heaven, for even they long for their bodies, as being imperfect without them, for by the first creation ●s I said, they were made companions, and therefore the one of them without the other, cannot rest in contentment, the body without the soul, it is as we see, but a dead stock, or carrion of flesh, whatsoever thing is pleasant in the body, be it quickness of sense, agility, colour, or beauty, it hath it all of the presence of the soul in it, the soul again suppose glorified in heaven yet rests not in full contentment till it be reunited again with the body, For ●uen the glorified soul rests not in full contentment, so long as it wants the bod Ber.▪ tract. de diligendo deum. declaring thereby, that without it, it cannot be perfected. Consortium enim carnis spiritus non requireret, si absque illa consummaretur, The soul would not desire the fellowship of flesh, if without it, it could be perfected, but God hath so provided that souls without their bodies, Ibid. nec velint, nec valeant consummari, neither will nor can be consummate: And therefore is it that the souls, while they have their bodies desire not to want them, and while they want them, are not content, till again they receive them. And of all this we are warned, what great need there is to prepare ourselves to die with willingness what great need we have to prepare ourselves in time, with willingness to remove out of the body: for since the Apostle protests, that it was grievous to him to suffer the want of his body, we may easily think, that in regard of our greater infirmities, it will be much more grievous unto us, and therefore are we to endeavour by grace to make ourselves willing to die, since by nature we are so unwilling to it: And to this end let us reverence the working of our God, For this cause God seasons to his children the pleasures of their life with bitter pains. who seasons the pleasures of our life with many pains, and gives us much bitterness, as Nahomi spoke of herself to abate the comfort of our beauty, while as by heavy troubles & crosses, he makes our life unpleasant, and our bodies a burden to ourselves. This the Lord doth for no other end, but that we may be made content willingly to quit our bodies for a time, whereas other way, if they continued in their vigour, and health, we would be loath to want them. That mortality might be swallowed up. Yet the Apostle wishes not to krepe the body with the sin and mortality of the body. The Apostle makes clear in these words, that which he hath spoken before obscurely, he wishes so to enter into life, if it might please the Lord, that he went not to it by the way of mortality, but so that mortality might be swallowed up of that life: he desires not then, to keep still the body, and sin and death in the body, this were to put on a garment of immortality, upon the rotten rags of mortal flesh, this were to desire to be glorious without, while in the mean time filthy rottenness, and corruption is within, the Apostle craves no such thing neither indeed can any such thing be, but his desire is so to have his body preserved, and translated into that life, that sin in the body, But so that sin and mortality might be swallowed up in the body by that life, as at length it shall be. and mortality flowing from sin were swallowed up, in such sort that no footestep neither of the one, nor of the other were remaining in the body. And this desire also at the length will be performed in all the children of God, when ●his triumphant song shall be put in their mouths, O Death where is thy Sting, 1 Cor. 15.55. O' Grave where is thy victory, The Sting of Death is Sin, the strength of Sin is the Law: But thanks be to God who hath given us victory through our Lord jesus. The excelle●sy of the life to come, it shall not leau● any remanent of sin or death in the body. Again we are to mark here the excellency of that life, whereunto we are begotten again, that it is such a life as shall swallow up all mortality, and not suffer so much as any antecedent, or consequent of death to remain in us: The Apostle saith that death hath reigned from the days of Adam, like a tyrant, swallowing up in the wide mouth & gulf of mortality, all generations, that have been sensyne, like the great depth of the Ocean, supping up in her bosom, Death like a tyrant hath devoured all since Adam, but shall be devoured by that life. all the rivers of the earth: but there will be a change for that life, for which we hope, shall at length swallow up Mortality, & death in her bosom, all the pains and dolours that goes before it, all the rottenness and corruption that follows after it: Revel 21.4 yea not so much as a tear shall be left in the face of God's children, far les shall any remanents of that poison wherewith Satan infected our nature be left in it, the Lord shall so illuminate us with his light, that no darkness shall be left in us, he shall so revive, and quicken us with his life, that death shall utterly be abolished, and he shall so refresh us with the joy of his countenance, that all sorrow shall fly away, This is expressed by the similitude of a little water turned in to wine. yea so wonderful shall the change be, that as a drop of water powered into a great quantity of Wine, doth lose the v●ry nature of it, ●●r. ser. de diligendo Deo. dumb & saporem vini inavit & colorem, and takes on it both the taste and colour of the Wine: so shall all human cogitation, and affection, cease from that which now it is, the Lord shall so replenish us, that he shall become all in all unto us, he shall make us partakers of the divine nature, and transchange us into the similitude of his own Image. And this also should uphold us against our natural fear of death: Comfort against the fear of death. Now we go to life, but through death, and we leave behind us for a time, a dear pledge in the power of death; for death like unto a cruel monster's bites from us in the by-passing, the half of us, to wit, the body, wherefore Mors a mor su nomen accepit, ●aid Augustine, because one part it bites away, and another it leaves behind it, but at length, when the day of our full victory shall come, and the course of the battle changed, not a part of death only shall be devoured, but altogether it shall be swallowed up in victory. VER. 5. And he who hath created us, etc. Lest it should seem, He proves that this desire which he had, was no vain desire by two reasons. that the Apostle, in that which he hath said before, were carried away with a vain desire of that which shall never come to pass, he doth now prove by two arguments that it is no vain desire but such as at the length shall be fulfilled both in him & all the rest of the children of God. 1. First because by God's ordinance we are appointed to t●at immortal li●e, both in the first and second creation. The first argument is taken from God's ordinance and appointment, the Lord saith he, hath appointed us to immortality and life, & therefore of necessity we must obtain it, for it is not possible that the Lord can be frustrate or disappointed of his end. If we look to the first creation, we were created to the Image of God and consequently to be immortal, for immortality is a part of the image of God, and if we look to the second creation, this same shall be more manifest, for this cause did Christ die for us, that we might live eternally with him, and certainly his death was in vain, if that life which he hath conquest unto us, did not at the length overcome all mortality and death in us. But there is yet greater comfort in this argument, Neither's hath God only appointed us to that end, bu● also by his own working in us perfects us to it. as it is proposed by the Apostle, for he shows us, that not only are we by God's ordinance appointed to this end, but that the Lord also by his effectual working in us, advances us to the same end, for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which here the Apostle uses imports a present action of our God, perfiting in us our salvation against all impediments, In the first creation, when once he began, he continued working ay, and while he finished it, and no intervening impediment could stay him from the perfiting of his purpose: He finished the first creation against all impediments, so shall he do the second. it pleased him in six days to absolve it, in every one whereof he made something to be, which was not before, but till he had done all which he would, he rested not, so is it in the work of our new creation, he hath begun it and we may be sure he will make an end; In one day he might, if he had willed, perfectly have regenerate us, but pleases him in many days, and by degrees to do it, always we are sure that neither Satan's malice, nor corruption of our Nature, can stay him from finishing that which he hath begun, The same God who first commanded light to shine out of darkness, is he who hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glory of God, 2. Cor. 4.6. in the face of jesus Christ, and he first made us of dust, giving life and beauty to that which was dead & without form, hath taken in hand through death & misery to perfect us to eternal life. Comfortable i● it to us that the certainty of our life stands in God's purpose which cannot be altered. The certainty then of our glorification stands neither in us nor in our desires, but in the stability of the purpose of the unchangeable God, of the which it is not possible that he should be disappointed, as to man many a time he proposes to himself an end of his actions, whereof he is frustrate, he builds a house and dwells not in it, he plants a Vineyard, and e●tes not the fruit thereof, he betrothes a wife and another marries her, Esa. 46.10. but the counsel of the Lord shall stand, The Lord of hosts hath determined it, and shall disannul it, his hand is stretched out and who shall turn it away? will Satan, will sin, will death keep us from that glory, whereunto God hath appointed us? No, no, it is not possible: what the Lord hath said, he will do, blessed be the holy name of the Lord for ever, who hath locked up our salvation, and made it sure in his own unchangeable purpose. This shoul● uphold us against Sàtans' temptations. It is true indeed that Satan is a restless tempter of all the children of God, he doth what he can to impede the work of our salvation, but let us be comforted, he fights not against us, but against the Lord, let us therefore in the strength of our God fight against him, and we shall be sure to overcome him, only remember that as in some temptations he is to be resisted, as when he tempts us to sin, either by presumption, or desperation, so in other temptations he is to be despited, What a shameless tempter Satan is. and rejected, as when he dare suggest that unto others, the contrary whereof he believes himself, as namely that there is not a God, nor a judgement to come, in others again, he is to be s●orned, as not worthy of an answer, as when he charges Gods children with those things, which they never did, as he can craftily abuse their fantasy to trouble the peace of their mind: for he that will answer every shameless assertion of Satan, shall not have leave to do any other thing. Satan was the enemy of god's glory, ere ever he became the enemy of o●r salvation. But in all these, as I said, let us hold fast our former ground of comfort; that we fear not for him, that is against us, but stand sure, considering that the Lord is with us, he that is the enemy of our peace, is also an enemy of the glory of God, yea which is very comfortable, he was an enemy to God first, ere ever he became an enemy to us, and it is only for the hatred he hath to the Lord our God, that he hates us, seeking to deface the glory of God, which shined clearly in the first creation, but more clearly in the second creation of man, but all in vain, for the Lord shall confound him, Rome 16. and trample him shortly under the feet of his Saints. But w● are not to regard him, seeing God hath taken in hand to work the work of our salvation. And hereunto also tends it, that the Apostle as he said before, that God is the builder of our house which we have in heaven, so now he saith that God creates and perfits us unto it, these two joined together, ' render us most sure comfort, that the Lord hath not only prepared a Kingdom for us, but also prepares us for it: he reserves in heaven, saith Saint Peter, 1. Pet. 1. an inheritance for us, & reserves us also in earth for it, thus all is of him, both the place of our glory, and the grace, by which we come to it, that the praise of all may return unto himself alone. Who hath also given us the earnest of the Spirit. 