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<DATE>2008-10-23</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<VID>116161</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A THREE-FOLD CORD To unite Soules for ever unto GOD.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>The Mysterie of Godline&s;se opened.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>The Imitation of Christ propo&s;ed.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>The Crowne of afflicted Saints promi&s;ed.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>As it was compacted by M. <HI>Richard Head,</HI> M. A. and &s;ometimes Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel, in his Labours at Great <HI>Torrington</HI> in <HI>Devon.</HI></P>
<P>Publi&s;hed now, after his Death, for publike profit.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>ECCLES. 4.12.</HI></BIBL>
<P>A three-fold Cord is not quickly broken.</P></Q>
<P>LONDON, Printed by <HI>E. P.</HI> for <HI>Fr. Coles,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop in the <HI>Old-Bayly,</HI> at the Signe of the <HI>Halfe-Bowle,</HI> 1647.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Readers.</HEAD>
<P>_HOne&s;t Readers (for I dare be&s;peak no other) This Po&s;thumous Worke of the Reverend Author, given to my peru&s;all by his &s;urvi|ving Con&s;ort, with de&s;ire to make it of publike benefit, is fit for none &s;o much as for you, who are delighted in <HI>Hone&s;t Things.</HI> Other <HI>Hi|&s;trionicks, Athenian</HI> and <HI>wanton</HI> Readers, are taken up with <HI>Play-Bookes, Newes-Bookes,</HI> and <HI>Scandalous Pamphlets;</HI> yet would they turne their eyes upon Spirituall and &s;erious Di&s;cour&s;es, it might prove better worth their labour, even to make them better. To all therefore that de&s;ire to be good, or to doe good, I &s;hall commend this little Worke, as not unbe&s;eeming their view. The &s;everall Tractates are not large, as perhaps the &s;ubjects of them might de&s;ire, they being of great extent; yet a &s;hort and &s;wee<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> repre&s;entation of them will make none lo&s;ers, who may reade &s;ome of them in larger Volumes, &s;et out to the full.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 3.16. Matth, 19.28<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Jam. 1.12.</NOTE> If the <HI>Mysterie of Godline&s;&s;e,</HI> the <HI>Imitation of Christ,</HI> the <HI>Crowne of afflicted Saints,</HI> be matters delight|full to you, you may pa&s;&s;e through this little Garden, and crop &s;weet Flowers, growing upon every Root.
<PB REF="3">The <HI>Subjects</HI> doe garni&s;h enough the Labour of the Au|thor, and his <HI>Labour</HI> enlighten's them. My prayer is, that by this Light your Soules may be guided to ob|taine this <HI>Mysterie,</HI> this <HI>Christ,</HI> this <HI>Crowne</HI> here bla|zoned: Your labour then will not be lo&s;t in Reading, nor mine in per&s;wading you thereunto. The God of Spirits write in your hearts what you reade here; in him I am,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Yours, bound to &s;erve you for Je&s;us &s;ake,</HI> GEO: HUGHES.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="license">
<HEAD>Augu&s;t the 7. 1647.</HEAD>
<P>I <HI>Have read the&s;e three pious and profitable Sermons; the fir&s;t, inti|tuled,</HI> The Saints Inheritance; <HI>the &s;econd,</HI> The My&s;terie of Godline&s;&s;e; <HI>the third,</HI> The reward of Imitation, <HI>and doe licen&s;e them to be printed and publi&s;hed.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>JOHN DOWNAME.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<DIV2 TYPE="sermon">
<HEAD>THE SAINTS INHERITANCE.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Sermon Preached in <HI>Torrington</HI> the &s;econd of <HI>February,</HI> 1642.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>JAMES 1.12.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that endures tentation; for when he is tryed, he &s;hall receive the Crowne of Life, which the Lord hath promi&s;ed to tho&s;e that love him.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_WEE have here an Argument unto patience, and chearefull &s;uffering, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 10. <HI>Let the rich man rejoyce, when brought low,</HI> to an ebbe, like a River emptied.</P>
<P><HI>Durus hic Sermo;</HI> this is a hard &s;aying, who can beare it? 'tis hard for any, e&s;pecially for a great man to endure vexations, <HI>per &s;e:</HI> harder yet? to endure them with joy.</P>
<P>True 3 and therefore, that the man brought low may not onely endure his pre&s;&s;ures, but endure them with joy, the Apo&s;tle encourageth him thereunto, <HI>propter aliud;</HI> from, or for &s;ome|thing el&s;e; and this no le&s;&s;e then a Crowne of immortall Glory: and &s;o would have him to goe chearefully on; a&s;&s;ured, that his labour &s;hall not be in vaine in the Lord.</P>
<P>In the words we have, fir&s;t, a propo&s;ition; and then, &s;econdly, the proofe thereof.</P>
<PB N="2" REF="4">
<P>In the propo&s;ition, fir&s;t, the &s;ubject, or per&s;on &s;poken of; and &s;econdly, the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">, or thing a firmed of him.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the &s;ubject, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></P>
<P><HI>The</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> dinari<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> pitch, <GAP DESC="foreign">; looke a little back, and you &s;hall &s;ee him, <HI>ver&s;. 9. Let the brother of low degree rejoyce when exalted; and let the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ch man rejoyce when brought low.</HI> 'Tis then &s;ome great man the Text here &s;peakes of, &s;ome great man in adver&s;itie; and yet not &s;imply &s;o, but one, who being in adver&s;itie, is there by temp|ted; and yet (which is wor&s;e) <GAP DESC="foreign">, endu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">eth the remp|tation, neither &s;hrinking from it, nor &s;inking under <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> and there lyes the point of Chri&s;tian braverie and gallantrie.</P>
<P>By tentation, in this place then, we are to under&s;tand afflicti|ons; whether from within, by a prick in the fle&s;h, and the buffer|ings of Satan; or whether from without, by the mole&s;tations of malicious and malignant enemies, by the revi&s;ings and re|proaches of the ungodly, by unkindne&s;&s;e of friends, and the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|tine&s;&s;e of &s;uch as have beene neere and deare unto <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> king from us the choy&s;e of our affection, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> 24.16. calls <HI>the plea&s;ure of the heart, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> fo the eyes;</HI> or whether the Lord lay his hand upon our bodies, in &s;ome painefull and pining Sickne&s;&s;e: in a word, what&s;oever af|fliction the Lord be plea&s;ed to lay upon us, &s;uppo&s;e it be that wee cannot make le&s;&s;e, by imparting it to others; all is to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">rie us.</P>
<P><HI>Afflictions are but Tryals.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ob&s;er<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI></NOTE>Dear. De<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">r. 8.2. <HI>And thou &s;haft remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee the&s;e fortie yeares in the Wilderne&s;&s;e, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thon wors<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></HI> of any thing within us, for hee under&s;tands all our thought long before; Hell and de&s;truction are before the Lord, how much more the hearts of the &s;on<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es of men? But that what is in us, may he made <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> both to our &s;elves <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> whether it be Pride, Impatience, or any other what&s;oever Rebellions <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> Faith, Hope, Love, Patience and other the lovelye&s;t Graces of Gods holy and &s;anctifying Spirit, which
<PB N="3" REF="4">like the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">tar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es in the darke&s;t night, are mo&s;t illu&s;trious in blacke&s;t times of trouble and adver&s;itie.</P>
<P>Thus al&s;o would the Lord trie our uprightne&s;&s;e and &s;inceritie: <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">imes of Peace, Pl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ie, and Pro&s;peritie there is roo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e for Satans objection again&s;t us, as again&s;t holy <HI>job<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Doe tho&s;e, and there, &s;erve the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> for nothing? <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> not thou thus and thus ble&s;|&s;ed them? And it may be that many in tho&s;e better dayes &s;erved God &s;on the ble&s;&s;ings of his left hand, &amp;c. Like little Children, who &s;ay their Prayers, to have their Breakfa&s;t. But when in times of great afflictions, when God is turning his Children our of doores, a begging expo&s;ing them to eminen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> dang<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> now to &s;erve the Lord, now to adhere unto him, chu&s;ing rather to have our bodies torne from our &s;oules, then our <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es from our Re|deemer: This demon&s;trates, that we are not ba&s;e and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">cenarie; that though we cannot &s;erve God without wages, yo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> did not &s;erve him for wages; but at lea&s;t, primarily for him&s;elfe, and the lovelyne&s;&s;e of his Nature.</P>
