A CHARGE AGAINST THE JEWS, and the Christian WORLD, for not coming to CHRIST, who would have freely given them Eternal Life. DELIVERED IN A ●●RMON, before the Right honourable the House of PEERS, In the Abbey Church at Westminster, on May 26. 1647. Being the Day of their Public Fast. By THOMAS VALENTINE, one of the Assembly of Divines, and Minister of Chalfont in the County of Bucks. Nullum magis pestiferum venenum, quam socordia illa quam in nobis generat aut terrenae faelicitatis, aut justitiae propriae falsa & fallax opinio. Calv. LONDON: Printed by M S. for John Rothwell at the Sun and Fountain in Paul's Churchyard. 1647. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE House of LORDS Assembled in PARLIAMENT. Right Honourable: WHen I was called to Preach before Your Lordships, there was not in our view either Adversary, or evil occurrent; we thought we had Peace in our hands, and that all was well: but since that time our Distractions did on the sudden grow great and dangerous. We stand in need of the goodness of God to come in seasonably to our Rescue, and it will require the wisdom and diligence of your Lordships, and all others to compose these Differences, that they rise no higher, nor end ill. We may look upon them with sadness, and sorrow of heart, and fear lest God's anger is not turned away from us; We have need to second our Fasts with doing all things answerable, lest if we contradict our prayers by looseness of life, God give us an Answer contrary to our expectation. It is high time to lay down our provocations against God, and bitterness of spirit one against another; our contentions have been so hot, that we have departed one from another; let us take heed of endeavouring to root out one another, and to avoid rancour and virulency of spirit. Next to the directions and examples of Scripture, I could wish we had cast our eyes upon some part of the Carthaginian Story, and see what was the issue of the dissension between them and the Romans; Amilchar used to say his 4. sons that he did Alere quatuor catulos leoni nos in perniciem & exterminium Romani imperii, but it proved contrary. Hannibal primogenitus ejus aetatis c●to annorum accedens ad sacrificium juravit quod quum primum esset adultae aetatis foret atrocissimus hostis Romanorum qui dum excitasset pulveres cum pedibus, ait, tunc erit pax inter Carthaginenses & Romanos quando altera istarum civitatum erit in pulverem redacta. the Carthaginians could never be persuaded to have any peace with Rome, though some of their Nobility much endeavoured it. Amilcar when he went out in an expedition did offer sacrifice, and Hannibal the great, his eldest Son, being present at the solemnity with his Father when he was but young, had received in such principles of War and opposition, that he vowed to second his Father's designs, and said there should be peace between Carthage and Rome, when one of those Cities should be as that dust which he then spurned up with his foot; it proved fatal to that side which was resolved to destroy the other. For though Hannibal was the bravest Commander that ever Carthage bred, and had many Victories, and great success, for sixteen years together, yet shortly after Carthage was fired by the Romans, and was upon a flame 17. days together, and consumed into dust and ashes. Let there be no such spirit in the parties that oppose one another; let all sides-taking be laid aside and the names that intimate division be extinguished: let there be a calm temper, and a wise Accommodation, lest both sides be pulled down one after the other: that Your Lordships may be the happy Instruments to prevent so great an evil, and effect so great a good, is the Prayer of him who rests, Your Lordships to be commanded in the service of the Gospel, THO: VALENTINE. A SERMON PREACHED Before the Right Honourable House of LORDS. JOH. 5.40. And ye will not come to me that ye might have life. JEsus Christ was so amiable in his life, and admirable in all his speeches, so holy in his conversation, so wise in all his answers to his cavilling adversaries, so meek in teaching the ignorant, so ready to cure diseases and infirmities: that one would have thought all men would be taken with him, and have come unto him. But nothing less, they that came to him were ready to leave him, and others would not come at all; which makes him take it unkindly (for so these words are to be understood) you will not come to me. Deceivers speak to you, Satan and the world invite you, and you go to them; I call and persuade you, but you will not come to me: they will bring you to misery and death; I would give you happiness and life, but you will not come to me. The ill carriage of men towards Christ, was answered sometimes with indignation. 1. As that message to Herod, Go tell that Fox, Behold, Luk. 13.32. I cast out devils, and will heal to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 2. Sometimes with detestation of their sinfulness, Man. 23.27. Woe to you Scribes Pharisees, hypocrites; you are like painted tombs, and whited sepulchres. 3. Sometimes with compassion to them, and grief to himself; as that in John, Will you also go away? And here in the text, joh 6.67. You will not come to me. This whole Chapter is a defence of Christ against the cavilling Jews, which found fault with his cure done upon the impotent man that lay by the Pool of Bethesda, and had an infirmity 38. years, and was so impotent that others prevented him, and got into the pool upon the moving of the waters; and thus he continued till Christ came up to the Feast at Jerusalem: and finding him there, taketh pity upon him, and cures him, as you see in ver. 5, 6, 7, 8. And it being the Sabbath day they find fault with the fact, and also because he took up his bed; and question with the man, enquiring who it was that did it, from ver. 10. to 13. But he not knowing who it was, could make no answer, till afterwards Christ finding him in the Temple makes himself known unto him, and gives him an admonition to sin no more, lest a worse thing befall him: v. 14. Then the man told the Jews it was Jesus that made him whole, which moved them to persecute him, v. 15, 16. Then gins our Saviour to make his defence, from v. 17. to the end; wherein he affirms his Divinity, and his equality with his Father, which made the Jews to be more enraged against him, v. 18. But he goes on to show that what he did, his Father did: My Father worketh hitherto, and I work: I can do nothing of myself. The Father hath life in himself, and so hath the Son; and the Father hath committed all judgement to the Son. And if you begin at v. 31. and read on, you may find that he lays aside his own testimony, and insists on five more, every one of which were sufficient to convince them that he was the Son of God, and that they ought to come unto him. 1. The testimony of his Father, ver. 32.37. There is another which beareth witness of me, and who that is, v. 37. shows, The Father himself which hath sent me, beareth witness of me. 2. The testimony of John the Baptist, v. 33. And ye rejoiced in him, and he bare witness of me. 3. His works and miracles, v. 36. The works that the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 4. The Scriptures, v. 39 Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think to have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. 5. The last testimony alleged is that of Moses, v. 46. Had ye believed Moses you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. The sum of all is, I have the testimony of my Father, and of John the Baptist, and of my works and miracles, and of the Scriptures, an of Moses: but none of these will convince you, you will not come to me, and therefore your sin is great. In the text you have, 1. the illation or inference [and] which according to the sense was formerly translated; but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being often put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Beza observes. 2. There is the sin reproved in the Jews, You will not come. 3. The person to whom they should have come, but did not, [me.] 4. The end which they might have attained, but did not, That ye might have life. [And] must not be understood as a copulative, The sense of the text. but discretive, therefore in the sense it is but You will not come to me. It shows the wicked and obstinate nature of the Jews, though they had so many clear testimonies of Christ, yet they would not embrace him, you Jews will not come, therefore your sin is the greater; the Gentiles have no knowledge of me, it cannot be expected, that they should come: but you Jews that have knowledge of the prophecies, and promises, and of the Law, that are a light to them that sit in darkness, teachers of the unlearned, instructers of them that lack discretion, you offend the more in not coming to me. You [will not] our Saviour saith not, you cannot, but, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Non dicit non venitis sed non vultis venire & cum eos nolle dicit ignorantiae & caeritatis causam pravitati & contumatiae assignat. Muscul. you will not come: the wilfulness of their spirits is set out, there are three distinct degrees. 