2. He proves it by th● earnest of the spirit which God hath given us up 〈◊〉 his word. The second argument by which the Apostle proves, that the desire of immortality in the godly is no vain desire, is here, that God hat● not only in his word promised to give it, but hath also thereupon given us the earnest of his Spirit, and therefore of necessity it must be performed, for God is not as man, that he shouldlye or repent, the Lord is faithful, and will do as he speaks. Without this earnest of the spirit we can have no surety of our salvation. This is the greatest argument of comfort that we have in this life to sustain us: It is indeed much, that we have the word, the promises, and the Oath of God, sounded in our ears, and that we have the sacraments, as the seals of God presented to our ears, but none of these can make us sure of a better life after this, unless with them we have received the earnest of the spirit into our hearts: By the works and word of God we may know that universal covenant, There is a covenant of God ●which man knoweth by his works, another by his word only, the third by his word & Spirit. which God hath made with all mankind, ●hat he w●ll not drown the worl● again with waters, for as God in his word hath promised it, so hath he also set his rainbow in the firmament for a witness to confirm it: By the word and Sacraments, all that are in the visible Church may know that special cavenant, which God hath made with his adopted children, but that this same covenant of grace is particularly bound up with thee, thou canst not know except with the Sacraments, thou hast also received the spirit. Four things to be considered in this argument. Now to make this comfort the more sensible unto us, we are here to consider these four things: first, what is meant here by this Spirit, Secondly why is it called an earnest, Thirdly how is it received, Fourthly whereby may we know, whether we have received it or not. By the Spirit here we understand that special grace of the holy Spirit, 1. ●hat is meant by the Spirit, to wit, that special grace of the Spirit, by which Gods children are renewed and confirmed. by which the Lord renews, strengthens, stablishes, and confirms his own children, which for the purging virtue that is in it, to make clean them who receive it, is compared to fire and water, and for the corroboratins, and strengthening virtue that it hath, is compared to holy ointment & for the virtue it hath to 'stablish and confirm our hearts against all doubting, is called, the earnest the Seal, and the 〈◊〉 How this grace of 〈◊〉 spirit is called the earnest of the spirit, for two causes. And this grace of the spirit, is called the earnest of the spirit, first for the measure, next for the nature and use thereof: for now we have it in a small measure in comparison of that, which we shall receive hereafter: And we are to observe it against the customable policy of Satan, who casts up to God's children the smallness of their faith, love, and other graces of the spirit, of purpose to drive them to despair, as if they had no grace at all, because it is but small and little, The first is because ●hat now we have it but in small measure. which they have, but we are to remember against him, that the best measure of grace we have in this life, is compared to an earnest penny: we will not therefore faint because now we have not the fullness, but rather will be comforted, knowing assuredly that the Lord, who now hath given us the earnest, will afterward give us the principal, for the Kingdom of God in us proceeds to perfection, from small beginnings, and therefore is the groúth thereof compared by our Lord to the growth of a little grain of mustard seed, which in the beginning is small, but by time increases to an high tree. Y●t the small beginning of grace we have, is not small in Satan his eyes yea more than he is able to quench. And truly that same little beginning of grace which god hath wrought in us, howsoever Satan extenuates it, & labours to make it seem little in our eyes, yet is it not small in our own eyes, but much more than he would with to be in us, & therefore doth he what he can utterly to quench it, but in vain & this same seed of grace in us how little soever, yet is it blessed of God, & shall grow and increase to cast Sacan utterly out of that Kingdom, which once he possessed in us, for if the beginnings of grace enable us to resist Satan, shall not the perfection thereof much more enable us to overcome him. Now the nature and use of the earnest is, The next is in ●egard of the use thereof, which is to bind ● o'th' the giver and receiver. as we know, to bind both the giver and receiver, the giver is bound by it to stand to his word and promise, whats'ever that he hath made, the receiver again is bound to stand to the condition, whereupon he received it: & here we are admonished that if on God's part, we would have his earnest valid to bind him to stand to his promises, we must on our part declare, that they are forcible to bind us to stand to our promised duties: But alas in this generation, men live as if the Lord were only bound to be merciful to them, and they were not bound to be serviceable to him, but it were free to them to live as pleases them. The Lord give us wise & understanding hearts, and sanctified memories to remember it, as oft as our enemies would solicit us to transgress the commandments of our God, that by the bond of creation, by the right of redemption, by our oath in baptism, by receiving the earnest of God in our regeneration, beside innumerable other obligations, we are bound servants to the Lord our God, with a solemn renunciation of the Devil, the world and the flesh. 3. How this Spirit is given and received. The giver is God by the means of his word. As to the third, the giving and receiving of this Spirit: it is certain that the giving is every where ascribed to God, as Eph. 1.13.2. Cor. for the ministry of grace, God hath reserved it to himself: the Ministry of the word, by which he giveth grace, he hath concredited to men. Moses gave the law, but grace comes by Christ, john baptises with water, jesus baptises with the holy Ghost, Paul may plant and Apollo water but God must give the increase. Yet is it much that it plese god to give his grace by the ministry of the word, and therefore if we love the one, we must not mislike the other: That same holy spirit who commanded Philip to join himself to the eunuchs Chariot, Act. 8.27. to teach him, might by himself have taught the Eunuch, but he would do it by the minstery of a man. And the Lord might have caused th' Angel whom he sent to Cornelius to have taught him, Act. 10.1. but he would do it by the ministry of Peter and notable is it, that while Peter is preaching the holy Ghost descended upon Cornelius and his friends. Thus we see how God, who gives the grace, gives it by the ministry of the word. We● must not despise the word, if we desire to reeive the spirit. Rom. 10.13.14. God hath linked in one chain all the means of salvation, and man should not press to sunder them, they who call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved, but how shall they call on him, on whom they believe not, how shall they believe but by hearing? how shall they hear but by preaching? and how shall men preach except they be sent. I will not so be content with preaching, that I neglect prayer, because the ministry is of men, but the grace is from God; neither will I so depend on prayer, that I despise preaching, for he can never receive grace from God, who despises the means, by which it pleases God to give it. Now as to the fourth whereof we promised to speak, 4. How may we know we have received this spirit. it is a point most necessary to be known for our comfort, how we may know whether if or not we have received this spirit, there are many in this age who have heard the Testimony of God in his Gospel, who as yet have not received the seal and Testimony, A very lamentable thing indeed, for albeit the Gospel be a doctrine of joyful tidings, yet what comfort can it bring to them, Many in this age have heard the Testimony of God, who neu●r received the seal thereof. who are not assured they belong unto them. The Apostle writing to the Corinthians thanks God not only for that they had hard the word but because the testimony of God, was confirmed unto them, & suchlike to the ● phefians, 1 Cor. 6. Eph. 1.13. he thanks God not only for that they heard the word of truth, which is the Gospel of salvation, but álso for that after they had believed, they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise: but truly as the disciples at Ephesus being asked if they had received the holy Ghost answered we know not if there be such a thing, Act. 19.2. as an holy Ghost, so is it with many in this age who have heard the gospel▪ which is the testimony of God's love, if they be asked whether if or not they have received the earnest of the Spirit, which is the seal, and confirmation of the testimony, shall be found not to know what the earnest of the Spirit is. But now to show in one word how it may be known, The spirit is God his seal, and he imprints the image of God in all who receives him. whether if or not we have received him, let us remember that the same holy Spirit, which is here called the earnest of God, is also called the seal of God. Now the nature and use of a seal, is that it leaves behind it, in that which is stamped by it, and impression of that same form, which it hath in itself. Even 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 says, Rom. 6.17 that the Romans were delivered unto a form of doctrine, whereunto from the heart they had been obedient, thereby declaring, that even as wax is made conform to the print of the seal, unto which it is delivered so the hearts of the Godly are made conform to the Image of God, This proves that licentious men have not receiu●d Christ's spirit. so soon as they are stamped with his holy spirit: So that they who live licentiously after the lusts of the flesh, declare themselves to be of their father the devil, because as our Saviour said to the carnal jews, they do his works, and it is but a lying presumption, when the like to these men dare