TO ●…HE RIGHT ●…OBLE, VER●…VOVS, AND ●…ODLY LADY, MARY, Countess of MARRE. Right Noble LADY: AS Pearls are of greatest price, when they are most rare, so is ●…tie most worthy to be ●…ised, when they be but few who practise it. O●… Noah in the old world: o●… Let in Sodom: one I●… among Gentiles: one Sim●…on in jerusalem: one N●…codemus among Pharisi●…one joseph in the San●…drim: one Esther in 〈◊〉 Court: one judith in 〈◊〉 City: one Abigail in 〈◊〉 Family, are of more wo●… and weight in the Balla●… of God, than many thousa●… of others. I speak not thi●… if our time were reduce●… that scarcity, for of all s●… and sexes of people (ble●… be the Lord for it) we 〈◊〉 many conscionable pr●…sers of that word of G●… ●…hereof they are professors. ●…t in respect of the rem●…nt of the world, are they 〈◊〉 few, that our fault were ●…eat, if such as are good, ●…ere not encouraged to be ●…tter, by such good, as we ●…rough grace may minister ●…to them. For this cause have I pre●…nted this little Treatise to ●…ur L: as unto one belon●…ng to the generation of ●…em that seek the face 〈◊〉 God: Wherein I hope not ●…ely to be seconded by the ●…timonies of all the godly ●…at know you, but that the ●…its of your Faith also, ●…ene of such as see your self, shall free me of all i●…putation, which malignant murmuring mouths of adversaries can make unto m●… This threefold tired Ga●… land of flowers, every one 〈◊〉 them transcending above 〈◊〉 other, justly belongs v●… your L: Nobility, Vertu●… and Pi●…tie▪ Nobility of ●… high degree as any subie●… of this Land can acclaim●… yet Virtue surpassing N●…bilitie, and Piety supere●…nent above both. These ●… pray God daily to encre●… in your L: that Grace mu●…plyed upon you in this li●… may lead you to that pro●…sed Crown of glory, 〈◊〉 ●…ared for all Saints, in the ●…ansions of our Father's ●…ouse: whereof now tur●…ing me to speak, I humbly ●…ake my leave: And rests Your L: in Christ jesus W. B. of Galloway. JOHN 14. 1. 2. 3. And jesus said to his Disc●…ples: Let not your hear●… be troubled: Ye beleeu●… in God, believe also in m●… 2 In my Father's house ar●… many dwelling places, i●… it were not so, I woul●… have told you. I go t●… prepare a place for you. 3 And though I go to prepare a place for you, I wi●… come again and receiu●… you unto myself, th●… where I am there you ma●… be also. A TREATISE of the Heavenly MANSIONS. My help is in the name of the Lord. JOHN 14. 1. And jesus said to his Disciples: Let not your hearts be troubled: Ye believe in God, believe also in me. AT this Chapter These words contain: 1 A Comfort: 2 A Confirmation of it. begins the Legacy, or latter Will, of our ●ord Christ jesus, and continues to the eighteen. In the entry thereof, he first comforts his Disciples against the fear● of all evil which may trouble them: and next by strong arguments confirms the Comfort. In In the Comfort are three circumstances. the Comfort three Circumstances are to be considered: First, who gives it? Christ jesus: Secondly, to whom? to his Disciples. Thirdly, the Comfort itself; Let not you● heart be troubled, proponed, as you see, by 1 First circumstance, he who gives the Comfort is Christ. way of Exhortation. Out of the first Circumstance appears th● superabundant love o● jesus toward his own. He is now entering to his ●…loudy Passion, which troubled him sore, yet he cares not for himself, all his care is for them, that they should not be troubled. O what a love! No such love in the world, as our Lord hath showed us. where shall we find the like of it? Many examples of rare love have we in holy Story, in the common, yea, and in nature also; but none like this: Here is a love, the length, the breadth, the height, the depth whereof none is able to comprehend. juda offered himself a The offer of juda for Benjamin. servant to joseph, that Benjamin might go free jonathan perilled his life, and The love of jonathan to David. Of Arsinor to her children. quited his kingdom for love of David. Arsinoe interposed herself between the murderers weapons that were sent by Ptolemy her Brother, to kill her Children; she embraced them in her arms, and turned her body about to receive the strokes given out fo●… them, and in the midst o●… bloody wounds she received in their defence she kissed them: her love was great, her power small, she could not keep them from cruel death ●…he Pelican not only Of the Pelican to her young ones. ●…edes her young with her ●…ne blood, but with in●…ncible constancy abides ●…e flames of fire for their preservation. Naturalists ●…rite, that they who seek ●…e Pelican for a prey, ●…uing found the Nest ●…erein her young are, ●…dle a fire round about 〈◊〉 Videt Pellicanus ignem, Pierij hire. ●…us non ignorat vehemen●…m, audacter accedit, ar●…rem in singula membra ●…etrantem sentit, neque loco ●…ouetur, exuritur pene ●…a, neque tantillum quidem ●…sternatur, patientissim á●…e constantia vigens, saluti filiorum intenta potius, quasuae mortis genere omniu●… atrocissimo conficitur: T●… Pelican sees the fir●… knows very well the v●… hemencie of it, yet fly●… boldly unto it, seeking b●… the motion of her win●… to extinguish it, she feel●… the burning heat wi●… intolerable pain pierci●… all the parts of her bod●… yet flies not from it, b●… with great patience e●…dures it, rather mindf●… of the safety of her yon●… then careful to save h●…selfe from so painful death. These are indeed examples of strong love in All these are examples of rare love, but not comparable to the love of Christ toward us. the creature, but as I said, this love of jesus overcomes them all: he came in the shape of a servant, to make us freemen: he was content to be bound, that his Beniaminites, that is, the sons of his right hand, might be restored to their Father: he keeps the kingdom as heir and only begotten Son of the Father, and gives the kingdom to us conque●…ed by him, as our Goel & ●…insman, who hath redeemed our inheritance: he ●…eceiued in his blameless ●…ody the stripes which were due to our sins: He hath borne our infirmities, Esay 53 4. 5 and carried our sorrows: he was wounded fo●… our transgressions, and broken for our iniquities, th●… chastisement of our peac●… was upon him, and with hi●… stripes are we healed. He●… is that Good Shepherd who gave his life for hi●… Sheep; he is that true Pelican, who saw the fieri●… wrath of God burning about his young ones, an●… cast himself into the midst thereof, that he might quench it; he knew the terror thereof, yet he fled it not; he longed with great desire to eat that ●…t Passeover, albeit he ●…ew it would be a sup●…r of sour herbs unto ●…m; for love of those ●…ho are his, he forgot ●…mself, when judas came 〈◊〉 betray him, and the ●…en of war to apprehend ●…m, he made no shift for ●…mselfe: If ye be seeking john 18. 8. ●…us, I am he, let these go ●…ir way. And here when ●…e is to undergo his ●…ublesome Agony, all ●…s care is to comfort ●…em that they should ●…t be troubled. Sure it is, we can never quite this kindness of our Lord, yet at least 〈◊〉 We cannot requite this love, yet should we remember it. us remember it with su●… thankfulness as we m●… All the words of the Lo●… should be kept in o●… mind: so David did 〈◊〉 Psal. 119. have hid thy promises in 〈◊〉 heart: so Mary laid up ●… Luke 2. 19 words of the Angel her heart: no place to k●… Manna without putr●…ction, but the Ark; a●… no place to keep the w●… All the words of our Lord should be laid up in our hearts, but specially the words of his last Legacy. with profit, but the h●… But as kindly Child●… remember most carefu●… the words of their Fat●… delivered on his dea●… bed: so should we 〈◊〉 words of our Lord v●… ●…d unto us, when he was ●…ing to die for us. Na●…rall men keep the Le●…cie or Testament of ●…eir fathers, wherein pe●…shing portions of tran●…torie things are bequea●…ed to them, they will ●…ot rest till it be confir●…ed: and shall not we ●…cke up in the Cabinet ●… our heart, the Testa●…ent of our Lord, wher●… 1 Pet. 1. the right of an inheri●…nce that fades not is assigned unto us? he leaves 〈◊〉 not any corruptible ●…ing: not the movables ●… the sons of Keturah, nor Gen. 25. 6. ●…et the portion of Esau, Gen 27. 39 the fatness of the earth 〈◊〉 these the jewels he leaves us, Peace I leave with you joh. 14. 27. my peace I give unto you this the tenor of his Le●…gacie or last Will, Father●… john 14. 27 I will that they whom tho●…hast given me, be where 〈◊〉 am with me, that they m●… behold the glory which th●…hast given me. O what 〈◊〉 comfort is here? the Father saith unto the So●… Ask of me what thou wi●… Psal. 2. 8. and I will give thee: th●… Son declares his will i●… his Legacy, Father I wil●… yea, assures us of his Father's will, Fear not litt●… Luke 12. flock, it is your Father's wi●… 〈◊〉 give you the Kingdom. Here is our right, here are he Charters of our hea●…enly inheritance: happy ●…re we if we lay them up 〈◊〉 our hearts, and give no ●…est unto our souls until ●…ee have the confirma●…ion of them past, and sea●…ed by the Spirit of A●…option, assuring us that ●…hey are ours. The second Circum●…tance 2 Second circumstance, to whom is this Comfort given. To his Disciples. leads us to consi●…er, to whom is this com●…ort given? To his Disciples: ●…ot to the twelve only, ●…ut as afterward the Lord expounds himself; ●… pray not for these alone, but for them also who sha●… believe in me through thei●… word. This Legacy the●… pertains not to th●… twelve Disciples only first preachers of th●… Gospel after Christ Iesu●… but belongeth also to a●… that to the world's en●… shall believe in Chri●… through their word, an●… by believing shall b●…come his Disciples: b●… unto none other. Th●… Under the name of Disciples are comprehended not the twelve only, but all believers. consolations of the gospel are not for every man: the Gospel is preached to many, but th●… peace proclaimed by i●… lights upon none but th●… ●…ildren of peace. New ●…ne is not for old bot●…s, and the glad news 〈◊〉 the Gospel every man ●…th not an ear to hear ●…em, nor a heart meet receive them; When you Mat. 10. 12. 13. ●…e into an house salute the ●…e, and if the house be ●…rthy, let your peace come ●…pon it; but if it be not wor●…y, let your peace return ●…nto you. And again; If Luke 10. 6. ●…e son of peace be there, ●…ur peace shall rest upon ●…m, if not it shall return 〈◊〉 yourselves. Take heed The consolations of God are not for every man. 〈◊〉 yourselves; we preach ●…eace in the name of Ie●…s, our Commission is sure, but not common t●… all: if you be the childre●… of God's goodwill, our ble●…sing of peace shall rest upon you; if not, you m●…heare it, but shall not 〈◊〉 partakers of it: There Esay 57 21 no peace, saith my God, the wicked. But as Ie●… answered jehoram wh●… 2 Ki●…. 9 22 he demanded, Is it peac●… What peace? said the othe●… What hast thou to do wi●… peace? Such is the me●… sage that cometh fro●… the Lord unto all the wi●…ked. The same Gosp●… that cometh from t●… Lord with abundance 〈◊〉 blessing to those who a●… ●…s own, bringeth with ready vengeance against 2 Cor. 10. 6. 〈◊〉 disobedience. The ●…mme of all is, either ●…nder yourselves belee●…ng and obedient Disci●…es to the Lord jesus, or ●…oke not to receive any ●…rtion of the consolati●…s which he hath left in ●…s Legacy. Let not your heart be troubled. THE third Circumstance 3 Third circumstance, the Comfort itself sufficient against all fear of evil which may trouble us. is in these words: and it contains the Comfort itself; Le●… not your heart be troubled I have forewarned yo●… of many things which 〈◊〉 know are grievous vnt●… you: I have told you o●… my suffering, that one o●… my Disciples will betra●… me, and that the best o●… them will deny me, an●… that I myself must go●… from you, and whither 〈◊〉 go you cannot com●… now. These heavy spee●…hes did (no doubt) asto●…ish and confound them, ●…nd cast down their hearts ●…to the gulf of excee●…ing sorrow: and there●…re comes he in here to ●…ise them up again and ●…mfort them. But how●…euer the occasion of ●…is Doctrine ariseth of ●…e former premonitions, ●…et we may espy in them complete consolation, ●…uen unto us by our ●…ord, against all that may ●…ouble us. There are two evils, ●…e fear whereof trou●…les men: first, the fear of sin; next, the fear●… Two things men fear, Sin and Death. of death, and that which follows it. The wicked in their life time fear nothing more than death ●… Sin they fear not; yea●… it is a pastime to them to do●… Prou. wickedly: only they fear Death and judgement they cannot eschew it, al●… their care is to delay it. In Wicked men fear nothing more than death, till death come, then are they vexed with fear of their sin. their death by the contrary, they fear nothing so much as their sin now they fly death, a●… the centre of their sor●… rows; then they sha●… seek it, as the remedy o●… their remorses. There i●… no death so horrible which they would not ●…illingly embrace, proui●…ed it might free them ●…om the conscience of ●…eir sin; yea, they would ●…e content to be smothe●…ed quick; Mountains fall Revel. ●…pon us and cover us. But the godly in their But the godly in their life fear nothing more than their sins. ●…fe fear nothing so much ●…s their sins: they ●…ourne for former sins, ●…nd with good Ezekiah, ●…ecount them in the bitter●…esse Esay. of their soul: they ●…ght against present sins, ●…anding with the armour ●…f God upon them, and ●…rough his grace ouer●…ome it: they are in continual fear of sin t●… come; if it renew the for●… they are still making preparation to resist it. An●… And therefore fears no death when it comes. therefore they fear n●… death, at least are not ●… vercome with the fea●… thereof; they defy it, the provoke it, they prevent it; I mean, they know will come, but ere it con●… they desire it, and are pr●…pared for it ere it be pr●…pared for them. Sime●… sight makes them sing ●… meons Song; Now Lor●… let thy Servant depart●… peace: and they resol●… with S. Paul, I desire to dissolved that I may be wi●… Christ. But indeed fearful is their estate, who at one time have to fight ●…oth against the terrors of sin, and horror of death. It is a godly po●…icie in the spiritual warfare, to divide your enemies; first overcome your sins, vanquish them ere ●…he forces of death can ●…oyne with them; so shall ●…ou not be afraid to en●…ounter with death; for Death is a biting Serpent, ●…nd Sin is the sting ●…ereof: take the sting from the Serpent, and without danger you may ●…mbrace it. Take Sin away, and Death shall n●… be terrible. Against both these ●…uils Complete Comfort against both these fears given here. the Lord jesus he●… furnisheth us with sufficient comfort: against th●… fear of sin he sets th●… buckler of Faith, whic●… is able to quench the fie●… darts Ephes. 6. of the Devil, in thes●… words, Ye believe in Go●… believe also in me. Again●… the fear of death, th●… grave, and all that may follow them, he sets th●… meditation of these heavenly mansions prepare●… for us: and in respect o●… both, premits the comfortable Exhortation, Le●… ●…t your heart be trou●…ed. For understanding No exemptions from trouble promised to Christians. ●…hereof we must con●…der two things: first, ●…at our Saviour here ●…omiseth us not exemp●…on from trouble: next, ●…at he requires not we ●…ould be without all ●…nse of trouble. The first ●…euident, he hath plainly ●…ld us, In the world you Chrisost. in. Mat. hom. 7 ●…all have affliction: If any ●…an will follow me, he must ●…ke up his cross & follow ●…ee. It is a pretty obser●…tion of chrysostom, so ●…one as our Lord was ●…orne, Herod persecuted him and slew him in 〈◊〉 members, the innoce●… infants; so soon agai●… as he was baptized, Sat●… tempted him: to teach ●… that if we be such Ch●…stians, as in whose he●… Christ is conceived a●… form, we must loo●… for persecutions fro●… men, for temptations fro●… Satan. As a shadow fo●… allows the body (saith M●…carius) so Vbi Spiritus, 〈◊〉 Macar. hom. 15. Neither is it required that Christians should have no sense of their trouble. persecutio & pugna. T●… second is as clear: if 〈◊〉 should be without sen●… of trouble, where we●… the praise of Patience? fo●… what commendation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer that which grie●…eth thee not? this were ●…orse than Stoica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is beastly stupidity, not ●…mmended for a virtue, ●…t condemned for a ●…ce, Thou hast stricken ●…em, and they have not ●…rrowed. But the meaning of the But only that their hearts be not overcome of trouble. ●…xhortation is, howso●…uer it be that sore trou●…les be abiding you, and ●…at the sense of your ●…ouble will be grievous 〈◊〉 you also, yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Let ●…ot your heart be sha●…en and perturbed with 〈◊〉, so that you quit your comfort and confiden●… in me. Here then is t●… victory of a Christia●… that no trouble can overcome his heart: his goo●… may be stolen, his na●… be slandered, his bo●… may be killed, his co●…science may be racked his heart may be shak●… and sore moved, but ca●…not be removed, becau●… The invincible heart of a Christian cannot be overcome with inward temptations. it is fixed on the Lord, h●… Spirit dwells in it, and b●… secret grace upholds i●… Inward temptations cannot do it, under these it 〈◊〉 the voice of Saints, whic●… once was uttered by patient job. job, O Lord, thoug●… thou wouldst s●…ay me, yet will I trust in thee: and by the Apostle, We are persecuted, 2 Cor. 4. but not for saken; we are in doubt, but we despair not; we are cast down, but we perish not; we are afflicted on ●…uery side, but not left in distress: the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies such straightness of place, as out of which ●…here is no forth coming: the godly may be ●…raited with trouble, yet never so, but that they ●…aight for an issue: some●…me they are without ●…ense, but no time altoge●…her without hope of bet●…er. far less can outward far less can it be overcome with outward. temptations do it 〈◊〉 Though the earth should b●… moved, and the mountaine●… fall into the bottom of th●… Psal. Sea, yet the Christian keeps his comfort, God i●… my help, and my hope, & m●… strength, in trouble ready to b●… Greg. moral. lib. 31. found. Vir Deo subditus no●…uit inter transeuntia star●… adversis non frangitur, prosperis non elevatur, hab●…enim pondus desuper ins●…dentis, timor scilicet Dei illum cohibet: A man subject to God knows ver●… well to stand in the mid●… of transitory things: he●… is not broken by adversity, nor puffed up with prosperity, the weight of ●…im that is above him, ●…eepes him equal and ●…onstant in every estate, ●…o wit, the fear of his God restrains him. And this invincible This invincible heart of a Christian is not from himself, but from Christ dwelling into it. ●…eart flows not from a●…y strength that is in ●…an: How weak a crea●…re the strongest man is, ●…ay be seen in Peter; ●…ppose a pillar of the Church, the voice of a ●…amsell shook him, and ●…ade him deny his Ma●…er: All our strength is ●…eere, that Christ dwells 〈◊〉 our hearts by Faith, and he who craves of us tha●… our heart should not b●… troubled, keeps it himself, & defends it agains●… all that will assault it: we●… prevail by the power o●… Rom. 8. Philo de sacrificijs Abelis & cain's. his might, and throug●… him are made more the●… conquerors. It is observed by Philo, the heart and the horns, or brain●… Why the horns & the heart were not offered under the Law. were never offered in th●… Law levitical, with th●… sacrifices, for they are th●… fountains & secret arke●… wherein lurks, and ou●… of which floweth all impiety, but what ever wa●… in the type, this is in th●… truth. As the heart is by nature, the Lord will not ●…ue it, yet till the heart 〈◊〉 renewed and given to ●…e Lord, he will accept ●…thing can come from ●…an: this is the main sa●…fice, My Son give me ●…ne heart: This is the se●…et sanctuary wherein ●…od will dwell, and with●…t which he will not ●…ell at all. This is the But now God will have no Sacrifice without the heart ●…rt of Zion, and city of ●…auid, which must be ●…ongly kept, or else the ●…manent city cannot be ●…eserued: therefore the ●…rd jesus, arming his ●…sciples against trouble, ●…gins first at the heart; let not your heart be troubled. Magnum enim fort●… dinis fundamentum est, Cyr. in joan. cap. 14. mus non turbatus, ani●… autem nondum supernaf●… datus gratia, timidus, & stabilis nimium est. A g●… ground of fortutude i●… heart not troubled, therwaies it not beestablished with heavenly grace is out of meas●… fearful & instable: the fore the Apostle when blesseth the Philippia●… Phillip 4. prays, that the peac●… God which passeth all ●…derstanding, may prese●… their hearts: so shall ●… the heart be troubled. But here it is demanded, Seeing our Saviour was troubled himself, how says he to us, let not you heart be troubled? how requires our Saviour of us that we should ●…t be troubled, seeing was troubled himself? testifies this same Evangelist, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Now is my ●…le troubled: and a●…in, when jesus had said ●…ese things, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, john 12. 