<P>Afflictions then are no arguments of Gods di&s;plea&s;ure <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ay,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>V&s;e.</HI> In&s;truction in Truth,</NOTE> when ble&s;t and &s;ar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ctified, they are arguments of his love and fa|vour; and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ey are, when by them God &s;eparates what he hates, from he per&s;on whom he loves. <HI>I know</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) that out of very faithfulne&s;&s;e thou ha&s;t cau&s;ed me to be afflicted.</HI> And againe, <HI>Bl&s;&s;ed is the man whom thou cha&s;ti&s;e&s;t, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">che&s;t in thy Law.</HI> Not therefore ble&s;&s;ed, becau&s;e afflicted; but therefore ble&s;&s;ed, becau&s;e by afflictions made wi&s;er, made more holy, more humble, &amp;c. Afflictions, like <HI>Jonathans</HI> Arrowes, are &s;ent, not to hurt <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> but to w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">rne us like the Sheph<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Dog, &s;ent out, not to bite, but to bring us in from &s;traying, and &s;o from danger.</P>
<P>And if Afflictions be Tryals;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>V&s;e.</HI> In&s;truction to D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ie.</NOTE> then mu&s;t we, when under them, (as now at this time all of us, in re&s;pect of the publi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e) e&s;pecially looke to our &s;elves: for now as the lo&s;ing, or the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ving of &s;ome &s;peciall Grace, or Ble&s;&s;ing. Now God is trying me, whether I will repent of my &s;innes, goe home to my Fathers hou&s;e, whe|ther I will hold out in my journey to <HI>Canaan,</HI> or backe againe to <HI>Egypt,</HI> &amp;c. Truly, what you are in affliction, that you are, and no more.</P>
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<P>Is there any among you,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 <HI>U&s;e.</HI> Comfort.</NOTE> who being under afflictions, lives by faith, manife&s;teth his graces, is thereby drawne neerer to God, in a &s;piritual<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> di&s;daine of all things here below? Is there any here that truely and experimentally can &s;ay of his trouble, <HI>It<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learne thy Sta|tutes? P&s;al.</HI> 119.71. Reade here an argument of Gods fatherly love; hee &s;courgeth every &s;onne whom he receiveth: and then &s;ay of thine affliction, thus turning thee from &s;inne and death, as <HI>David</HI> to <HI>Abigail,</HI> when &s;he turned him from his fury; <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed he the Lord God of I&s;rael, who &s;ent thee this day to meet me:</HI> Oh, the memory of this may doe you good another day; It fol|loweth:</P>
<P>As afflictions are tryalls, &s;o 'tis &s;aid of the great man under them, <GAP DESC="foreign">, a word made up of two, and &s;o would &s;peake unto us two points:</P>
<P N="1">1.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Ob&s;er.</HI></NOTE> <HI>When God is plea&s;ed to lay afflictions on us for our tryall, we mu&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">, &s;tay in tho&s;e afflictions, till he that layed them on, &s;hall plea&s;e to take them off.</HI></P>
<P>'Tis &s;aid of <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> that till the time was <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ome, the Word of the Lord tryed him; God knowes as how, &s;o when, to deliver his &s;ervants: in the <HI>Mount</HI> he will bee &s;eene; and therefore in what&s;oever afflictions we are, we mu&s;t wait his will and plea&s;ure, and &s;tay his ley&s;ure too, <HI>Dan.</HI> 11.35. <HI>And &s;ome of them of un|der&s;tanding &s;hall fall, to trie them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, becau&s;e it is yet for a time ap|pointed:</HI> And <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 28.16. <HI>He that beleeveth &s;hall not make ha&s;te:</HI> The Plai&s;ter mu&s;t lye on, till the Sore be healed; wherefore, <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.4. <HI>Let patience have her perfect worke.</HI></P>
<P>This makes again&s;t tho&s;e who can indure afflictions for a while, but if a little lengthned,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>V&s;e.</HI> Reproofe.</NOTE> they grow weary and impatient; &s;aying as hee in 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 6.33. <HI>Why &s;hould wee walt on God any longer?</HI> Away they goe to &s;ome indirect and unlawfull wayes; or el&s;e they murmure, repine, bla&s;pheme, &amp;c.</P>
<P>And truth is, there is too much impatiencie in the be&s;t, <HI>Mica 7.4. The be&s;t of them is as a Bryar, the mo&s;t upright is &s;harper then a Thorne-hedge:</HI> They kick, but it is again&s;t the pricks; and &s;o by their impatiencie they only hurt them&s;elves, they make their
<PB N="5" REF="6">burthen more heavie, and God more angry: Read and tremble, <HI>Numb. 11.1. And when the people complained, it displea&s;ed the Lord, and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and con&s;umed them that were in the uttermo&s;t parts of the Campe.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Heb. 10.36. Verily you have need of patience, that when you have done the will of God,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>V&s;e.</HI> Exhortation.</NOTE> <HI>you might inherite the promi&s;e:</HI> where|fore, as our Lord and Saviour advi&s;eth, <HI>Luke</HI> 21.19. <HI>In pa|tience po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e we our owne &s;oules;</HI> this &s;hall &s;ave us from the evill of affliction: <HI>Quamvis non ab exteriere &amp; alieno tamen ab intimo &amp; no&s;tro, Augu&s;t.</HI> Though not from the evill that is without us, yet from the evill that is within us.</P>
<P><HI>Abide patiently:</HI> Might you for the lea&s;t of the &s;innes <HI>Rome</HI> calls veniall, have not onely deliverance from troubles, but great preferment, yeeld not on any tearmes; <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.35. <HI>And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtaine a better Re&s;urrection.</HI></P>
<P>Let not God goe in the&s;e your wre&s;tlings, till with <HI>Jacob</HI> you have got a ble&s;&s;ing. <HI>Have you not heard of the patience of Job? Jam.</HI> 5.11. <HI>And have you not &s;een the end of the Lord?</HI> So &s;oone as the Ju&s;t Man, &s;eeing the folly of his impatiencie and di&s;temper, yeelded and &s;ubmitted; the Lord made an end of his afflictions. See <HI>Job</HI> 40.4.) what he &s;aith, <HI>Behold I am vile, what &s;hall I an|&s;wer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.</HI> Now heare the Lord, <HI>ver&s;. 6. Then the Lord an&s;wered unto Job out of the Whirle|winde, and &s;aid, Gird up thy loynes now like a man, &amp;c.</HI> And &s;urely (as <HI>David</HI> &s;ings) <HI>The patient abiding of the ju&s;t &s;hall never be for|gotten.</HI> Nay, if thus you &s;uffer, you &s;hall be more then conque|rers, through him that loved us. <HI>Revel,</HI> 12.11. <HI>And they over|came him by the blood of the Lambe, and by the word of their te&s;ti|mony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.</HI></P>
<P>But they are malicious men, by whom you &s;uffer,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Object.</HI></NOTE> (&s;ay you) and this is that that moves you.</P>
<P>Be it &s;o, and &s;o it ever was,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sol.</HI></NOTE> is, and will be. <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.29. <HI>But as then, he that was borne after the fle&s;h, per&s;ecuted him that was borne after the &s;pirit, even &s;o it is now.</HI> But then &s;ay I:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, If becau&s;e they revile, rayle, reproach you, you againe
<PB N="6" REF="7">revile, reproach, and rayle on them as fa&s;t; what difference is there, <HI>inter provocantem &amp; provocatum, Tert<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ll.</HI> betweene you and them? onely this; they &s;inned fir&s;t, and you &s;inned next.</P>
<P>Secondly, Who, or what&s;oever be the in&s;truments of your af|flictions, 'cis God permits them, he hath an hand in all your trou|bles;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Art. 3.6. Job 2.10.</NOTE> <HI>Is there any evill in the Citie</HI> (&s;aith the Lord) <HI>and I have not done it?</HI> Say then as <HI>Job</HI> to his Wife, <HI>Shall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> receive good at the hands of God, and &s;hall wee not receive evill?</HI> Say wee (as our Lord and Saviour) <HI>Shall I not drinks of the Cup my Father giveth me?</HI></P>