say, that they have received the earnest of the spirit. VER 6. Therefore we are bold. Follows now the 2. conclusion, The second fruit of godliness, which the Aopstle gathered of his General ground of Comfort, is which the certain knowledge of that glory to come, wrought in the Apostle, to wi●te a contentment with boldness to remove out of the body, that he might dwell with the Lord: and this hath in it more t●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 will to want the body: A willing contentm● to remoo●● out of the body. but now he goes further, considering that he was not able to enjoy them both together, he protests he was gladly content to remove out of the body, that he might dwell with the Lord. This meaning of the words shall be clear, if after the sixth verse we read the eight, passing by the parenthesis, which is in the seventh verse. Of our Christian confidence in death. The word the Apostle uses here, signifies such a boldness as stouthearted men use to set against great dangers, for where there is no cause of fear, where can the praise of boldness be: there is then (will the Apostle say) matter of great fear in death: I see before me a terrible deep and gulf of mortality, through which I must go, many fearful enemies with whom I must fight before I won to my Lord, What strong enemies we must fight withal that through death we may won to our Lord yet am I not afraid to encounter with them. Against me is Satan with his principalities powers, and spiritual wickedness, but I know that the seed of the woman hath bruised the head of the Serpent: Against me are a great multitude of my sins ●nd the terrors of a guilty conscience, but I know that Christ hath once suffered for sins, 1. Pet 3 ●● 8 the just for the unjust, that ●ee might bring us to God, so that now there is no condemnation to t●em which are in him. Against me stands in my way dreadful death, with the horrors of the grave, but I know my Lord hath taken away the sting of death and spoiled the grave of victory: Shall I then be afraid? No certainly, but through the valley of death will I walk with boldness, ●ill I come to the Lord my God. And this boldness against death in the godly, Boldness of the Christian in death, wherefrom proceeds it. proceeds not only from the sure knowledge of a better life, but from the present sense, and feeling of the same life begun in them, which they know cannot be extinguished by death: Notable examples have we thereof in all ages, to prove that it is no vain content, but the effectual power of God working in his children. The confident ●oldnesse of Ignatius in death. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch, being brought to Rome in the third persecution which was under trajan, gave a proof of his boldness for being condemned to be cast to the beasts to be devoured by them, ●●en. lib. 5. cont. valent. he gave this answer, nihil visibilium: nihil invisibilium moror, modo Christum acquiram, I stand says he, upon nothing visible, nothing invisible, so that I may find and obtain the Lord jesus, let fire come let the cross, 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 upon me, I care not for them so that I may enjoy the Lord jesus. And Policarpe who suffered in the fourth persecution under Aurelius Antoninus, Euseb. lib. 4. ca.▪ 16. The confident boldness of Policarpus in death. being brought to the place of execution, and desired by the emperors Deputy to blaspheme Christ, and he would let him go, answered: these fourscore and six years, have I served Christ, and have found him a good Master to me, how then can I curse my king who hath saved me: But if ye will not (said the deputy) I will cast thee to wild Beasts, who shall tear thee, Call them when thou wilt (said the Martyr) it is fixed and determinat with me, that from good things by repentance, I will never go back unto worse, But if ye fear not beasts (said the Deputy) I shall bridle and danton you with fire: thou boasts me said the Martyr with a fire, that burns for an hour, and shortly after will be extinguished, but knows not that fire of the judgement to come, which will burn for ever and ever, and then being brought to the fire, he was filled with boldness, and hearty thanks giving▪ rejoicing that the Lord in that day and hour had vouchsafed to receive him, in the number of his Martyrs, to drink of the cup of his Lord jesus Christ: Thus was he offered in a burnt offering to the Lord, and no fear of death could be perceived in him. The confident boldness of Basilius in death. Nazian. de vita Basil. And the like Christian boldness was showed by Basil in that persecution under Valens made by Modestus and Eusebius his Deputies: I will never (said he) fear death, which can dono more but restore me to him that made me: all these beside many other innumerable examples which might be alleged, if they be compared with that great timidity & fear, which is in us at the least mention or appearance of death, may justly make us ashamed of that small progress, which we have made in spiritual strength, Now in this time of so clear a light, and plentiful grace of our Lord jesus Christ. Always. It is demanded if such boldness be in God's children as is without all fear. But here lest the Godly the discouraged, by reason of that fear of death, which many a time they find in themselves, it is to be considered, if the Apostle was always so bold that at no time he was fearful, or if such confidence can be in any of God's children, It is answered, foremen our Saviour though he longed for death yet he suffered it not without fear. as is without all vicissitude of fear, No surely for the same Apostle who here reioices in his boldness protests in an other place, that he had fightings without, and terrors within: Yea our blessed Saviour, albeit he longed with a great desire to eat the passouer, which was his last meal, and after which immediately he knew his passion was to follow, yet when he entered into the garden to his sufferings, he began also to be afraid, & proceeding in fear he sweat blood and confessed that his soul was heavy unto the death. Mar.▪ 14.33 It is true there is no Comparison between his death and ours. It is true there is no comparison between his death and ours, for he suffered that death to be a satisfaction for our sins, and he alone trod the winepress of the wrath of God: but our death, neither is it a satisfaction for sin, neither a stroke of the wrath of God, neither endure we it by our own strength but are sustained in it by the spirit of our Lord, yet is it in such fort made comfortable to us, that in some manner it is conformable to his death, Yet must our death someway be conformable to his, both in outward and inward sufferings. Rom. 8. for so saith the Apostle, that God hath predestinate us to be conform to the image of his son, and that not in heaven only, by raining with him in glory, but in earth also by carrying his image, and bearing of his Cross, both in our life and death▪ and that not only by suffering the outward dolours of death, caused by the separation of the soul and body, but also the inward fears & terrors thereof, that so in our little measure tasting of that cup, whereof our Saviour drank before us, we might some way learn the great love he hath carried towards us. So that we are not exempted from our own fears, And therefore shall we be exercised with our own fears also. wherewith in death after our small measure, God will have us exercised: which I have marked, that we should not be discouraged with this tentation of the fear of death, we may taste of it, but it shall not remain with us, for it is certain, that in all God's children faith shall prevail at length. and confidence in God's promises shall breed such boldness, as shall cast out and overcome all contrary fear in us. What made the Apostle willing to remove out of the body Knowing that while we are at home in, etc. In the end of this verse the Apostle casts in two reasons which wrought in him, this confidence and willingness to go out of the body, one is that so● long as he was in the body, he was absent from the Lord, another that removing out of the body, he knew he should dwell with the Lord, the Apostle to express this, vse●two words, in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be turned in to full significant speeches in our languag, yet do they import thus much, that so long as we are here among our own people in the body, we are absent from our people who are with the Lord. So that he will here draw us to consider of two Cities, Of the two Cities or Fellowship of people whereof the one is in the earth the other in heaven. two Countries, and two fellowships of people, whereof the one is in the earth, the other in heaven, with the one we have fellowship so long as we are in the body, and by expe●ience know, what are the comforts of our carnal kindred, of our earthly country & city, but with the other we cannot have familiar conversation, till we remove out of the body: And this also serves greatly, if we consider it, to take from us our natural unwilingnesse to d●e, the cause whereof is, that we have no will to depart from our country, kindred and people: Death is but a removing from a Burges-ship on earth to a better Burges-ship in heaven. but here we are taught that if it grieve us to depart from this people, it should much more rejoice us to be gathered to that people, there is a better Country, there a more glorious City, & a more excellent Burgeship, there is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof th'Apostle, by which we are made free to greater liberties, and privileges than any we can have here, & there is a kindred of people sibber to us, & much worthier to be loved then that which is here, as the heavens are more high and excellent than the earth. Oh that this light did a way shine in our minds, that as oft as we are troubled with the grief o● Nature to forsake our people, which are on earth, we might be comforted by grace, and made willing to go to our people which are in heaven. Our life on earth is a Pilgrimage in heaven is our h●me. For ●he Apostle comparing these two together: he accounts our abiding here but a Pilgrimage in respect of our remaining there, which is dwelling at home in our own country, our best estate wherein we can be upon earth is but an absence from the Lord: of all places in the world, a man naturally loves his native country best, and of all parts of his country, he esteems, himself most homely in his own house, and of all that is in his house, what hath he nearer to him then his own body, yet is it of truth, that not only in his own Country, but even in his house, at his own fire, in his own bed, yea even in his own body he is but a stranger, and therefore so should we live in it, as ready to remove out of it, for here we have no continuing City. If there were no more to make us loathe this life, this is sufficient that it holds us from God. We are absent from the Lord. The loss that we sustain by our sojourning in the body, the Apostle takes it up in few words, but very weighty, to wit, that it keeps us absent from the Lord: and truly, if there were no more to spar us from the love of this life, yet this were enough that it holds us from the Lord our God, whom above all, we ought to love most dearly, Nazianzen. de cala. animae suae How the body is Remora Animae. for this cause Nazianzen writing of the calamities of his soul, and of the