27. john 13. 21 he was troub●… in the spirit: & more significantly is the same ●…pressed by S. Mark, Mar. 14. 33 ●…en he entered to his a●…ny in the Garden, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he began to be a●…nished, and transported: the words impor●… strange motion, & scarly utterable, which sense of that wrath ●… to our sins, wrou●… in the Lord. The answer is, the trouble The trouble of Christ far different from ours. of our Lord was fa●… different from ours, b●… in the end, & in the manner or measure there for he was troubled, the end he might kee●… us that we should not troubled with that trouble which was due to ●… sins. 1 In the end thereof. Other Physician to cure the deadly dise●… of their Patients, prep●… a bitter potion for the ●… may well taste it themselves, but the Pati●… must drink it out: our Physician per●…ing well that the bitcup of wrath would ●…e consumed us, drank ●…t himself, and leaves more to us, but to taste O wonder! the Physi●… drinks out the por●…, and the Patient is ●…ed! He suffered for ●…faction of his Father's ●…ce: we suffer not for ●…faction: away with ●… presumption to ●…ke our sufferings can satisfactory: We sufonely that we may be made conformable to h●… death. Again, as for th●… 2 In the measure thereof. measure he drank o●… the full cup, dregs an●… all, of that wrath due ●… our sins. It would ha●… confounded Angel an●… Man to have drunk that cup, as our Lo●… himself said to the so●… of Zebedeus, Can ye drin●… of that cup whereof I m●… drink? No, it is imposble: None but he tro●… the winepress of ●… wrath of God: Let ●… flesh be silent here, a●… reserve him his ow●… glory. And this comfort ha●… of his trouble, beside satisfaction of his Fa●…rs justice, and our reconciliation with him, greater the trouble of The greater Christ's trouble was, the less cause of trouble have we. ●… Lord was, the less ●…se hath his Saints to troubled in their suffe●…gs with him. No mar●… Martyrs in the midst of horrible deaths ●…e triumphed, aboun●…g Christ's trouble makesmartyrs triumph under trouble. with glorious joys: ●…s easy to swim where ●… head is borne up: the ●…ters of Marah bitter be●…e, are made sweet now the cross of Christ Ie●…: why then may not his ●…ts willingly drink of ●…m? And now to conclu●… this first point of t●… comfort proponed way of exhortation as ●… began it, let us remark t●… loving care of jesus t●… ward his own, that provides the comfort or for the trouble co●… Sometime the Lord gives comfort before the trouble come. These three things m●… we observe in God working with his Sain●… Sometime he gives the comfort before troub●… sometime comfort trouble, always comfo●… after trouble. Sometim●… I say, the Lord prepar●… them with comfort before the trouble com●… ●… Elias got a double dinner before his forty days ●…sting, and jacob at the ●…er jaboc was confirmed ●… wrestling with God, ●…fore he encountered ●…th Esau, and the three ●…isciples, Peter, james, ●…d john saw the glory of ●…r Lord transfigurated Mount Tabor, before ●…ey saw his bloody ago●… in the garden. Sometime again in the Sometime he gives comfort in the midst of trouble. ●…ddest of trouble the ●…rd furnishes strong ●…nsolations: Potiphar put ●…seph in the prison, but ●…od went with him to ●…e prison, this made the prison more pleasant t●… him, than had been Putiphar his palace. Nabuchadnezzar caused the three children to be cast in th●… fire, but the fourth liketh son of God he saw walking with them. What comfort have we he to make us patient in affliction, since in our troubles God the Father protests that he is troubl●… with us: the Son in li●… manner complains th●… he is persecuted when are persecuted, and S. ●…ter witnesses, that the ●…ly ghost is evil spoken by such as speak evil o●… ●…r Christ's sake, I may be ●…old to say in name of all ●…e children of God, they ●…aue found by experience, that there is more ●…y in Christ's cross, then ●…l the crowns of the World without jesus Christ, are able to afford. And thirdly, we are But always comfort after trouble. ●…er sure that the end of ●…ouble to a Christian is ●…mfort, trouble may abide the Evening, but joy cometh Psal. 30. 2 Thes. 1. 7. in the Morning. It is ●…ighteous thing with God render rest to them that Psalm▪ Heb. 12. ●…e troubled with us. Our ●…ares are the seed of joy, Blessed are they who sow i●… tears, for they shall reap in joy. No chastisement sweet for the present but afterward it brings th●… quiet fruit of righteousnes●… to them who thereby are exercised. After that our Saviour was tempted in th●… wilderness, Angel's ca●… and ministered to him: an●… after his agony in t●… garden, an Angel appeared from heaven comforting him, such shall be t●… end of all the troubles his Saints. ●…e believe in God, believe also in me. Follows now the confirmation Confirmation of the former comfort wherein. of the comfort contained in the proceeding exhortation. First against the terrors of sin, ●…ext against the terrors ●…f death, arma quip his ●…inistrat jesus Discipulis ●…is, quibus queant omnia ●…perare adversa, for in Cyrill. in joan. ●…ese few words our Saviour furnishes armour to is Disciples, by which ●…ey may be able to overcome all contrary ●…ings whatsoever. Against sin our Sauio●… sets the bulwark, or rather 1 Faith in Christ is set against the fear of sin. as the Apostle calls i●… the Buckler of Faith, whi●… is able to quench the fie●… darts of the Devil. As th●… Ephes. 6. Israelites stinged with fi●…ry serpents in the wilderness looked up to the typical brazen serpent, an●… were healed: so do ye li●… up the eyes of your sou●… to the true Saviour, an●… your sins shall not be able to trouble you. Where it is to be marked, how he joins the Faith respecteth all the three persons of the blessed trinity. two, ye believe in Go●… believe also in me. Th●… words may be read eith●… ●… the Indicative mood, Creditos, or the Impera●…ue Credit: but the sense ●… the same. Faith in any ●…ne of the persons of the ●…lessed Trinity, necessari●…y imports faith in the ●…ther two: for albeit the persons be three, the essence is one. And again, there is ●…o comfort in the Father, without the Son, ●…eyther can any believe ●… him, and through ●…eleeuing come to him, ●…ut by the Son, for ●…ee dwelleth in light in●…ccessible, whom none ●…an know till the son, who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the brightness Hebr. 1. 3. of his glory, and i●… graved form of his person reveal him. Yea wit●… out the Son, he is a consuming fire, but in hi●… hath proclaimed himself to be well pleased. Doub●… less, if we saw cleere●… how the three persons ●… the blessed trinity conc●… jointly in the work ●… our salvation, as we ma●… see, if we look right●… in the mirror of the Gospel, it would render unto us unspeakable consolation. But of this, he who pleases may▪ read our Treatise of the Baptism of Christ. This place serves to A proof of Christ's divinity against Arrians. ●…ooue the Divinity of Christ jesus. Ye believe in ●…d, believe also in me: quod ●…n consequeretur si Chri●…s non esset Deus, the consequence saith Augustine●…ere ●…ere not good, if Christ ●…ere not God: but this Aug. in joan. tract. 67. ●…llowes very well, credi●… in Deum, credit etiam illum, cui natura est non ●…pina esse aequalem Deo, ●…netipsum exinanivit for●…m servi accipiens, non ●…men formam Dei amit●…ns, Ye believe in God, ●…eleeue also in him, whose nature it is, and no●… robbery to be equal wit●… God, he humbled himself, accepting the form of a servant, not amittin●… the form of God. But it is needless he●… But Atheists rather in this age are to be encountered with, pretending Faith which they have not. to encounter with Ar●…ans; their heresy is burie●… and I will not open th●… Sepulchre to offend th●… Saints of God with th●… loathsome and stinkin●… smell thereof. I wish th●… age were as quit of Atheists, who come to th●… Church as Achab we●… to the Camp, changing their garment, but no●… their heart. Every ma●… ●…ow prattles of Faith; & ●…ath it in his mouth, I believe, but all hath not ●…aith, saith the Apostle. ●…aith is a rare jewel: a ●…ewell I call it, for whatsoever thou touchest by ●…aith, it becomes thine ●…wne, but so that it Faith is a rare jewel no larger than Election. ●…uches nothing but the ●…wne proper object, to ●…it, that whereunto the ●…romise of GOD in his ●…ord directs it: and a rare ●…well I call it, because it no larger than Election, it may be common to ●…any in respect of pro●…ssion, but proper to ●…aints only, in respect of participation. Many are called, few are chosen, & unto these few elect only, is i●… given to believe. It may be confirmed by learning & long experience, but ●… not at the first begotten by any of those, Sentit●… antequam discitur, we fee●… Cyp. lib. 2. Epis. 2. it before we can learn i●… nec per mor as temporum lo●…ga agnitione colligitur, se●… compendio gratiae matur ā●… hauritur. And it is wrogh●… by ripening grace, no●… by length of time, no●… greatness of knowledge▪ That therefore we be not deceived in so great ●… matter as is faith, the only remedy given us here against No comfort against sin, and wrath, but by true Faith, and what need we have to try it. the guilt of sin, and ●…errour of the wrath to ●…ome, let us ponder that ●…recept, try yourself if you ●…e in the faith. There is a ●…ith which S. Paul calls ●…nfeined, to distinguish it ●…om feigned faith, called 2 Cor. ●…uely and laborious, to distinguish it from that which james calls a dead faith. ●… there were but one kind ●… faith, & every man had, 2 Tim. 1. ●…ere needed no such pre●…pt, try if ye be in the faith, ●…ut since it is not so, it ly●…h jam. 2. every man in hand, to ●…oke to himself, that he ●…mbrace not a false faith, in stead of the true, a feigned faith for a sincere, 〈◊〉 dead and idle faith, for 〈◊〉 living & laborious faith. Leaving to discuss a●… Faith three manner of ways described. length of Faith, we wil●… shortly consider the nature, and the threefold operations thereof. S. Pau●… 1 It is a subsistence of things hoped for. calls it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, A real subsistanc●… of things hoped for: an●… so Faith is called not formaliter, but effective, because it maketh things 2 It is an evidence of things not seen. hoped for after a sort to be present. Again, he●…cals it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The evidence o●… Aug. in joan. tract. 68 things not seen; Fide●… ●…redit quod non videt: nam 〈◊〉 vides, non est Fides; Faith ●…eleeues that which it ●…ees not: now we walk 2 Cor. 5. ●…y Faith, after this we ●…all walk by sight; when ●…ght shall come Faith shall ●…ease. Thirdly, he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Heb. 6. 19 The Anchor four soul sure and sted●…st, 3 It is the anchor of our soul which holds us fast that we drive not away with the wind of temptations. which entereth into ●…at which is within the ●…aile. This world is fi●…ed by the Spirit of God ●…y a Sea weltering and ●…ormy, our soul and ●…onscience in it is likened to a Ship tossed to and fro with many contrary winds of restless temptations: the Anchor which keeps us steadfast that we be not driven away with the wind, and preserue●… us sure that we sink not under the waves, is ou●… Faith: the Rock whereupon it fasteneth the gripes thereof, is abou●… within the vail, the Lord jesus: the Cords or Cables that holdeth sure together the Ship and the Anchor, are the promises of God's mercy made with this threefold universality, of all sins, all times, all persons, Repen●…ance intervening. This funiculus triplex qui non ●…cile rumpitur: that three●…ld cord, which is not ●…fily broken: were the ●…ormes of our life never 〈◊〉 deadly, we have this ●…omfort, we may be mo●…ed, but cannot be remo●…ed: we may be sore tos●…d, but cannot suffer ●…ipwracke, our Anchor fastened not upon sand 〈◊〉 slipping ground, but ●…pon the Rock, it will ●…t come home to us, but ●…ill draw us home vn●… it. Therefore Philo speaking of Faith, called Faith how commended by Philo. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The only su●… seal and infallible goo●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The sola●… Philo lib. de Abrahamo. of our life: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The fuln●… of good hopes: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The auer●… of evils: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the bringer of good. The learned rec●… Defined by Scult. Theologs express t●… nature of Faith by t●… definition; Fides est fi●…cia Scultet. idea contion. in Deum plane filia●… concepta ex agnitione Ch●…sti, & amore Patris, 〈◊〉 homo in amplexum Dei r●… & ait Abba Pater: Fa●… a filial confidence in ●…od, conceived of the ●…owledge of Christ, and 〈◊〉 th●… love of the Father him, whereby man ●…nneth unto God, and ●…yeth unto him Abba ●…ther. Of this is evident the In faith there is a twofold working power. ●…o-fold operation of ●…ith: first, there is in faith apprehending virtue, 1 An apprehending Virtue. 〈◊〉 which the believer re●…iues and applies to ●…selse jesus Christ, as is offered in the Word 2 A randring virtue. ●…d Sacraments. Second●… there is in Faith a ran●…ing virtue, (so to call it) ●…hereby the believer goes out of himself into the Lord. By the fir●● Christ becomes ours: b● the second we resign ourselves unto Chris● and become his: Qui credit in Deum, transit ●● Deum; the phrase in m●● significant manner imports thus much, that who believes in God passeth out of himself into God, he become● partaker of the divine nature: Pet. he lives not an● more in himself, b●● Christ lives in him, an● makes him say with t●● Apostle: Now thanks ●● to God I live, yet not I, 〈◊〉 Christ liveth in me: for by ●ith he being planted in ●hrist jesus draweth sap 〈◊〉 grace from him, which ●akes him to become ●●ch as Christ is, and to ●●nder unto him the fruit 〈◊〉 his own plantation, ●ost acceptable to him. These than are the two These are the two hands of Faith, by the one it gives, by the other it receives. ●●nds of Faith: by the ●●●st it receives from God, ●y the second it gives vn●● God: this is a point ●●t commonly marked 〈◊〉 this age: many would ●●●ioyne these two, which ●od hath conjoined together, as if Faith had but ●●e hand for receiving, and not another for giving: they think ther●… is no more but to receiu●… mercy from God, forgetting that by the sa●… Faith they must rend●… sonlike obedience t●… their Father. This is n●… Faith, but presumptio●… Infidelis fiducia, faithle●… confidence. For why, b●…leeuest thou that God become thy Father? a●…prehendest thou him be so in Christ? then sh●… They who have not the rendering virtue, had never the appehending virtue. me that thou hast re●…dred thyself to be 〈◊〉 son: let me see his mage. Natural Fathe●… beget children like vn●… themselves, and shall our heavenly Father bring ●…rth children to another ●…age, than his own? Be ●…hamed O you licenti●…s livers, to call God ●…ur Father: Out of your ●…ne mouth shall ye be ●…dged. If I be a Father, Mal. 1. 6. ●…here is mine honour, saith ●…e Lord of hosts, unto you ●…at despise my name? No, 〈◊〉, your answer is that ●…hich our Saviour gave ●…nto the jews; Ye are Licentious livers are proved to be without true Faith. 〈◊〉 your Father the Devil, ●…cause you do his works. ●…r canst thou say, I be●…eue in jesus, who in thy ●…fe dost not express the virtue of jesus? He is powerful Saviour: th●… Angel gave the reason 〈◊〉 his Name; He shall be ●…led jesus, because he sau●… his people from their sinn●… thou art yet in thy si●… thou canst not say wi●… the Apostle, I was a percuter, Cor. I was a blasphem●… but now thanks be God I am another thi●… Such I was, but now I 〈◊〉 Tim. cleansed: thou art still●… same man thou we●… there is no change of t●… manners, and art still 〈◊〉 eased unto the death. 〈◊〉 all those that came Christ in the Gospel, no●… went away as they came: ●…me came blind, and ●…ent away seeing: some ●…me lepers, and went away cleansed: some para●…ique, and went away ●…nfirmed: some posses●…d with evil spirits, and ●…ent away delivered: ●…ou art not as one of ●…em, thou hast not ●…ught him, thou hast not ●…uched him, thou hast ●…awne no virtue out of ●…m; the Physician hath ●…t cured thee, how then ●…st thou, I believe in Ie●…s? thou art not planted him; for all that are in ●…m, get virtue from him, which works in the●… the similitude of his ow●… life. Here is the miser●… of this age, that a cou●…terfeit Faith is currant ●…mong many, who co●…tent themselves with it, 〈◊〉 if it were a true faith. Verse 2. In my Father's house are many dwelling places: If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. HItherto have 2 Comfort confirmed against the fear of Death. we been comforted against the fear of ●…ne; follows now com●…t against Death. Wher●… the Lord confirms us ●…ainst the offence we ●…ght conceive of his ●…ath, and against the ter●…rs might arise of our ●…ne death, and that which may follow it. This comfort proceeds This comfort proceeds by three degrees. by three degrees In the first is proposed meditation of the man●… Mansions which are i●… our Father's house. Th●… comfort meets our fea●… this way; if death afra●… you, if the grave see●… horrible to you, if it yerksome to rememb●… that which job hath; E●… 1 The first degree of comfort against death and the grave, is the meditation of heavenly mansions. it be long I must make 〈◊〉 bed in the dark: I will 〈◊〉 to corruption thou art 〈◊〉 father, and to the wor●…yee are my brethren and ●…sters; lift up your mind look over this stream at seems to carry all ●…ay with it, cast your ●…es upward to my Fa●…ers House where many ●…ansions are: Death ●…all not be able to de●…ure you, the grave shall ●…t detain you from ●…ese everlasting Taberna●… where the place of ●…ur rest and Mansion This is the first degree the Comfort, and is ●…ntained in these words. Death a compend of all crosses hath need of the greater consolation. As Death is the way of flesh, so is it the com●…nd of all crosses: in it ●…e soul naturally is ●…ubled with fears, the ●…dy with pains. It is the last enemy, which g●… thereth all forces mi●…tant under it, to the la●… battle. It is with us as was with Israel when th●… came out of Egypt, o●… nation of the Egyptia●… pursued them, but wh●… they entered into Cana●… seven nations of Can●…nites joined their forc●… to hold them out. In o●… life every man hath h●… several crosses and tenttions: one hath health 〈◊〉 body, but wrestleth wi●… poverty, not having 〈◊〉 feed his body: anoth●… hath abundance, but hat●… not his health to use i●… some want sight of their eyes, but hear well e●…ough: others see, but ●…eare not at all: one is ●…ained in his outward flesh, another with some ●…ntestine disease: in one ●…here is a whole body, but 〈◊〉 wounded Spirit. If in If it be difficult to bear one cross in our life, how shall we bear many concurring in our death without preparation. ●…ur life we gather not ●…trength against one cross or two, how shall ●…ee endure in death to ●…ight with them all? Wert ●…hou never so rich, poor ●…nd naked thou must go to the grave; arm ●…hee against poverty, ●…earne to want those things which thou hast, before they be taken from thee: were thy sight as quick as the Eagles it shall wax dim, They Eccles. 12. 3. shall wax dark that look out at the window: the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders shall cease, etc. Thy senses shall fail thee, yea, thy heart also, thy beautiful flesh must putrefy & rot, thou must go to the house of Verse 5. thine age; and all that are thine shall for sake thee. In a word armtes of sorrows, Lam. 2. 