<P>As for the mole&s;tations of the wicked; as <HI>Pilate</HI> unto Chri&s;t, threatning him with <HI>crucifying,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>he &s;pake not when he was &s;poken unto, John</HI> 19.11. They could <HI>have no power <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ver you, were it not given them from above.</HI> Here then you mu&s;t al&s;o &s;ee the <HI>hand of God, and lay your owne hand upon your mouth.</HI> See what <HI>David</HI> doth, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 16.10, 12. <HI>And the King &s;aid, What have I to doe with you, ye &s;onnis of Zerviah? So let him cur&s;e, becau&s;e the Lord hath &s;aid unto him, Cur&s;e David; who &s;hall then &s;ay, wherefore ha&s;t thou done &s;o? It may be the Lord will looke on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite good for his cur&s;ing this day. P&s;al.</HI> 38.12, 13, 14. <HI>They al&s;o that &s;eeke after my life, lay &s;nares for me; and they that &s;eeke my hurt, &s;peake mi&s;chievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long: but I, as a deafe man, heard not, and I was as a d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">mbe man, that openeth not his mouth, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Nay farther,</P>
<P>Wee mu&s;t not onely <GAP DESC="foreign">, but <GAP DESC="foreign">; not only not &s;hrinke from, but not &s;inke under the pre&s;&s;ures God is plea&s;ed to lay upon us. So then the next point is,</P>
<P N="2">2.<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 <HI>Ob&s;er.</HI></NOTE> <HI>When God is plea&s;ed to trie us by afflictions, we mu&s;t not onely &s;uffer them to the end, but all the while with &s;trength and courage; not onely with con&s;tancie, but magnanimitie. If</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Solomon) thy heart faile thee in the day of trouble, thy &s;trength is &s;mall.</HI> Wee mu&s;t &s;tand up under our burthens, as the Palme-tree under weights; not onely, not &s;tooping or declining, but &s;pringing up the more towards Heaven.</P>
<PB N="7" REF="7">
<P>As in the Deluge; the higher the Waters ro&s;e, the higher &s;till mounted the Arke: &s;o the greater our trouble; are, the higher mu&s;t wee goe in our thoughts towards, God. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.8, 10. <HI>Wee are troubled on every &s;ide, yet not distre&s;&s;ed; wee are perplexed, but not in despaire; alwayes bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Je&s;us, that the life al&s;o of Je&s;us might be made manife&s;t in our body.</HI></P>
<P>Say wee then of our &s;everall pre&s;&s;ures (as it is, <HI>Ier.</HI> 10.19.) <HI>Truely this is my grie&s;e, and I will beare it.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Coun&s;aile.</NOTE> They who being un|der affliction, doe either &s;hrinke from it, or &s;inke under it, are Cowards both alike. If at any time, either through the great|ne&s;&s;e, or the length of any mi&s;erie, our hearts begin to faint, check wee our &s;elves, and &s;ay as <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 42. <HI>Why art thou <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;t downe, O my &s;oule, and why art thou &s;o di&s;quieted within me? Trust in God, for I &s;hall yet pray&s;e him who is the health of my coun|tenance, and my God.</HI></P>
<P>To this end, labour wee for &s;pirituall &s;trength: <HI>My Grave</HI> (&s;aith God, as to the Apo&s;tle, &s;o to all in like ca&s;e, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.9.) <HI>&s;hall be &s;ufficient for thee.</HI> And <HI>Philip.</HI> 4.13. <HI>I</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>am able to doe all things through him that &s;trengthneth me:</HI> Under|&s;tand him, tran&s;cendently; &s;trengthned by Chri&s;t, wee &s;hall be able, not onely to doe, but to &s;uffer any thing for his &s;ake.</P>
<P>Labout wee for courage, fortitude, heavenly-mindedne&s;&s;e; &s;o &s;hall nothing be hard unto us: <HI>Aliquando vincitur quis, non quia fortior, &s;ed quia cum timidiore congre&s;&s;us, Tertull.</HI> Wee are &s;ome|times beaten, not becau&s;e weake, but becau&s;e more cowardly and fearefull.</P>
<P>Well (&s;ay you) here is the Man that &s;uffereth, and thus &s;uffereth; a Man that both &s;tayeth in his affliction, and &s;tands up under it: What then?</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>The thing affirmed of him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>He is ble&s;&s;ed:</HI> And hence &s;hall I commend unto your tendere&s;t Meditations, two In&s;tructions.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>As we would be ble&s;&s;ed, we mu&s;t fir&s;t be tryed by &s;ome af|fliction or other.</HI></P>
<PB N="8" REF="8">
<P><HI>Acts</HI> 14.22. Where you &s;ee the way to Heaven lyes; fir&s;t, <HI>through tribulations;</HI> &s;econdly, <HI>through many tribulations;</HI> and this, thirdly, <HI>nece&s;&s;arily it mu&s;t be &s;o.</HI></P>
<P>God hath appointed it, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 3.3. <HI>That no man &s;hould be moved by the&s;e afflictions; for your &s;elves know, that wee are ap|pointed therecunto.</HI> And if wee <HI>goe forth by the foot-&s;teps of the flock</HI> (as it is in one of the Songs of Love) wee &s;hall finde, all that are now in Heaven, to have gone this way. <HI>Heb. 2.10. For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many Sonnes unto glory, to make the Captaine of their &s;alvation perfect through &s;ufferings.</HI> And, <HI>Heb.</HI> 13.1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Wherefore, &s;eeing wee al&s;o are compa&s;&s;ed about with &s;o great a Cloud of Wit|ne&s;&s;es, let us lay a&s;ide every weight, &amp;c. Iam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es 5.10. Take my brethren, the Prophets, who have &s;poken to us in the name of the Lord, for an example of &s;uffering affliction, and of patience. 1 Pet. 5.9. Whom re&s;i&s;t &s;tedfa&s;t in the faith, knowing that the &s;ame afflictions are accompli&s;hed in your brethren that are in the world.</HI> And this way mu&s;t all follow after. <HI>Who&s;oever</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>will live godly in Chri&s;t;</HI> note that, <HI>in Chri&s;t,</HI> that is, in oppo&s;ition to the world, <HI>mu&s;t &s;uffer per&s;ecution.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e</HI> at the fir&s;t required nothing but obedience active, <HI>Doe this and live;</HI> but &s;ince the Fall, it requireth obedience pa&s;&s;ive al&s;o: the way to Heaven is by weeping-cro&s;&s;e, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.6,8. <HI>For whom the Lord loveth he cha&s;ten<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">th, and &s;courgeth every &s;onne whom he recerveth: if ye endure cha&s;tening. God dealeth with you as with &s;onnes; for what &s;onne is he whom the father cha&s;teneth not?</HI></P>
<P>Tho&s;e eight Beatitudes, or rather eight parts of Beatitudes, (which is one and intire) in Chri&s;ts fir&s;t Sermon upon the Mount, if you marke them, run mo&s;t of them in obedience pa&s;&s;ive: wee mu&s;t goe to <HI>Canaan</HI> through the Wilderne&s;&s;e, amid&s;t Scorpions, and by the waters of <HI>Marah.</HI></P>
<P>They then are much deceived,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Conviction.</NOTE> who thinke to pa&s;&s;e hence, &agrave; <HI>de|licits ad delicias,</HI> from fle&s;hly and worldly plea&s;ures and delights to the joyes of Gods pre&s;ence: deceived they are, as they &s;hall one day find, when it &s;hall be &s;aid unto them, amid their torments, and too late repenting, as unto <HI>Dives; Remember thou hadst thy plea&s;ure upon earth.</HI></P>
<PB N="9" REF="8">
<P><HI>Art thou yet at ea&s;e in Sion. &amp;c?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Coun&s;ell.</NOTE> Well, thou m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">y&s;t yet &s;uffer, nay thou mu&s;t, there is no &s;caping in a mi&s;t; though going forth wind and tide &s;erve thee, yet &s;uddenly both may turne again&s;t thee. 'Tis reported of <HI>Nero,</HI> that having a faire Empre&s;&s;e, hee u&s;ed &s;ometimes to take her by the chin; &s;aying, Here is a &s;aire face, but when I li&s;t I can cut it off: So &s;ay thou of all thy &s;aire&s;t externall ble&s;&s;ings; here is a &s;trong body, but God can when he plea&s;eth turne it into du&s;t; here are &s;weet children, but God can when he will take them from me, &amp;c. Provide for a &s;torme, and the rather, becau&s;e now the heavens lowre, our bankes are bro|ken downe, and the tide is breaking in: O let us no longer, like little children, play with cockle &s;hells upon the &s;hore.</P>
<P>Art thou under any affliction, any di&s;tre&s;&s;e, any extremity, &amp;c? be not di&s;mayed, the wor&s;t of the wayes of God are better then the be&s;t of the wayes of &s;inne; for the&s;e lead to the <HI>chambers of death, 1 Pet. 1.12 thinke it not &s;trange,</HI> nay think of it both as right and com&s;ortable; for this is your land-marke, now may you a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves, that you are in the way, onely looke not back to <HI>Egypt</HI> againe, nor &s;it &s;till as weary, yet a little farther, and you are happy, <HI>Heb. 12.11. Now no cha&s;tening for the pre|&s;ent &s;eemeth to be joyous, but grievous; neverthele&s;&s;e, afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, unto them which are exerci&s;ed thereby.</HI> It followeth,</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>As they who would be ble&s;&s;ed, mu&s;t endure tentation; &s;o they that endure tentation, &s;hall be ble&s;&s;ed.</HI></P>