1. Men do not come. 2. They cannot come. 3. They will not come to Christ. The first is their carelessness and negligence, the second is their weakness and impotency, the third is their wilfulness and great wickedness; and the last is the result of all, men do not come to Christ, because they will not come: and they cannot come, because they will not: their wills must be subdued, and the rebellion thereof must be removed, else they neither can nor will come to Christ. [Not come] You will not believe in me; that's the sin, but with an aggravation, you will not so much as come unto me; they would not vouchsafe him any respect, they would not frequent his company, nor willingly be in his presence. [That ye might have life.] We must not imagine that they were out of love with life, for that's desirable by all, and it cannot fall upon the reasonable creature simply to desire not to live; so as the reason of their not coming was not because he did not offer them that which was pleasing and amiable, but they were so far out of love with him, and so much prejudiced against him, that they would not come unto him, though they might have life. Or else they would not come unto him for a right end, that they might have life. Ye will come to me for the loafes that I might feed you, and for by-ends; if I came like a conquering Alexander, with an Army to deliver you from the power of the Roman Monarchy, and to repair the glory of your decayed kingdom, you would come unto me: but to have life, and to obtain salvation, ye will not come unto me. The words briefly thus explained afford two several Propositions. 1. The great condemning sin, which will be charged upon the Jews, and the Christian world, is that they would not come to Christ. 2 That Jesus Christ will freely give eternal life, to them that come unto him. To come to Christ is not any local motion, or change of place; for go all the world over and you cannot find him; he is ascended into heaven, and whither he, is gone ye cannot come. When this was spoken it was spiritually to be understood, if a man had been in Christ's presence, and stayed long with him, nay if he had taken him into his arms, if he had not received him into his heart by faith, it would not have availed. Therefore understand it thus. 1: To come to Christ, is to have recourse unto him, and acknowledge him worthy of all respect: all that came unto him d d not believe in him; but these will vouchsafe him no honour, they disdain him, and cast scorn and contempt upon him in not coming to him. Four things move us to come to an other, the command of one in authority, the Centurion saith to me, Go, and he goeth: Matth. 8 9 to another, Come, and he cometh; Christ was a King, Psal. 2.6. for God set his King upon his holy hill of Zion, and all power in heaven and earth was given him. King's have power, Honorant ut Regem, adorant ut Deum, vident enim hominem, & agnoscunt Deum. but not all power, they have a conditional, temporary, external power, derived from Christ. But he hath an absolute, eternal, primative power, which all men should acknowledge and stoop unto; the wise men (the first fruits of the Gentiles) they came unto Christ, and they did acknowledge him, and ask boldly, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? this might justly shame the Jews, they came to him while he was a young Infant, and found him in a mean condition, Adorant magi, & offerunt munera adhuc lact●nti matris ubera. Bern. Parvulum non honorassent nec adorassent si parvulum tantummodo credidissent. sucking of his mother's breasts, they came from fare and present him with gold frankincense, and myrrh; gold because he was a King, frankincense as he was God, for that was used in the offerings, and myrrh as he was man, hereby they honoured him much, and were ready to tender their homage to him: but the jews would not come unto him. 2. Necessity might have made them come unto him, for he was the only remedy that God appointed for their atonement, the only sacrifice that was propitiatory, they might have known that all the sacrifices under the Law d d look at him, they had their life from him, and also their death from him; for when he offered up himself, Magna pars mundi, accedere ideo negligit quia necessitatis suae sensu non tangitur. Christum non curant hipocritae, quia ebrii justitit propria gratiam ejus non si●iunt. ex innumera pereuntium turba pauci se perire sentium Calv. they were to surcease; their Priests, especially their high Priests did typify him, and all the legal services and sacrifices without him were nothing. Had they known their necessity they would have come unto him, pain and apprehension of the danger of a disease, will quickly convince the sick, that there is a necessity of having recourse to a Physician, but these jews were ignorant, and insensible of their misery, and though Christ was the only Physician, yet they will not come unto him. 3. Love makes us to come to friends, and often visit them; and had they known the good things that Christ brought to man, and the goodness that was in himself, they would have been taken with him, he honoured our nature, and brought salvation to our souls, he honoured man in that he was made man, he honoured the jews in that he was of the seed of Abraham; he is our great benefactor, he brings us into favour with God, who were children of wrath, he repairs lost man with an augmentation of glory; he sets us into a right of an heavenly Paradise that lost an earthly. one in Adam, he (like Jonathan to David, puts his own robe of righteousness upon us, which is a more glorious covering then Angels have: and had the jews known these things they would have given him more respect, and as he is good to man, so he is most sweet and gracious in himself, observe his carriage (when you read the History of his life and death in the Gospel,) what it was to all (save to those egregious hypocrites) the Pharisees and you will find in him the sweetest temper, the strangest meekness, the richest mercy, the greatest excellency every way. If you look upon the beauty of his graces, Inter iras placida inter mimicitias benefica. his holiness and wisdom, etc. You may wonder that he was no more esteemed among men, but the jews not knowing his worth, nor being well affected to him will not come at him. 4. Eminency in Christ might have drawn them to him; Solomon's wisdom drew many to him, the Queen of Shebah came from far to hear him, Mat. 12.42. Ezek. 33.31. and Ezekiels skilful and pleasant prophesying made the people come and sit before him; but the wisdom and skill of Christ much prefer him above them. Moses was eminent among the jews, so were the Prophets; but Christ much more than they, for he was the Prince of Prophets, he was the King of glory, and they his Ambassadors, he the Angel of the Co●●nant; he was not only above Saints, and Prophets, and Apostles, and Angels, as a King above his subjects, but so above them that they must adore and worship him, what ever light came to the minds of holy men in visions and raptures it came from Christ, it was but a beam from this Sun, and the same argument that moved them to honour Moses, and credit the writings of the Old Testament, might have convinced them to have regarded Christ; but we will stay no longer with the unbeleiving jew, to discourse of his neglect of Christ, we will further explain the duty of coming to Christ, and open the nature of the contrary sin, as it concerns all that live in the Christian world. 