22. fears and terrors, as in a solemn day, shall be gathered round about thee. And therefore great need have we to arm ourselves against that day of battle, ●…nd specially to lay up in ●…ur hearts these consola●…ons of God, which our saviour here leaves us in ●…is Legacy. In this first degree of The first degree of comfort hath in it four circumstances. ●…he Comfort four cir●…umstances are to be con●…idered: first, who is this ●…e calls his Father: second●…, what is his Father's ●…ouse: thirdly, what are ●…hese mansions: fourth●…y, what is meant here by ●…any mansions. As for the first, the ●…ame of a Father is either ●…ttribute to God indefinitely, and so is common 1 First Circumstance, who is this whom Christ calleth his Father. to all the three person●… of the blessed Trinity, in which sense, among the rest of the styles given unto jesus, he is called, a●… everlasting Father; an●… Esay 9 then the relation respect The name of Father how it is attributed to the three persons, and how to the first person only of the blessed Trinity. eth all his creatures: o●… else particularly it is ascribed to the first person and then the relatio●… doth principally respec●… Christ, and that in bot●… his natures. Secondly; al●… the children of his good wi●… to whom by grace i●… Christ he is become a father. Most comfortable i●… this for us, that he who i●… ●…he Father of our Lord ●…esus Christ by an vn●…eakable generation: for ●…ho can declare it? is also ●…ecome our Father in ●…im: I ascend to my God, ●…nd your God; to my father, ●…nd to your father. And ●…hen we pray he hath ●…ommanded us to call ●…pon God as upon our ●…ther; yea, he hath sent own his Spirit into our arts by whose secret in●…rmation we are taught ●…ith filial confidence to ●…y unto him, Abba Fa●…er. Happy time for us, ●…at so we may call him. The second Circumstance leads us to a consideration 2 Second Circumstance, what is this he calleth his Father's house▪ Esay 66. 1. 1 Kin. 8. 27 of his Fathe●… house; The heaven (sait●… the Lord) is my throne, an●… the earth is my foot-stool●… where then is his house yea, as Solomon saith, T●… heavens, and the heavens ●… heavens are not able to co●…taine him: the Lord is very where, exclud●… from no place, includ●… in none: to them in h●… How he hath a special house, whose presence is every where, in earth, in hell, in heaven. he shows his terror, t●… them on earth he shew●… his goodness, to them i●… heaven he showeth h●… glory, what then is th●… he calleth his Fathe●… house? This speech ●… borrowed from the manner of Kings, who albeit the whole Kingdom be theirs, yet have they some place of residence, which more properly is called the King's house: even so by this house, which our saviour calleth his Father's house, is understood that place of glory wher●…n he shows his secret & most familiar presence to his Saints: this is the house 2 Cor. 5. not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens: this is the City having a foundation, Heb. 11. 10 whose builder and maker is God: this is the City which needeth not Sun Reu. 21. nor Moon. This is the Paradise of God, the inner A commendation of our Father's house Court of the palace of God, the heaven of heavens, the holy of holiest. S. Pau●… calls it, the third Heavens; he saw it, but could not reveal the glory of it; he contents him to tell what it was not, but takes not in hand to tell what it was ●… he describes it negative, we shall know it when we shall see it; till than no heart of man can understand it. The Christian by course hath residence in three houses: The first was his mother's womb, there he sojourned by months. The second is this world, wherein he ●…oiourneth by years. The ●…hird is heaven, wherein ●…re the everlasting Taber●…acles: and there the chri●…tian shall dwell for ever. Of this comparison will ●…ppeare the glory of our ●…hird house, whereof who ●…o pleases to read more, ●…s likewise of that com●…ort we have of this, that God the Father of our Lord jesus, is also become ●…ur Father in him, may ●…ee it at greater length in ●…ur treatises on the eight ●…o the Romans, and Defiance of Death. The third circumstance 3 Third circumstance what is meant by Mansions, to wit, endurance to all eter●…tie. is in the word Mansions, and it imports the endurance and eternity of that house, and them which dwell in it: it is no sojourning house, no place for pilgrims, but our mansion place The earth is stable and moves not, yet all things in it are in a continual motion, we never stand in one estate: from the womb our course is to the grave without any resting. The heavens are again in a perpetual motion, and yet above them hath the Lord prepared our mansion. That petition of the Church is a meet prayer ●…r us; O thou whom my Cant. 1. ●…ule loveth, show me where There the great shepherd resteth and feedeth his flock, but not here. ●…ou ●…eedes, and rests at the ●…one day. Here the Lord ●…edes us, but here the ●…ord rests not; here is light, but not the light of ●…e noon day. No, no, ●…e Sun in his meridi●… light, extends not so ●…rre, the morning twight, as the lightsome ●…ory of our mansions ●…ceeds the greatest glo●… man can have in his ●…lgrimage. As the great ●…ies of Campania seem ●…t little cottages to them who stand on the top●… the Alps, & as the moo●… covereth herself with pale vale, and shineth n●… at all in presence of t●… Sun, so all the beau●… and glory of this eart●… shall vanish, when that gl●…ry of the Sons of God sh●… be revealed. Miserable worldlin●… Folly of worldlings who seek their Mansions, where they cannot remain. have no care of a place ●… these mansions, as if could be obtained wit●… out care, but beyond ●… measure they care for t●… place of their pilgrimag●… as if their care could pr●…cure the continuan●… thereof. What greater fo●… ●…y then this? Suppose thy ●…ossessions were as sure ●…s the earth to remain with thee and thine after ●…hee to the world's end, ●…rt thou also sure to remain with them? No: in ●…ne hour, wherein thou ●…ookest least for it, it will ●…e told thee, O fool this ●…ight they will take away ●…hy soul from thee. But in truth thy posses●…ons Their portion on earth came from one & shall go to another. are most unsure, ●…hey came from another ●…and unto thee, & thinkst ●…hou so to tedder and re●…eiue them, that from ●…hee they shall not pass ●…o another. S. Paul his Epithet for riches is to 1 Tim. 6. be marked, Trust not in uncertain riches. Solomon attributes wings unto them; if they flee not tow●…rd Prou. thee, thou wert not able to reach unto them, and if they will flee from thee, thou art not able to detain them. David compares Psal. them to a flowing water, which as it hath ●… filling, so also an ebbing which none is able to stay. Fluxa est diuitiaru●… Basil. in Psal. 11●…. Worldly possessions are not permanent, but in a continual flux. natura. And Basile writing on that place, called them to be of a flowing nature, possidentes torrent●…citius praetereunt ac dese●… unt: they run by their ●…ossessors, like the water ●…f a swift running river, ●…nd forsakes them. If ye ●…oe to the land-ward, ye ●…hall see the field which ●…elongeth to one this ●…ay, rendered unto the ●…ossession of another the ●…ext morning. If ye en●…r into cities, how many ●…ames from several Ma●…ers hath the houses ther●…f changed, since they ●…ere first builded; if ye ●…oke unto gold and sil●…er, goes it not from one ●…and to another, like wa●…r that hath the one way ●…d cannot long be kept in the hand. Nazian ze●… Nazian. de hom. vilitate. compared them to a ball which young men tosse●… too and fro, and is now i●… the hand of one, and in●… continent in the hand o●… a●…other. We live in a time, whe●… In this age the earth spews out her inhabitants. in, as job saith we may s●… the portion of many curs●… upon earth. If the nett●… possess not their pleasa●… place, and the thorn the●… job 24. 18. Tabernacle, as was threa●…ned Hosea 9 6. by Hosea, and is see●… upon many; yet at lea●… their own place misknow●… job. them, and they leave th●… riches unto others. Th●… think their houses shall co●…tinue Psal. 49. 10 and calls their lands ●…y their names: thus their ●…ay uttereth their folly. It ●…ay be the Lord dealeth ●… with some in mercy, ●… he caused Goshen to cast ●…ut Israel, that he might ●…ring them to Canaan: so To some it may be done in mercy, as Goshen cast out Israel. ●…e Lord to chase his own ●…nto heaven, maketh the ●…rth to forsake them. But ●…re unto many, it is the ●…arefull recompense of ●…eir sins, that wrath ●…hich the fundamental ●…nnes of their house, hath ●…ndled long ago, breaeth now out into a flame ●… devour them, accor●…ing to that threatened curse. The land shall sp●…out Leuit. 20. the inhabitants: f●… men have stopped th●… ears at the word of t●… Lord, therefore now do●… he mean himself to t●… works of his hands: h●… hath offered a place in t●… heavenly Mansions vn●… men, which they have ●…fused, choosing rat●… with loss of heaven ●… seek a possession on ear●… that which God off●… them in heaven, they ●… not have, and that wh●… But unto many, this earthquake is a plague proportionable to sins. they would feign ha●… upon earth, he suff●… them not to enjoy. T●… Lord hath smitten ●… earth, and it trembles, he ●…ath shaken this land with fearful earthquake: ●… many of all estates cast ●…ut from their ●…ncient ●…ossessions, hath not been ●…und in many hundred ●…ares before us. And yet ●… this great work of ●…e Lord, men are not ●…akened to learn the in●…bility of things that ●…e here, and to provide ●…lace for themselves in ●…ese enduring Mansions, ●…ereunto our Saviour ●…re calleth us. The last circumstance here, that the Mansi●… are many, noting unto us two things. Fir●… 4 The fourth circumstance is what means the many mansions, this imports. Heb. 12. Revelat. 7. 9 the largeness of amplitude of that place: ne●… the comely order that ●… there. As for the first, it clear, innumerable Ang●… dwell there; and bes●… them, a great multitu●… which no man can num●… of all Nations, kindreds, p●…ple, 1 The largeness or amplitude of that place. and tongues, but th●… is room enough, and ●…ficient for all. Again, it notes ●… 2 The comely order of that place, without confusion. comely and decent or●… of that house, there ●… be no confusion there▪ earthly assemblies, w●… great multitudes of p●…ple gather together to old any pleasant specta●…e, one of them is an im●…ediment to anot●…: it ●…all not be so there. The ●…omane Emperors raised ●… ample amphitheatres a circular form, that ●…eir people sitting round ●…out, might have a com●…odious sight of such ●…easant spectacles as ●…ere exhibited unto them: ●…heir seats ascended by ●…grees, that one of them ●…ould not hinder the ●…ht of another; these ●…ere only erected as oc●…sion served, and lasted ●…t a time, till at length ●…mpeius the Great caused to be built a great & pe●… ma●… Amphitheate●… of such huge quantity that Plinius testifies, fui●…id Plin. lib. 36 cap. 15. opus maximum omni●…quae unquam fere huma●…manu Panciro●… rerum mem. lib. 1. facta sunt, it was t●… greatest work that eu●… was wrought by the ha●… of man, and therefore ●… Emperor Nero, to sh●… to some Nobles of G●… many the stateliness Rome, brought them this Theatre replenis●… with the people of Ro●… If worms of the ea●… have done so nobly ●… give contentment to th●… Subjects, what shall ●… expect from the Lord our ●…od? O what a glorious ●…mphitheatre is that Of that glorious Amphitheatre wherein all Saints sit in a circle, & God in the midst. ●…herein all the Saints of ●…od shall sit in a circle, ●…d the Lord and the ●…ambe, and the seauen●…ld spirit shall have their ●…rone in the midst of ●…at circle, as one com●…on object of vnspeakea●…e delight, and pleasure them all. Upon earth there are Many glorious assemblies of Saints upon earth, but one of them knows not another. ●…ny glorious assemblies the Saints of God, but ●…e of them knows not ●…other in the face, they ●… distinguished by seue●…l countries, and in one country by several ●…ties, and in one city by several Churches: yea, i●… one house they are distinguished by several chambers: but it shall not 〈◊〉 so there, all the dispers●… Saints of the Lord sh●… there be gathered together into one, they sh●… have full joy in the Lo●… their God, and mutu●… joy every one in another Per charitatem fiet ut qu●… Aug. in joan. tract. 67. It will not be so in heaven. habent singuli common 〈◊〉 omnibus: If Adam kne●… his Eva, whom he h●… never seen before, a●… Peter, james & john kn●… Moses and Elias in 〈◊〉 ●…ansfiguration, what shall ●…inder why the Saints of ●…od shall not know one ●…other there, every one 〈◊〉 rejoicing in another, ●…at all their contentment ●…all rest in the Lord, in ●…hose face is that fullness ●…ioy, which shall abundantly satisfy them all? The ancients upon this Degrees of glory observed by Ancients out of this place. ●…ace observes degrees of ●…ory. Distinguet Deus quo ●…isque sit honore, qua man●…ne dignus: God sitteth 〈◊〉 the midst of Gods, ●…at is, in the midst of ●…em that shall be saved, ●…scerning and distingui●…ing Nazi. orat. 5. de filio. what honour, and what mansion place i● due unto every one. 〈◊〉 domo patris mei mansion● Elias ibid. in Nazian. multae sunt, hoc est dignitatum, & conditionum discrimina: In my Father's house are many mansions, that is, differences o● dignities, and estates: n●● enim dixisse dominum p●tare debemus multas es● mansiones respectu discriminis locorum, sed ordin● donorum; for we are no● to think that our Lor● said, there are many mansions in respect of the differences of places, but i● respect of the order o● gifts. When the Sun shineth, all men do not ●qually enjoy the light ●hereof, but every man ●ath his own delight in 〈◊〉 according to the faculty of his sight; so should ●ee esteem of that light, ●ae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est, which ●euer goeth down, Quā●rem per multas mansio●s discrimen honoris san●orum significatur: where●re by many mansions ●e different honour of The object of joy is one for all Saints, the manner of fruition different. ●●ints is signified unto us. 〈◊〉 is true, saith Augustine 〈◊〉 respect of the object, all ●●ioy one thing, & therefore in that parable, all the labourers in the vineyard are served alike with on●… penny: quo utique denar●… Aug. in joan. tract. 67. vita significatur aeterna, 〈◊〉 amplius alio nemo viui●… quoniam vivendi non est d●… versa in aeternitate mens●…ra; sed multa mansiones si●… nificant diversas in una v●…ta aeterna dignitates: 〈◊〉 which penny eternal l●… is signified, wherein one●… veth no more or long●… then an other, becau●… in eternity there are n●… divers measures of liuin●… but many mansions si●…nifies divers dignities 〈◊〉 one and the same etern●… life; which yet shall 〈◊〉 without any murmurin●… ●…r grudging, or sense of ●…ant in any, for all shall ●…e filled, and fully con●…ented. Nec erit invidia Aug. ibid. ●…iqua imparis claritatis, ●…oniam regnabit in omni●…us unitas charitatis: Nei●…er shall there be a●…ong them any envy for ●…nequal glory, for in them ●…l shall reign the unity ●…f Charity. Sic enim quisque●…iam ipse habet, cum amat 〈◊〉 altero, quod ipse non ha●…et; for after this manner ●…uery man hath that ●…hich he hath not, when ●…e loveth in another that ●…hich he hath not. But how ever it be, sure we are of a great glory, Yet this will import a proportion between that glory, and man his merits. yea, an infinite weigh●… of glory, and of comel●… order in that house o●… glory: God grant our car●… may be rather in fear & trembling, to prepare ou●…selues for it, then curious●…ly to inquire the secret●… of it, which as yet are no●… revealed. One thing hee●… we must remember, tha●… different degrees of glor●… importeth not any pro●…portion between tha●… glory, & man his merits Indeed, the different degrees of pains in hell, ar●… according to the different deservings of men●… for Death is the wages of ●…nne: but the opposition ●…olds not to say, Eternal ●…ife is the wages of our works: the Apostle changeth his speech, and saith; But eternal life is the gift Rom. 6. ●…f God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ●…reely given of his fa●…our. And albeit the Anci●…nts In what sense Ancients some times use the word of meriting. sometime use the ●…ord of meriting, yet that ●…herby they signify one●…y obtaining and not de●…eruing, as the Papists in●…erpret it, is evident of ●…hat one place among ●…any of Augustine: Nos ●…ero fratres, qui nullis praecedentibus meritis de inferni Aug. de resur. Ser. 3. carcere, & tenebris aternae noctis meruimus liberari: There is meriting Papisticke merits disproved by the Father Augustine. without merits, that is, obtaining without merits. Hitherto tends the like of his speeches, all of them disclaiming deserving, none of them condemning good working: Ne meritis suis tribuat, si Aug. de nupt. & concup. lib. 2 cap. 17. ad eandem massam quisque pertinens, gratia liberetur, sed qui gloriatur, in Domini glorietur: Let no man attribute this to his own merits, that he, pertaining to that same mass of sin wherein all mankind is involved, hath been delivered from by grace, but let him that glorieth glory in the lord Si ergo Aug ad Bonifac lib. 1. cap. 20. ad honorem gratiae pertinemus, non simus ingrati tribuendo nobis quod accepimus: quid enim habemus, quod non accepimus? If therefore we belong to the honour of grace, let us not be so unthankful as to attribute that unto ourselves, which we have received: for what have we that we have not received? Quaere dona mea, Aug. de verb. Apostol. Serm 8. ●…bliuiscere merita tua, quia ●…i ego quaererem merita tua, ●…on venires ad dona mea: Seek my gifts, forget thy merits: for if I sought thy merits, thou shouldst not come to my gifts. And again, entreating that place of the Apostle●… Henceforth is laid up for●… me a crown of righteousness, he turns him by an Apostrophe to the Apostle, and speaks in this manner; Give me leave, ●… know nought to be thine▪ but that which is evil ●… Cum ergo corona●… Deus merita tua, nihil aliud coronanisi dona sua: When Go●… crowneth thy merits, h●… crowns nothing by hi●… own gifts. And mos●… ●…earely, Deus impijs reddit ●…uod debetur in poena, pijs ●…onat quod non debetur in ●…atia. The Lord renders ●…at punishment to the ●…icked, which is their due ●…y deserving, but of ●…ace gives that to the ●…dly, which he is not ●…ebt-bound to give. The same tenor of Do●…rine In like manne●… they are disproved by Bernard. is kept by Bernard 〈◊〉 many places, namely, 〈◊〉 that notable Treatise ●… hath of that fourfold ●…bt, wherein man stands ●…lieged to the lord Bern. de quadrup. debito. ●…rst, thou art obliged 〈◊〉 him, as unto thy Crea●…r, when thou hast given him the whole service o●… A notable discourse of a fourfold debt wherein manstands debtor to the Lord. thy soul and body, tho●… hast given but his due●… because he created them●… Secondly, thou art debtor to him as unto th●… Redeemer, who hath redeemed 1 For his Creation. thy life by suffering death for thee: wher●… with wilt thou pay th●… debt? If thou sayst tho●… 2 For his Redemption. wilt pay it with good se●…uice, how can that be●… seeing all thy service ●… not able to pay thy fir●… debt. Cum Christo dona●…ro quicquid sum, quioqu●… possum, nun istud est sic●… Stella ad solemn, gutta ●… flwium: When I ha●… ●…iuen unto Christ all that ●…am, all that I can, all is not ●…ke a Star in compari●…n of the Sun, or like 〈◊〉 drop in respect of a ●…iuer. There is yet a 3 For his former sinful life. ●…ird debt upon thee; Exi●…nt à te praeterita peccata ●…a, futuram vitam tuam: ●…hy former sins re●…uires of thee a better ●…e in time to come. See●…g thou hast but still one ●…ing to pay all thy Cre●…ters, Nunquid (ut vulgo ●…citur) de una filia duos ●…tuisti facere generos? ●…ilt thou, as the Pro●…erbe is, make two sons 〈◊〉 law of one daughter? Beside these there is ●… 4 For the hope of eternal life. fourth; thou desirest t●… possess that City, o●… which it is said, Glorio●… things are spoken of thee, ●… City of our God: and t●… have a room in the●… heavenly Mansions th●… are in thy Father's house●… Nun ad hoc emendend●… totum te, & quaecunque, ●… undecunque contrahere p●…ter is dare oportebit: Mu●… thou not for buying an●… obtaining of this, giu●… thyself, and all tha●… whatsoever, or howsoever thou art able together it, and yet when tho●… hast done all, The afflicti●… Rom. 8. 18. ●…ns of this present time are ●…ot worthy of that glory to ●…e revealed. Wilt thou And shall man be so impudent as to think he may satisfy all these creditors with a halfpenny. ●…hen be so impudent, Vt ●…inutum tuum etiam ad hoc ●…onquirendum vel ●…udeas ●…umer are: that thou darest ●…e bold to lay out thy ●…alfe-penny to conquer ●…is also, seeing it is in●…aged by just debt to so ●…any before? Quis ergo ●…icet se nimium egisse, cum ●…ec mill simae, imo nec mini●…ae debitorum suorum par●… valeat respondere? Let ●…apists blush & be asha●…ed to hear this▪ in their ●…aine confidence they ●…ry out, of the fulfilling of the Law, of the doin●… Let Papists blush, for no man is able to pay the thousand part of his debt. of works of supererogation, which is more the●… the Law requires, & th●… they can merit eterna●… life by the worthinesse●… their works. There ●… the answer of Berna●… unto these men: Who 〈◊〉 this, that dares say he h●… done that which he shou●… or more than he should, s●…ing no man is able to ans●… the thousand, nay, not 〈◊〉 lest part of that which he debt-bound to do? If it were not so, I would have told you. HEre is a confirmation The comfort given us is the greater because it is told from him who is the true and faithful witness. of the first degree 〈◊〉 the Comfort: It is no ●…ine word I have spoken 〈◊〉 you, it is true, and you ●…all find it so; if it were ●…t so, I would have told ●…u. If we would reap ●…e fruit of this Comfort, ●…ee must consider who ●…e is that gives it: he is ●…lled the faithful witness; Revel. 