<P>Rom. 8.17. <HI>And if childrens then heires, heires of God, and joynt|heires with Chri&s;t, if &s;o be that we &s;uffer with him, that we may bee al&s;o glorified together.</HI> Revel. 2.10. <HI>Feare none of tho&s;e things which thou &s;halt &s;uffer; bee thou faithfull unto the death, and I will give thee a crowne of life.</HI></P>
<P>Nay, they are already ble&s;&s;ed in the comfortable a&s;&s;urance of Gods love and favour.</P>
<P>Away then with all <HI>Bildads</HI> and <HI>Zophars,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Reproofe.</NOTE> who would draw hard conclu&s;ions on Gods people in their affliction, as if God loved them not: Oh let their mouthes be tyed up in &s;ilence for ever. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed</HI> (&s;aith my Text) <HI>is the man that indureth tentation;</HI> and who can cur&s;e where <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">od hath ble&s;&s;ed?</P>
<P>See here with admiration,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Advice.</NOTE> the goodne&s;&s;e and graciou&s;ne&s;&s;e of
<PB N="10" REF="9">our God, who though he might command our obedience, both active &amp; pa&s;&s;ive, upon the allegeance we owe unto him is yet plea|&s;ed to &s;uger his precepts with &s;anctions; with propo&s;itions &amp; pro|mi&s;es of reward. He ble&s;&s;eth us as the good old father, <HI>Ephraim</HI> and <HI>Mana&s;&s;eth</HI> with his hands a-cro&s;&s;e. How happy are wee to &s;erve &s;o good a Ma&s;ter; but how happy &s;hall we be, if wee doe him good &s;ervice?</P>
<P>Is there any among you, who being in troubles, is thereby of|fended, who&s;e feet begin to &s;lip, who&s;e treadings are almo&s;t gone? O looke out with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to the recompence of reward, &s;o &s;hall you ha&s;ten home, and &s;weeten your thoughts by the way as you goe; the dayes are &s;harp, but then they are &s;hort; the wayes are &s;oule, but not long; Heaven is hard at hand, and a day is com|ming will make amends for all your &s;orrowes and &s;ufferings; hold on, and the <HI>Crowne</HI> is yours.</P>
<P><HI>Afflictions are tryalls;</HI> and the&s;e, as wee would be <HI>ble&s;&s;ed</HI> wee mu&s;t indure; yea, if wee indure them, neither &s;inking under them, nor &s;hrinking from them, we &s;hall be <HI>ble&s;&s;ed.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that indureth tentation;</HI> and why <HI>ble&s;&s;ed?</HI> the proo&s;e of the propo&s;ition followeth, <HI>for when he is tryed, he &s;hall receive a crowne of life, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>And here you &s;ee the <HI>ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e</HI> of the patient man:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>defined.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>a&s;&s;ured.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. 'Tis <HI>defined.</HI></P>
<P>'Tis <HI>a Crowne of life:</HI> A Crowne &s;peakes State and Dignity; what&s;oever we are now, we &s;hall ere long be Kings, and walke in long white Robes: <HI>You</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>that have followed mee in the Regeneration;</HI> that is, in the day of new birth to all the world, in the day of Re&s;tauration of all things; <HI>&s;hall &s;it on twelve thrones, and judge the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael, Mat.</HI> 19.28.</P>
<P>But what is a Crowne without life; <HI>Better</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Salomon) be a living Dag then a dead Lion.</HI></P>
<P>True, but the patient man &s;hall have at la&s;t, not only a crown, but <HI>a Crowne of Life, 2 Tim. 4.8. Honce&s;orth is la<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">d up for mee a Crown<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, which the Lord the righteous Indge &s;hall give me at that day; and not to me onely, bus unto them al&s;o that love his appearing:</HI> So then,</P>
<PB N="11" REF="9">
<P><HI>How&s;oever wee have here</HI> beatudinem viato<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nm, <HI>&s;uch and &s;o much happ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ne&s;&s;e as belongs to Travellers,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;erv.</HI></NOTE> <HI>yet is the fulne&s;&s;e, the heaghe of ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e behinde,</HI> beatitudo patriae, <HI>wee are now the &s;onnes of God, 1 Joh.</HI> 3.2. Neverthele&s;&s;e, it doth not appeare what we &s;hall be; but when Chri&s;t &s;hall appeare, we &s;hold appeare in glory with him. <HI>Above</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>are &s;uch things as neither eye hath &s;eene, ner eare heard, nor ever came into the heart of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> to conceive:</HI> The &s;um of all, is Gods beatificall vi&s;ion.</P>
<P>In Heaven is the perfection of all good things; fulne&s;&s;e is the perfection of mea&s;ure, everla&s;tingne&s;&s;e is the perfection of time, infinitene&s;&s;e the perfection of number, immutability the perfe|ction of &s;tate, immen&s;ity the perfection of place, immortality the perfection of life, and God the perfection of all; <HI>P&s;al. 16.11 In thy pre&s;ence as fulne&s;&s;e of joy, at thy right hand there we plea&s;ures for evermore.</HI></P>
<P>See here the extreame folly of worldly men,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Reproofe.</NOTE> who for peri|&s;hing, and vexations vanities, are content to part with a Crowne of immortall Glory.</P>
<P>Wor&s;e yet are they, who for the plea&s;ures of &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e, which are but for a &s;ea&s;on, momentanie, ye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> abortive, peri&s;hing are they bud, for&s;eit eternall ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e: Wee laugh at little children, when they let goe things of worth for tri&s;les, rattles, a nut, an apple: but certainly many among us are much more child<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;h; They let goe Heaven and all the riches, joyes, and happine&s;&s;e thereof, for things that can doe them no good, may doe them much hurt; and when all is done, cannot abide with them.</P>
<P>See here againe a ground of patience and cheere&s;ull &s;uffering; your lo&s;&s;es are many and great,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Coun&s;ell.</NOTE> but if you have not lo&s;t Heave<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, you have lo&s;t nothing: <HI>Maries better part is that which cannot be taken away:</HI> Your cro&s;&s;es are many and great, remember there is a <HI>Crowne of life</HI> behinde, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Wherefore (as the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Colo&s;.</HI> 3.) take your <HI>affections</HI> off from things here <HI>below,</HI> and &s;et them on things <HI>above;</HI> looke to the <HI>Crowne of life</HI> re&s;erved for you: Amid all cro&s;&s;es, and in the houre of death, live in the comforts of this hope, and rai&s;e your mindes accordingly; live like tho&s;e that doe beleeve, and expect an Heaven: <HI>Heb. 10.34. For yee had compa&s;&s;ion of me in my bonds, and tooke joyfully the &s;p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">yling of your goods, knowing in your &s;olves
<PB N="12" REF="10">that you have in Heaven a better and an induring &s;ub&s;tance.</HI> See here a cro&s;&s;e with a Crowne.</P>
<P>But what a&s;&s;urance? wee &s;ee <HI>ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e defined,</HI> but how is it <HI>a&s;&s;ured?</HI></P>
<P>The a&s;&s;urance is two-fold.</P>
<P N="1">1. In regard of promi&s;e, <HI>God hath &s;aid.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. In regard of tho&s;e to whom the promi&s;e is made, <HI>They that love him.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;er.</HI></NOTE> <HI>God hath &s;aid, Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that indureth tentation, for he &s;hall receive a crowne of life.</HI> Hath God &s;aid it, and &s;hall not he doe it? <HI>He</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>is faithfull who hath promi&s;ed;</HI> Againe, <HI>all his promi&s;es in Christ are yea and amen. If we confe&s;&s;e, 1 Ioh. 1.9. God is faithfull to forgive;</HI> a &s;trange argument, one would thinke, we &s;hould rather feare revenge, then expect for|givene&s;&s;e of &s;inne from the Ju&s;tice of God.</P>
<P>But God is as ju&s;t in performing the mercy he hath promi|&s;ed, as in executing the vengeance he hath threatned.</P>
<P>See here a &s;ure ground of hope,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Coun&s;ell.</NOTE> the word and promi&s;e of our never-failing God; a &s;ure ground (I &s;ay) wherein hope, which is our Anchor, may &s;trongly fa&s;ten, to &s;ecure our &s;oules in any tempe&s;t; as to hope without a promi&s;e, or upon a promile, o|therwi&s;e then it &s;tands, is to let our Anchor hang in the water, or catch in a wave, and &s;o to expect &s;afety: So to depend upon the promi&s;e of God, and &s;o as the promi&s;e is made, is to &s;ettle, to &s;tay, to &s;ave our &s;elves again&s;t all &s;tormes.</P>
<P>Wherefore, take the Lord at his word, <HI>Ca&s;t not away your hope,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.35, 36.) And why? becau&s;e there is a promi&s;e, whereby with <HI>patience</HI> and <HI>doing the will of God,</HI> we &s;hall bee &s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e amid all &s;urges here, and at la&s;t happily arrive on the &s;hores of peace.</P>
<P>What (&s;ay &s;ome) will you have us to &s;tand where no bottome is?