hindrances; which it hath by the body, compares the body to that fi●h called Remora, which retains the greatest Ship, notwithstanding she be under sail, and makes her stand still: so is it with the body, that it presses down the soul, and holds it back from the Lord, yea though her affection be intended to be with the Lord, for no man can live in the body and see the Lord, Exod. 33. and therefore like men oppressed, captived and violently kept back from our God, with whom fain we would be, should we live in the body, lamenting and mourning with the Apostle, O miserable men that we are, Rom. 7. who shall deliver us from the body of death. Again if this be the condition of the Godly that notwithstanding by faith they have a most sweet fellowship with God, If even the godly in the ●●dy be 〈◊〉 from God, in what miserable absence a●e the wicked. as ye shall afterwards here, yet while they are in the body, they are absent from God, in what miserable condition I pray you are the wicked, who being without faith, are in a more fearful manner strangers from the life of God, Ephe. 4. Act. 17. through the ignorance of God that is in them, for if even they who believe, while they are in the body, are absent from the Lord, what shall we say, if the the Lord in this life, and will not know his way upon earth to walk in it, shall against their will in the life to come, be banished from him and cast into the utter borders of darkness, from his joyful face, from which most unhappy condition the Lord deliver us: But as to our absence from ●od, it shall shortly be recompensed with the most comfortable fruition of his presence, if so be in the time of our absence, we so liveas ever present beforehim studying to do his holy will that so we m●y be acceptable to him. VER 7. For we walk by faith, etc. BEcause he said before, We have now God present with us, but that presence is absence in respect of that which is to come. that in the body we are absent from the Lord, and it might have been objected to him, how can this be, seeing not only with the rest of mankind we live, and move, and have our being in him, but that this also, is the particular privilege of a Christian, that he is the Temple and habitation of God, wherein he dwells by his holy spirit, how then can we be said to be absent from him. This doubt here in this Parenthesis he loseth, by distinguishing that presence of God which they enjoy, which are in heaven, from that which we have who are on earth, showing that the most familiarpresence of god, which we have on earth, if it be compared with that which we shall have in heaven, is but absence from God, for we that are in the body, walk by faith, where they that are out of the body enjoy him by sight, So that in this verse we hauea brief description, both of our life who are militant here on earth, and of theirs who are glorified and triumphant in heaven: we are walking, they are resting, we believe, we look for the promised kingdom, but they do presently enjoy it. here than we have three things to consider, Our l●fe on earth is a walking. first how our life is ● walking, secondly a walking by faith, thirdly how it is not by sight. As to the first our best estate in this life is walking, Seeing we are not yet at home to enjoy the sight of our father's face, our next best is to be walking homeward, they are blessed who are in Patria, and in the second room blessed also who are in via ad pa●riam. Take heed we be in the right way otherway our life is not a walking but a randring. And here we are admonished to look to the ●ourse of our life, that we be surewe are in the right way, otherway our life is not a walkin● by faith but a wandering in infidelity, john 14.6. the way is Christ, I am the way, the verity and the life: a wonderful secret, quod ipse rex patriae f●ctus est via ad patriam, that the king of the Country, is become the way to the Country: therefore since he is life, we must walk to him, since he is the way, and the verity, we must walk in him, and be in him, & then do we walk in him, when we believe in him, & keep his commandment declining evil, following good using things indifferent to the gory of God, and edification of our neighbour, if in any of these three we fail, we are to know ' it is a step out of the way unto the which again we have to return by repentance. How our life is a walking by faith. By faith. The second thing here is that we walk by faith, and this we are said to do first, because faith by the light of the word lets us see the way to God's face, secondly because it allures our hearts, and makes them willing to enter into it, thirdly it confirms us against all weariness that may arise of the longsomeness of our journey, though we cannot come to the end thereof, as soon as we would, faith makes us through patience to wai●e for it; As likewise it sustains us against all impediments and offences that are in the way, for it is as a staff in the hand of a Pilgrim, which so soon as our journey is ended, we shall lay from us, or faith shall cease, when we shall take up the Lord by sight. And not by sight, which is not simply spoken but in comparison. Not by sight. The third thing in this description of ou● life here on earth, is that we walk not by sight, that is, not by such sight as they have, who have ended their walking, and rest in the Lord, other way we are n●t to think that faith by which we walk, leads us blindlings and without light, For here w●●re not without the sight of God or that in this earth, we have no sight of God. For first here he is seen in his works: the invisible things of God, Rom. 1. that is his eternal power and Godhead, 1. First we see God in his works. are seen by the creation of the world forthis numerosity of so many kinds of creatures, and the variety of their forms what else it, but as the Platonics called every beautiful created thing Splendour summi illius boni, or as Bernar● calls them, Ber. in Cant▪ Ser. 31. Radij Divinitatis, monstrantes quod vere sit, a quo sunt, quid autem sit, non plane definientes. Secondly it pleased God by sundry apparitions to show himself to men from the beginning, 2. The Fathers have seen him ●y sundry Visions. appearing unto them, Non sicuti est sed sicut dignatus ●●t, for if they had seen him as he is, than all of them had seen him after one manner, because he is one, and this sight of God, was also external being exhibited Per imagines forinsecus apparentes, Ibid. seu voces sonantes. 3. In his Church he is seen by his word. Thirdly it hath pleased him in more comfortable manner, to reveal himself to his Saints by his word, by which they behold his beauty in his temple, Psal. 27.4 1. Cor. 3.18 and with open face see his image as it is represented to them, in the mirror of the Gospel, and are transformed into the same. And last of all he is seen of his own children by inward contemplation, His Saints see him by inward Contemplation. quum per seipsum dignatur invisere animam quaerentem se, when by himself without external means he vouchsafes to visit the soul that seeks him, and this sight is Eo excellentior quo interior, the more excellent than the r●st because it is more inward, for than is he seen in his favour and beauty, then is he felt in the sweetness of his love, then is the mind so illuminate with his light, that all other beauty in the world, seems but deformity in respect of it, and the heart is so enamoured with his love, that these things, which were most dearly beloved of it before, become now loathsome like dung unto it. Yet Certain it is, that the most excellent fight of God we have in this life, Yet this sight if it be compared ●●th the ●ight we shall get, is no sight. Aug. de Consen▪ Evang. if it be compared with that which is to come, is not worthy the name of sight▪ homini enim mortalem vitam adhuc agenti, non protest contingere, ut dimoto ac discusso omni nubilo phantasiarum corporalium, seremissim● incommutabilis veritatis luce potiatur, it cannot said Augustine befall to a man living in the body, to enjoy that most clear light of unchangeable truth, in such sort, that all clouds of earthly fantasies and carnal conceptions be chased away and removed from him, and hither tends the like saying of Gregory, Gregory. Rerum similitudinibus spec●lando non involui angelicae puritatis est, in contemplation to have our mind free from earthly shadows in similitudes, belongs to the purity of Angels, but not to man upon earth. And the sight of faith which presently we have lets us see a better to come. Nevertheless not only doth faith presently open the eyes of our understanding to behold in some sort the riches of that glorious inheritance, but in like manner prepares them for that greater sight thereof, which is to be revealed unto us, fides enim luce●● non extinguit, sed custo●it, lucem temperat oculo caliganti: & oculum praeparat luci, for faith doth not extinguish light, but preserves it, it tempers the light to our divine eye, and lets us look to it through a vail only, least over great a glance of light should strike us blind, And prepares also the eye of our mind for it. and again prepares the eye for that light, which more clearly after is to be revealed unto us. Ber. in Cant. Serm 31. ● Quod videt Angelus hoc mihi servat umbra fidei, fidei sinu repositum, tempore suo revelandum, That which the Angel presently sees in heaven, is keeped for me wound up in the shadow of faith to be revealed in the due time The order appointed by God, is that by faith we walk to sight, by ●earing to seeing. Always for our instruction, we must learn here to keep the order appointed by God, that from faith we walk to light, we must hear the Lord before we can see him, we must believe before we enjoy him, if we will not hear him, and by hearing believe in him, and believing in him, walk toward him, we shall never see him in mercy, nor come where he ●s to rest with him. And again, A corroborative against such temptations as come from the world. this sentence being laid up in our hearts, will serve to strengthen us against the manifold temptations of Satan, by which he would allure us to the love of worldly things Our life here on earth is a walking by Faith, and Faith is of things which are not seen, and therefore should we not suffer ourselves to be snared and entangled with the lou● of any thing, which falls under the eye, nor diverted by any thing, that is present, from the love and constant expectation of better things which are to come. Seeing we walk● by fa●●h, no show of worldly pleasure fal●ing under ou● sight should allure us. But as oft as the world comes in to make a show of her pleasures to us▪ as Satan presented to our Saviour a show of the kingdoms of the earth, let us remember this for an answer, We walk not by sight, but by faith, Let them be delighted with such things ●s falls under natural ●ense, who have no hope of better. Mine heart is above all these things which fall under the eye, What ever the world can offer to our sense, is less than that which we hope to see. whatsoever can be offered to mine eye, sounded in mine ear, or made delightful to my taste, it is less than that whereat I would be, and which I believe certainly to enjoy▪ I will suspend the satisfaction of mine eyes, till the day come wherein I shall see my reedeemer, job. 19.27. whom with these eyes of mine I shall behold, and none other for me. Now I lou● him and rejoice in hi● sometime with joy v●● speakable and glorious