1. 1 joh. 5. 20. ●…e true one: God hath gi●…n us a mind to know him who is true. What his ser●…nts spoke of our Lord and his glory, they spa●… with a warrant: We f●… 2 Pet. 1. 16 lowed no deceivable fa●… when we opened to you●… power and coming of 〈◊〉 Lord jesus Christ, but w●… our eyes, we saw his M●…stie. What himself spa●… he spoke out of certai●… knowledge: and w●… now he speaketh in 〈◊〉 ears, we shall one 〈◊〉 see it with our eyes. rael sung it of old; As ●… Psal. have heard, so have we s●… Neither can so much be told us as afterward we shall see. in the City of our God: a●… so shall we; yea, we sh●… see much more than e●… we heard: for the glo●… of these Mansions ●…ngue is able to express, ●…e shall be forced to con●…sse with that Queen of 1 King. 10. ●…eba, that the half of ●…e glory of our Salomon●…s ●…s not told us in our ●…ountry. Iames●…d ●…d john got but a transi●…rie glance of that glory 〈◊〉 Mount Tabor: if a ●…nce of it did so ravish ●…em, how shall the full ●…ht thereof replenish us, ●…ely let us pray with ●…t sweet Singer in Is●…ll; Psal. 106. 4. 5. Remember me O ●…rd with the favour of thy ●…ple: visit me with thy ●…uation, that I may see the ●…icitie of thy chosen, and rejoice in the joy of thy people, and glory with thine inheritance. And here again is to The perfection of Christ's Prophetical office, he hath left nothing untold, needful for us to know. be observed the perfection of Christ's Prophetical office: what he hat●… told us is true, and he hath left nothing vntol●… which is needful for 〈◊〉 to know, that— we ma●… be saved. So witnesse●… S. john; Many other sig●… john 20. 30. 31. did jesus in presence of 〈◊〉 Disciples, which are 〈◊〉 written in this Book: 〈◊〉 these things are written t●… we might believe that Ies●… is the Christ, the Son God, and that in beleeu●… ●…ee might have life through is name. With him agrees ●…. Paul, who protests he ●…ad delivered to the El●…ers Acts 20. 27 of Ephesus, the whole ●…ounsell of God: and yet it recorded of him, that ●…hen he opened his cause 〈◊〉 the jews and Brethren ●…f Rome, He preached to Acts 28. 23 ●…em concerning jesus, out ●…f the Law of Moses and of ●…e Prophets: yet are the ●…duersaries so shameless 〈◊〉 to affirm, that though ●…ow the Evangelists and ●…postles be joined with ●…oses and the Prophets, ●…et in all their writings ●…e counsel of God, concerning our salvation 〈◊〉 not to be found. And grant that any point needful to salvation were not revealed by him, what Angel or man were able to reveal it? But admit it were a●… they say, that all thing needful for us to know were not told us by ou●… Lord and his holy Pe●… men. Who is he that able to reveal that whi●… the great Angel of t●… Covenant, the Doct●… & Prophet of his Chur●… hath not revealed? T●… last Book of holy Scr●…ture, is the Book of t●… Revelation, it is come fro●… the right hand of that ●…ler, who sitteth on t●… Throne. S. john saw closed with seven seal●… ●…nd he mourned, because ●…one in heaven nor in ●…arth were able to open ●…t, yet the Lamb opened ●…t, which if he had not ●…one, the Proclamation made by the Angel wit●…esseth, that none was ●…ble to have done it. This ●…ame may we say of all ●…he remanent Books of ●…oly Scripture; the Lamb ●…ath loosed to us the Seals of them all: he ●…nely hath opened and ●…euealed them unto us. And if any part of the ●…ounsell of God needful ●…o be known for saluati●…n, be yet unsealed & not revealed to us, I pray them tell us who is he i●… heaven or in earth, wil●… do that which the Son of God hath left vndone●… It is a blasphemy again●… the Son of God, to say he hath not taught v●… that which is needful fo●… us, or that any other shal●… come after him to reveal that which our Lord hath not revealed unto us. And no less iniuriou●… The perfection of his Priestly office is no less certain. Heb. are they in this, that they dare derogate from the sufficiency and perfection of his Priestly office. He hath offered himself once, and once only, and that for all his own, a ●…ropitiatorie sacrifice, for the full satisfaction of his Father's justice: yet are not they ashamed to say, that he hath satisfied for us only in a part, & that which he hath not done must be supplied by our own satisfactions, or of others for us. But if these ●…gnorant men had but a taste of that bitter cup which our Saviour drank for our sins, the horror whereof made him to sweat a bloody sweat, they would feel and be forced to confess that it were impossible for any creature to make satisfaction to divine justice fo●… the smallest sin tha●… ever was committed by man. Neither can thi●… blasphemy be excuse●… by this pretence, that ou●… works and sufferings be●… come satisfactory by th●… virtue of Christ's merit●… for the meriting and satisfactory power of Chris●… is personal; He hath by Heb. 1. 3. himself purged our sins He transfers to hi●… Our Lord transfersto his Saints the benefit of his merit, but not the vettue of meriting. Saints the benefit of his merits, but not the power of meriting: that is the glory of a Saviour, which he reserveth to himself and will not give to ano●…her. And as it is perso●…all, so it is perfect: he ●…ath in such sort done his work for us by him●…elfe, that he hath not left ●…ny part thereof to be one or supplied by ano●…er: for which we have ●…at most clear testimo●…ie of the holy Oracle: ●…ee is able perfectly to save Heb. 7. 25. ●…l them who come unto ●…od by him. Woe therefore ●…ill be unto them, who are say that he saveth ●…ot perfectly, but in a art. Thus have we finished he first degree of the comfort, with the confirmation The conclusion of this first degree of Comfort. thereof: wherei●… we see our Saviour pre●… seth to draw up our hart●… and allures us to follo●… him unto his Fathe●… house. It is the mann●… of Bridegrooms to see●… their Bride in the hou●… of her Father, and th●… to carry her home to t●… house of their Father: ●… did our immortal H●…band unto us, he sent ne●… their Angel nor Arc●… angel for us, as Isaac se●… Eliezer to bring Rebe●… from Padan Aram: su●… was his love, he ca●… himself, and sought v●… ●…e found us not worthy Wherein we may see how our Lord after the manner of earthly Bridegrooms, having sought and married us in our Father's house, doth now invite us to go with him to his Father's house. ●… be loved; for we were ●…owned in debt, filthy ●…d loathsome Lepers, ●…ead in sin and trespas●…s, yet his love overcame ●…l these impediments; ●…ill entertainment got ●…ee in our Father's house, ●…orse than jacob got from ●…aban; they spitted on his ●…ce, they buffeted his ●…eeks, they scourged him ●…nd crowned him with ●…ornes; yet still his love ●…uer-came all, and he pa●…iently suffered till he ●…ad relieved us from our ●…ebt, cleansed us from ●…ur filthiness, clothed us with change of raymen●… and married us unto hi●… self, than he ascended o●… high, and invites us t●… follow him, and go wi●… him to his Father's hous●… where he promiseth 〈◊〉 better entertainment Here they gave him Evil entertainment got our Husband in our father's house, but better abideth us in his Father's house. crown of thorns, the●… he shall give us a Crow●… of glory: here they spi●…ted on his face, there h●… Father shall embrace v●… and kiss us with the kiss●… of his mouth: here the●… made him a companio●… of thieves, there he sha●… make us a companion o●… Angels. He longs to hau●… us where himself is; he prays the Father we may be there to see his glory; he cries in loving manner upon us, Come to me, I will refresh you: In my Father's house there is room enough for you; Come and see, O daughter, hearken and consider, and Psal. 45. 10 11. incline thine ear, forget also thine own people, & thy Father's house, so shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty. Oh that we might answer the Lord with that voice of true Israelites captived in Babel: If I Psal. 137. 5. 6. forget thee O jerusalem, let my right hand forget (to play;) if I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth: if I prefer not jerusalem to my chief joy: We are here in a strange land, shall we forget Our Zion and jerusalem which is above. Alas, that we are bewitched with the pleasures of Babel, and do not long as we should to see our Father's house, that we may be for ever with the Lord. I go to prepare a place for you. THe second degree of 2 The second degree of the comfort, is a consideration of the right we have to these heavenly mansions. the comfort is in these words: the disciples and others his Saints might have said, Lord, it is joyful for us to hear of thy Father's house, and of the many Mansions which are in it; but what is that unto us? what right or interest have we in it? To this doubt, the Lord opposeth this second degree of comfort; wherein that which he spoke generally in the first, he applies particularly to them: the Mansions of my Father's house are for you and such as you are: I shall make you a right unto them; for this cause came I into the world; for this cause go I unto my Father, that I may prepare a place for you. This comfort is most Without this, the first degree of comfort could not avail us. And why? necessary: for what avails it unto us to hear of the joys of that life to come, and of the glory of that kingdom, unless we know, that it belongs unto us? The wicked heareth tell of it, but shall ever see it, yea, they may st of the powers of the life come, but shall never en●…y them. These are cur●…d with a curse more ●…arefull than that of the ●…amaritan Prince, he believed not the word of ●…e Lord, spoken by Eli●…a the Prophet, that Saaria then straited with ●…amine, should have plen●… of victual upon the ●…orrow; thou shalt see with 2 Kin. 7. 2. ●…ine eyes, but shalt not eat ●…ereof, said the Prophet. ●…o is it with the wicked, ●…ey shall see the Son ●…f man come in his glory, ●…ut they shall not be with him: yea, they shall 〈◊〉 banished from his pr●…sence, they shall see t●… godly at the right ha●… of jesus, but shall not ●… gathered with them. T●… is their curse; from t●… which, the Lord prese●… us. In this second deg●… Four words to be considered in this second degree of comfort. these four words are ●… be considered. First sai●… our Saviour, I go, nam●…ly, to my Father's hou●… Secondly, wherefore? ●… prepare. Thirdly, what ●… prepare? A place. Fourt●…ly for whom? for you. The first word than 1 The first word, I go. I go. Our Saviour ca●… to the world but tarri●… Our Saviour came into the world, but tarried not in the world. not in the world; two ●…d thirty years lived he ●…on earth. Now he hath ●…cended on high, and ●…th by example & word ●…ouokes us to follow ●…m: he is that great Ea●…e which fleeth over his ●…ung, fluttering with ●…e wings, alluring us to ●…ee after him: he calleth ●…on us by his word, My ●…ople, Come out of Babel, ●…me out of Egypt, ye are ●…t in bondage there, ye ●…e oppressed there: Rise, ●…d follow me, Come and ●…e the beauty of my Fa●…ers house. Is it not a shame for us to lie back and linger in this journey Most part among us hau●… lived as long as our Lor●… yea, many twice as long shall we still desire to li●… long in this absence fro●… him? It was promised b●… Esay, that under the kingdom of Christ, there sh●… Esay 65. 20 be no more a child of yeare●… Since he hath lent most part of us to live here a longer time than he took to himself, it is shame for us to desire more. nor an old man that ha●… not filled his days. An●… these Fathers who sa●… the day of Christ, but a fa●… off, were joyful to dy●… that they might enjoy him. Thus is it said o●… Isaac, that he died full ●…daies; and shall not we, t●… whom this day of our ●…ord hath shined more early, long to be dissoled, that we may be with ●…ur Lord. I grant long ●…fe is one of God his pro●…ised temporal blessings, ●…ut it is a far greater bles●…ng so to live, that thou ●…e content to die: so to ●…se the days which God ●…ath lent thee, that thou ●… and not in need of any ●…ore, spending every day 〈◊〉 if it were thy last day, ●…ke Israel in Egypt, with ●…ynes girded up, and thy ●…affe in thy hand for the ●…urney, ever looking and ●…nging, when the Lord shall command thee 〈◊〉 remove. Again, it is to be o●… As the death of our Saviour, so the death of Saints is but a going to our Father. served that our Sauio●… speaking of his death, c●… it a going to his Fathe●… S. Luke calls it the time 〈◊〉 his assumption, namely, 〈◊〉 into heaven. If we co●… consider this, it wo●… banish from us the pr●…phane fear of deat●… There is one family, sa●… S. Paul, whereof God the Father, part of th●… Family is in heaven, an●… part is upon earth. As ●…rusalem was distinguish●… into two cities, the supe●…or, and inferior, so is t●… Church: The superior ci●… hath in it the compa●… of Saints triumphant: ●…e inferior consists of ●…e company of Saints ●…ilitant, yet both make 〈◊〉 but one family. Now ●…en, since our death is 〈◊〉 other thing, but a pas●…g from the lower ●…use, up into the higher, 〈◊〉 the transplanting of a ●…ee from one part of the ●…ords vineyard to a bet●…r, why shall we grudge it. But of this more ●…ay be seen in our Trea●…es of the eight to the ●…omanes, and defiance to ●…ath. The doctrine of th●… Comfortless is the doctrine of the church of Rome concerning▪ death. Stepmother-Church o●… Rome comes far short o●… this comfort: the deat●… of her children they call●… downe-going to an hou●… in hell, to wit, Purgatory not an upgoing to our father's house in heaven▪ 〈◊〉 comfortless religion▪ Physicians are they of no value: miserable are the●… who are blinded by them Their religion tells the that in thy lifetime tho●… canst not be sure of salvation, and in death it assures thee thou must g●… into purgatory, the pain●… whereof differeth nothing from the pain of hell, ex●…ept that it is of shorter ●…ontinuance, and there ●…eedes them with vain ●…opes that they will bring ●…hee out again, but can●…ot tell thee when. If thou ●…ue thy soul O man, ●…ust not in such deceit●…ll trumpery, hazard not ●…y soul downward, ●…ee that religion which ●…rofesses this for a princi●…le, For the death of her children she defines to be a down. going, not an up-going to the house of our father. that it cannot make ●…ee sure of salvation. If ●…ou wouldst have rest to ●…y soul believe in Christ, ●…enounce thyself, con●…nt thee with his merits, ●…e instructed by his word, there thou shalt learn●… that it belongeth unto al●… his redeemed, which he●… spoke unto one: This nigh●… thou shalt be with me in Paradise. From the place o●… our Pilgrimage all that di●… in the Lord, go by 〈◊〉 strait course to Paradise, they know no Purgatory. Vbi evolaverit Macar. hom. 22. corpore anima si rea sit, p●…testates tenebrarum eam ●…ripiunt, Sanctis vero ast●… Angeli qui eorum anim●… ad suam partem pertra●… So soon as the soul flieth out of the body, if be guilty, the powers 〈◊〉 darkness carries it vi●… lently with them as their prey, but the holy Angels carries the souls of holy men unto their place, as they carried Lazarus his soul into Abraham's bosom: no word here of any mid-place, and no less clear in this point is Nazianzen. Credo omnem Nazi. orat. 24. in ●…audem Caesarij. animam Deo charam, posteaquam corporis vinculis soluta hinc excesserit, hilarem ad dominum suum convolare, & beatitudin●…m reconditam imaginatione quadam percipere. I believe that every soul beloved of God, so soon as it is loosed from the body, flies joyfully unto the Lord, and there enjoys that happiness which in heaven is laid up for it. But no less cruel and But more comfortless and cruel are they when they send down infants unbaptized, to a house of hell, baptized by themselves and called Infernus non baptizatorum merciless are they toward young children dying without Baptism: for these, if the want of Baptism be not supplied by martyrdom, they condemn to another house of hell, which they cal●… infernus non baptizatorum the hell of such as are no●… baptised. Our Saviour commanded to bring th●… young children, and sai●… of such is the kingdom 〈◊〉 heaven, but these new doctors will banish young ones from him, and grant them no place in his kingdom. S. Paul saith, that children of believing Parents are holy, being born within the Covenant; but the Pope sends them down to a house in hell, for want of the seal of the Covenant: But because they still brag of Antiquity, we will let you hear the voice of Antiquity plainly against them. This cruel opinion is condemned by Augustine. First, of this purpose Augustine writes in this manner. Proinde respuendi sunt a cord Christiano, qui putant ideo dictum multas esse mansiones, quod extra regnum coeloru●… erit aliquid, ubi maneant beati innocentes, qui sine Baptismo ex hac vita emigrarunt, quia sine illo in regnum ●…alorum intrare non poterunt. Therefore they are to be rejected, yea, spewed out of a Christian heart, who think, because our Saviour says, there are many Mansions, that therefore without the kingdom of Heaven, there is some place, wherein blessed innocents, dying without Baptism shall remain, because without it they Let Catholic Romans consider what fals●… Catholics they are in Augustine his mind. cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven: Haec ●…ides non est fides, quia non ●…st vera & Catholica fides: This faith is no faith, because it is no true Catho●…ique faith. Dare ye so di●…ide the house of our Father, that some Mansions thereof ye make to be in the kingdom of heaven, others of them without the kingdom of Heaven? Absit ut ●…ui volunt habitare in regno ●…oelorum in hac stultitia ve●…int habitare vobiscum: Far ●…e it from us, that they who would dwell in the kingdom of heaven, should dwell with you in this foolish opinion. With Augustine agreeth With Augustine agreeth Bernard. jerem. 1. 5. Bernard: I read, says he, that the Lord spoke of jeremy, Before thou came out of the womb, I sanctified thee: And of john the Baptist, Qui ex viero, Dominum in utero sensit, who in the womb of his own Mother Elizabeth was touched with a feeling of his Lord, in the womb of Marie the blessed Virgin; Bern. Epist. 174. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had fallen out (〈◊〉 ●…ee) that any of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 died in the 〈◊〉, meaning of Ie●… or john, who will say, being thus sanctified by the Spirit, that they should have been condemned? He that pleases to hear more, let him ●…urne over to his 77. Epi●…tle, written to Hugo de Bern. ad Magi. Hug. de sancto victore. epist. 77. ●…ancto victore, because ●…ome new upstart of that ●…ime had taken in hand to ●…roue the absolute neces●…ty of Baptism out of ●…hese words of jesus to ●…icodemus, Except a man john 3. 