2. To come to Christ presupposeth a man to receive power from him, enabling him to come unto him, Mat. 14 28. it being a spiritual action, must have a supernatural power, we may see it plainly in that command given to Peter upon his own motion, if it be thou, saith he to Christ, bid me come unto thee on the water; if Christ had not given out a power aswell as a command to Peter, he had sunk when he set his foot upon the sea, and if another had adventured (not having the like power) he could not have come, he would have miscarried by the way; The great command of the Gospel is gone out from Christ into the world and it is come unto me, Mat. 11.28. and the greatest part comes not; the reason is they have not power given them to come, we must have virtue from Christ to come, as well as to be healed when we come: The dark minds of men must be enlightened to know Christ, and their rebellious wills must be conquered and mastered, or else they will not come unto him; for all Gospel truths are more than those of the Law, above man's understanding, and contrary to his will, and if we receive them it is given us from above, No man can come to me, saith Christ, except the Father draw him; joh 6.44. there is a violence offered to the corruption of the will, Psal. 65.4. but none to the will itself, and the Psalmist hath the like expression, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to come unto thee; Christ doth invite us, and inables us to come, and the honour of both belongs to him. 3. To come to Christ is not only to have recourse to him, and judge him worthy of all respects and to receive power from him, to enable us to come, but to go on and not stay till we receive some saving benefits from him. Some stay in the beginnings, or in preparations, and sit down too soon, and lose the benefit of their former labour, but we must come on and not sit down till we get to the jorneyes end: To come to Christ, is either the the first motion of a new convert, or else it is a continual recourse to Christ for increase of all saving graces, it will not be accepted to go once, or twice, and then to stay as the Jews did, jer. 2.31. we are Lords we will come no more unto thee, this were abominable pride and contempt, let us a little consider this action of coming to Christ, and in the beginning; at first it is sad and uncomfortable, in the end joyful and glorious. At first when we come we labour & are heavy laden, the sinner in his sinful course hath a labour, & it will weary him, Mat, 11.28. the penitent sinner in his conversion hath a labour, and the combatant in his fight against sin hath a labour, & there is no such toil as this is, no burden so heavy as that of sin; it causeth an universal pain, it is upon the conscience indeed, but extends to the whole man, and makes him weary of himself; jer. 7.12. for it hath in it the vengeance of an angry God, the torments of a flaming hell, the power of a just Law, and the greatest sinners that are most sensible of their misery will come most humbly, and in much poverty of spirit; no creature so wild as a sinner in his jollity, who is as the wild Ass in the wilderness that runs up and down at pleasure, none so tame as the penitent sinner that is taken in his month, God hath humbled him, and taken down the pride of his spirit, he stood in his way as the Angel in Balaams; he threatened him he had his bow in his hand and his arrow on the string, Psal. 7.12. and the sinner not giving back, he shot at him and wounded him, and left the arrow sticking in his heart: Psal. 38.2. and now this wounded man, he mourns inwardly, and makes his moan to God, Thine arrows stick fast in me, is willing to come to Christ to be healed, and to have the arrow plucked out, and the wound cured. Necessity at first brings us unto Christ, afterward we apprehend goodness, and his divine perfections, and we come in love to him, we cannot stay away; a poor man at the door that hath scarce a rag to cover his nakedness, not a piece of bread to satisfy nature, he comes to ask for the Master, not to be acquainted with him, that were boldness, but to be relieved in his necessities: so Christ is sought unto as a Saviour, to take away our guilt, to give a pardon, to supply our wants, and when we are sensible of our misery, we are easily induced to come to Christ. But when we are justified, and accepted, and find the sweetness of fellowship and communion with Christ, than we are delighted in him; and if there were no necessity compelling us, if no weakness in our faith, no want in our souls, yet we should desire to come to him; they that have seen God in any ordinance, are restless till they see him again. Psal. 63.2. David could bear well enough his banishment from the Court, yet he much desired to come to the place of God's public worship, that he might see his power and glory, as formerly he had seen them in the sanctuary. 4. To come to Christ, is to believe in him; and when he complains of the Jews not coming, he chargeth them with unbelief. He that comes to God must believe that he is, Credere est actus intellectus assertientis veritati divinae ex imperio voluntatis motae à Deo per gratiam. Aqui. and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him: The Jews believed no such thing of Christ, they did not think him to be God, nor that he would reward them that come to him: they gave no assent to what he spoke; they did not credit him. Faith hath a double act, one more common and general, and that is to give a firm assent to all Divine truth revealed in the Scripture; Faith gives God the honour of his truth, as love and hope do give him the honour of his goodness and bounty; And truth is equally spread over all the Scriptures, I believe as verily that Isaac was the son of Abraham, as that Christ is the Son of God; because Scripture affirms both, and one thing cannot be more or less true than another; one is more useful than another, Fides ambiguum non habet, si habet, non est fides. and conduceth more to my good, and in this general act of faith I am to consider of one more than another, but both are equally true, but there should be, nay there is no doubtihg, though some men have doubted, whether this or that part of the Bible were Scripture, yet a believer must not doubt whether Scripture be true, that were to doubt whether God be true. The truth which faith believes comes by divine revelation; if I can prove by reason that all things that are, Haereticus dubitens de uno articulo fidei opinionem habet de reliquis. Biel. Gen. 1. were made by him that hath an absolute being, and is the first cause of all, I do not believe it, because I can prove it, but because Scripture saith it; for in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The Scriptures of the Old Testament held out clearly the Messiah, and by those prophecies and promises (wherein the Jews were very well versed) they might know that he was the Christ, and yet they did believe neither those Scriptures, nor any thing himself spoke or did And then no wonder if they fail in the second act of faith, which is to rely and rest with confidence on Christ the Saviour; Mar. 15.31. they were so far from this that they upbraid him at his death, saying, He could not save himself, and therefore it was in vain to expect salvation from him. Notitia assensus & fiducia are made parts of Faith: but two of them being in the understanding, the 3 in the Will, it may be doubted how one such grace can be in two faculties. Schoolmen generally to salve this doubt, make gne faculty subordinate to the other, saying, Faith is Actus imperatus a voluntate, elicitus ab intellectu. It is in the will ut in primo motivo, in intellectu ut in proximo subjecto. But the doubt is, when they say it is ex imperio voluntatis, they seem to give the precedency to the will, to shun such disputes we may rather call them acts in the believer, than parts of Faith. But we have in these days all the means necessary to work in us all the particulars required to a saving faith, we have knowledge of him, we question not his Divinity, we believe he came with a commission from heaven, we give a full and firm assent to whatsoever he spoke, as being undoubtedly true; we would cast ourselves with confidence into his arms that is able to save us, we believe that God is reconciliable, that sin is pardonable; and this we do upon the hearing of the glad tidings of the Gospel, and afterward we grow up into a greater confidence and assurance of the pardon of our sins purchased by his blood. But those that do not believe shall have this great sin charged upon them, and that we may clear God's justice in punishing men that live in the Christian world for their infidelity, it will be needful to inquire where the power of believing lies; for if they cannot believe, how is God just to require that of them which they have not power to do? I answer. Adam in his innocence had a kind of legal faith, whereby he was to depend upon God for the performance of his promise; for God promised him life as a reward of his obedience, and he was to look for it: Now what ever he had, being a public person, we may be said to have it, and must be accountable for it so as in him we had power to believe, and therefore may be punished for unbelief. And this Answer is given by many Reverend Divines, and let it go as far as it may to the removing of the Objection. But the question is, whether Adam had power to believe in Christ crucified. He did believe in God, and his faith was joined with his obedience; for he obeying the voice of God was to believe that God would make good his promise to him, but his power was to the things of the Law written, in his heart, it was within