but shall never be content till I see him, and fully enjoy him. A threefold precept to be observed in using the things of this world. And because so long as we are here, nature's necessity compels us to use these things which fall under our sense, let us in using of them observe this threefold precept: First, that we use this world as if we used it not, 1. Cor. 7.3. for the fashion of this world goes away: Secondly, 1. Cor. 6.12. remember that all things are lawful, but all are not ex●●edient. And thirdly, ●●at of these which are expedient, Ibid. it is not good thereby to come under the power of any thing, but to use the Service of the Creature, and to keep the heart unthralled with the servitude thereof: to use in such sort things that are lawful, that we never lose for love of them, The wicked walk by sight here and not by Faith, they shall never see better things nor these they see now. these which are more expedient, is a rare, and singular grace of God. Last of all, this sentence being turned over let us see the contrary miserable estate and disposition of the wicked they walk by sight, and not by faith, they have no hope of better things, than these are, which are presently they enjoy, they have their portion in this life, they have received their consolation here, another heaven then that they have on earth, can they not look for: And how lamentable their estate is, two things among many, The Vanity of worldly pleasures discovered in two things. may declare unto us, first that these same pleasures, wherein they delight, if they be continual, are turned into ●●ines: and therefore man craves to be refreshed always with an exchange, for that which now most earnestly he longed for, in a short time becomes loathsome unto him, so that he is forced to reject it, and make choice of another. Secondly grant that they could continue without pain, yet can they not satisfy the soul of man, Eccles. 1.8 and this, as we are taught by Solomon, we find it in experience, for the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing: Miserable therefore are they who set their delight upon such comfortless comforts. VER. 8. Nevertheless we are bold etc. The Apostle returns to finish his second conclusion. IN this verse the Apostle returns to finish his second conclusion, which began at the sixth verse, and ends in this eight, it depends on the former this way, albeit we have no such clear sight of these things whereunto we are called, as after this we shall get, but only walks towards them by faith, yet for all that we are bold: or Nevertheless we are bold, etc. Our first lesson arising of this particle here is this, How the impediments of our faith tends to the greater commendation thereof. the more impediments we have to stay us from believing, the greater is and shall be the praise of our faith, if notwithstanding of them all we continue in believing: There are two great temptations that impugn our faith, one is the want of good, B●ering of present evil, whereof we wou●● fain be relieved, our faith is tried. which God hath promised, but we see it not: the other is the presence of evil, whereof now we would fain be relieved, and yet it lieth still upon us. 1. Pet. 1. Concerning this last, it is a notable saying the Apostle hath, we are now in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of our faith, being much more precious than Gold, when it is tried by fire, might be found to our praise, honour, and glory, at the appearing of Christ, there we see that the end of evils which now are suffered to lie upon us, is the trial of our faith, and tha● for our own greater praise, and glory: for where no fire is, how can gold be purged, where no trouble is, how can faith be tried, and where faith is not yet tried, how can it be praised. And as to the other, By the Delay of good things promised which fain we would have our faith is also tried. when these good things which God hath promised, are not seen of us but hidden from our eyes, and delayed to be performed unto us, this is also for the trial of our faith, for where we see salvation, what praise ●s it to believe: but where we can neither see nor feel th●●e good things which God hath promised, but rather are exercised with contrary terrors and fears, if yet we still cleave to the truth of the wordofgod, that certainly is an argument of a great faith, It is greatest faith to believe where least is felt or seen. and such was the faith▪ of that woman of Canaan, who being not only refused, but as it were disdainfully rejected by Christ, did so trust unto the truth of God's word, that constantly she looked fo● mercy, at the hand o● Christ, who strongly by word had denied it unto her, and therefore received this commendation in the end, O woman great is thy faith, Thus we see how in ●he children of God, all these hindrances which we h●ue to stay us from believing, do so much the more commend, and approve our faith unto God. We love rather. Of two loves we see in the Apostle, Of two loves the stronger overcomes the wea●● in the Apostle. the stronger overcoming the weaker, he loved his body, & protested before, he had no will to want it, but he loved the Lord jesus better than his body, and therefore perceiving that he cannot now enjoy them both together, for while he was in the body, he was absent from the Lord, he is now very well content to remove out of the body, that he might dwell with the Lord: there is nothing naturally a man loves more than his body, nothing he fears more than death, because it imports a dissolution of his body, but where the love of Christ is strong in the heart, it casts out not only the fear of death, but over comes also all other love whatsoever. And here have we a point of holy wisdom discovered unto us, The readiest way to be quit of the perturbation of our affections, is to set them upon the right● objects. by which we may cure that unquietness of mind, which arises in us of the wandering of our affections after secondary objects: the best way to remedy it, is to set our affections upon the right objects, if the love of the creature have snared thee, set thy love on the Lord, and bend thy affection toward him, and the other shall not trouble thee: If the fear of men terrify thee, learn to sanctify the Lord God in thine heart, make him thy fear, and and thou shalt not fear what flesh can do unto thee: and if the care of the world disquiet thee, cast thy care upon God, and labour by continuance in prayer, how to feel the sense of his love toward thee in Christ, and thou shalt find, that where the one care like thorns did prick thee with sorrows the other shall bring contentment, peace, and joy unto thee. But to return, The strong love of Christ that was in the Apostle condemns the cold love that we have to ●im. when we consider this strong love of Christ, that was in the Apostle, we we have great cause to be ashamed of that weak and little love, which in our hearts we feel, towards our LORD: how many this day profess that they love him who for his love will not want the superfluities of this life, and what hope then is there that for his sake, they will lay down the life itself, How is it likely we will give our life for him who will not quit th● superfluities of our life for him. if smaller crosses be unpleasant to us, and his love be not so strong in us, as to make us rejoice in them: how shall death be welcomed of us, wherein there is a concourse of all crosses into one: We must therefore learn, for the love of Christ to enure ourselves with the beginnings of mortification, not only to slay the unlawful affections, but also to want ou● wills even in those things which are lawful: that so by degrees we may be enabled willingly to want the body and all that ever we loved in the body for jesus Christ's sake. To remove out of the body. How death is described in regard of her effects toward the body, and toward the soul. Two manner of ways in this treatise doth the Apostle describe 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 soul, and so he calls it a removing out of the body, so that if we will think of death, as the spirit of God doth teach us, there is no cause why we should be discouraged with it. The death of the wicked is not a voluntary, but a compelled removing. Again we see hear, that the death of the godly is a voluntary removing out of the bcdy, to dwell with the Lord, as to the wicked like as they live in disobedience, so they die in disobedience, their death is involuntary, that which is spoken of that one wicked rich man, Luk. 12.20 O fool this night they will take thy soul from thee, is true in all the wicked, their spirits are taken from them against their will, Cyprian de mortal. exeunt istinc necessitatis vinculo, non voluntatis obsequio, whereas the Godly willingly commend their spirits into the hands of GOD, offering up both soul and body to him in death, in a full free and voluntary oblation. This difference between the death of the Godly and wicked men may be commodiously shadowed by the fourth coming of Pharaoh his Butler, This different death of the godly and 〈◊〉, is shadowed in the forth c●mming of Pharaoh his Butler and B●ker out o● prison and Baker out of prison, whereof the one knew he should be restored to serve the king his Master, and therefore went out with joy, the other knew by Joseph's Prophecies he should be hanged within three days, and therefore if it had been give to his choice, would still have remained in prison, rather than to have come forth to be hanged: even so is it with the godly, who are certified before hand, that they are received into favour, and after death shall have pla●● to stand about the throne of God, there to serve him by praising him continually, are well content when the Lord calls them to remove out of the body▪ whereas the other having received a sentence of condemnation within themselves, no marvel they go out of the body, with fear and trembling, like malefactors going from the prison, to the place of execution, vincti & impliciti catenis variorum peccatorum ad terrib●le illud judicium trahuntur. Chrisost in Math. 