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dub.</HI></NOTE> will you have us to hang in the ayre?</P>
<P>Oh &s;low of heart to beleeve;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sol.</HI></NOTE> doth not the world, earth, and &s;ea, depend on the Word of God; as you may &s;ee, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.2. <HI>Through faith we under&s;tand, that the worlds are framed by the Word of God, &s;o that things which are &s;eene, were not made of things which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> appeare.</HI></P>
<P>How&s;oever among men, an argument from authority is not
<PB N="13" REF="10">alwayes &s;ound, becau&s;e all men are lyers, farther then truth &s;peaks for them; yet &s;ome you know have borne &s;uch &s;way with their followers and di&s;ciples, that their bare word have carried a&s;&s;ent, <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;uch a one &s;aid it, hath &s;topt all further oppo&s;itions; And when God &s;ayth this or that, &s;hall not wee beleeve him? <HI>P&s;al. 9.10. They that know thy name will tru&s;t in thee, for thou ne|ver faile&s;t them that &s;eeke thee.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, as God hath promi&s;ed <HI>a crowne of life</HI> to the patient man; &s;o his farther <HI>a&s;&s;urance</HI> is, 'tis the Crowne God hath pro|mi&s;ed to <HI>tho&s;e that love him:</HI> And hence a two-fold ob&s;ervation.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;er.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Eternall ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e belongs by promi&s;e, onely to the holy; to the&s;e onely is the promi&s;e made, Mat. 5.8. Ble&s;&s;ed are the pure in heart, for they &s;hall &s;ee God; Revel. 22.14. Ble&s;&s;ed are they that doe his Commandements, that they may have right to the Tree of life, and may enter in through the Gates into the City.</HI></P>
<P>See here the gates of Heaven made fa&s;t again&s;t all the ungodly;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>V&s;e.</HI></NOTE> with <HI>Balanm,</HI> they <HI>would dye the death of the Righteons, but they will not live the life of the Righteous:</HI> They would be <HI>happy,</HI> but they will not be <HI>holy;</HI> how unequall are the&s;e thoughs? how un|po&s;&s;ible are the&s;e hopes? In good duties (as one ob&s;erves) they &s;eperate the meanes from the end; they thinke to come to Hea|ven, though they move not a foot, turn not their faces that way, though they live in the generall neglect of all good duties: As if a man bound from hence to <HI>London,</HI> &s;hould &s;it downe here, and yet think to attaine his journeyes end. Againe, in evill things, they &s;eparate the end from the meanes; they promi&s;e them|&s;elves an e&s;cape from hell, though every &s;tep they take tend thi|ther. <HI>Mal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> e&s;&s;e volunt, mi&s;ers e&s;&s;e nolunt <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">mo <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">dco &s;unt mali <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">t non &s;int mi&s;eri, Aug.</HI> Let the&s;e reade <HI>Deut.</HI> 29.19, 20. <HI>And it come to pa&s;&s;e when he bear<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">th the words of this cur&s;e, that he ble&s;&s;e him&s;elfe in his heart, &s;aying, I &s;hall have peace, though I walke in the imagi|nations of my heart, to adde drunkenne&s;&s;e to thir&s;t, the Lord will not &s;pare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealou&s;ie &s;hall &s;mock again&s;t that man, and all the cur&s;es that are written in this Book<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;hall lye upon him, and the Lord &s;hall blot out his name from un|der Heaven.</HI></P>
<P>Farther, See here a <HI>nece&s;&s;ity of an holy life;</HI> as wee would bee
<PB N="14" REF="11">everla&s;tingly <HI>ble&s;&s;ed,</HI> we mu&s;t live <HI>holily;</HI> for without holine&s;&s;e, none &s;hall &s;ee the Lord: Hee that would fini&s;h his colours in brightne&s;&s;e, mu&s;t be &s;ure to lay &s;utable grounds; and hee that would fini&s;h his life in glory, mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily begin and end in grace: Away with the black colours of &s;in, they are an ill foun|dation; 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.2, 3. <HI>Beloved, now wee are the &s;onnes of God, and it doth not yet appeare what we &s;hall be; but wee know, that when hee &s;ha11 appeare, me &s;hall be like him; for we &s;hall &s;ee him as he is; and every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth him&s;elfe, even as hee is pure.</HI></P>
<P>'Tis the <HI>Crowne</HI> God hath <HI>promi&s;ed to tho&s;e that love him;</HI> hence by the by, are two Que&s;tions.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> 1.</NOTE> <HI>Why is it not rather &s;aid, 'tis the Crowne God hath promi&s;ed to tho&s;e that doe beleeve, or obey, &amp;c?</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Note this <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ove ari&s;ing from faith in Chri&s;t, in whom alone <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s the accep|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ance of per|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ons and du|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es.</NOTE> becau&s;e faith workes by love, and good duties done out of love are acceptable, becau&s;e they are the gifts of friends: Wic|ked men may abound in outward workes, they may pray, heare, &amp;c. all which how&s;oever materially good, and in common ac|ceptation be commanded, may yet bee made &s;inne (and indeed too often are) becau&s;e the doing of them doth not nece&s;&s;arily, and from within, re&s;pect either the command, or the comman|ders glory, but are only reducible unto him, and may in the mean time looke another way; &s;o that the goodne&s;&s;e of tho&s;e duties is not in the duties them&s;elves, but in the right manner of do|ing them; wherein if wee faile, the things are no longer good, at lea&s;t to us.</P>
<P>Secondly, wicked men, as they cannot beleeve, &s;o neither can they love, becau&s;e the&s;e things are e&s;&s;entially good in them&s;elves: And although wee neither doe them, nor can doe them with that &s;trength and perfection the Law requireth; yet cannot the doing of them in faith be totally and altogether &s;infull, becau&s;e they take Chri&s;t into their performance, and doe intrin&s;ecally, and in the very &s;ub&s;tance of the work re&s;pect God in him.</P>
<P>Thirdly, they who doe what God commands, obedientially in &s;aith, re&s;pect both the commandement, and his glory that gives it: he that workes, not onely out of common conviction, but in and with this filiall affection, out of love; this is hee that
<PB N="15" REF="11">through Chri&s;t plea&s;eth God, both in his per&s;on and all his perfor|mances.</P>
<P>Secondly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quest.</HI> 2.</NOTE> <HI>Why is it not rat her &s;aid, 'tis the Crowne God hath pro|mi&s;ed to tho&s;e whom he doth love?</HI></P>
<P>Becau&s;e our love is better knowne unto us,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>An&s;w.</HI></NOTE> being within us; then Gods love, being without us; e&s;pecially in &s;uch dayes as the&s;e of great calamity, wherein we are prone to doubt of, and to que&s;tion the love of God; if God be with us, why is all this evill fallen on us?</P>
<P>Now that we love God, wee may be &s;ure; not conjecturally, but <HI>certitudinali &s;cientia,</HI> certainely and infallibly. <HI>O how I love the Lord,</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) P&s;al.</HI> 116. <HI>And wee</HI> (faith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>have received the Spirit of God, whereby wee know the things that are given us of God,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.12.</P>
<P>And being a&s;&s;ured that we love God, we may be &s;ure that <HI>God</HI> loves us; <HI>Ille prior in amore,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.20.</P>
<P>How&s;oever our love to him, in re&s;pect of his to us, bee as the running of a little &s;treame, to the flowing of the great Ocean; or as the thir&s;t of one, to the Fountaine where he drinkes: yet for as much as his love to us, begets our love to him; therefore if we love him, we may be &s;ure he loves us.</P>
<P>Now as touching the &s;econd ob&s;ervation.</P>
<P><HI>He that indureth tentation is ble&s;&s;ed;</HI> and why? becau&s;e <HI>he &s;halt receive a Crowne of life;</HI> And why &s;hall he receive this? becau&s;e 'tis the <HI>Crown</HI> God hath promi&s;ed <HI>to tho&s;e that love him:</HI> But why to the <HI>patient man?</HI> becau&s;e by his patient &s;uffering hee &s;hewes his love to God more then any. <HI>Now</HI> (&s;aith God to <HI>Abraham,</HI> on the point of offering up his onely &s;onne) <HI>I know thou lo|ve&s;t mee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>As the patient &s;hew their love to God by &s;uffering,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;erv.</HI></NOTE> <HI>&s;o will the Lord &s;hew his love to him by rewarding.</HI></P>