that compass and latitude, but not in the way of the Gospel which supposeth man to be fallen, and quite over-turned; and how faith in Christ, which is the condition of the Covenant of grace, should be commanded in the Law given to Adam in his innocence, I do not understand. And though he did believe in God, yet he might not have power to believe in Christ dying for sinners. But suppose God had revealed to Adam (while he stood) the event of things, and imagine he had said to him, Adam, I have made thee wise and righteous, I have enstamped mine Image upon thee, I have given thee a just Law, and power to keep it, and for thy reward I will give thee life; I have put thee into a pleasant Paradise, where thou hast all things for necessity and delight; but thou wilt disobey my voice, and lose thyself, and forfeit all that I have given thee; yet neither thou, nor all thy posterity shall perish, I will send my Son into the world, to take man's nature, and die for sin; and life and happiness shall come by faith in him. The question is, whether Adam could have believed upon such a Revelation? I answer: That he could and would have credited God, and believed the truth of this relation made unto him by his Creator: but to believe in Christ, and cast himself upon a Saviour, must presuppose him to be cast away, and lost. But could not Adam have promised to believe in Christ upon the former Revelation? I answer: If he had, it had not been available: for it is all one, as if a rich man worth many thousand pounds should promise, and give his Bond to pay me an 100 li. when he is broken, and not worth a groat. But it is very true, that men have more power, than they put out for faith and obedience, and it is as true, that infidelity is in their power, and they willingly remain in unbelief. The Answer that men return to the invitations of Christ are the same which the Jews made unto him, How often would I have gathered thee together, as the hen her chickens, Matth. 23. and ye would not. 1. Further, to clear the point in hand, we may safely affirm, that all men in Adam stand guilty of disobedience, and God may justly punish them for that sin. I●h 3 36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Non dicit, ira Dei veniet super eum, sed ira Dei manet super cum, quamvis naturaliter damnati jam sint reprobi sua tamen infidelitate novam sibi mortem accersunt. 2. That Christ being offered to them to deliver them from curse and condemnation, and they wilfully rejecting him, they aggravate their sins, and bring upon them the condemnation of the Gospel; so that the Law and the Gospel both condemn them, the wrath of God, that formerly was upon them by the sentence of the Law, abides upon them, and new wrath is kindled against them, because they believe not in Christ the Son of God, and so comes the great condemnation oft mentioned, Joh. 3.19. And to set out the cause of man's misery, take it in this comparison: A man lies sick of a fever, he is told by the Physician, unless he bleed or purge, and take other Physic, he will die; he is distempered, and will not be ruled, he dies. The question is, what this man died of? I answer: He died of a Fever, that was originally the cause of his death. And then in the second place, he died of wilfulness, because he would not follow advice. In the great day of judgement men shall be condemned for their disobedience; and next, which is the great aggravation of their sin for infidelity, because they believed not in Christ. Use. Before we come to the next point, let us make a brief application of this, and it shall be an Item to take heed of infidelity, especially of wilful infidelity, say not that ye will not come to Christ, neglect it not for he will take it ill, and that because. Four aggravations of the sin of infidelity 1. The last & best words that ever God spoke, were by Jesus Christ; and to contemn them were a greater sin: he that despiseth Moses Law did sin in a high degree, but what will betid him that despiseth the glorious truths of the Gospel uttered by Christ, to honour him and the truths he revealed, the sweetest expressions were made that ever we heard of, Luk. 2.14. Glory to be to God on high, Peace on earth, and good will towards men, the Jews could not be ignorant of those glorious manifestations, and might have been convinced by them, we all do believe the doctrine of the Gospel, and we receive them, and are ready to come unto him, in the use of his Ordinances. But with our faith we must join all other graces, and the practice of all duties, we must do every thing answerable to the profession of the Faith, or else we are in some measure guilty of the sin of the Jews. 2. There is no such impediments to hinder us, as was to the Jews, they might have said, the Priest's lips must preserve knowledge, and the people must seek the Law at their mouths, and they say, that Christ is a deceiver, a Samaritan, and hath a Devil, these might stumble the Jews, and keep them from coming to Christ; but there is no such let to us, the Gospel is countenanced, Christ is received. In the Primitive times they were feign to sell all, in Queen Mary's days, they went through the flames, or else they could not have Christ, these were great trials, they fall not upon us, and therefore our sin is the greater, if we do not embrace him. 3. We must give a reason why we did not come to Christ, why we did not believe in him, why we did not accept of him when he was offered unto us, with all his Excellencies, he came to us, and brought with him righteousness, life, pardon, heaven and the glory of it, and would have freely given us them, if we would willingly and freely have accepted him for our Saviour; but those that have rejected him, shall see with sorrow the fruits of their infidelity, and cry out against themselves for losing so great joys, and pulling so great torments upon themselves, and as Malefactors in the day of their execution, lament their folly and obstinacy, in that they would not be ruled, and that brought them to their miserable end, so the unbeliever in the day of judgement shall have it charged upon him, and he shall repeat these words in the dolour of his trembling heart, I die and am condemned, eternally, because I would not come to Christ, who would have given me life. Fourthly and lastly, such as refuse to come to Christ, and to be guided by the doctrine of faith, may come to make an open defiance against him and his Gospel, the●e is a great differancs between the wants of faith, and a contrariety to the faith, Aug. in joh. 15 Magnum quoddam peccatum sub generali nomine vult intelligi. where this later is in the height of it, men come to descent from the truth, to deny it, and in time to defy it; and Christ the author of it; the believer he honours Christ by acknowledging him by assenting to his truth, and casting his confidence and affiance upon him: but the wilful unbeliever doth the contrary, and offers much dishonour to Christ by his denial, his dissent, his diffidence, and defiance. Aqui. 2. 2 daes. q 10. Artic. 3. Infidelitas est maximum peccatum. Therefore some (nay almost all) do judge infidelity to be a very great sin, and others argue and indeaver to prove it to be the greatest sin of all. We come to the Second point formerly propounded, which is, That Jesus Christ will freely give life eternal to them that come unto him. It is clear that he understands eternal life, by his expression elsewhere, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish: joh. 10.28. and such as speak to Christ about life, mention eternal life, as the ruler that followed after Christ said, Good Master, Luk. 18.18. What shall I do to inherit eternal life? so that the life which Christ offered, and the people sought for, was eternal life, and it was freely to be given them. Life is the best kind of being, and presupposeth a cause of life remaining in and working upon a Subject capable of life, all things that are, yet live not; there is a being inferior to life, and those that live, live not all a like, beasts and plants live, yet not such a life as man lives, for as the soul is, so is their life; beasts have souls, and yet have but sense, and somewhat like reason; men have understanding, and utter by speech what they conceive, for they have a reasonable soul, and a more noble than beasts, and if all difference come from the act of the form upon the matter, than the soul of man more noble will still work, (as we see it doth upon the body) to fashion it into more excellent parts, and to make the house and rooms for its own use, and therefore this life in man, coming from a more excellent principle, is above the life of beasts. Among men some have the Spirit of Life in them, who were dead by nature in sins, 2 Cor. 3. they being quickened, have a more noble principle of life, and have in them the beginning of life eternal; such as are alive to God, & have union with Christ, they live in another kind then natural men do; for in the spiritual life, the Spirit of God works on the soul, as the soul doth on the body, but first, the soul is a mere patient, which in the natural life is the sole agent, the soul is under the power of God's Spirit, and as far as God's Spirit is above the spirit of man, so far is this life of grace above that of nature; therefore the Apostle magnifies this life in the regenerate, above the life of reason, not so much as mentioning it, In that I now live, Gal. 2.20. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Life is spread over the whole man, yet first and principally it is in the soul, and diffused through every faculty, and if we stand not too nicely upon the distinction of life, and the actions of life, we may say, that faculty lives when it is able to do the works that belong to it, as the mind lives when it knows God, and is dead while it remains ignorant; the heart lives when it loves God, and reposeth trust in him; the affections live when they joy in God, and make fit expressions of that joy towards him; as we perceive the hand to live when it can stir and work, and when this life of grace continues beyond time, it becomes life eternal, eternity to life in the world to come, is but as time in this world; This is life eternal to know thee: and he that believes hath everlasting life. Faith in Christ, and knowledge of him, joh. 17.3. joh. 3.36. are made the beginnings of life eternal, and because it is propounded as a reward in heaven, therefore life eternal includes the beginnings of the life of grace, and the perfection of it hereafter, it is the altering of our natural lives, for all our infirmities and griefs shall be remooved, and for the spiritual life, all the graces that in heaven shall be of use, shall be perfected. Life eternal includes all things essentially necessary to make us happy, and also all additions and attendants to make it complete: honour, and glory, and immortality are in it, for such as by continuance in well doing seek for these, shall find them in eternal life. But because the life of glory which Saints have in heaven, Rom. 2.7. is the strongest motive that might have persuaded them to come to Christ, therefore we must more fully explain that unto you, the life of glory will be in the whole man, but principally in the soul, and most in the chiefest faculties which are the understanding and will, to the understanding refer the blessed vision, to the will, the fruition of God, these two are the principal parts of the life of glory. Vide Wendelium qui scripsit upple. Biel. distinct 49. conclus. 4. qu. 2. I am not ignorant that many writers make the vision of God, in glory to comprehend all the happiness which the soul hath from him, but there is reason, and authority, sufficiently to propound them distinctly. 1. In the life of glory, the mind shall see God, that is, fully and perfectly know him: for seeing is put for knowing, Now ye say, you see. john. 9.41. N●w we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part, ●ut then shall I know even as I am known. 1 Cor. 13.12. every one in heaven shall with their own mind understand all things, and know all persons so fully, as may any way conduce to their happiness, and to the end it may be so, all weaknesses, and imperfections of the mind shall be remooved, no simplicity, no shallowness shall be upon any, Idiots and men of weak abilities, may have so much knowledge of Christ, as to bring them to heaven; but when they are there, they shall have sharpness of wit, Prov: 1.4. for full conformity with God in his Image, Col. 3.10. is a chief thing in life eternal, and knowledge is a principal part of God's Image, as the Apostle plainly affirms, Having put on the new man which after God is renewed in knowledge. 3. The mind shall so clearly understand as that it shall not need the help of faith, as it is now of use unto us, when we hear of the Trinity of persons, of the union of the two natures in Christ, of election, and of the resurrection, we take them upon trust, building by faith upon the truth of him that relates them in the Scripture; but in heaven we shall perfectly know, & understand all things which are now dark and obscure, all controversies shall be decided, all doubts shall be removed, and surely our fight will be very clear, when we shall not need the help and use of our better eye, Now we walk by faith, and not by sight; but then by sight, 2 Cor. 5.7. and not by faith. 4. To make us see the glorious things of heaven, there shall be no outward means, such as have been of use on earth, no preaching of the Word, no Sacraments, no visions, dreams or apparitions in bodily shapes; as sometimes God hath made himself known to his servants in former times, to patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles. 5. The means shall be the light of glory, which shines in heaven above all the brightness that ever man did see; Col. 1.12. he hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light. This light would dazzle the eye of man, and dim it; for if the glorious body of the same would hurt the eye of a man, what would the light of heaven do? it being such as none can approach unto. In this frail condition we cannot see God and live; when God or but an Angel appeared, 1 Tim. 6.16. Lumen gloriae corroborat, intellectum ad perfectam Dei visionem eliciendam. how were men affrighted? and if that terror had remained, it would have overwhelmed them; but in heaven the spirits of men will be elevated, and enabled, to see with joy those things that there will be manifested. 6. In that light of glory, we shall not only see the attributes of God, his mercy, justice, truth, and wisdom, Whether the light of glory be habituale lumen in intellectu, see it disputed at large by Gregory de Valent. To 1. part 3. p. 227. Num. 24.17. and (which we are apt now to question) but the very simple pure essence of God (which yet we must not separate from his attributes) we shall see and know God, so fully as our natures are capable of. In heaven there will be a clear vision on our part, and a clear manifestation on God's part; but both are from God, to make us able to see him, and to be willing to be seen of us: he will show himself not darkly, and obscurely as to the Church in former times, not terribly as on Mount Sinai, not a far off as to Balaam; not for a short time, as in his transfiguration; but we shall dwell upon the contemplation of him; we shall have time enough to take a full view of him; yet this vision is such as we are capable of, our finite, scant souls, can never comprehend the infinite excellencies of the eternal God, In heaven there is Visio clara, but not comprehensiva. but we shall see and understand so much as may any way conduce to our happiness. But seeing we have begun with vision, and it is taken from sense, it may be demanded what our bodily eyes shall see in heaven? Matth. 17.2. 1. I answer. 1. The glorious manifestations of the presence of God in some such sort as was on the Mount, where we find mentioned a bright Cloud, his clothes were white as the light, and his face did shine. When God appeared in the Temple at Solomon's prayer, the glory of the Lord filled the House, that the Priests could not enter, and it was a visible glory; some such but far more excellent is in heaven. 2. The glorified bodies of the blessed Saints full of beauty and brightness, at the day of judgement we shall see a company of glorious creatures, those on the left hand shall be an ugly company, and many of them deformed: for if we credit Durandus, and others, their sins not being taken away, the fruits of sin will remain upon them; the lame, the blind, the maimed, God's soul will more abhor them then david's. But all comeliness and excellency will appear in the Saints, Mal. 3.17. for they shall be as Jewels made up; a Jewel must be cut and polished, it must have a lustre set upon it that it may shine; and it must be set in gold: their souls and bodies are not yet so glorious as they shall be, now they are jewels, but they are rough and unpolished, much corruption remains, and those graces they have are not set in gold. 3. We shall see the glorified body of our blessed Saviour, which will be a joyful sight; we shall see him that is dearer than all our friends; we shall see him that died for our sins; we shall see him that was crowned with thorns, the side, and feet, and hands that were pierced, we shall see him not in humility and meanness, but in the brightness of his glory. And if the sight of Joseph was so welcome to Jacob, and that because he thought he had been dead, and did see him alive and in honour