5. ●…e borne of water, and of the Not the want, but the neglect and contempt of baptism is prejudicial to salvation. ●…pirit, he cannot enter into ●…he kingdom of Heaven. ●…ernard there improves ●…hat sense, and by forci●…le reasons evinces, that it is not the meaning of Christ in that place, establishing this conclusion, that the want of Baptism cannot be pr●…iudiciall to salvation, Tantum si aqu●… non contemptus sed sola prohibeat impossibilitas, providing it be not the contempt thereof, but impossibility to get it, that causes the want of it. And to Ibid▪ Papists teaching otherways are declared long since by the fathers to be affirmers of new inventions. strengthen his judgement he bringeth in the consent of ancient Fathers that were before▪ him. Mirror si nows iste novarum inventor assertionum et assertor inventionum invenire in hoc rationem potuit, quae sanctos latuit pa●…res Ambrosium & Au●…ustinum, nam si nescit, v●…erque profecto idem sensit, quod fatemur, et nos sentire. Legat librum Ambrosu de ●…orte Valentiniam, & Augustini de uno bap. smo, lib. 4. I marvel says he if this ●…ew inventor of new as●…ertions, and assertor of ●…nuentions could find out ●… reason for his new opinion, which was unknown to the holy Fathers, Ambrose and Augustine, if he be ignorant of it, let him know that both these were of that same mind concerning this point, whereof I am, let him read the book of Ambrose o●… the death of Valentiman and Augustine his fourth book of one Baptism●… These are the words o●… Bernard; Let Papists be ashamed to lurk under the shadow of Antiquity, since they are asserters of novelties, and such novelties as have been by divers ancient Fathers so plainly condemned, long before ou●… time. The second word in the second degree of comfort is. To prepare. The next word here is, of preparing, I go (saith our Saviour) to prepare: This leads us by the hand to take up the greatness of that glory: for it must be a great glory which is prepared by the Lord. And this will appear the better by a twofold comparison: first, of the works of God with the works of man: next, of the works That it must be a great glory which God prepares, will appear. among themselves. As for the first, when men of great power make preparation some great thing answerable to their power is expected of them. I 1 By comparison of the works of men with the works of God. cease to speak of those works, whereunto the luxurious humours of men have carried them without necessity or any good use; as the Pyramids, the Labyrinth, and Plin. lib. 36. cap. 14. Sphynx of Egypt, the temple of Diana, the Sepulchre of Mausolus, the walls of Babel, the Capitol of Rome, and many more. Of all which it is true which pancirol speaketh of one Panciroll. de 7. mundi miraculis. of them; Nulla alia aedificandae Pyramidis causa fuit, quam vana & stulta ostentatio, ut scilicet nec pecunia ipsa, nec etiam plebs otiosa esset: There was no other cause why the Kings of Egypt builded their Pyramids, one whereof was twenty years in building, three hundred and threescore thousand men continually working thereat, no other cause (saith he) was of all this unprofitable labour, but a vain and foolish ostentation, that neither their money nor their men should be idle. But these, as I said, I Noah was an 120. year preraring the Ark, at length he finished it a vessel of huge quantity. ●…eaue, and turn me to holy Scripture. Noah was an hundred and twenty years preparing the Ark. No doubt, as the Lord commanded him to build ●…t, so his wisdom directed him how to build it. Here was a long preparation, and it produced a great work: it behoved to be a great vessel, there were but eight reasonable souls in it, Noah the Father, japhet, Sem and Cham, his three Sons, with their wives, but beside these, it contained all kinds of creatures, beasts of the earth, birds of the air, male and female. Of what huge quantity it was, may appear by this; the Flood continued for Gen 7. 11. the space of a year and ten days: for it began in the six hundred year of Noah, the second month, and seventeenth day of the month, the earth was not dry, ney●…her did Noah come forth Gen. 7. 13. 14. 15. ●…ll the six hundred and ●…ne year, the second month, the twenty sea●…enth day of the month. ●…ow from the time the ●…rke began to rest on the oppe of the mountains ●…f Ararat, it was a quarter Gen. 8. 4. 5. ●…f a year wanting seven ●…ayes, before the top ●…f any mountain was ●…eene. Of this appears ●…hat a huge Vessel it ●…as. Again, great prepara●…on David and Solomon made long preparation for building the temple. was made by Dauid●…nd ●…nd Solomon for building ●…f the Temple: seven years was it a building; at this work he had continually ten thousand men that by course hewed wood in Lebanon: 2 Chron. 2. 18. fourscore thousand Masons that hewed stones in the mountain, threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, three thousand and six hundred Overseers or Masters of The work was a wonder of the world, for where great men make great preparation, great works are expected to follow. the work; and it was a great work, the Kings of the earth maruelle●… & were astonished when they saw it. The second Temple built after the Captivity, was nothing comparable to the first It is true Haggie prophe●…ed that the glory of the ●…cond house should ex●…eed the glory of the first ●…ouse; but that was not 〈◊〉 respect of the building, ●…ut in respect of the personal presence of the Son ●…f God, who taught in ●…at Temple: yet was this ●…cond Temple so great a ●…orke, that the Disciples ●…ondred to see the stones ●…ereof, and Titus when ●…ee destroyed it, turned ●…im to his Captains and ●…yed, Pugnavit hody pro ●…obis Deus, o Commilitones: God hath this day fough●…en for us, O fellow soldiers: for he perceived the strength of that hous●… greater than that he was able to destroy it, if th●… Lord had not been agains●… it. Thus you see whe●… men of power make grea●… preparation, there fo●…lowes great works, Ahasuerus made a grea●… Ahasuerus after long preparation made a royal banquet. Esth. 1. 4. feast to all the Prince's 〈◊〉 an hundred twenty an●… seven Provinces, for n●… other end, but to she●… the riches and glory 〈◊〉 his Kingdom, and th●… honour of his Majesty fo●… the time it lasted, to th●… Princes an hundred an●… fourscore days, to th●… common people it lasted seven days. The place ●…as the court of the Gar●…en of the King's Palace; ●…he Tapestry was of white, green, and blue, ●…astned with cords of fine ●…innen and Purple, in sil●…er Rings and Pillars of Marble; the beds were of Gold and silver, upon a ●…auement of porphyr, ●…nd Marble and Alaba●…er If so great things be done by men when they prepare them for it, what shall we look for from our God? and blue colour. If 〈◊〉 great works were done ●…y a worm of the earth, ●…o show the greatness of ●…is Majesty, what shall ●…ee look for from the Lord our God? how great must that glory be, whic●… is prepared by himself for his Saints of all 〈◊〉 Provinces, not to indu●… for a time, but for eu●… and ever? Secondly, if we sha●… 2 It appears by the comparison of the works of God among themselves. compare the works 〈◊〉 God among themselves we may lay this for ground, that the inuisib●… works of God are alwa●… most excellent: some 〈◊〉 his Creatures are vnde●…standing Spirits only without flesh; such as t●… Angels: some are fl●… only without vndersta●…ding, the one is subject 〈◊〉 sense, not so the other, b●… how far doth the one excel the other? Yea, in man who consists of a ●…oule and of a body, doth ●…ot the invisible soul far excel the visible body? And seeing this visible Seeing his visible works are so glorious, his invisible works must be much more glorious. world, the place of our ●…oiourning, is so beautiful as we may behold it, what shall we think of that invisible Palace, the place of our endless habitation? The great Cities of Campania seem but little cottages to them who stand on the top of the Alps, and when we shall once be exalted to the mountain of our GOD, the most stately and gorgeous building which are now, shall appear nothing at all; yea●… as the Moon coueret●… herself with a pale vail●… at the brightness of th●… Sun, so shall all the glory of flesh vanish, whe●… that glory of the Son of God shall be revealed▪ But here may be demanded, Our mansions in respect of God's decree were prepared before the world. Mat. 25. 34 how saith o●… Saviour, I go to prepare●… place for you? Was it n●… prepared before the fou●…dation of the world? Co●… ye blessed of my Father, 〈◊〉 herit the Kingdom prepred for you from the fo●… dation of the world. The answer is, both these are ●…rue: it was prepared before, and yet is preparing But in respect of the execution of the decree, they are still in preparing. ●…till. Distinguish the decree from the execution ●…f the decree: in respect ●…f the decree it was pre●…ared, in respect of the ●…xecution it is preparing ●…et. And this prepara●…on stands in these three; ●…st, in possession: se●…ndly, in intercession: ●…irdly, in effectual ope●…tion. For the first: Christ Ie●…s And this preparation stands in these three. hath ascended unto heaven to possess it for 〈◊〉 and unto us, to seize our nature in that conquered 1 In possessing us in these mansions places. Tertul. de resur. carnis. Kingdom. O●… this Tertullian, in name o●… all the Saints, glorieth i●… this manner: Quemadmodum nobis aharabonem Spiritus reliquit, ita à nobis a●…rabonem carnis accepit, & vexit in Coelum pignus totius summae illuc quando●… redigendae: Securae esto●… caro & sanguis, vsurpast●… enim Coelum & Regnum Dei in Christo: As t●… Lord hath left behind him unto us, the earne●… of his Spirit, so hath h●… taken from us the earnest ●… our flesh, & carried it in●… heaven, as a pledge th●… the whole sum, namely, all that are his, even in their bodies, shall come thither also: therefore O flesh and blood be glad, and rest in assurance, for thou possessest that Kingdom of heaven already in thy head, the Lord jesus Christ. The second point of 2 In intercession for us, that we may have the place there, which he hath merited. this preparation is his Intercession for us: Christ is not entered into the holy places which are made with hands, and are similitudes ●…f the true Sanctuary, but ●…s entered into the very heaven, to appear now in the ●…ight of God for us. Thus then prepares he that place for us, when by his continual Intercession he prays that the plac●… may be asigned unto every one of us, which he●… hath merited unto vs●… The typical high Pries●… And this intercession is not general but particular for every one of his Saints by name. had the names of all th●… twelve Tribes of Israe●… upon his breast, when he●… appeared before God t●… pray for them: but ou●… high Priest knows particularly by name all h●… Saints, for whom he i●… terceeds: I have called th●… Esay 43. 2. by thy name, for thou ●…mine. Yea, not one●… knows he our person●… but all our several infirmities: For we have not an Heb. 3. 15 high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all things tempted in like sort, yet without sin. And lastly, this preparation 3 In effectual operation, by which he draws us up to these Mansions prepared for us. stands in his effectual operation in us, according as he promised; And I, if I were lift up from the earth, will draw all men unto me, to wit, all that are mine. Then prepares he that place for us, when by his attractive virtue he draws us up unto it: Parat quodammodo Aug. in joan. tract. 68 mansiones, cum mansionibus parat mansores: The Lord after a sort (saith Augustine) prepares a mansion place, when he prepares them who should remain in it. Ita Domine, para quod paras, nos enim tibi paras, & t●… nobis paras, cum locum paras, & tibi in nobis, & in te nobis; tu enim dixisti, Manete in me, & ego in vobis: Even so, Lord, prepare that which thou art preparing, for thou preparest us to thyself, and preparest thyself unto us, when thou preparest a place for thyself in us, and for us in thee; for thou saidst, Abide ye in me, and I in you. john 15. S. Peter joins these two together; An inheritance 1 Pet. 1. 4. 5 kept in the heavens for us, and whereunto we are kept by the power of God through faith. This is for our great comfort, that he who hath prepared that Kingdom for us, prepares us for it: he hath ascended on high, and is now drawing us up after him. We In the Mystical body all the life is in the head, and he will not fail to draw all his members after him. speak it of the natural body, where the head goes through, it will draw the whole body after it: this is much more true in the mystical body; for whereas in the natural body there are more vital parts than one, in the mystical there is no vital part but the head: so long as there is life in the head, and that shall be for ever; for Christ is now risen from the dead, and can die no more, the members shall not want life. Such as are in him feels virtue flowing from him, to draw them up to himself, to renew and prepare them for these new Heavens, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and into the which no unclean thing can enter. Above all things let us take heed that we find this attractive virtue in ourselves: for thereby shall we know that our Lord is preparing a place for us in these heavenly Mansions. Now that our Saviour Limbus patrum altogether elumbat, can find no footing in this place. saith, I go to prepare a place for you: we have showed ●…n what sense he saith it. And therefore they are far mistaken who abuse this place, to prove, that the way to the heavenly Mansions was vnpassa●…le, and heaven inaccessi●…le before the resurrection & ascension of Christ: ●…o affirm the Prolocu●…ors 〈◊〉 on Heb. 9 v. 8. for Babel, that the patriarchs & other good men of the old Testament, were in some other place of rest before the coming of Christ, and not in heaven; and namely, that they were in a place called Limbus Patrum, which in their mind is the uppermost house of hell. A strange opinion, as if there could be any rest but in heaven, or that souls could have rest in any house of hell. And with this they abuse another place of the Apostle to the Hebrews, The way Heb. 9 8. into the holiest of all was not yet opened, while as yet ●…he first Tabernacle was standing. For answering whereof Another place vindicate from the h●…nds of Papists which they would abuse to prove that none of the godly before Christ, went into heaven. we must know, that the Apostles purpose there, is ●…o declare unto the Hebrews, that the service of the Levitical Priesthood & first Tabernacle, could not of itself, give salvation, but figured that salvation which comes by the blood of the high Priest. Now albeit the Levitical service of it 〈◊〉 could neither save Priest nor people, yet so many of them as were spiritual, and in using of the Typical sacrifice, looked by the eye of faith unto the true sacrifice, believing remission of sin●… through the blood o●… Christ, these were saue●… by faith in Christ t●… come, no less than we are saved by faith in Chris●… that is come. And where the Apostle saith, the way●… to heaven was not open during the time of the first Tabernacle, it doth not import, that the way to heaven was closed all that time, but that it 〈◊〉 not manifested then 〈◊〉 made so clearly apparen●… as now it is by the coming of Christ: for the Apostle useth not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifieth The difference of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, declares the way was open then albeit not so clear as now. to open that which was closed, but he useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifieth to make manifest and clear a thing which is dark and obscure. Now there is a great difference between these two; to say that the way of heaven was obscured with shadows & coverings, which were removed by Christ's coming, and the way to heaven more clearly manifested; and to say, that the way and door of heaven was closed & locked up before, till Christ came and opened it: and therefore the Jesuits themselves are forced to translate this word as I have alleged; The way of the holiest was not yet manifested. They had the same Covenant of Grace that we have, but they had it enfolded & covered with figures and shadows, we have it outfolded and clearly proponed without figure or shadow. The Sun before his rising sends out a light, whereby any man that hath eyes may see the way wherein he should walk, but when it riseth, it brings with it a greater light, whereby the way is more clearly manifested. The Lord jesus before his in carnation sent out a light, which showed the way of salvation to so many as were appointed for it, and by that light they walked unto it; but much more clearly hath he manifested it by his own coming. These words are abused, when another sense is enforced upon them. When Moses testifieth of Henoch, that he walked with God, and he was no more seen, for God took Gen. 5. 24. 2 Kin. 2. 11. When the Scripture saith, God took up Henoch & Eliah into heaven, if the doctrine of the Romish Church be true, it must be said, they were carried down to a house in hell. him away. The Doctors of Rome must make this Commentary upon it, God took him away, that is, took him down to an house of hell called Limbus Patrum, or else they must renounce their opinion: and where the Spirit of God saith, that Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven, these babbling builders of Babel will have it expounded this way; that he went down to Limbus: When Lazarus died, his soul was carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom: now say they that the ●…lace called Abrahams bosom ●…osome is now in heaven, ●…ut before Christ's death ●… was a place in hell, Limbus Patrum. But I pray ●…ou what reasonable man ●…ill think that holy An●…els carry the souls of ●…en unto another place ●…en that wherein they ●…well themselves? Origen Origen. in job. ●…riting on that place of ●…b, And naked shall I re●…rne, saith in this manner; I shall return thither, ●…here Adam and the rest ●… mine elders are gone; ●…here the tabernacles of the ●…ghteous are, the rest of the faithful, the consolation o●… the godly; where Abraham's bosom is, and th●… company of Angels, the kingdom of Christ, where i●… light, life and glory, and th●… sight of God. Darest tho●… say these things are to b●… found in any house o●… hell? Fie, that they are not ashamed to maintain such false and ridiculou●… fables. The third word here, is 3 The third word in this second degree of Comfort is, A place. what goes he to prepare A place. Not a place o●… punishment, but as he●… said before, A mansion place, a place of everlasting rest and joy. Still th●… comfort rises by degrees. O what a mercy is this! ●…f a place were assigned to ●…s according to our deserving, the earth would ●…ot bear us. It is the ●…urse of the wicked when ●…hey die, they go down Acts 1. 25. ●… their place; so was it with judas: and when ●…entence shall be given ●…ut against them, the ●…rth shall open & swallow them; but the com●…assion God's great mercy, that man should have a place in heaven. of the Lord, and ●…assion of his Christ, hath ●…eed us from this miserable condition. For our ●…nne we were cast out of ●…arthly Paradise, and yet the Lord out of his love hath given us a place in the heavenly Paradise: The Angels lost the plac●… of their habitation there, & shall never recover it, bu●… man is raised up into thei●… rooms, to sit with Chris●… Ephes. 2. 6. in the heavenly places. But the last word completes 4 The fourth and last word is, For you. the Comfort, fo●… you: I go to prepare a pla●… for you. It were no matter of comfort to hear o●… that place, and of th●… great preparation mad●… in it, if it were not for us for as we showed in th●… beginning, our Sauiou●… here understands not th●… twelve Disciples only, when he saith, I go to prepare a place for you: there is one of the twelve ●…ath no place there; judas Acts 1. 15. went to his own place, and many beside the twelve that shall have place there, ●…s afterward our Saviour expounds himself. Always Particular application of God's promises, is necessary for our comfort. we see it is not sufficient ●…or true consolation to have a general sight of eternal life, but a particular application of the promises thereof is necessarily required in us. And this is the very essential difference which distinguisheth true justifying faith from all other kind●… of faith whatsoever. Th●… Papists mistake it farr●… when they teach there i●… no more in faith then Notitia Coster. enchir. cum assensu, a knowledge with assent. For Papists mistake far the nature of Faith, when they take from it this particular application. suppose thou knowe●… the promises of eterna●… life, and assentest to them also, that they are true i●… the general, if thou ha●… not the assurance (which justifying Faith renders that they are thine, wha●… comfort hast thou? Th●… damned Devils know & confess the Son of God they know his word ●… true, both his promises●… mercy, and threatenings ●…f judgement; but they ●…re sure that mercy belongs not to them, and judgement cannot go by them, therefore they tremble saith S. james: where ●…f they thought and assented not to the truth of God's word, it would not move them at all, neither would they tremble for ●…he judgement more than they rejoice at the mercy. Thus have these reprobate Spirits, an assen●…ing knowledge, than the which no more is in the Papists faith, according to their own doctrine. And thus they mistaking From this they fall into another inconvenience, to deny that a man in this life can be sure of salvation. the nature of Faith●… are forced to fall into an●… other in convenience, tha●… in this life no man can b●… sure of salvation, unless it be by extraordinary revelation. Indeed for them it is necessary to affirm●… this; for it is impossible that their Religion can give any man assurance of salvation: and therefore hath their Counsel●… of Trent decreed in this Consil. Trid. Ses. 6. Can. 5 manner: Si quis dixerit h●…minem renatum teneri exfide ad credendum, se cert●… esse de numero praedestinatorum, anathema sit: If any man say that a regenerate man is bound of faith ●…o believe that he is certainly of the number of ●…hem who are predestinated to life, let him be accursed. This is their comfortless Doctrine. That a regenerate man may be and is sure of salvation is proved against the Counsel of Trent. But as he who lives, ●…eeles life sensibly, and ●…an say, I live: and he who hath a jewel in his ●…and which others see ●…ot, can say confidently ●… have it: so the regenerate man justified by ●…aith, having received the ●…pirit of Adoption, called, The earnest of our inheritance: Ephes. 