〈◊〉. Or if the wicked die willingly, they die impatiently not for any love to be with Christ. Or otherway if at any time the wicked be willing to die, it is not for any love or knowledge they have, that they shall be with the Lord, but either else because they are impatient of such heavy crosses as are upon their bodies, or else because they cannot endure the terrors of a just accusing conscience, for these causes oftentimes they have been forced to seek relief, by making their refuge to the bosom of death, 〈◊〉 relief 〈◊〉 wicked get by putting hand in themselves is no better nor if a man, ●o save himself from water should leap in the fire. as did Saul, Achitophel and judas, but all in vain, for by new sins the worm of conscience is further wakened, but not extinguished, the breath of natural life, thereby maybe suffocate, but the guiltiness of an evil conscience is increased: so that in this their refuge of vanity they find no more ease to their weary spirits, then if a man to eschew death by water, should leap into the fire, which is no other thing in effect, but to exchange a smaller pain with a greater, it being most certain, that all the pains which wicked men sustain in this life, if they be compared with the pains of Hell, Pains of this life compared with pains of hell, are but like reek going before the fire. are but like unto reek or smoke, which goes before the fire. If in the body they may not abide the smoke of God's wrath, how shall they abide to be burnt with the fire thereof in hell, Yet in this confused and perturbed estate go they out of the world, finding and feeling they are not well where they are, and forewarned by their conscience, that a worse abides them. Two things then are requisite to make us willing, He cannot remove willingly and well out of the body, who finds not a hand behind him to put him out, and another before him to receive him. with comfort to remove out of the body. The first is, that the sense of our misery, makes us weary of this life, seeing here we are absent from the Lord the next is, that the hope of a better makes us willing to remove, knowing that we shall dwell with the Lord: The one is as a hand behind us to put us out of the world: The other is as a hand stretched out before to receive us into a better: if the sense of misery put us not out, we shall be like Israel, delighting rather ot bide under banishment in Babel, then to follow Gods calling to Canaan: and again if the sense of mercy make us not certain of a better we shall be like them, who finding a hand behind them to put them out, but none before them to take a gripe of them and pull them over, cannot but in most miserable manner fall down into that pit, and gulf, which is between the two prepared for the damned. Souls of good men removing out of the body dwelled with the Lord. And dwell with the Lord. Here we see that the souls of the godly after their removing out of the body, have their dwelling with the Lord, it is not then as some suppose, that the souls have any other resting place but heaven, wherein they are till Christ his second coming, with which wrong opinion some of the learned have been stained, whose names with thei● nakedness we delight not to discover, but as the Israelites did to the Egyptians, we will borrow their Gold and Silver, and use it as our own, leaving their Clay and Brick unto themselves, and will rest upon this most sure word of the Lord, that our Souls removing out of the body, shall dwell with the Lord. What our Saviour said to that Convert on the Cross, belongs also after Death, to all the rest of his children, This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise, Athanas. Quest. 19 Non enim propter solam latroni● animam, Christus Deus noster paradis um aperuit, Sed ob reliquas etiam Sanctorum animas. Again, Mourning therefore should not be made for them who are departed, but for our se●ues who r●main we learn here that seeing Saints departed are but flitted to dwell wi●h the Lord, we should so moderate our mourning for them, that we lament not their estate, seeing they have changed for a better, but our own, who sustain by their departure a twofold loss: First that such notable instruments of comfort, First because they were plèag●s of God's favour to us. as have been pledges to us of God's favour should be taken from us, su●h was the mourning of the Faithful for S. Stephen, Acts 8. and of the Elders of Ephesus, A●●0. for Saint Paul, when he told them, that they should see his face no more. Next because the taking away of good men is a forerunner of evil days. Secondly, because the taken away of godly men is a forerunner of evil days to follow, the godly are as Pillars in a City, Esa. 57 like as Lot was in Sodom, to hold back the judgement of God from it, thus we see how in the death of others beloved of us, the causes of mourning should respect ourselves, The mourning to be made for them should be 〈◊〉 their death not after it is David did. ● Sam. 12.16. and not them, and as for that which may concern them, if any cause of mourning be, it should be before their death and not after it, as David did, who when his child was strooken with the hand of God, he fasted and mourned for him seven days together, but when he saw that the Lord would not be entreated to spare him, his servants having told him that the child was dead, than he arose, and refreshed himself with meat, teaching us that the best time of mourning for those whom we love, is to mourn for them while they are alive, that so we may entreat the Lord to spare them, or then to receive them into his favour, and not to take them away in the continuance of his anger, But we commonly begin not ou● mourning, till the time of mourning ●e past. but the contrary commonly is done by us, for then do we begin our mourning, when the time of mourning for them is passed, that is when the judgement is given out, both upon their souls and bodies, which by no entreaty of ours can be revoked. Last of all, Comfortable is it that our 〈◊〉 in heaven is called a dwelling: for it shows comfortable is it, that our estate after this life, is called a dwelling with the Lord, it is not a sojourning in a tabernacle as here we are, but a dwelling in an everlasting habitation, the Lord jesus shall 'stablish us there, 1. That we shall never remove out of it. Revel. 3.12. as well grounded pillars in the temple of our God, and we shall never any more go out: That we shall have sufficient furniture of all good 〈◊〉 it. and again seeing that is the place of the dwelling of God with his Saints, and of them with him, it offereth to our consideration, that great variety of good without any want which there abides us: for if upon earth Men of power have their dwelling places abundantly furnished with all necessary good, what shall we look for in the dwelling house of our God, Psal. 65.4. Blessed is he whom thou choosest, and causest to come to thee, he shall dwell in thy courts and we shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thine house: The best creatures which serve us now, shall not get that honour, as to serve us there, Revel. 21 23. There is no need of the Sun, nor of the Moon to shine in that City, for the glory of God doth light it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, The Lord himself shall be all things in all unto us, Bern. What can be lacking where God shall be An●ma Animae, yea all things in all unto us. In a word then Anima, Animae erit Deus, God shall be the soul of our soul, he only shall move it, he only shall possess it with him only shall it be delighted, filled, and fully satisfied: We conclude then with David, How excellent is thy mercy O God, Psal 36.78 therefore the children of men trust under the shadow of thy wings: They shall be satisfied with the fatness of thine house, and thou shalt give them drink out of the rivers of thy pleasures for with thee is the well of life, and in thy light shall we see light. O what a love of God is here, discovered unto us, Angels made Apostasy from God, and mercy never 〈◊〉 to them to restore them, Apostate man received to mercy and set in the pace 〈◊〉 w●ich Apostate Angels fell without recovery. Jude 6. Man also made Apostasy from God, & mercy is both offered, & given unto him to restore him: Angels left their habitation, and are now reserved in chains under darkness to the judgement of the great day, Man is translated from the Kingdom of darkness, to be raised up to the place from which Angels fell: And where that state of glory was not made sure to Angels, for they l●ft their first estate, it is made sure to man, we shall so be placed there, that we shall dwell there, never any more to be removed from it, so hath the Lord declared the riches of his mercy upon us, his holy name be praised therefore. Th●●●ole reasons which make the godly willing to remove out of the body are taken up in three. Now out of all this, let us take up in one short Sum, the reasons which here moved the Apostle and makes all the rest of God's children willingly content to remove out of the body, we reduce them to three. 1. The misery present. First the misery under which weely while we are in the body, 2. The felicity to come. Next the Felicity to which we go, when we remove out of the body, 3. ●he helps for the journey. and thirdly the helps we have to carry us on in this journey, from the body to the Lord: and these are not unlike those 3. motives, which made jacob willing to depart from Canaan, suppose it was the Land of promise, to the land of Egypt, wherein he knew his seed should be afflicted, Shadowed in three the like, which made jacob willing to go from Egypt to Canaan. 1. the scarcity and famine which was in Canaan, Next the plenty that was in Egypt, whereof joseph his beloved son, was governor and dispenser living there in great honour, notwithstanding that all his father's house supposed him to have been dead and rotten: and thirdly the oracle of God warrnting him to go, and the Chariots which were sent by joseph to help him in the journey, but we have (as I said) three greater motives to make us willing to go from this Egypt, a land of darkness, a house of vile servitude and bondage, to our heavenly Canaan. For 1. what have we here in this life, In this life is a fearful famine of all good. but a fearful famine and scarcity of all things which are truly good, it is not worthy of the name of good, which commonly among men is esteemed good, 〈◊〉 Psa●. ●. non solum quia facilem habeat ad res contrarias conuer●ionem, se● quod etiam possessores suos meliores red dear non valeat, not only because it is easily turned into a contrary evil, And the best things which are here makes not their possessors batter. 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 be, by which he is not made good that possesses it, Beatus ille qui post illa non abiit, Ber. quae assequi miserum est, quia possessa oner ant, amata inquinant amissa crusiant: happy is he that walks not after these things, which to obtain is a misery, because being possessed they burden us, being loved they defile us, being lost they torment us, and truly no better are the best things which grow here, in this land of our Pilgrimage and absence from God. Our life is but an exchanging of many sorrows, we live in the body like Israel in the Wilderness in danger to be sting'de every hour with fiery Serpents, like Daniel in the Den, in danger to be devoured by Lions, like Lot in Sodom, vexed with the uncleanness which is within us in ourselves, & without us in others. But were it so, But albeit good things were here, yet were they to be exchanged for better. that we had abundance of good things in this life, yet should we be content to go from them, seeing we know that by so doing we shall exchange for a a better: for even now while we are in by body, we may find the experience, that at no time we have such joy in the spirit, as when by fervent prayer, and heavenly contemplation, after a sort we are ravished, and transported out of the body, to walk with God and have familiar conversation with him, whereas otherway when the soul comes down from contemplation, to exercise her function by external senses, toward these things which are below, then is she incontinent disquieted with perturbations, How the soul is abused in the body. so that she cannot look out by the eye, and not be infected, nor hear by the ear. and not be distracted, nor touch by the hand, and not be defiled. Thus if the soul take a view of the things of this world by the senses, a world of strange cogitations are wakened in her, which quickly again evanishes, if the soul forsaking the familiar use of the senses by continuance in prayer ascend unto God, Tun● anima non fallitur, Ambros. d● bono mortis. cap 3. quando solium veritatis attingit, quando