also: the like and much more is here, we shall see Christ alive whom the Jews supposed to be dead; and in honour also, whom they imagined to be as they sent him out of the world, a crucified Christ: but they shall see him whom they pierced to their sorrow and shame: but we shall see him to our endless comfort, for we shall see his gracious countenance looking towards his own with much joy in his face, and expressing it in some such manner as this: You have long looked for this day, you have mourned under many calamities, and most of all for your sins; now the day expected is come, and now an end of all your sorrows, all tears I wipe away; you have depended upon me for salvation, I am come to save you; you have received me, I am come to reward you, enter into your Master's joy. And touching this sight of Christ, it may be demanded whether it will be more pleasant for us to see him, or for him to see all his elect together? For answer know, first who loves most, will most rejoice. Secondly, whose need is greatest, that will cause more joy. In the former respect, Christ loves his own with an infinite love, and joys in them more than they can in him: He who is the Bridegroom, in whom are all affections, it will be joyful to him to see them altogether, for whom he willingly shed his dearest blood. But in regard of our absence from him, and the benefit of communion with him, we shall exceedingly rejoice to see him. But evil men, if in that black darkness they can see any thing, it shall be to their terror and vexation; for they shall see many wretched persons like themselves, from whom they can reap no comfort, and to whom they can yield no release, they shall see a company of persons that when they come out of their graves, shall look with trembling countenances like Cain, horror shall appear in their faces, they shall be as so many prisoners that come out of the Goal to go to execution, and with ghastly looks they shall behold Jesus Christ whom they have not honoured, whose Gospel they have not believed, to whom they have not sued nor sought, but have vilified, and slighted the offer of grace made by him in the preaching of the Gospel. But the Saints shall have all joy and comfort in that which they shall see, and not only in forenamed particulars, but in all the ornaments of heaven arising from the sweetness of the situation of the place, and all those excellencies which the wisdom of God will cause to be there for the joy of the faithful. And if the skill of man can frame delightful sights which the world affects, & runs after, as Masks and Shows, what kind of sights do you think will be in heaven? they shall be delightful, and without vanity; they shall please in a solid and serious manner, and shall infinitely excel all the delights that ever your eyes have seen, or your ears have hard of: and that, 1. in respect of the party seeing this glory who shall be made glorious, and every way both within and without: here on earth a poor despised man may see others in glory, and himself never the better for it. Our Saviour would not have prayed that those which were given him might be where he is, and see his glory, but with a purpose to make them happy in seeing it. 2. There is a perfection in regard of the generality, such as far goes beyond the glory of this world: For in the King's Court there are some that are poor, or despised, or discontented; some that are sick, or in distress, or in some ill case or other; and i● either the King see a beggar, whom he is bound to pity, or the beggar see the King, whom Nature may move to envy, here is no perfection. But in heaven we shall see all glorious, the King glorious, the Subjects glorious all of them, the place glorious, none to be pitied, none to be prayed for, none to be envied, nothing shall detract from your happiness; happy are those eyes that shall see this glorious sight, and happy those ears that hear of it if you be moved to desire it, and follow hard after it, and in comparison of it to despise the glory of the world. And let it be the care of all that hope to come to have this sight, to take heed and not suffer their eyes to look after vanity, or to be eyes full of adultery; but rather let them be used in beholding the works of God, and reading the Scriptures; and those senses that are taken up in any such holy action, God will crown and honour. In the next place we come to that part of life eternal, which is in the will, and that is the enjoyment or fruition of God, which is in some measure on earth, but fully and completely in the state of glory; and though the fruition of God be in the whole man, yet we may refer it in special manner to the will, for that desires and longs after it, and the faculty that labours most shall be Crowned. Upon the more full knowledge of God in the clear vision, if any distance of time were between that and the enjoyment of God, the heart would more earnestly desire it; and in a short time be much perplexed for the want of it: the mind now doubts of many things, and is ready to dispute the case whether God be merciful, or just, whether there be a Providence, than all will be cleared, and the soul will be taken with the excellency of God far above that which now it is. 1 Thes. 4.15. The fruition of God no man explains it that I have met with, neither can it be expressed, Paul tells us that the dead and also those which are alive, shall meet the Lord at his second coming, and shall be ever with him, as friends that are together and see one another, and by speaking communicate their thoughts do enjoy one another; Bonum est quo habito complete bene est hab●ali. Biel. so and in a far higher way shall we enjoy God, not in hope, nor in title, nor by faith, nor by his word and promise, but really, internally, immediately, fully, completely, and this properly makes a man happy. And this proves God to be the chiefest good, for in having him it will be completely well with the possessor, and the will of man will not quiet itself, till it have God it will be restless and unquiet, putting itself out in desire; but in heaven it will be satisfied, and shall have as much as it can contain; and therefore shall desire no more, because it would be in vain, not being able to contain any more. If God will quiet himself in his love to the Church, Zeph 3.17. much more may she quiet herself in the fruition of God. But when we say the Will will be quiet, we must not conceive any weariness in it, or any loathing society as in the things of this world; we on earth, like children, desire that to day which anon we are weary of, 'tis not so here, we shall have no cessation of joy, which in worldly things is caused first, by weakening the active power of the Will; and it is a true Position, the will is not wearied unless the active power be weakened and wasted. In this frail estate of nature, Voluntas non fatigatur ●isi potentia activa d minuatur. we spend our spirits in laughing, in rejoicing, in recreations, but in the enjoying of God, we shall have our spirits revived; and when we have been a long time in heaven, yet we shall have still more joy: If those that wait upon the Lord here on earth renew their strength, then much more is it true in heaven, Isa. 40 31. that those that attend him there, shall have their joy and strength renewed. 2. We are weary of a thing when we come to espy any vanity in it, and therefore men have tired out themselves in seeking content in temporal things, and they all come to say with Solomon, All is vanity, there is an emptiness in the things, and vexation of spirit, namely to the spirit of him that looks for better; but in God no such things, for the more we know him, the better we shall like him, and shall still be enamoured with him. Beatus non est qui non fruitur quod amat. Deus plus diligitur quam intelligitur. In this world we cannot be fully happy, because we have not what we love; It is a misery to a man, if he have not what he loves, or loves not what he hath; the soul lives in hope to enjoy God, the will of man goes further in her art then any other faculty, sense looks at the outside of a thing, viz. colour; reason hath an idea or notion of it; but will desires the thing itself: the heart of man is set upon God himself; Charitas intrat scientia foris stat. Biel, and as in heaven we shall know God more, so we shall love him more, and enjoy him more, and none can tell what affections he shall have in heaven; the soul shall have a wide capacity and receive in much of God, which may appear by these two particulars. 1. God is sweet in the use of his creatures, as meat to the hungry, clothes to the naked, sleep to the weary, fire to them that are cold, these are very welcome; but if God be tasted in them, they are sweeter than ordinary. 