<P>The Covenant betweene God and us, &s;tands in mutuall &s;tipu|lations of love. Wherefore, we having &s;hewed our love to God, by patient &s;uffering for his &s;ake; it remaines, that hee experi|ment his love to us in rewardfull retributions. <HI>'Tis ju&s;t with God</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>to render to you that are troubled, re&s;t and peace, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB N="16" REF="12">
<P>It &s;ufficeth not then,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>U&s;e.</HI></NOTE> that wee &s;uffer, unle&s;&s;e wee &s;uffer in love; and if wee love, wee &s;hall &s;erve, and &s;uffer long, as <HI>Jacob</HI> for <HI>Rachel,</HI> and think all nothing, only becau&s;e we love.</P>
<P>Love is that lively motive, which makes our obedience full; 'tis that vertue which comprehends all other vertues. <HI>Gradn emi|nentia;</HI> for if we doe and &s;uffer out of love, we are at the highe&s;t pitch po&s;&s;ible attainable. <HI>Love</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>fulfils the Law,</HI> nor can any vertue &s;o long hold out; <HI>'Tis as &s;trong as death, Cant.</HI> 8.6, 7.</P>
<P>Acquaint your &s;elves with Gods tran&s;cendent excellencies, but above all, &s;et your thoughts a working in deepe&s;t and humble&s;t meditation of his love to you in Chri&s;t. <HI>God loved us, loved us first; loved us being enemies; yea, &s;o loved us, as to give his Sonne to us;</HI> yea, <HI>as to give him to death for us, to an accur&s;ed and &s;hame|full death;</HI> and he asketh nothing of us but this, that we <HI>beleeve in him,</HI> and &s;o hee good to our &s;oules: If Faith be in the worke, Love will break out, yea break out into teares of joy, to an ex|ra&s;ie, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 31.21. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 116.1. <HI>I love the Lord, becau&s;e hee hath heard my voyce, and may &s;upplications; becau&s;e hee hath inclined his eare unto mee; therefore I will call upon him &s;o long as I live, Gal.</HI> 2.20.</P>
<P>The re&s;ult of all is this:</P>
<P><HI>Wee mu&s;t &s;uffer and indure afflictions,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;er.</HI></NOTE> <HI>as out of love, &s;o with joy.</HI></P>
<P>The Argument.</P>
<P>That which makes for our <HI>eternall ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e,</HI> is to be <HI>indured with joy:</HI> But <HI>Afflictions</HI> makes for out <HI>eternall ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e; erge,</HI> not that we are to rejoyce in our afflictions, but in the act, ex|erci&s;e of our patience, or rather Chri&s;ts working them in us; and &s;o in the a&s;&s;urarce of Gods love and favour: as the penitent not in his &s;innes, but in his teares for &s;inne; <HI>Acts</HI> 5.41. <HI>And they departed from the pre&s;ence of the coun&s;ell, rejaycing that they wene counted worthy to &s;uffer &s;hame for his Name;</HI> And 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.10. <HI>Therefore I take plea&s;ure in infirm<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ies, in reproaches, in nece&s;&s;ities, in per&s;ecutions, in di&s;tre&s;&s;es for Christs &s;ake.</HI></P>
<P>But be you therefore cheerefull in <HI>afflictions,</HI> they are but for a few dayes, and then comes <HI>glory:</HI> Every Bird can &s;ing in a cleare Heaven, onely the Nightingale &s;ings in a &s;torme; <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.2, 3.
<PB N="17" REF="12"><HI>By whom wee have acce&s;&s;e by faith, into this grace wherein wee &s;tand, and rejoyce in the glory of God: and not onely &s;o, but wee glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh patience,</HI> &amp;c. If your hearts grow heavie, recover your &s;elves with <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 42.5. <HI>Why art thou &s;o &s;ad, O my &s;oule, and why &s;o di&s;quieted within me? Tru&s;t in God, for I &s;hall yet pray&s;e him, who is the health of my coun|tenance, and my God.</HI></P>
<CLOSER>Soli Deo gloria.</CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="sermon">
<HEAD>THE MYSTERIE OF GODLINESSE.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>I TIMOTHIE 3.16.</BIBL>
<P><HI>And without controver&s;ie, great is the My&s;terie of Godline&s;&s;e; God was manife&s;t in the Fle&s;h, ju&s;tified in the Spirit, &s;eene of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, beleeved on in the World, received up into Glory.</HI></P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_WHat the Evangeli&s;ts &s;peake of Chri&s;t by way of Hi&s;torie, the Apo&s;tle here di&s;covers as a <HI>great My&s;terie: Without all controver&s;ie great is the My|&s;terie of Godline&s;&s;e,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Where, behold (as in a Scale of Gradation) fir&s;t, a <HI>My&s;terie;</HI> &s;econdly, a <HI>great My&s;terie;</HI> thirdly, a <HI>great My&s;terie of Godline&s;&s;e;</HI> fourthly, <HI>a great My&s;terie of Godline&s;&s;e without all controver&s;ie.</HI></P>
<PB N="18" REF="13">
<P>Next, the Veyle being as it were rent, wee &s;ee what that <HI>great My&s;terie</HI> is, <HI>God made manife&s;t in the fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>So then, the Apo&s;tle here &s;hewes you, fir&s;t, that there is a <HI>My|&s;terie;</HI> &s;econdly declares what that <HI>My&s;terie</HI> is.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>a My&s;terie:</HI> This word in its owne language &s;peaks &s;ome &s;acred and &s;ecret thing, full furni&s;hed with matter of knowledge, but not clearely under&s;tood; either becau&s;e there is &s;omething betweene us and it, or becau&s;e it &s;elfe is too hard for us: and <HI>My&s;teries</HI> there are many. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13. <HI>If</HI> (faith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>I knew all My&s;teries:</HI> thereby giving us to under&s;tand, that there are <HI>My&s;teries</HI> of &s;everall &s;orts, &s;ome greater, &s;ome le&s;&s;er: what&s;oever others are, this is <HI>great.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, a <HI>great My&s;terie: <GAP DESC="foreign">. This,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, &s;peaking of Marriage, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5.32. <HI>is a great My&s;terie, becau&s;e it &s;hadoweth forth unto us the Union that is betwixt Chri&s;t and his Church:</HI> But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, 'tis not onely <HI>great,</HI> but <HI>godly;</HI> a <HI>My&s;terie of Godli|ne&s;&s;e:</HI> Godline&s;&s;e is the &s;cope of it; it teaches not onely to be|leeve what God promi&s;erh, but to obey what God commandeth: and <HI>godline&s;&s;e</HI> (faith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>is great gaine;</HI> it hath the pro|mi&s;e of this life, and the life to come: its therefore a <HI>Trade</HI> (&s;aith one) <HI>of a good returne, which way &s;oever you looke.</HI> Nay more;</P>
<P>Fourthly, the <HI>My&s;terie</HI> here is not onely <HI>great,</HI> a <HI>My&s;terie of Godline&s;&s;e,</HI> but all this <HI>without controver&s;ie.</HI> There are many <HI>great My&s;teries</HI> in the world, but not <HI>great without controver&s;ie;</HI> nay, not <HI>without great Controver&s;ies.</HI> The world you &s;ee is full of de&s;|perate Di&s;putes about <HI>Truth,</HI> while&s;t Truth her &s;elfe lyes neg|lected in the middle; like <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his body, when the Devill and the Archangel &s;trove about it; dead, and buried, no man can tell where: Religion (as one complaines of old) is even lo&s;t in Que&s;tions about Religion: wee pull &s;o violently in our unpro|fitable Di&s;putes, that at length breaking the Rope, wee &s;all more a&s;under, yea, the one &s;ide, if not both, mu&s;t at la&s;t fall to the ground. But what is the <HI>My&s;terie</HI> here? &s;o <HI>great,</HI> &s;o <HI>godly,</HI> and both <HI>without controver&s;ie.</HI></P>
<P><HI>God made manife&s;t in the fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<PB N="19" REF="13">
<P>So that here is, fir&s;t Height, <HI>God;</HI> &s;econdly, Depth, <HI>in the fle&s;h;</HI> thirdly, Breath, <HI>manife&s;t;</HI> that is, <HI>God</HI> not onely <HI>made man,</HI> but &s;hewing him&s;elfe a <HI>man.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Height, <HI>God, Job</HI> 6.26.</P>
<P>Secondly, Depth, <HI>God in the fle&s;h,</HI> that is, the Godhead not ab&s;o|lutely con&s;idered, but as per&s;onally re&s;trained to the Sonne; and to him not &s;imply neither, as he is God, but as a Per&s;on &s;ub&s;i&s;ting in the Godhead. <HI>The Word was made fle&s;h,</HI> &s;aith S. <HI>John,</HI> that is, the &s;econd Per&s;on; <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The Word of God:</HI> who, as wee be|gat words out of our thoughts, beget his Sonne out of him|&s;elfe, as it were by thinking within him&s;elfe an eternall Gene|ration.</P>