1. 14. The witness of God who witnesseth to o●… 1 john 5. 10 Spirits that we are the so●… of God: The seal of Go●… Rome 8. 16. by whom we are sealed against the day of redēptio●… Ephes. 4. 30. can as certainly say th●… I have it. And albeit many are deceived concerning it, to think with t●… Math. five foolish Virgin's th●… have that which th●… have not: is it therefo●… reason to affirm that ●… are deceived, and no●… can be assured? Considering that regenerate For he hath all these rights & sureties of his heavenly inheritance. men have all the●… securities of their heavenly inheritance given th●… from the Lord: fi●… Charter; secondly, Confirmation; thirdly, Sea●…ing; fourthly, Possession. 1 A Charter given him by the Lord. Our Charter is the word of the Lord, and promises made us in the Gospel of grace. There ●…s one clause of our Charter, As the Father hath appointed Luke 22. 29 a Kingdom to me, ●…ol appoint it to you. There ●…s another; Fear not little Luke 12. 32 ●…ocke, it is the Fathers will ●…o give you the Kingdom. If reprobate man or Angel would quarrel (as no doubt they will in the day of tentation) our ●…ight to the kingdom of heaven, we should have such principal clauses o●… our Charter, registered i●… our hearts, to produce against them, that would disturb our peace. Secondly, we have th●… 2 A confirmation past thereupon. Lords Confirmation pa●… upon our Charter. O●… this speaks the Apostle ●… So God willing more abundantly Heb. 6. 17. 18. to show unto t●… heirs of promise, the stability of his counsel, ha●… bound himself by an oa●… that by two immutable thing●… wherein it is impossible th●… God should lie, we might have strong consolation. T●… Lord hath not only spoken the word, but hat●… confirmed it with an ●…ath, to show to the heirs ●…f promise, these are regenerate men, the stabili●…e of his counsel: let the adversaries mark this. Beside this, the death of ●…e Testator hath inter●…ened, and hath subscri●…ed the Testament with ●…is own blood, and confirmed it in our hearts by giving us his own Spirit, as his witness, his ●…arnest and his own seal assuring us that the promised salvation is ours. And therefore S. Paul speaking to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1. 6. saith, The testimony of God hath been confirmed in you. Truth it is, many in our days, know this Charter, and can speak of it, who have not the testimony thereof confirmed in their hearts, but sure his Saints elected, called, and justified have it. Thirdly, we have our 3 A seizing conformab●…e to his Charter. Seizing given us, when his servants, Preachers of the Gospel, as his Deputies and officers, in his name, seizes and infefts us in his promised Kingdom: and this is done upon earth, so oft as they deliver unto us in the holy Sacrament, that ●…read which is his body, ●…hat wine which is his ●…loud. A donation real ●…s made to us of Christ, and of all that which he hath conquered unto us, that which generally is proposed in the word, particularly is applied in the Sacrament to every true, penitent, and believing receiver: for it is not a naked sign or symbol which there is put into our hands, but an effectual exhibiting instrument of Christ jesus, and of all that by his death he hath merited unto us. Last of all, we have possession 4 Possession. of it, not only as we said hath he carried our nature into the heavens, & possessed it there, but he hath delivered to us the keys of the Kingdom, Faith and Prayer, by the which, when we knock, he openeth, and gives us even in this life, an entrance to it, that we may after a sort view and behold the glory thereof, as Moses from the top of Pisgah viewed Canaan: & this is a present pledge of that future redemption of the possession abiding us hereafter, when we shal●… more fully enjoy it then ●…ow we can. Thus have we seen in And yet no man hath this assurance at all times in a like measure. a part what sure and undoubted warrants, Saints called and justified, have of their salvation; yet it is to be observed, that this assurance continues not with them always in a like measure: they are many a time exercised with doubtings, & desertions, for their greater humiliation: but this is sure, true Religion approves no doubting, far less prescribes it, but rather improves it, and by strong arguments taken out of the word, strengthens Faith, and removeth all causes of dubitation furnished by infidelity. But that I may eschew repetition, he that lists may read this matter entreated at greater length on the eight to the Romans, where we have also proved that Saints called once by grace, and justified by Faith, are sure of final perseverance. Verse 3. And though I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Follows now 3 The third degree of comfort against death is the consideration of the means by which we shall be advanced to our heavenly mansions. the third degree of the Comfort. The ●…isciples yet might have ●…aid; Lord, it is a great ●…omfort to hear of the ●…any Mansions which ●…re in thy Father's house, greater yet to hear that ●…hou wilt go and prepare them for us; but this this is still the matter o●… our fear, we are clothe●… with mortal and corruptible bodies, which shortly must be turned into dust and ashes, and with in them we have sinful●… souls, how shall we the●… be able to inherit these Mansions? To this ou●… Saviour answers; I wil●… come again and receive you, that where I am, there ye may be also: your ascending up to the mansion places of my Father's house, is not a work to be done by you, or by the power of nature: it is a work to be done by me, I will receive you, and no It is the work of God's power, and not our own. power of the gr●…ue, of the earth, nor of hell shall be able to hold you from me. For this cause when the Apostle had prayed for the Ephesians, that God would open their eyes Eph. 1. 18. 19 and let them see the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints, he subjoins incontinently another prayer, that God would open their eyes to see that exceeding greatness of his power toward us that believe. These two are requisite for our complete comfort: first, to know the greatness of that promised glory: next, to know that the great power of God will bring us unto it, He will perform his promised kingdom. I will come again.] This Christ his second coming acknowledged by Angels. is an Article of our faith, acknowledged by Angels: Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing into heaven? This jesus which is Acts 1. 11. taken up from you, shall so come, as ye have seen him taken up into heaven. Believed by Saints; Unto Heb. 9 28. Believed by Saints. them that look for him shall he appear without sin the second time unto salvation: but scorned by mockers, according to the prediction of S. Peter, There shall come in the last 2 Pet. 2. 3. Scorned by mockers. times mockers, which will walk after their lusts, and say, Where is the promise of his coming? But as the Apostle hath in that same Chapter; The Lord is not Verse 9 slack as concerning his promise. He kept precisely the time of his first coming: when the Sceptre departed from judah, than Shiloh came: and no less peremptorily will he keep the time of his second coming. Indeed it is hid from us, & men when out of their own conjectures they determine of it, expose Christian religion to the ludibry of the unbelieving. Always as the Fathers As the Fathers under the law longed for Christ's first coming, so should we for the second. 1 Cor. 1. 7. and Saints under the old Testament longed for his first coming, Abraham, jacob, Simeon, and the rest, so should we for the second; Wait for the appearance of our Lord jesus: we should love it; for, there is a Crown laid up 2 Tim. 4. 8. for all that love his appearing: we should pray for it; Thy Kingdom come: and with the Church in the Revelation; Even so, Revel. 22. come Lord jesus. Let scorners mock on, We know whom we have believed: & the Lord help our unbelief. Such scorners mocked Noah when he was making the Ark; but when they weltered in the waters of the Deluge, their folly reproved them. Such scorners mocked A warning for ●…corners. Lot, who told them of the burning of Sodom; but when their carcases were scorched with the fire, than they understood it was not a vain word. The scorners of our time will not learn to be wise by their example: but sure it is, the word of the Lord shall take hold upon them: and it is daily seen so, though the day of Let it be as long to the day of the general doom as they think, yet the day of their particular doom is not far off. their general doom be delayed, yet the day of their particular doom comes upon them sooner than they looked for, which cutteth down their bodies with strange and unexpected judgements, & draws their souls to under-lye a wrath whereof they never dreamt. Alas, that miserable and foolish man cannot think upon this. I suppose (saith Augustine, thou wert able to prolong the day of judgement, or that it should be delayed as long ●…s thou thinkest thou wouldst have it delayed, Quantum vis diem judicij Aug. de temp. ser 96 ●…rolonga, nunquid vltimū●…iem tuum: id est, vitae tuae, ●…uo exiturus es de hoc cor●…ore producturus es in 〈◊〉: yet art thou able to prolong the day of thy ●…eath? nay, not an hour. The certainty and manner of Christ's second coming. But indeed, as that ●…ame ancient saith, that day of judgement which wicked men scorn now, ●…hall assuredly come▪ Ven●…urum est judicium illud, quod modo rident impij. The first coming of our Lord was obscure and secret, the second shall be open, glorious, and manifest, all flesh shall see him: Occultum oportebat Aug. de temp. ser. 174. eum venire, ut iudicaretur, manifestus autem veniet ut judicet: Si prius manifestus venisset, judicare manifestum quis ausus fuisset? He came first in obscure and secret manner, that he might be judged, but he shall come in a known & manifest manner, that he may judge: If at the first he had manifested himself, who durst have judged him? For as the Apostle saith, If they had known, they would not have crucified the God of glory. If other things long before Seeing other promis●…s made by God are fulfilled, why shall we 〈◊〉 the promise of his 〈◊〉 coming? prophe●…ied concerning his first coming and the propagation of the Church, were not now ful●…illed, there were some reason to think, that the promises of his second coming should not be fulfilled also. It was promised that in the seed of Abraham all nations should be blessed: and that the church of Christ should be spread throughout the whole earth, A paucis dicebatur, à multis Aug. de temp. ser. 109. ridebatur: It was spoken by few, but scorned by many, yet is it now accomplished. Si quae ante millia annorum praedicta sunt iam videmus impleta, qui●… dubitamus etiam haec ventura, quae nunc annuntiantur? Seeing these things which were foretold many thousand years since, we see them now accomplished, why doubt we that these which now are promised, shall in like manner be performed? And receive you unto my A promise of our resurrection and upta king to our heavenly mansion. self.] Here our Sauiou●… more particularly occurs to that dubitation, which our infidelity sends out; How is it possible for us▪ after that the grave hath turned us into dust, to rise again, & go up to these promised Mansions? our Saviour answereth here, I will receive you, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I will take you to myself: who shall be able to hold you from me? You are No creature shall be able to detain us when our Saviour shall come and require us. the price of my blood, what creature can detain you out of my hands when I shall come to require mine own? S. john saw this in a vision, which here is promised in this prediction: And I saw the Revol. 20. 12. 13. dead, both great and small, stand before God, and the Sea gave up her dead▪ which were in her, & death and hell (or the grave) gave up their dead which were in them. And this is also clearly expounded by the Apostle S. Paul 〈◊〉 The Lord himself shall descend 1 Thes. 4. 16. 17. from heaven with 〈◊〉 shout, and with the voice o●… the Archangel, and wit●… the Trumpet of God: & th●… dead in Christ shall ris●… first: then shall we who liu●… and remain, be caught v●… with them also into th●… clouds, to meet the Lord i●… the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Th●… word the Apostle vsethi●… passive, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, we shall be ravished up: ●…o our rising and upgoing shall not be by our own power, but by the power of our God: no weakness therefore in ourselves should make us to distrust it. Thus have we The Articles of our Resurrection and Ascension hath been firmly believed by Fathers of all times. here confirmed unto us, ●…he certainty of the resurrection of our bodies ●…nto eternal life, which because man naturally di●…trusteth, how the worthy fights of elder times have laboured to prove it, by Scripture, reason, examples, similitudes, whereof ●…e who pleases may read also that which we have written on the eight to the Romans. Concerning it Iusti●… By justin Martyr. Martyr reasoneth in this manner: Aut non potest justin. quaest. Graecan▪ de resurrect. Deus resuscitare mortuos, aut hominibus hoc est incommodum: Either the Lord is not able to raise the dead, or resurrection is unprofitable for man▪ To say the last is ridiculous, to say the first is impious. Nam si 〈◊〉 Deo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, utique & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Seeing it was not impossible to God to create man, why shall we think it impossible to raise him, which is a new kind of ●…reation? And after the same man●…er By Irenaeus. reasoneth Irenaeus; Qui ex nihilo potuit nos ●…eare, potest & resuscitare: ●…e who made us of nothing, is also able to raise Iren. lib. 5. cap. 5. 6. 〈◊〉 from the dead. Si caro 〈◊〉 est vitae capax, multo 〈◊〉 ibi: Seeing flesh in ●…is earth is capable of 〈◊〉, much more shall it 〈◊〉 capable of life there. 〈◊〉 mors ante expulit vitam, 〈◊〉 magis vita restituta ●…ortem expellet: Seeing 〈◊〉 hath expelled life, much more shall life re●… expel death. Verbun Dei non factum fuisset caro, Iren. lib. 5. cap. 13. si caro non saluaretur: The Word had not been made flesh, if flesh were not to be saved. Tertullian proves it by By Tertullian. reason; Creare car nem potuit Deus, ergo & 〈◊〉 God was able to create flesh, therefore also able to restore it. Non 〈◊〉 Tertul. de resur carnis. igitur separari in mercede▪ quas opera coniunxit: They cannot be disjoined in the reward, whom God hath joined in the work▪ He proves in like manner the possibility thereof by the examples of the Day and night, by the Change of the apparitions of the Moon, by the vicissitude of Summer and Winter, by the fall of the leaf of 〈◊〉 tree and flourishing of 〈◊〉 again, by the Phoenix. And that as the Lord may do it, so also that he will do it, he proves it at ●…ength by arguments taken from his justice and his truth. Epiphanius proves it by By Epiphanius. ●…he assumption of Henoch and Elias: by the example of Abraham, who begat child when he was lead: by the example of ●…saac, restored to life after Epiphan de resur. mo●…t. ●…hat he had laid down his head unto death: an●… the Rod of Aaron, whic●… flourished after that 〈◊〉 long time it had been withered, and the life v●… getative departed from i●… as also by sundry testimonies of Scripture. Pisida useth to confirm By Pisida. it, that argume●… of the Apostle: If in th●… life only we had hope, we were the most miserable And again, O fool, th●… which thou sowest is n●… quickened except it dy●… From this that Fathe●… learneth man to reverence Pisidae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the resurrection' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: For who (saith he) bringeth sown Corn out of the bowels of the earth, & raiseth it again after that it hath been buried in a grave; yea, makes it to multiply after that it hath been rotten? And where (saith Doubts concerning our resurrection resolved. he) it is objected, How can this be, man's body being so many times changed into the substance of other creatures, as it hath & may fall out? The fish devoureth a man, another man eateth the fish, the wild Boar again devoureth that man, the Dogs devour it, the Ravens feed upon the Dogs, and at length the Ravens are turned into dust: he passing after this manner through so many other kinds than his own, how shall he be restored unto that which he was? To this answereth Pisida, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For all this (saith he) the body of man abideth within the own bounds, stamped as it were, and sealed in the hand of the Creator who made it. Little balls or pickles of By Greg. Nyssenus. Quick silver, being dispersed into the earth, mix Greg. Nyss. de opificio hom. not themselves with any of another kind, but if any man gather them, of their own accord they run together into one, saith Nyssenus. Yea, if a skilful Gardner having sundry sorts of seeds confounded, and mixed through others in his hand, can discern one from another, and reduce and gather every one of them to their own kinds, why shall we think it impossible for the Lord, who hath the whole earth in Pugillo, in his fist, to discern the bodies of his Saints one of them from another, and from all other creatures whatsoever. And to this same purpose By Augustine. saith Augustine: Is it not more admirable to see heavenly Spirits bound and detained in earthly bodies, (which we know by experience) than that earthly bodies should be raised up into heavenly places? And again disputing against the Platoniques, who from the natural weight of the Elements, reasoned, that no earthly body could be in heaven, he saith; Aug. de civit. Dei. lib. 22. cap. 4. & cap. 11. Quid ergo faciunt terrena ●…ot corpora in aëre, nisi for●…e qui per plumarum, & ●…ennarum levitatem, dona●…it avium terrenis corporibus, ut portentur in aëre, immortalibus factis corporibus hominum non poterit He who giveth wings to earthly bodies to fly in the air, can he not give power to his Saints to mount up unto heaven? donare virtutem, qua etiam in summo coelo va●…eant habitare? What then do so many earthly bodies in the air, unless ye will say, that he who by wings and feathers, giveth unto Birds this power to be carried into the Air, cannot give to the body of man made immortal, that virtue, whereby it may dwell even in the highest heavens? And again saith he; Seeing man by his And seeing man makes heavy things to float in the water, cannot our God carry up heavy bodies to heavenly places? artifice can make heavy earthly bodies swim above in the waters, why contradict we the word of the Lord our God, promising to us that our heavy and earthly bodies shall be carried up into heaven, and this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruptibility? yea, our bodies shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ, that is, as Theodoret Theodor. dial. 2. cap. 23. observeth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in respect of quality, not of quantity: for in respect of quantity our Lord shall exceed us as far as the light of the Sun exceeds the light of the Stars. This then is our comfort against the present contemptible state of our bodies: corruption now hath seized upon them, the grave for a time gets them in her possession: our enemies do what they can to undo them; for what else mean they, when not content to burn the bodies of the Saints, they disperse the dust thereof into the waters? But in despite of them all our Lord shall gather them again, and fulfil this promise, I will come again and receive you. But shall we not be received before the second This promise of receiving us to himself is to be understood of our bodies. coming of our Lord? Doubtless the soul immediately after the dissolution of it from the body is carried the strait way into heaven; I desire to be dissolved that I may be with Christ: being with Christ follows dissolution. This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise: So the soul of Lazarus without delay was carried into Abraham's bosom: but our Saviour means here of our full redemption, of our last adoption, whereby our bodies shall also be raised to enjoy their promises: and this the Apostle calls The redemption of the body. Rom. 8. 