2. In the Ordinances, God is more to the believing heart, when the troubled conscience can find rest no where, if it hear of the mercy of God in Christ it is revived, the soul that groans under the burden of sin, if it be put in hope of pardon, it gins to look up, which before was quite down, and utterly dejected. But what need I to speak how sweet God is in his Ordinances? I appeal to all those hearts that ever have received good by his word, whether it hath not been more than their appointed food, & far above all the comforts of this world; but in heaven we shall enjoy God, not in his creatures, nor in his Ordinances, but in himself; and we shall find the variety of all comforts to meet in him, we shall need no Sun to shine upon us, no wine to make our hearts glad, no oil to make our faces shine, nay we shall need no Sacraments, no preaching of the word, but God in himself, and from himself, will communicate the fullness of joy, and it shall continue without interruption, without any mixture of sorrow, or sinfulness; no devil shall be there to tempt, no deceitfulness in our hearts to betray us, no worldly occasion to entangle or trouble us; our hearts shall be lifted up and never fall again, our affections warm and never cool again, our minds settled in the full assurance of God's favour and never doubt again; our natures shall be perfectly holy and never sin again, all our thoughts and desires shall be set on God and nothing else; and for conclusion of this point, we shall be happy, and there will be no danger, no possibility of losing it again: lo, thus shall it be done to the man whom God will honour. And now that I have explained what life eternal is, I come to the latter part which is to show you that Christ will confer upon you this life by way of gift; Rom. 6.23. he will freely give it to you, The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And this aggravates the sin of the Jews that they might have so great a blessing in such a free way of gift, and yet would not come unto him; and not only the Jews, in the days of Christ were to be blamed, but even in these days the Papists will not come to him to have life in this way of gift, they will merit it, else they will not have it; they will not have a heaven that costs them nothing. To meet with both these, I shall briefly show you that Christ will freely give you life if you come to him, and that you must have it this way, or not at all. Christ purchased it, and meritoriously procured it, and it is freely given by him to us; he bought it, as if it had been freely given, & it is freely given as if it had not been bought, it is Christ's purchase, but our inheritance; Christ is given who bought it; the Word that works faith to apply it is given, the Spirit that inables us to believe, and to look after life eternal is given; And therefore the grace of God is made the cause of salvation in general, Ephe 2.8. Rom. 3.24. Ephe. 1.6, 7. and also ascribed to the particulars of justification, adoption, remission of sins, and glorification. And as God intended his glory should arise out of the manifestation of his several attributes: so he purposed several works wherein they were to shine, and more eminently to appear; as his power in the Creation, the invisible things of him, Rom. 1.20. that is, his eternal power and Godhead are seen in the Creation; Wisdom and Providence are chief seen in the government of the world; He made the Earth by his power, he established the world by his wisdom, and stretched out the Heavens by his discretion. Ier 10.12. Justice is seen in the condemnation of the wicked; and Gods free grace in the salvation of the elect. Yet we must not imagine that nothing else but power, and wisdom, and justice, and grace, appear in these works, but these are more eminent and perspicuous; and the Attributes of God though they be not subordinate or inferior one to another, yet they give way one to another; as the Mayor and Aldermen in a Corporation, they give honour to him whose turn it is to have the chief place: so here, all give way to power in Creation, none did so much appear as that; and all give way to God's free grace in our salvation: and from those words of the Apostle, Eph. 1.6. we were adopted to the praise of the glory of his grace. We may infer the like, he made the world for the praise of the glory of his power, he governs it for the praise of the glory of his wisdom, he condemns wicked men for the praise of the glory of his Justice; and saves his own for the praise of his glorious grace: And how dare any show themselves enemies to the grace of God? or go about to obscure it, or derogate from the goodness of Christ, who doth freely offer life to them that come unto him? That we may vindicate the grace of God against the Papist and others, and show that life eternal is not merited or deserved by man; we will pick out an Argument or two, such ●s see● to have most strength in them, and answer them; yet so as to deliver the positive truth, rather than meddle much with the controversy. There are two things alleged against this truth, one by ancient Writers, the other by Modern Papists; which seem to prove, that we are not to look for life at Christ's hand of free gift. I will put them both together thus. If the holy actions, and services of believers come from the Spirit of grace enabling them thereto, and shall be rewarded not of grace and favour, but of justice, than they are meritorious, and consequently life eternal comes not by free gift, but is due to the Saints. But both the former are true, Ergo. The first is urged by Biell, and Greg. de Valentia, Biel li 2. dist. 29. and most Schoolmen that writ of that subject. And they amplify it thus: The nobleness of the cause argues the nobility of the effect; the Spirit of God works in us, and by his grace we are what we are; our actions are not ours but Christ's, which by his Spirit produceth them in us therefore. The second, viz, that these actions shall be rewarded not of grace, but in justice, Bellarmine urgeth, 2 Tim. 4.8. and quoteth the words of Paul; From henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness, which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give to me, and not only to me, but to all that love his appearing; here he triumphs, for here is (saith he) justice or righteousness both in the Judge that gives the reward, and in the Crown that is given, and Justice gives every one their due, and if it be of due debt, it is merited. And he urgeth the like phrase, If we confess our sins, God is just to forgive them: 1 joh. 1.9. God would have wrought in Adam per generalem influentiam; he works in us per sperialem inspirationem quod munus nostrum minus merit●ium. of all the arguments that I have met with, this seems to be one of the strongest. For answer to the first branch, it must be acknowledged that the actions of a man regenerate, are more noble than adam's could have been if he stood in his integrity; for his obedience had come from the liberty of his will, and from his own spirit: but now under the Covenant of grace, we have a more glorious spirit, the Spirit of Christ that works in us not by a general influence; but a special operation, quickening, inspiring, acting and eliciting, every thing that is good in us. But though our actions are more noble, yet less meritorious, because they are less ours then adam's would have been. For the second branch, that God of justice, not of favour and mercy, is to give the reward. I answer: that justice is either in say or in deeds. The former is truth and fidelity which stands in keeping of promises, of which John speaks, he hath promised pardon to them that make confession of their sins; and therefore if you do it, he is just and faithful, (saith the text) one explains the other, and you shall be sure to have the pardon of your sins. Justice in actions is either legal, rigid, strict justice: or else Evangelicall, tempered, allayed justice, whereby God condescends as low as may be, parts with as much right as possibly he can, and so gives man a reward; which appears by the Apostles mentioning a throne of grace; a throne is a place of Justice, yet this throne in which God sits is a throne of grace, erected upon the merits of Christ, where strict justice is moderated, and tempered, job 9.15. else it were a vain thing for Job to supplicate his Judge. We may have eternal life from this justice, and yet it is neither merited nor due. But if it will do them any good, we may say heaven is due, Debetur personae non operi. and yet hold it as a free gift coming from God's bounty; It is due to the person by reason of his sonship and adoption, not due to him in regard of any perfection in his service and obedience to the heir. The inheritance is due (saith the Cardinal) we grant it, but how came he to