<P>Not the Father, nor the holy-Gho&s;t is made <HI>man,</HI> for then there &s;hould have beene two Sonnes, but the middle per&s;on betweene both: as to pre&s;erve the integritie of the ble&s;&s;ed Trinitie, &s;o the better to undertake the office of Mediation betweene God and man.</P>
<P>But yet, though Father and holy-Gho&s;t had no communion with the incarnation of the Sonne, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Dama&s;cen,</HI> otherwi&s;e then by a&s;&s;ent, and approbation: yet for as much as the Sonne is of the &s;ame &s;ub&s;tance with the Father, co|eternall, coe&s;&s;entiall with him, <HI>God ble&s;&s;ed for ever, Amen:</HI> for as much as the Word and Deitie are both one &s;ubject, &s;hould wee exclude the nature of God from incarnation, wee &s;hould make the Sonne of God not to be very God. Undoubtedly therefore, the Nature of God, in the Per&s;on of the Sonne, is incarnate: and therefore, though incarnation may not be granted to any Per&s;on, but one; yet may it not be denyed to the Nature, which is com|mon to all.</P>
<P>Now this &s;econd Per&s;on a&s;&s;umed not the per&s;on of one <HI>man;</HI> for then had that onely beene &s;aved, which was a&s;&s;umed: but <HI>Wi&s;dome,</HI> to the end &s;hee might &s;ave many, built her Hou&s;e of that nature which is common to all: nor did he a&s;&s;ume a per&s;on al|readie made, for then &s;hould he have two per&s;ons, the one a&s;&s;u|ming, the other a&s;&s;umed: he tooke mans nature to his Per&s;on, that is, not onely the body; but the &s;oule of man, that &s;o the whole man, body and &s;oule, might be &s;aved. Yea, he tooke not
<PB N="20" REF="14">onely the &s;ub&s;tance, but the properties and qualities of our na|ture. Wee may &s;ay of him, as S. <HI>James</HI> of <HI>Elias,</HI> he was <GAP DESC="foreign">, a man of like pa&s;&s;ions with us; <HI>in all things like us, &s;aving</HI> in <HI>&s;inne.</HI></P>
<P>But how without &s;inne?</P>
<P>Hee came not from <HI>Adam,</HI> as wee doe, and therefore had not the corruption of <HI>Adam,</HI> as wee have: hee tooke the &s;ub&s;tance of our nature, but not by the way of ordinarie generation. Hee came of man, but not by man: hee was the immediate fruit of the wombe, but not of the loynes, and &s;o is &s;ree from the touch and taint of our corruption; hee is the <HI>holy thing.</HI> Moreover, hee was <HI>conceived by the holy-Gho&s;t:</HI> As <HI>Mary</HI> was the pa&s;&s;ive and materiall principle of this precious <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> &s;o was the holy-Gho&s;t the active and efficient; both &s;topping the cour&s;e of originall &s;inne in the Virgin, and &s;anctifying the materials, from the fir&s;t moment of her Conception.</P>
<P>But is not <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> then the <HI>Sonne</HI> of his owne <HI>Spirit?</HI></P>
<P>No: Fathers indeed beget their Children out of their owne &s;ub&s;tance, but the holy-Gho&s;t onely framed <HI>fle&s;h</HI> for him, from whom he him&s;elfe proceeded: They both made the <HI>handmaid of the Lord,</HI> whom from thence, <HI>all generations &s;hall call ble&s;&s;ed.</HI></P>
<P>It followeth, thirdly, Bredth.</P>
<P>Thirdly, not onely is God made <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> but made <HI>manife&s;t in the fle&s;h;</HI> hee pitcht his Tabernacle among us: <HI>The Word</HI> (&s;aith S. <HI>John</HI>) <HI>was made fle&s;h, and dwelt amongst us. He came</HI> (faith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>on the forme of a &s;ervant, he went about doing good. Wee have &s;eene him with our eyes, wee have heard him with our eares, felt him with our hands,</HI> &s;ay his Witne&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>And why all this? Why made <HI>fle&s;h?</HI> And why made <HI>maife&s;t in the fle&s;h?</HI> fir&s;t, That God might be &s;atisfied in the &s;ame nature wherein he was offended: &s;econdly, That Satan might be de&s;troy|ed in the &s;ame nature wherein he de&s;troyed man, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.14.</P>
<P>See here what God can doe in a piece of Clay. To worke curiou&s;ly in Gold, or Silver, much commends the Workman: but to doe the &s;ame in mouldring Earth, commend: him more; &s;o is it here: 'Tis a <HI>Si<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">le</HI> borrowed from the Councell of <HI>Ephe&s;us.</HI></P>
<PB N="21" REF="14">
<P>Thus al&s;o would God re&s;tore us to our lo&s;t glory:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> <HI>All have &s;inned</HI> (faith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>and come &s;hort of the glory of God.</HI> For the re&s;toring of this <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">age, wee mu&s;t back to God againe: But alas, there is no comming neere him, for he is <HI>a cou&s;uming fire;</HI> and who can dwell with <HI>everlasting burnings?</HI> Be&s;ides, <HI>He</HI> (faith the Apo&s;tle) <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">wells in laght inacca&s;&s;ible.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 6.16.</NOTE> Could wee come neere him, wee cannot &s;ee him, for he is invi&s;ible. Behold, the <HI>S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nne of God</HI> is made the <HI>Sonne of Man,</HI> that wee by this might be made the <HI>Sonnes of God,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. <HI>Gal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> 4.4, 5.</P>
<P>Thus al&s;o would God advance the nature of <HI>man,</HI> di&s;graced by &s;inne, and made odicus unto him: becau&s;e wee could not come to him, he comes to us, in our <HI>fle&s;h</HI> is made <HI>man;</HI> ju&s;t as if a King &s;hould lovingly and gracion&s;ly returne to that Citie, from whence not long fince he) turned away in great and ju&s;t di&s;plea&s;ure. <HI>He</HI> (faith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>tooke not the &s;eed of Angelr;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 2.16.</NOTE> may mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, he in <HI>no wi&s;e tooke the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Angels,</HI> but <HI>the &s;eed of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">: Quantite fe|cit, ex his me pro te fact us e&s;t, agno&s;ce, Bern.</HI></P>
<P>Thus al&s;o would God make our nature terrible to the Devill; who overcome by <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> in our <HI>fle&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es not be &s;o bold with <HI>man:</HI> as a fi&s;h that &s;ees or feeles the hooke, takes heed of it, &s;o &amp;c.</P>
<P>And in all this, would God have us give him the glory of his infinite Wi&s;dome, who found out that way of Life the Angels could never thinke of, for ever mu&s;t admire: as al&s;o of his Ju|&s;tice, and Mercie, who rather then he would have finne to goe unpuni&s;hed, or minunpardoned, would have <HI>his owne Sonne to come in the fle&s;h,</HI> and &s;o <HI>to die for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">.</HI></P>
<P>And becau&s;e the <HI>God head</HI> in Chri&s;t is made <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> therefore is Chri&s;t both <HI>God</HI> and <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"></HI> in one Per&s;oh.</P>
<P>There are in him two di&s;tinct nat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s; and the&s;e &s;o di&s;tinct, that they remaine both uncompounded and unconfounded, and make both but one Per&s;on.</P>
<P>Now whereas wee &s;ay, the <HI>S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e of God</HI> made the world, the <HI>Soune of man</HI> by his death &s;aved the world, <HI>&amp; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> comra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> the rea&s;on of the&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">offe and cironlar &s;peeches, is the hypo&s;taicall union of both natures in one Per&s;on howbeit, wee mu&s;t not a&s;cribe that to the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ine challengeth; or that to
<PB N="22" REF="15">the Divine, which the humane hath right unto. Under&s;tand there|fore, not the one or the other nature, but the Per&s;on in whom both natures are: <HI>In him,</HI> that is, in the Per&s;on, <HI>Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 2.9. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hvelleth the fulne&s;&s;e of the God-head, <GAP DESC="foreign">.</P>
<P>The rea&s;on of this Union:</P>
<P><HI>He that mu&s;t redeeme us, mu&s;t die for us;</HI> for without <HI>bloud,</HI> no <HI>redemption:</HI> and therefore he mu&s;t be <HI>man.</HI></P>
<P>He mu&s;t not <HI>onely die,</HI> but <HI>overcome death,</HI> and apply the <HI>merits</HI> of his <HI>death</HI> unto us; and therefore he mu&s;t be <HI>God.</HI></P>