29. That where I am, there A threefold joyful union abiding us in that day. ye may be also.] There is the end of all, to wit, our endless fellowship, and everlasting communion with jesus Christ our Lord. Where let us observe, that in that day there shall be a threefold joyful union: first, our 1 Of our soul and body. 2 Of ourselves with all Saints. 3 Of us all with the Lord. soul and our body shall be united: next, an union of all Saints, every one with another: and thirdly, a blessed union of us all with our head and immortal Husband, where our Lord is, there shall we be, We shall follow the Revel. 1●…. 4 Lamb whither soever he goeth. Never any more to be divided from him: thou shalt be one with thyself, and want nothing that is thine; thou shalt be one with the Saints, whom now thoū●…ouest in the Spirit; thou ●…halt be one with the Lord, and enjoy him for ever. There is Celestial China, which needs no ●…all to divide it from the ●…artars: this is Arabia foe●…x, the people whereof ●…aue store of all good, ●…hey live in security and ●…eare none enemy. The Ports of that City are o●…en night and day, there ●…s none to invade it: only et us remember, that no ●…ncleane thing entereth ●…n there. We were borne ●…ncleane, let us not bide unclean: For whosoever 1 john 3. hath this hope in himself, (that he shall see God there) purgeth himself, even as God is pure. The Lord who hath prepared these Mansions for us, prepare us also for them, and make us meet to be partakers Col. 1. 12. of that inheritance o●… the Saints in light, for his Christ's sake: To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost be praise, honour and glory for ever, Amen. FINIS. THE PRAISE OF PATIENCE. BEING A Treatise full of sweet Consolation for the Afflicted. BY Mr. WILLIAM COWPER, B. of Galloway. LONDON: Printed by T. S. for john Budge, and are to be sold at the great South-door of Paul's, and at Britaines-Bursse. 1616. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, Virtuous, and Godly Lady, Dame Elizabeth Kar, Lady Broughtoun. MADAM: Having near at one time, brought out these two Treatises, like ●…wo twins: the one intrea●…ing of Heavenly Mansi●…ns, the other of Patience. The eldest of these two, I have committed to the patrociny of the right Noble Lady, the Countess of Mar, the second for many reasons, do I dedicate to your L. Grace hath joined your hearts together in one holy band of mutual love in the truth, which I trust these Treatises may serve some way to confirm, no way to dissolve: for they contend not one with another, as did the two twins jacob and Esau, in the womb of Rebecca, but rather cherish one another; yea, without the one the other cannot consist. The Heavenly Mansions cannot be obtained without Patience: neither can Patience be preserved without looking to the Heavenly Mansions. The practising ●…f Patience now, leads us ●…o the full possession of the heavenly Mansions here●…fter. In these I am sure ●…and your greatest comfort, without which all comforts ●…f the world are but deceit●…ll vanities. It is true, Nature hath ●…ought you out Honourable 〈◊〉 concerning this life, the ●…ister german of a right ●…oble Lord, The Lord ●…oxbrugh, the Spouse of 〈◊〉 Honourable Knight, Sir james Bellenden: but All the glory of flesh is as the flower of the field; Only the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And herein is your greatest glory, that by the immortal seed●… of the Word, ye are made the daughter of the living Lord begotten again to an inheritance immortal, undefiled, and that fadet●… not away. This is one po●… which greatly magnifies th●… prerogative of Grace abou●… all the privileges of nature that the one evanisheth, th●… other endureth. All conjunction on earth shall suffer dissolution, except only th●… conjunction of a soul with God in Christ. And this even in your young years hath God taught you by sour experience. It is now about ten years since death divorced ●…ou from your natural hus●…and: yet in this time did ●…ot the Lord forsake you: ●…hrough his grace ye have ●…eene an Abigail to that ●…ouse, whereunto your God did bring you, that is, a mo●…her to it, by wisdom more ●…hen common to your sex, ●…rocuring the good thereof: ●…nd have lived like that wid●…ow ANNA, serving the Lord, confessing him in his Temple, a diligent hearer of his word, to the good example of others who wait for the redemption of Israel. Which (with many more) as hitherto they have been evident in you, to your great commendation before the world, so I pray God these, and all other graces of his Spirit, requisite to your eternal salvation, may be multiplied upon you for your approbation before the Lord. To whose mercy both now and ever I commend you And rests Your L: in Christ jesus, W. B. of Galloway THE PRAISE of Patience. My help is in the Name of the Lord. LUKE 21. 19 By your Patience possess your souls. THis Exhortation Two parts of this precept. short in words, but rich in matter, renders to us a twofold instruction: first, it lets us see what is it in all our 1 Possess your souls spiritual warfare the adversary pursues, and the Christian hath to defend, to wit, the Soul: next, the armour recommended to us whereby we may best defend the soul, namely, Patience. The Soul is the most The soul is the most excellent part of man. excellent part of man; under it, saith Augustine, is comprehended the whole inward man, whereby August. de Eccles. dogmat. cap. 34. this mass of clay is quickened, governed, and kept together, changing her names according to her sundry offices and operations in the body: whe● she quickeneth the body, It hath sundry names according to her sundry offices. she is called the Soul, Anima; when she hath appetite or desire to any thing, she is called the Will, Animus; for knowledge she is called the Mind; for recordation, the Memory; for judging and discerning, she is called Reason. The soul was not made of the Elements as other creatures are, that it being free from composition, might also be free from corruption, whereunto other creatures are subject. God breathed into man a living soul, said Moses, thereby declaring, that he created a spiritual immortal soul, which he breathed into the body to quicken it. That the estate of the That the estate of the soul depends not on the estate of the body is cleared. soul depends not on the body, experience proves▪ for in weak and withered bodies the soul is more quick and pregnant oftentimes then in stronger▪ And that it is also of another nature is evident; for where the body by small things is easily surcharged, and so filled that it can contain no more; such is the superexcellency of the soul, that no mortal thing can contain it. It ravished Nyssenus with admiration, when he considered, Quae sit Nyssen. de opifici●…. hom. cap. 10. interioris nostrae capacitatis amplitudo, in quam omnia per auditum infusa influunt, & in qua visu recepta rerum apparentium simulachra, formis certis depinguntur? What is the amplitude of our inward capacity, into the which all things infused by the ear floweth, and wherein the images of all things seen by the eye, are contained and pictured in their own forms? But by the contrary, the good estate and welfare But by the contrary, the good estate of the body depends on the good estate of the soul. of the body dependeth upon the good estate of the soul: keep it, and keep all; lose it, and lose all: Nobilem hospitem habes, o Caro, & tota salus tua dependet de eius salute: O Flesh, a noble Guest hast thou within thee, and all thy good estate depends upon his good estate: think not shame to dishonour thyself, that thou mayst honour him; nor to disease thyself, that thou mayst ease him. Neglect him not because he is a stranger, but consider diligently, Quid hospitis huius B●…rn. praesentia tibi largiatur: what great benefits thou enjoyest by his presence, and what loss thou shalt sustain by his absence: when he goes from thee thine eye will see no more than the clay, thine ear will hear no more than the stone, thy body shall lose all the beauty it hath now; yea, no member thereof shall do the own office. Et si tantum tibi confert exul, & in terra peregrina, quantum tibi praestabit in patria? And if thou hast so great benefits by it in a strange land, what shall it do to thee when it gets thee in her own Country. Yet such is the beastly The beastly ignorance of many, who knowing all things, which they know by the soul, yet scarce know that they have a soul. ignorance of man, that albeit he feels the life he hath by the soul, and finds by daily experience, that the body loseth life when the soul leaveth it, yet hath he no care of the soul, & doth not so much as remember it once in the day. And therefore our Saviour who knoweth our sores better than ourselves do, recommends to us this care, Possess your souls; and he teaches ●…ow we may do it, by ●…our patience. God is the God of Patience, keep ●…atience and thou shalt ●…eepe the Lord; and in ●…eeping him shalt keep ●…hine own soul. God ●…wels not in perturbati●…ns, he comes to his ●…aints as he came to E●…, 1 Kings 19 11. 12. not in the mighty ●…ind that rend the moun●…aines, nor in the Earth●…uake, nor in the fire, but ●…ee came to him in a soft ●…nd still voice: he dwel●…eth Esay 65. 2. with the poor, and ●…im that is of a contrite ●…pirit. As the soul is the ●…ife of the body, ita anima Bern. de vita animae. animae Deus, so God is th●… Aug. de civit▪ Dei, lib. 13. cap. 2. life of the soul: Mors 〈◊〉 mae fit cum eam deserit Deus, sicut corporis cum id de serit anima; ergo utriusque id est, totius hominis mor●… est, cum anima à Deo deserta, deserit corpus: ita eni●… nec ex Deo vivit ipsa, ne●… corpus ex ipsa: The death of the soul is, when God leaves the soul, like a●… the death of the body is when the soul leaves it, so the death of both, that is, of the whole man is▪ when the soul left o●… God leaves the body▪ for o●… neither hath the soul life from God, nor the body life from the soul. In all the battles then In all temptations Satan pursues nothing but our soul. which Satan by himself or his instruments maketh against us, the quarrel and question is de anima, about the Soul: It is the soul he pursues, it is the soul we have to defend: if he cross thee in thy goods, in thy body, in thy name, he careth not for these, none of these are a morsel for his mouth, Animam tuam quaerit, it is thy soul he seeks, to make it by impatience partaker of his own condemnation. A clear example of this we have in job: Satan by God's permission If he trouble us in body or goods, it is to get a vantage of the soul. job 1. & 2. crossed him in his goods by Sabeans, Chaldeans, and by a fire from heaven: he crossed him in his children, whom he smothered by the overthrow of the house wherein they were banqueting: he crossed him in his body with sore boils, Et cum aperto certamine Greg. lib 3. in job. superari se vidit, de ore coniugis iaculum quasi de insidijs intor sit: And when This is cleared by jobs example. he perceived himself in open combat to be overcome, he secretly threw a dart at him out of the mouth of his wife, as it were by boutgates to overthrow him. What he sought by all this, he declares it himself, to wit, that job might blaspheme the Lord to his face: and the same is it, whereat he aims in all our outward or inward temptations, that he may carry away and captive our souls by impatience, that he may drive us to grudging, murmuring and blaspheming of the Lord our The remembrance of this should work strength against tentation. God. I am persuaded if our memories were sanctified to remember this, we would not suffer our selves to be so easily perturbed, commoved and transported with passions for light offences cast in our way, as commonly▪ we are: let us therefore in all our temptations remember this watchword of our Saviour, Possess your souls in patience, what ever loss we sustain of any thing that is ours, take heed we lose not ourselves, but let us do as joseph did, when the wife of Putiphar caught hold of his garment, that she might snare himself, he let the garment go and saved himself. Such things as God gives power to man to take from ●…hee, let them go: and possess thou thy soul in patience. But the manner of A question: how can we possess the soul seeing by the soul we possess all that we possess? speech is here to be mar●…ed, seeing by the soul ●…ee possess any thing ●…hat we possess, for by 〈◊〉, we think, we affect, ●…ee work; what is this, ●…hereby we can possess ●…ur souls? For answer, ●…e must know that in the ●…oule of a Christian man ●…here are two contrary ●…arties, one regenerate, an●…ther unregenerate: light, ●…race, and sanctification in the one: darkness, corrupt nature, and sin in the other; whereby let no man think that the soul is divided or parted into The answer of this question. two halfs; for it is a simple and indivisible essence. But as we see the twilight of the morning, it is neither full darkness, as at midnight, nor full light, as in the noontide of the day, yet is it one & the same light, though it increase by degrees clearer and clearer till the noon, than it was in the morning: So is it with the soul of a Christian, it is not altogether darkness as the soul of the wicked and reprobate is, whose night is not past; yea, the darkness of their midnight will never pass, but still it waxeth darker and darker till they come to utter darkness. Neither How in the soul of a regenerate man there are two contrary parties. yet is it altogether ●…ight, as the souls triumphant are, who rest and feed with him whom their soul loveth, in the ●…oone-tide of the day; but it is throughout all partly regenerate, partly ●…nregenerate. No faculty of the soul is without the remanents of ignorance and sinful corruption, nor yet without beginnings of knowledge and renovation by grace. And these are the two which S. Paul calls, The new ma●… and the old: sinful corruption is called the old man, because it was in v●… before renewing grace 〈◊〉 and again, because i●… waxeth weaker and weaker, till grace utterly a●… the length abolish it. Thi●… Of this the meaning of the precept is made plain. then being the estate o●… our soul, the meaning o●… the exhortation is, tha●… we should fortify the 〈◊〉 part, ever endeuourin●… that light may banis●… darkness, Grace in th●… ●…oule may subdue sinful ●…orruption, and the new ●…an may overcome the ●…ld man, till at length ●…hat usurper Satan be ●…ully dispossessed, and we possess our souls as a quiet habitation for the God of peace and of pa●…ience to dwell in. Again, seeing the Apostle God is the immediate superior & possessor of our souls and bodies. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. speaking to Chri●…tians saith, Ye are not your ●…wne, ye are bought with 〈◊〉 price; therefore glorify God in your body and in ●…our spirit, for they are Gods: how are we commanded to possess our souls, seeing they are not our own? The answer is easy: our immediate superior and proper possessor of our souls and bodies is the Lord: we hold them of him, as tenants at his will, not for ourselves but for the Lord. As he is a traitor Seeing we hold them of him, it were treason to render them to his enemy. who renders the Palace or castle of a Prince which he hath received in keeping, to the enemy of the Prince: so is he who casts open the ports of his soul to every unclean spirit, & giveth the members Rom. 6. 13. of his body as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin. Thus than we are but under-possessors of our souls and bodies: as we hold them of the Lord, so should we hold them for the Lord. far be this rebellion from us, to hold the Lords own house against himself. Besides this, Augustine's He is possessed, and not a possessor, who possesseth not himself. ●…bseruation here is wor●…hy to be remembered. Our Saviour saith not, ●…ossidete villas vestras, sed ●…ossidete animas vestras: Possess your villages, or Aug. de temp. ser. 223. ●…uch like, but possess your souls. The men of this world glory in their external possessions, but ●…s Cyprian said of them: Non intelligunt miseri possederi Cyp. lib. 2. epist. 2. se, potius, quam possidere: These miserable men understand not that they are rather possessed by their riches, than possessors of them. Only the Only the Christian is to be esteemed a rich man. Christian is a man of great possessions, and he holds them all by these three graces, Faith, Love, and Patience: by Faith he possesseth the Lord, and all his benefits: by Love he possesseth his neighbour, and all th●… good that is in him; he rejoiceth in it, as in hi●… own: by Patience again●… he possesseth himself And without these, though thou wert as rich as Croesus, thou art but poor: for what canst thou be said to possess, who art neither a possessor of thyself, nor of thy neighbour, nor of the Lord thy God? This is a necessary doctrine How needful this doctrine is for this age. for this age, where●…n men are out of measure careful; yea, conten●…ious for the smallest ●…hing which is theirs, but ●…ltogether careless for themselves: they are ready to resist him that would wound their bo●…ies, and resolute to fight for the least thing which is theirs, only when the oppressor of the soul invades it, no contradiction is made to him. Oh that they were wise to ponder that warning of Moses & S. Paul, Attend tibi, take Which careth for a●…y that is theirs, but not for themselves. heed to thyself! art not thou thyself much more worth than anything that is thine? If thou be so careful for that which thou accountest to be thine, how is it that thou forgettest thyself? Et si August. de temp. ser. 223. tanta suffert anima ut possideat peritura, quanta debet sufferre, ne pereat ipsa? An●… seeing the soul endureth such labour that it may possess perishing things, what should it endure, that it perish not itself? O sons of men, Quid ●…ern. serm. 4 vobis cum divitijs, quae nec verae nec vestrae sunt? si vestra sunt tollite ea vobiscum: What have ye to do with these riches, which are neither true, nor yet yours? if they be yours take them with you. But still they dream with that fool, that their souls are full when their bodies are full: Now my soul thou hast enough for many days, said he, but a few days proved he was as poor as his companion, who had not so much as a drop of water to refresh him. By your Patience. Follows now the second 2 Second part of the precept, By your Patience. point, wherein the armour is recommended to us, by which we should keep and possess our souls, to wit, by Patience. Nobile vincendi genus patientia: a noble and worthy sort of victory is Patience. And not without cause is The example of God the Father teacheth us Patience. it recommended unto us. We are the Servants of that God who is called The God of Patience: Quamuis Aug. de temp. ser. 223. nihil pati possit, Patientia vero à patiendo nomen acceperit, patientem tamen Deum fideliter credimus: Albeit he can suffer nothing, and Patience hath the name from suffering or passion, yet we faithfully believe that he is a How Patience is ascribed to God. patient God. Sicut zelus, sicut ira, sicut poenitentia, ita est in illo Patientia: As Zeal, and Anger, and Repentance are in God, so is Patience in God. Zelat sine livore, irascitur sine perturbatione, poenitet sine mutatione, ita & patiatur sine passione: He hath Zeal without spite, he hath Anger without perturbation, he reputes without alteration, so also is he patient without passion. Nam si tanquam nostra, cogitemus ista in illo, nulla sunt: For if we think of Zeal, Anger, Patience, as they are in us, we must know that such are not at all in the Lord: yet he is patient, and causeth his Sun to Math. shine, and his rain to fall upon the just & unjust, Et servi debent ingenium Domini Tertull. ser. de Patientia. sui imitari, and it becomes servants to imitate the manners of their Lord. Beside that, we are the The example of Christ teacheth us patience. Soldiers of that Captain who obtained the greatest victory that ever was conquered, by patient suffering. The Samaritans held him at the port, the Disciples inflamed with ire called for fire from heaven, but patient jesus reproved them; Ye know not of what spirit ye are. The Pharisees reviled him, and said he had a Devil, but our Lord reviled them not again. judas came to betray him, and our Saviour went out and embraced him: O wonderful Patience! Quod dolosis proditoris labijs August. de temp. ser. 223. non negavit osculum pacis: that to the deceitful lips of the false traitor, he denied not the kiss of his mouth. The men of war buffeted him, scourged him, mocked him, but he like the Lamb, was dumb before the shearer: so he who by his word requires Patience, by his example teacheth us Patience, as that singular grace whereby we are able to get most glorious victory, yea, to become more than Conquerors through him that loved us. His Saints in like manner