se s●cernit ab isto corpore, decipiturenim visu oculorum auditu aurium. The So●le hath her great●● 〈◊〉 joy out of the body, while the body be glorified. That same reason by which Athanasius did prove that the Soul lives out of the body, may serve to prove, that it shall live in greatest peace, and joy out of the body, Si enim connexa corpori, Athanas. Cont. Gent. extra Corpus vitam agit, corpore enim in lectulo cubante, as velut in morte quiescente, ipsa naturam corporis transilit, For if the Soul, even while it is knit to the body, lives a life without the body, as may be seen, in that while the body is sleeping, and as it were resting in death, the Soul transcends the nature of the body, how much more shall we think, that out of the body, it lives the own quiet, and peaceable life, delivered from this weltering Sea of restless temptations wherein it is tossed too and fro, so long as it is in the body. And as to the second if▪ we look to these things, In heaven is wealth and safety of all good things. which are before us in heaven, there is our most loving Father, in whose face is the fullness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for ever. More there is not our younger, but our elder brother living and raining in glory, he once died for our Sins, but he is risen again and gone up before us, to prepare a place for us. Since he is the fairest among the children of men, What a blessed company shall we be gathered unto there. and we have not yet scene him, if we love him, why do we not long to go to him? Many also of our beloved are gone there before us to that assembly, Heb 12. and Congregation of the first ●orne, wherein are the Spirits of just and perfect men, and to the which, all these Sons of God, which shall remain behind us, shall shortly be gathered, and shall it be grievous to us to remove to so sweet a fellowlowship, when it shall please GOD in our coarse to call upon us. And thirdly, 3. We have notable helps to carry us forward in the journey. we have most notable helps given of God, to advance us in our journey, for not only have we the Oracle of God to warrant us from all evil which may follow upon our removing, 1. The Oracle to warrant us. and to assure us of a joyful welcome, Come thou faithful servant, Luk● 17 and enter into thy Master's rest, And again, Blessed are they that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labour: 2. The Chariots of Angels to convey us. But we have also Chariots, which our eldest Brother hath sent to attend us, and convey us in our journey, these are his holy Angels, who conveyed the Soul of Lazarus from the dunghill unto Abraham's bosom, even these same fiery Chariotes, which took up Elijah into heaven, wait upon us also to carry us up, when the time of our Transmigration shall come. Besides that, 3. The holy spirit within us to conduct us. we have also with us the holy Spirit of promise, who as he is sent in our hearts, to witness the love of God unto us, so doth he remain with us, in the troubles of our life he comforts us in the terrors of Death, he strengthens us, and in all the way wherein we have to walk, he guides and conducts us, till atlength he put us in possession of that inheritance. whereunto he hath Sealed us, & whereof then shall we be afraid. An Exhortation to courage in Death. Col. 3 1. Seeing then we are compassed with so many and great comforts, let us in time transport our affections upward towards heaven, where Christ is at the right hand of God, let us live in the body ready to go out of the body, when God shall call us watching, and praying continually, for we know not the hour. Beware that we lie not down into the hollow of our hearts, to sleep in careless security, as jonus sleeped in the sides of the Ship, lest the fearful tempest of God's wrath come upon us unwares to wallow us, and wrap us up in endless confusion, woe be to him that shall be found sleeping in his sin●es, when the Lord calls upon him to come out of the body. How we should stan● ready to welcome it. But let us stand prepared like Israel at the Passeover with our loins girded up, and our staff in our hand, waiting when the Lord shall warn us to remove. As the Birds which are desirous to fly, stretch out their wings, so the Soul, that would be with the Lord should first stretch out her affections toward him. Or as Abraham sitting in the door of his Tabernacle, when the Angels came to him, and El●iah standing in the mouth of his Cave, that he might meet with the Lord, so should we sojourn in the body, that we come out to the door, to the mouth of the borders of it ready always to remove out of it, that we may be with the Lord, Luk. ●●. ●7 Blessed are these servants whom the Lord, when h●e comes, Naturalists sometimes sh●w a courage in death, which is not Christian confidence. shall find waking. And thus much concerning these reasons which makes the Godly willing to remove out of the body, have we observed, not only for the comfort of God's children, but also to distinguish the death of the worldling from the death of the Christian, for oftentimes in natural men, there is seen a carnal boldness to die, by which they enforce themselves to die courageous, and (as they call it) like men, which neither works in them for the present any inward contentment, nor yet assures them of any greater comfort, when they go out of the body, it is no more but the last puff of their natural pride, which soon evanishes, and is not Christian Magnanimity flowing from inward consolation of the Spirit: ●●ither in ●●ing, nor suffering doth God look to the show, but to the power. Surely neither in suffering nor in doing, doth the Lord regard the outward show of Godliness, but the power, Non enim florem interrogat, sed radicem, Neither are we to think much of those who being but Martyrs Satanice Virtutis: do in external appearance die with boldness, as may be seen in many, who being of an evil conversation, die for the maintenance of an evil cause neither ashamed of the one nor the other, these may pretend courage in the face, but be sure can have no comfort in the conscience. VER. 9 Wherefore also we Covet that, etc. The third ●ruit of godliness which ●he Apostle gathers of his general gr●und of comfort. WE come now to the 3. conclusion, which the Apostle infers upon his former ground of comfort: which is that the certain knowledge of the glory to come wrought in him a care both in life and death, to be acceptable to god, and this conclusion is very well annexed to the former, they cannot be separate: he that loves to dwell with the Lord, no doubt will have a care to please him, we see by experience, how careful we are to please those with whom we are to dwell but a short while upon earth, much more will we be careful to please the Lord, if so be we desire for ever to dwell with him: and again, where there is in the life a care to please the Lord, there is also in death a boldness to go to him, whereas an evil conscience desires not to hear the Lord, farrelesse dare it ●ee bold to see him. We Covet. The Apostles holy ambition by 〈◊〉 he 〈…〉 with God. The word which here the Apostle v●es commonly signifies an ambitious coveting of honour: but here the Apostle uses it to the best, to express his most earnest, and sincere affection, which carried him to love this honour, that he might be in favour with the Lord his God, esteeming it the highest honour, to be acceptable to the Lord his God, not to be greatwith men ofworldly power, which is the greatest design of those who can mount no higher, than the earth, b●t to be ●●eat with God, therefore protests he that where away soever, the affections of other men go, this is the honour which he loved, that both in life, and death, he might be acceptable to God. As to that honour which may come to us, Honour which comes by courting w●th men, is an eu●nishing shadow. from the countenance ofman, by courting with them it is but an eu●nishing shadow, they themselves in their best estate are altogether vanity, they are but like unto grass, and their glory fades as a flower of the field, and what true honour than can they communicate to us? let the most glorious Monarch, who ever lived in the world, be presented to us, let him be placed in his Chariot of Triumph, Two questions to discover t●●●anit● o●● man in his best estate. decked in most gorgeous manner, with all magnificence that can be devised: two questions propounded to him shall quickly discover his vanity: 1. What hath he to ●●ke up 〈◊〉 magnificence whi●● he ha●●●ot 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉. First what hath he here which is his own, let that which ●ee borrowed from the creature to make up his begged glory be taken from him, and what behind shall remain unto him? Next that state ofhonour wherein he stands how long shall he continue in it: 2. How long shall he stand in that state of honour. that Samaritan Prince, who this day leaned on the kings shoulder, and the next day was trampled under the people's feet may serve among many other innumerable examples, to show how short and vain the glory of flesh is, as Nebuchadnezars●mage ●mage had a head of Gold, but fear o● iron, and clay, so is it with all the glorious pomp of worldlings, golden in the beginning but the end thereof is dust and ashes. Both the Christian and the worldlings seeks life, riches, and honour. If we compare the Christian & the worldling together, we shall see that both of them shoots at life, riches, and honour, these are the common ends of all men's actions, but where the one pursues after apparens bonum, the other follows after Rever a bonum, they follow shows the other ●●e substance, they are busied about the Chaff, 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 follows ●●e shadow 〈◊〉, the other the substance. Chris●●t. in Math. hom. 11. the Christian is seeking the Corn, external things cannot content him, frumentum pa●eis mensura minus est, led natura pretio sius, as Corn, suppose it to be less i● measure then the Chaff, yet is it more precious in Nature, so do they know that inward, spiritual & invisible goods, are the most excellent. With me (says Wisdom) are durable riches and honour, Pro. ●. this life is but a shadow: but Wisdom calls us to the fellowship of an everlasting life, all the honour that is from the worlds, ends in shame, but the honour which is from God is durable fugiamus ergo hinc, Ambros. de fuga saeculi cap. 5. ubi nihil est, ubi inane est omne quod magnificum putatur, ubi qui seputat aliquid esse, nihil est, let us therefore fly out of this world, in the which there is nothing, in the which, that which is thought to be most magnified, is indeed but vanity, and he who thinks himself to be something, in very deed is nothing, reli●quamus umbram qui solem querimus, let us forsake the shadow, who seek the Sun, and follow those things which by true light are discovered to us to be best. Religion takes not away affections, but rectifies them. Again we see here how religion takes not away from the Christian natural affections, but only rectifies them, the Lord who in the 1. creation made them, in the regeneration, doth renew them tempering them in measure and setting them upon the right objects, for the affections so long as they are either distempered and out of measure, or then diverted from their own proper objects, they breed in us manifold restless perturbations, Affection's distemperate or diverted from their right objects breed