be a son and heir? was it not free grace that made him so? yes doubtless. It is due in regard of God's promise, for God hath made himself a debtor not by receiving any thing from us, Debitorem se fecit Deus non accipiendo sed promittendo. but by his own free engagement to us; and what moved him to make us such a promise? It was his free grace and goodness to us. It is due in regard of the Covenant of grace, whereby he hath made over Heaven to them that believe in his Son: If the condition be kept we are sure to have it; But who inables us to believe? Is it not God? And what moved him to enter into Covenant? was it not his free grace? But now that the Covenant is established, and Christ hath tendered a ransom for us, and it is accepted; the justice and righteousness of God will not suffer him to require a second ransom, or to deny that which is purchased for us. But let us leave this point, I suppose it is clear to them that desire to see the truth. You hear there is eternal life which Christ will freely give you; and herein you have a view of his bounty: Use. there are divers attributes in God which neither devil nor the worst man can condemn, as love, mercy, patience, bounty, they have an amiableness in them, and cannot be hated; and when Christ doth in his bounty offer life to men, he doth like himself; a man may give honour, wealth, counsel, but none can give life but God; and nothing can be acceptable, or indeed a gift, without life. If you would bestow never so much gold and silver, or makeover Land to one that lies dead before you, nothing is done unless you could give him life, and then they were fruits of your love and bounty; Christ will give you life, and lest we should undervalue this gift, because life is accompanied with many cares, and griefs, and crosses in the world, and if it were never so pleasant, yet death comes and takes all away: therefore our Saviour offers eternal life, and this bountiful offer doth much aggravate the sins of men that will not come unto him. But what ever Atheists and unbelievers do, let those that are wise and godly come to Christ, that their souls may live. And if you desire this life, you will often inquire about yourselves, as you use to do of the Physician, when a child or friend lies sick, Is he like to live? do you think he will recover? is there no danger of death? For direction, if you remember what was said in the beginning, life eternal is begun in this life, you must be made alive here, or else you cannot live eternally: and if you live by faith, and are quickened who were dead in sins, I can assure you, you shall live eternally: bend then your thoughts to consider whether you are alive or no, which will appear. First, by a desire to preserve the life of grace: natural life is carefully preserved; what physic, what bitter potions, are taken, what cost are men at, what will they not do to prolong life? And shall men do nothing for their souls? will you live any where, not caring whether the Sun of righteousness shine there or no? will you live in dark cellars or dungeons? or will you endure any unwholesome air? and such are the places where the Gospel is not preached. Heat is a sign of life; cold is a forerunner of death; warmth is a temper arising from divers graces, which we must carefully keep: Rom. 12.11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the word signifies heat, and we would have our friends hot in our cause; we would not have a Counsellor that should plead coldly, or indifferently, and shall we be indifferent in the service of God? far be it from us. Breathing is a sign of life; it befalls many that are in swoonings and dangerous fits, that it is heard to tell whether they be: yet if they breathe in wholesome air, and pant after God, and the Scriptures, and after good advice to be set and kept in the way of Religion, it is an argument they live. I might follow the simile of breathing in and out, but I surcease. Those that are alive, to choose would converse with the living, and not with the dead; I would not have any one to think that I would insinuate any such matter, or suggest any such thoughts into the heads of any that should go about to tell who are dead, and who are alive: but we must not deny that which Scriptures plainly affirm, to choose a man that is not dead in sins would not familiarly converse with any but such as he hopes in the judgement of charity to be alive; and it stands thus between the living and the dead, no fellowship, no commerce; if you speak to a dead man, you are not answered; if you take him by the hand, and otherways express yourself, yet no correspondence, no suitableness, your love is not answered again; and therefore there can be no joy in such conversing. Speak to a worldly man, he can say little unless it be in worldly things, he is out of his element. And surely such as rejoice in good things, must needs cheerfully delight in the society of such as mind the like. And for further enlarging of this point, think what a misery it would be for a man to marry a dead woman, to have her laid in his bed, carried to his board, to be with her continually, it would be irksome and unpleasing. You see Abraham would fain bury his wife Sarah out of his fight, for the face of death is irksome and uncomfortable: And is it not the case of many a man that lives with a dead wife, and the wife with a dead husband? if it be no sorrow to you, it is so much the worse with you, for than you yourselves are dead. A woman goes with grief, and is daily in sorrow, if she think her child is dead in her womb, she hath no joy to think of the time of her deliverance. O what is it to carry about with you a dead heart, a dead soul! And it is so if you be not moved in pity to such as converse with you, of whose life in Religion you have no warrantable nor well grounded hope. But all you that by these or the like signs, can suppose and conclude to yourselves, that you are now alive, I dare be bold to assure you that you shall still live and live eternally in heaven; many things may in this world trouble you, & molest the comfort of your lives, but nothing shall cut it off, therefore with patience wait until you enjoy a better life than you now have, bear with patience sickliness of body, troubles of mind, the reproaches and crosses of this life in hope of eternal life. And the consideration hereof should make us willing to undergo any difficulties, because we hope to live happily, and that happiness to remain eternally. And surely there is great reason why the servants of God should wait patiently, and cheerfully expect the accomplishment of their hope, for of all men in the world they are in the way to the greatest preferment, and by faith they see already the bounty of God, which shall hereafter be manifested towards them. It may be of reproof justly to tax and challenge the most part of Christians, Use 2. for not longing more after life eternal, what should move us to be in love with the world? Ah do we so much esteem life that is temporal, it is a wonder to see so great matters mentioned in the Scriptures, and our hearts so little affected with them; and it may be a matter of wonderment, why our hearts make no more after things that be so precious: I take it these causes may be rendered, but all of them intimate matter of reproof. First men that are not assured of a better estate, are loath to leave that which they have in possession, a poor man tha●●ives in a cold house and hath never a good room, yet if he knows not whither to go, he will not wil●lingly go out though it be never so cold; so is it with many men that are miserable and poor, they have no assurance of a better estate and therefore they are loath to leave this. It may be they have some hopes and cares, and that honest and religious; as in David, he had a promise of the Kingdom, and his heart was set on the service he meant to do, when he came to the Kingdom; this may be in the mind, and hinder the more earnest desires of heaven. The main cause is, life eternal, and the joys of heaven are so high above our spirit, that till the soul be fitted by an extraordinary measure of grace, and raised above an ordinary pitch, it is not made suitable to them: Paul that had visions and revelations was elevated higher than ordinary; he was full of heavenly desires. FINIS. Die Jovis 27 May. 1647. ORdered by the Lords in Parliament assembled, That Mr. Valentine one of the Assembly of Divines, is hereby thanked for his great pains taken in his Sermon Preached yesterday before their Lordships in the Abbey Church Westminster: And he is hereby desired to cause the same to be Printed, and published; Which is to be done only by Authority under his own Hand. Jo: Browne Cler: Parl'. I Appoint Joh: Rothwell to Print my Sermon. Tho: Valentime.