True Christians after Christ's example have advanced his kingdom by Patience. following the example of their Lord, have advanced his Kingdom more by the patient suffering of the shedding of their own blood, than ever any Monarch of the world could advance ●…is Kingdom by the shedding of the blood of others: Quo acriora supplicia just. Mart. in dialogo cum Tryph. in Christianos adhibita fuerint, eo plures alij fideles comparantur, quemadmodum si quis parts Vitis praecidat, ut aliae fructuosiores rursus germinent: The sharper punishments be used against christians, the more is the number of faithful ones increased: as men cut off the branches of the Vine tree, that others more fruitful may come in their room, so is it with the Church Who knows not saith Cyprian, how the corn of the Church hath brought out most abundant increase, being watered with the blood of the Apostles and other Martyrs? Quo plus sanguinis Cyprian de dupl●…nart. effusum est, eo magis effloruit fidelium multitudo, hoc latius sparsit suas propagines illa beata Vitis à Christo stirpe surgens: The greater quantity of blood The blood of Martyrs the seed of the church. was shed, the more flourished the multitude of believers, and the more largely did that blessed Vine-tree, springing from the root Christ jesus, spread out her branches. For this cause said Tertullian, that Sanguis Martyrum Tertull. est semen Ecclesiae: The blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church. And this the Adversary is forced to confess, that albeit in the Primitive Church there were as many thousand Christians as were able to have given battle to the persecuting Emperors, yet they had rat●…er overcome by patient suffering, then violent shedding of the blood of any other: Ita vere Catholicos Cost. enc●…ir. pia quaedam tenuit misericordia: Such was then the tender compassion of true Catholics. But how unlike the The cruelty of the Roman Church shows it to be Antichristian. Church of Rome now is to the Church Primitive, let any indifferent man discern by their fruits. If they be the flock of Christ his sheep, what is the cause their teeth are so bloody? Quid Cyprian de simplicitate Praelat. facit in pectore Christiano Luporum feritas, & Canum rabbiss? Should the fierceness of Wolves, and fury of Dogs be in the breasts of Christians? Were not such Wolves and Dogs, actors of that Tragical Murder of Paris, and plotters of the Powder-Treason? Thus even their works do bewray them. It is a shame to shroud such beastly cruelty under a Christian name: It is a double sin to cover the injury Malach. under the garment of God. This may well prove them successors to Roman persecutors, but not to the patient sufferers of the Church Primitive: Non enim convenit Erasm. enchirid. militis Christ. Epist. ad Volsium. ut hoc argumento nos Christianos declaremus, si quam plurimos occiderimus, sed si quam plurimos seruaverimus: For it is not an argument to prove ourselves to be good Christians, if we slay many, but rather if we save many. If we be otherwise minded, Fieri potest, ut citius in Turcas degeneremus, quam Turcas in partet nostras pertrahamus: It may come to pass that we degenerate into Turks, then draw Turks to be of our Religion: For by the shedding of blood, Fiet ut latius fortasse regnet Pontifex aut huius Cardinals, non ut latius regnet Christus: It may be The Pope's Kingdom & his Cardinals may be advanced by blood shedding, not so Christ's. perhaps that the Pope's Kingdom, and of his Cardinals, may be increased, but the Kingdom of Christ by such means cannot be advanced: but leaving them, we return to ourselves. Our Saviour here forewarneth his Disciples of great troubles they were to sustain for his name's sake, the armour he recommends unto us, is not the Sword; the Pope may use it, because Peter did it without a warrant, but the watchword given by our Lord unto us all is, Possess your Soul by your Patience: This is the weapon whereby I overcame, and this same do I recommend to you. As the Thunder (says Patience compared to the Laurel tree, which cannot be Thunderslaine. Pliny) overthrows any tree but the Laurel, so persecution and tentation overcomes any man, but not a patient man. Impatience makes a man a prey to every one that pursues him, but he who hath Patience is invincible. Every injury offered to a patient man, returneth back to him that did it: Eodem exitu, Tertull. de Patientia. quo telum aliquod in pe●…ram constantissimae duritiae libratum & obtusum: No otherway then a dart shot at a hard Rock, either falleth down blunted, or is beaten back upon him, who Impatience the mother of all evil. shot it. Impatientia exhedra est omnium delictorum: Impatience is the receptacle and right lodging place of all sins: Malum enim est impatientia boni: For evil is but the impatience of good: who would commit adultery if he were patient of Chastity? Patientia Ibid. vero Charitatis est firmamentum: Ira, Discordia, Simultas, locum in pectore non habent, in quo dominatur Charitas: But Patience is the sure keeper and establishment of Charity: Anger, Discord, Hatred, have no place in that heart, in the which Charity overrules: Though all the world were against such a man, he resteth quiet in his own mind, and possesseth his soul in Patience. Where, by the contrary, Impatience drives a man out of his wits. the impatient man at every light offence is carried out of his own wits, and put beside himself, and becomes like one who teareth his job 18. 4. own soul, as Bildad spoke of job. He that would see the right Image, and lively portraiture of an impatient man, let him consider this History set down by Saint Mark: There met him a man, who Mar. 5. 5. 6. had an unclean Spirit, who had his abiding among the graves, and no man The image of an impatient man. might bind him, no not with chains, because that when he was often bound with fetters and chains, he plucked the chains a sunder, and broke the fetters in pieces, neither could any man tame him. Both night and day he cried in the mountains and in the graves, and struck himself with stones. But here is the great inconsideration of men: A man this way bodily possessed, is pitied of all that behold him: but though he be spiritually possessed, and oppressed by the enemies of his soul, to raging, railing, blaspheming, whoring, and all sort of impiety, who doth regard it? Always, to return great is the praise of Patience, that it makes a man possessor and master of himself. The reason of this is, Patience is never alone without the rest of the Graces. because Patience is never alone, all the remanent Graces of the Spirit frequent the Palace of Patience, there are they preserved, and entertained. As vices are linked together, so are Virtues: they march in battle against the spiritual enemy, in comely The order how Graces march in the spiritual warfare. order, after this manner: Truth goeth before, and leadeth them, bearing in her badge, the Lantern 1 Truth, with Foresight and Fear. of the Word, to show them the way wherein they should walk against the Prince of darkness: At the one hand of Truth stands Foresight, as in a Watchtower, ever looking out to discover the approaching of the enemy: at the other hand stands Fear, with this watchword in her Banner, Walk circumspectly. In the second rank after Truth follows Faith foot for foot; 2 Faith, with Love and Holiness. for Faith follows No de●…eiuable Fables: and Faith hath in the right hand the Sword of the Spirit, and in the left, A Buckler able to quench the fiery darts of the Devil. Upon the right hand of Faith standeth Charity or Love; for, Faith worketh by Love, and Love carries in her Banner The complement of the Law: on the other hand stands Holiness; for The Heart is purified by Faith; and Holiness bea●…eth in her Banner The Image of God. In the third rank, at the back of Holiness stands Humility, 3 Th●…se are attended by Humility an●… 〈◊〉 Meekness. having in her badge the similitude of a man mortified and dead with Christ. Beside Humility, at the back of Love, standeth her sister Meekness, bearing in her badge the similitude of a Lamb. In the fourth rank standeth Patience, Domina & Philo de congressu, etc. regina virtutum: the Lady and Queen of Virtues, 4 Patience bearing the Standard. bearing a high Standard, not unlike that of of Constantine the Great, having in it this name, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with this Dictum, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for in Christ, and through him Patience overcomes at the length. In the fifth rank, at the back of Patience stands Experience: for, Patience brings forth Experience; Rom. 5. and Experience 5 Experience with Hope and Fortitude. beareth in her badge an open written Book, containing a Register of the Lords manifold former deliverances: Experience hath upon the one hand Hope, whose badge is a brazen Pillar: and on the other hand Fortitude, in the similitude of an armed man, having on his head the Helmet of salvation, and on his body the Breastplate of righteousness, When Patience is sore put at, and somewhat moved out of her place by vehement trouble, she leans back upon the pillar of Hope, and Hope succours her with this Dictum, Spera meliora: From Hope she looks over, and reads the Book of Experience, whose first Dictum is, Remember the days of old: between these two Patience begets Fortitude, by whom the battle is again renewed. In the 6 Perseverance. last room followeth Perseverance, having in her Badge a Crown holden up on high with both her hands, with this Dictum, He that perseveres to the end shall be saved. Through all these flies Prayer like a winged Cherub. Round about all these flies Prayer. When Truth is sore impugned, and Faith begins to faint, Love languisheth: when Patience is sore put at, and Hope beginneth to hover, or any other of the remanent Graces waxes weak, than Prayer goes up, as a speedy messenger, to the great Captain of the Lords Army, jesus Christ, and procures for help to be sent from him, which without failing comes always in the time of need. And this is the way whereby the Saints of GOD possess their Souls in Patience. Of this it is evident, No true Patience can be, where Truth, Love, and Faith, etc. are not. that no true Patience can be, where Truth, Faith, Love, and the rest of these Graces are not: and therefore the greatest sufferings of ethnics, Heretics, and others void of Faith, Truth, and Love, are justly excluded from the praise of Patience: Ethnici multa tulerunt animo forti, nulla tamen cum solida consolation: ethnics have suffered many things with a strong, or rather an obstinate heart, but without any solid consolation. Curtius' a Roman Aug. de civit. Dei, lib. 5. cap. 18. Knight armed and upon horseback, precipitated himself and his Horse headlong into a gulf of the earth, for a good, which in his ignorance he supposed might thereby come to the City of Rome: this was fury, not Fortitude. And many other natural men, out of the like madness, to show their magnanimity and stoutness of mind, Patience of ethnics is not worthy to be called Patience. have not only endured horrible pains inflicted by others upon them, but have made an end of themselves by poison, by fire, and many sorts of cruel death: this is not to possess their soul in Patience: this is not saith Augustine, magnanimity, August. de civit. lib. 1. cap. 22. but pusillanimity the Daughter of Impatience, which because it cannot endure, it seeks to eschew that which grieves it. Soli Christiani Cyprian de Patientia. sicut veram Sapientiam, ita & veram habent Patientiam: Only the Christian as he hath true Wisdom, so hath he true Patience. And of all other Patience, beside Christian Patience, that is true which S. james speaks of all other wisdom: Aug. de temp. ser. 223. Non est ista Patientia desur sum descendens, sed terrena, animalis, diabolica: cur enim non sit superborum falsa Patientia, sicut superborum falsa Sapientia? This Patience comes not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and Devilish: seeing proud men have their own false sapience, what marvel they have also their own false and deceitful Patience. And of this same nature Sufferings of Heretics in like manner are not to be esteemed Patience. is the Patience of Heretics: they may make a show of voluntary Religion in not sparing the body, but seeing they have not the truth of GOD, how can they have true Patience? The Baalites of Idolatrous Israel lancing themselves with knives: the Gymnosophists of India, who pine and distress their bodies with labour not required at their hands: the penitentiaries of Rome (so much boasted of) who scourge themselves, and spare not their own flesh: the four religious Orders of superstitious men among the Turks, who in hard using of their bodies go beyond these I have spoken of: yet are they all strangers from this Praise of Patience. Cum ergo vider is Aug. ibid. aliquem patienter aliquid far, noli continuo laudare Patientiam, quam non ostendit nisi causa patiendi: quando illa bona est, tunc ista vera est: When therefore thou seest any man suffer any thing patiently, praise not thou incontinent his Patience, for patient suffering cannot be commended, unless the cause of the suffering be known: if the cause be good, than the Patience is good also. Circumcelliones, a most A sort of Heretics who sought the praise of Martyrdom by murdering themselves. August. de Haeres. ad quod vult Deum. pernicious branch of the Heresy of the Donatists, were so desirous to obtain by suffering, the praise of Martyrdom, that they would throw themselves down headlong from high places, or cast themselves into fire or water: But Augustine in his learned Disputes, Aug. de temp. serm. 223. pulleth from them the Praise of Patience: Quid miseri faciunt, qui cum non solum impietatis adversus Deum, sed etiam ipsius, quam in se exercuerunt crudelitatis, luant poenas, insuper & quaerunt Martyrum glorias? What do these miserable men, who when they suffer punishment of their impiety toward GOD, and cruelty toward themselves, yet out of such suffering seek the glory of Martyrdom? An impatiens passio coronabitur? Shall an impatient passion be crowned? Aut quomodo innocens iudicabitur cui dictum est, diliges proximum sicut teipsum, si homicidium committit in seipso, quod committere prohibetur in altero? Or how shall he be judged innocent, who is commanded to love his neighbour as himself, if he commit murder in himself, which he is forbidden to commit in another? Si enim parricida The worst sort of homicide is self-murder. eo sceleratior est, quam quilibet homicida, quod non tantum hominem, verum etiam propinquum necat, & quo propinquiorem quisque necat, tanto immanior judicatur: sine dubio peior est, qui se occiderit, quia nemo est homini seipso propinquior: For, if a parricide be so much the more wicked than another homicide, because he not only slays a man, but a kinsman, and the nearer the man be to him whom he slays, the more beastly is he that slew him esteemed to be of all men: then out of doubt much worse is he that slays himself, seeing there is none nearer to a man, than a man himself. But how is this that In what sense Patience is ●…aid to be ours. our Saviour calleth Patience ours: for so saith he, By your Patience possess your souls? Patience is ours, even as the Soul is ours, to wit, by the gift of God, we have it not of ourselves; He is the Father of lights, from whom descends every good gift. The Pelagians of old attributed this grace to the power of man's free-will: the Papists of our time affirm the same. But as Augustine said to the Aug. d●… temp. serm. 223. one; Error iste superbus est: This is a proud error: so say we to the other. For, what is the Creature wandering from the Creator, unless the Lord be mindful of him; Et eligat eum gratis, & diligat gratis: and Neither Patience nor any other grace have we by the power of our own free-will. choose him of his free grace, and love him of his free grace? Otherwise, Prae cecitate non videt eligenda, & prae languore fastidit diligenda: such is his blindness, that he sees not what he should choose, and such is his languishing weakness, that he loathes that which he should love. Si quis per naturae vigorem bonum Concilium Arasicau▪ num. aliquod, quod ad salutem pertinet cogitare, aut eligere posse aliquem affirmat absque illuminatione & inspiratione S. sancti, haeretico fallitur spiritu: If any man affirm, that man by the strength of nature, can either think or choose any good pertaining to salvation, he is deceived by an Heretical spirit. Nulla tibi Fulgent▪ ad Gallam vid. facultas inesse potest voluntatis aut operis, nisi id gratuito munere divinae miserationis acceperis: There is no ability in thee, either to a good will, or a good work, unless thou receive it by the free gift of divine commiseration. Dei est omne Cyp. lib▪ 2. epist. 2. quod possumus: It is GOD who works in us both the will and the deed: Falluntur ergo qui Aug. ibid. Patientiam tribuunt viribus voluntatis humanae, non quas habent ex divino adiutorio, sed quas ex libero arbitrio: They are therefore far deceived, who attribute Patience to the strength of man, not that which he hath by heavenly help, but that which he hath of his own free will. But because we have Patience a singular preservative to keep the heart in peace. at length spoken of Patience, in our Anatomy of a Christian, we contract ourselves, and shortly conclude this▪ Our Saviour having forewarned his Disciples of manifold troubles abiding them, arms them against all with this one, Possess your souls in Patience. Here is a preservative able to keep peace in thy heart, and to banish all perturbation. And it serves for all temptations, for all places, for all persons. Are thy temptations immediately from GOD? remember, In temptations inward immediately coming from God. Psal. 25. 10. member, All his paths are mercy and truth to such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies: his work can never come against his word. The way wherein he walks may seem rough and unpleasant to thee for a time, but wait thou for the end, and thou shalt see it comfortable. This moved job to resolve, Though the Lord would slay me, yet will I trust in him: and by it David also did strengthen himself in great extremity of trouble, Why art thou cast down my Soul? Psal. 43. 5. and why art thou disquieted within me? Wait upon GOD: I will yet give him thanks. In the beginning of the thirteenth Psalm, how greatly David was troubled ye may perceive by his own words, How long, Psa. 13. 1. 5. wilt thou forget me Lord, for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? But how comfortable an end his trouble had ye may see by the last Verse: But I trust in thy mercy: my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he hath dealt lovingly with me. And if thy trouble come In temptations outward coming from men. 2▪ Sam. 16. 11. 12. from men, remember the answer David gave when Shimei cursed him: and that which our Saviour said unto Pilate, Thou couldst have no power at all over me if it were not given thee from above. And so knowing it is not man, but God with whom thou hast to do, Possess thou thy Soul by thy Patience. Again, in all places keep in mind this warning of our SAVIOUR, Possess your Souls by your In all places this watchword should sound in our ears; Possess your soul. Patience. Thou knowest not in what place Satan hath laid his snare to entrap thee, or how suddenly the occasion may arise, which may drive thee to Impatience Arm thee therefore before Even in our own houses. it come, and remember thy Watchword, not only when thou goest abroad, but even at home in thine own house, Sit tibi domus Chrisost. in Mat. hom. 11. tua, quasi quidam Certaminis locus, & palaestra virtutis: There is no place free from the Tempter: when the calm is greatest, then is a contrary wind most to be feared: Suppose thou knowest not from what airth, yet it is great wisdom before the blasts of perturbations break out upon thee, to provide patience, by which thou mayst possess thy soul in peace. And last, it serveth This watchword in like manner serves for all estates of men. for all persons and states of men. It is not possible that any man of any rank, can live a peaceable life, without this grace of Patience. There is a conscientious Servant 1 Masters & Servants. like jacob, and he hath a churlish Master like Naball, who defrauded him of his wages: There is again a simple, and honest hearted Master like Mephiboseth, and he hath a traitorous Knave to his Servant, like Ziba. There 2 Kings and Subjects. is a good King like David, and he hath a false Counsellor like Achitophel: there is again a faithful Counsellor like Obadiah, and he hath above him an Idolatrous King like Achab. There