us trouble even as the strings of an instrumentpunc; being distempered, (if ye touch them) send out a very ungrateful sound, where o her way being rightly set, by the hand of the physician, they end out most pleasant melody, so is it with the affection's, if they be temperedby the spirit of God, and set upon the right objects, they work in us a quiet meek and peaceabl● spirit, and this is the great benefit we have by religion and godliness, that our affections which are like to furious Beasts, are tamed to our hand, since by nature we are covetous of honour, religion teaches how to c●uet the best honour, and where by nature we cannot be without care, religion teaches us how to bend our care to please God that godly care may cause comfort to us, where the carnal is thorny, that doth but prick, & disquiet us, and so ●orth of the 〈◊〉 of the affections. Two 〈◊〉 requi sit● hold affection's moderate. Now for this moderation of our affections, because they are sooner commoved, than water is with the wind: Two things are most necessary: One is, that we have continually in our mind some short precepts of the word, commanding us how to temper them, and next that with the precepts we be instant in Prayer to God, the whole nature of beasts hath been tamed by the nature of man, jam. 3.7 but the nature of man, no man is able to tame, what is spoken of the tongue, is true of our whole nature, it is an unruly evil, we must therefore seek it may be done by God, which is not possible to be done by man. That both dwelling at home, The godly consecreate not their deathonely, but their life also to God etc.] But now to return. The Apostle protests that both dwelling at home, and removing from home, that is both in life, and in death it was his greatest desire to be acceptable to God. It is certain that joab as profane a man as he was in his life, yet when he was straited by death, ran to the horns of the A●tar, All men feign 〈◊〉 death to seek the Lord. so the most profane and wicked men, when they come to the point of Death, would give all the world if they had it, for the favour of God, then are they content to hear the Preacher, then desire they some comfort of the word, and that Prayers by the Church should be made unto God for them. Desiring in death the means of reconciliation which 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉. In a word, those same means of reconciliation with God, which they despised in their life, they desi●● them in death, but here is wisdom in time to do that which we must be fain to do at the length. I see no other difference between these wise and foolish Virgins in that Parable, but that the one did that in time, which the other would fain have done out of time, but in vain. And the Apostle here stands unto us for an example of this holy wisdom, he offered up himself in a whole burnt offering to GOD, keeping nothing back, nor dividing evil, as the manner of foolish men is. They 〈…〉 ●ui●l 〈◊〉 give 〈◊〉 young years to Satan & their old days to the Lord. What greater folly than this, that thy dying days thou resolvest to offer them unto God and the days of thy life, thou givest them to the service of Satan and sin: for evil dividing, Saul lost his Kingdom, for evil dividing Ananias and Saphira lost their lives, but worse dividers are they, who will give their young years unto Satan, and their old and feeble age to the Lord, Such under go Mala●hi● curse 〈◊〉. this is to incur that fearful curse, Cursed be he that hath a male in his flock, 〈…〉 1. and vows, and Sacrifices a corrupt thing unto the LORD. Surely, as the careless Husbandman, who sows nothing in spring time, Reaps nothing in Harvest: So he who in his life sows not the seed of tears out of a penitent heart, how shall he gather in death the fruit o● joy, yea rather as the idolatrous Israelites, when by many Apostasies they had provoked the Lord to anger, And have cause to fear this fearful answer to be give 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 death: jud. ●●. got this fearful answer from him, Go to the gods, whom ye have chosen, let them save you in the time of your tribulation: So may they look for the like answer, who in their life live as Rebels unto God, and then in death will pray the Lord to receive them? No go your way to the Masters whom ye have served, and let them receive you. Now all this delay of Repentance, Delay of Repentance till old age is procured by Satan's 〈…〉. whereby men defer to do that in their life, which fain they would do in death, comes to p●sse of Satan's sin●gular Policy who craftily steals away from men the time of Grace, he dare not be so impudent, as to say plainly to the wicked man, ye need not repent at all, he craves no more but a supersedere, ye need not to repent as yet, every day he tempts thee with a new bait, and so makes thee put off from day to day, till the last day come wherein thou arT suddenly taken away, before thou canst put order to thy thoughts, for then a multitude of sins gathers against thee and confounds thee, where if thou hadst fought against them severally before, thou mightst easilyhave overcome them. As in bodily diseases, Protract of time makes diseases more incurable. protract of time makes them the more incurable, so is it in the spiritual, for no sin ends there where it begins, but if it be suffered to continue, makes a progress always to the worse. It is written of Pharaoh, Miserable Pharaoh delayed his deliverance till the morro●. that being plagued with Frogs, that Moses offered to him; Concerning me, command when thou wilt that I shall pray for thee, and the Frogs shall be taken from thee, and sent into the River, 〈◊〉. 8.9. he answered him, Pray for me to morrow: what a misery is this, the plague of God is upon him, and God offers by his servant to take it from him at such a time as he himself should appoint, & yet the blind & hard hatred man hath no grace presently to seek the remedy, but puts it of till to morrow: but truly more miserable are they to whom God by his Gospel every day offers mercy, More ●●rable they 〈◊〉 lay th●●●ceiuing the 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 to an other time. and grace, saying as much to them in effect as, when wilt thou that I shall take thy sins from thee, when wilt thou that I deliver thee from the death under which thou liest, but truly the answer which is given to the Lord is worse than that answer of Pharaoh, for in effect this it is, no till the morrow, yea no till the next year and which is worst of all, no till mine old age: Let me first go, and kiss my father, then will I come, and follow thee let me first delight myself with the pleasure of corrupt nature: and then shall I amend my life, and become godly, ●issoluta certe, Aug. ad frat. in Eremo ser. 71. & paralytica vox est de crastina cogitare conuersione, hodiernam negligere. Our careful expedition to prevent all evils may befall to our bodies, Bodily ●uils we remedy without any delay. may justly convict us for this carelessness, that we have of our own salvation, no man bears a burden longer then conveniently he may be quit of it, no man is sooner wounded in his body, but incontinent he cries for a Physician, and if fire enter into the house, there is hast made for water to quench it, shall we be so wise in things pertaining to our bodies, and prove foolish as concerning our souls? But are not so wise as concerning our souls. why delight we to bear the burden of our sins any longer, since the Lord jesus offers to relieve us of it, we are wounded to the death, and will not receive the Oil of that sweet Samaritan that we may be cured, the fire of God's wrath is kindled against us, and we make no haste to get water out of t●● fountain of David's house, which only is able to quench & slaken it: So soon as the Angel troubled the waters of Siloam, joh. 5. so soon such as were diseased, hasted to step down into it, that they might be healed the lively and wholesome waters of Shiloh able to cur● all out spiritual diseases, flows abundantly among us, but alas we delay to seek our health in them. He that lives in hope of a lo●● li●e, sha●● live 〈◊〉 care 〈◊〉 make 〈◊〉 good. But if it be so that thou livest in hope, thy days will be long, why wilt thou not fall to in ●●me, and make them also good: for if God make thy days lo●g, and thou thyself make them evil by continual sinning, do●t thou not turn good into evil and so increa●eft double wrath and judgement upon thyself. All thin●es that a man hath, he would have it good, on●y ●e makes ●is life evil. Take heed to thyself, and consider how every thing which is thine, thou wouldst fain have it good, and pre●sest daily to make it better, if thou have children thou wouldst have them good, if thou have land, thou wouldst have it good, thy house, thy garments and all that thi●● is, thou wilt have them good, only here thou forgets thyself, that thy own life thou suffers to be evil, and so Int●r omnia bona tua ipse malus es, in the middle of all thy good things, thou thyself only art found evil. The late repentance of the wicked, The late repentance of men f●lls o●t often like th●t of Esau. falls out commonly to be like unto that of Esau, he sought the blessing with tears, but he found it not ●and it is the common judgement of all ●he wicked, ●ee loved cursing and it shall come upon him, Psal. ●●. 17. he loue● not blessing, and it shall be far from him, they far deceive themsel●s who t●inke they may when they will, even in an instant return to the Lord: Many knots that are surely casten, are not easily loosed, After long wand●ring from God it is not easi● to return to him. & the heart which Satan hath bound of a long time, with the cords of manifold transgressions, is not easily m●de free again, joseph and Mary lost Christ at jerusalem, and went a days iourn●y from him, but sought him against three days, before th●● could find him, and thinkest thou who a●l thy days hast lived in rebellion against God, that it is easy in a moment, to be reconciled with him? We see by daily experience how often it comes to pass●, In God's iudgeme●●●t falls often out, that he who in life▪ forgets God in death forgets h●m self. Vt hac anim duersione percut●atur peccator, ut morien● obliviscatur sui, qui dum viveret oblitus est Dei. That with this fearful judgement, a sinner is stricken, that in death he forgets hi●●elfe, who in ●is life did forget the ●ord, as we see many of t●em suddenly taken away in their sins in such sort, that not only sense, but reason and memory also is taken from them. Men for their pleasure do i● such fort, divide their life and death, that they live in that state wherein neither intent they to die neither dare they die, and God for their punishment, forsakes them, letting them die in that same sinful estate, wherein they lived. 〈…〉 who 〈◊〉 will not 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 cann●● 〈…〉 by Satan snared to destruction. Thus betw●ene two, they fall into hell, whil● in their young yeare● they will not, & in thei● old age they cannot repent. But if we with the Apostle will not delay in our life carefully to please him, then in our death shall we be acceptable to him: If our life be the life of the righteous, out of doubt we shall die the death of righteous, and be welcomed of God with that joyful sentence, Come to me thou faithful servant, which God of his mercy grant to us, for jesus Christ's sake to whom be praise and glory for ever. FINIS.