<P>And God is Chri&s;t, <HI>Emannel, God with us;</HI> God and Man in one Per&s;on: <HI>Man,</HI> to <HI>die for us; God,</HI> to <HI>va<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">qui&s;h death: Man,</HI> to be <HI>bound; God,</HI> to <HI>loo&s;e the &s;ourowes of death: Man,</HI> to <HI>&s;peak from his Father to us; God,</HI> to <HI>&s;peak to his Father for us:</HI> if altogether like <HI>Man, longe e&s;&s;et a Deo;</HI> if altogether like <HI>God, longe e&s;&s;et ab hominibus:</HI> therefore both. <HI>Augu&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>He came to <HI>redeame us</HI> from <HI>Sinne, Death,</HI> and the <HI>Devill:</HI> as <HI>God</HI> he would not, as <HI>Man</HI> he could not; therefore, as <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Man</HI> he doth it.</P>
<P>Thus <HI>Mercie and Truth are met together, Righteon&s;ne&s;&s;e and Peace hath ki&s;&s;ed each other.</HI> You have here <HI>Jacobs Ladder,</HI> the top whereof reacheth up to <HI>Abrahams Bo&s;oms,</HI> while&s;t the foot thereof is here below, at <HI>Jacobs Loynes,</HI> that wee may a&s;cend up into the <HI>New Jeru&s;alem.</HI></P>
<P>It being with the <HI>Sabines</HI> and the <HI>Romans</HI> (as wee reade in the <HI>Roma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Hi&s;torie) as with the Tribe of <HI>Benjamsn,</HI> where every one catcht a Wife of the daughters of <HI>Shiloh:</HI> and as they were joy|ning battaile, the Women being daughters to the one &s;ide, and Wives to the other, interpo&s;ed them&s;elves, and by their peculiar intere&s;t on either &s;ide, tooke up the Quarrell. (What&s;oever the Cau&s;e of the unhappie Quarrels among us may be, &s;ure I am, wee have greater and dearer Arguments 10 make us Friends, if wee could thinke of them.) But to my purpo&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>God</HI> and <HI>Man</HI> are <HI>enemies;</HI> the <HI>reconciler</HI> of <HI>both,</HI> mu&s;t have an <HI>intere&s;t</HI> in <HI>both:</HI> behold <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t, God</HI> and <HI>Man. John</HI> 20.19. <HI>G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to my Brethren, and &s;ay<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nte them; I a&s;cend to my Father, and year Father; to my God, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> God.</HI> When Chri&s;t &s;hall enter our appearance in his Name, and &s;hall &s;ay to his Father, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.13.
<PB N="23" REF="15"><HI>Behold I, and the Children which thou ha&s;t given me;</HI> This &s;hall make <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Man friends</HI> againe. And me thinkes, the con&s;ide|ration of this, &s;hould make us <HI>all friends.</HI></P>
<P>How this that you have heard, fir&s;t, is a <HI>Mysterie;</HI> con&s;idering the premi&s;&s;es, you will ea&s;ily grant it. The whole Go&s;pel is a <HI>My|&s;terie, Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 2.2. it is the <HI>My&s;terie</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> and of <HI>Chri&s;t. Magnum Sacramentum,</HI> &s;ay the <HI>Rhemi&s;ts,</HI> following the vulgar, as by the Conventicle of <HI>Trent</HI> they mu&s;t: but the word in it own Language &s;peakes a <HI>Sacred Secret, Th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="foreign">,</HI> 1 <HI>Gor.</HI> 1.7. Though the Go&s;pel be every where preacht, yet is it not by every one under&s;tood, 'tis &s;till a <HI>My&s;terie. The naturall man</HI> (faith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>perceiveth not the things of God,</HI> none but they <HI>to whom its given,</HI> under&s;tand this, none but the <HI>Sparituall<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> To you</HI> (faith Chri&s;t) <HI>is given to know the My&s;teries of the King|doms;</HI> note, <HI>My&s;teria <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> regis:</HI> and then, they that know, know but in part, but darkly; the re&s;t know nothing. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.3, 4. <HI>The Gospel is hid to tho&s;e that are lo&s;t.</HI> Now, what&s;oever in the Go&s;pel is mo&s;t <HI>my&s;terions,</HI> the <HI>inoarnation</HI> of the <HI>Some of God</HI> is more yet.</P>
<P>Secondly, 'Tis a <HI>great My&s;terle,</HI> both in the <HI>making,</HI> and in the <HI>ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">fe&s;ting</HI> of it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, in the <HI>making;</HI> That <HI>God</HI> &s;hould be <HI>made Man:</HI> Had he come in the &s;hape of an <HI>Angel,</HI> or in the beautie and glory of any other Creature, above or under the Sunne; or had he come in the beautie and power of our nature; or as on Mount <HI>Tabor,</HI> be|tweene <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Elias, when his face was as the Sunne, and his gar|ments as the Lightning;</HI> this had beene aba&s;ement enough: but to come in the <HI>fle&s;h of man</HI> which is but du&s;t and a&s;hes, oh this is that de ba&s;ement beyond expre&s;&s;ion!</P>
<P>Every precious thing is aba&s;ed, by mingling with a wor&s;e; and &s;till the wor&s;e the thing is, wherewith mingled, the more the de|ba&s;ement. If then Gold be aba&s;ed, by being mingled with Silver; much more, when mingled with ru&s;t or Iron, or with the dro&s;&s;e of Lead: This deba&s;ement of Chri&s;t, oh it is infinitely more, then if the So<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ne of the grea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> in the World &s;hould (if it were po&s;&s;ible he might) be turned into the ba&s;e&s;t Creature on the face of the earth.</P>
<PB N="24" REF="16">
<P>See <HI>Proverbs 30.4. Who bath a&s;cended up into Heaven; or de&s;con|ded? Who bath gathered the Winds in his fi&s;ts? Who bath bound the Waters in a Garment? Who bath e&s;tabli&s;hed all the ends of the Earth? What is his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">, and what is his So<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es Name, of thou can&s;t tell?</HI> You may reade the fir&s;t Letter of his Name, in <HI>I&s;ay 9.6. Won|derfull.</HI></P>
<P>And <HI>wonderfull</HI> he was, and did <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">derou&s;ly,</HI> when he appeared unto <HI>Manaa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, Judgers</HI> 13.18, 19. B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> all the Wonders that ever were; Creation and all from thence; and that which &s;hall be la&s;t of all, but not lea&s;t of all, the Re&s;ur<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ection from the dead, mu&s;t give place to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">.</P>
<P>You have here the highe&s;t pitch of Gods Wi&s;do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e, Goodne&s;&s;e, Power, Glory, and Mercie; if any thing may be &s;aid to be high|e&s;t, in that which is infi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">te, and exempt from all mea&s;ure and di|men&s;ion. <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.11. <HI>'Tis a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> thing a &s;ay<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Chaldeans</HI> to the Que&s;tion propounded them by the King of <HI>Babel, and none can &s;hew the like, except the gods, who&s;e dwelling is not in fle&s;h.</HI> But here the raritie lyes in the contrary; He who is over all, <HI>God ble&s;&s;ed for ever,</HI> is come in our <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="2">2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 6.18. <HI>But will Gad in very deed dwell with <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> earth? Behold, Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot containe him; how much le&s;&s;e this hou&s;e that I b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> built?</HI> Words of <HI>wonder.</HI> But &s;ee here a greater matter: the <HI>Sonne of God is made the &s;onne of man;</HI> clo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">thed with our <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span">.</P>
<P><HI>Deus <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;ci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ur,</HI> the great, <HI>Jeh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> is become a <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> &s;agens where, Eternitie</HI> hath put on our <HI>mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">;</HI> He that is <HI>in|corporeall,</HI> is cloathed with our <HI>fle&s;h;</HI> the <HI>Ancient of dayes</HI> is become an infant.</P>
<P>Made of a <HI>Woman,</HI> borne of a <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span">,</HI> that it was given for a <HI>&s;igne</HI> unto <HI>bel<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> long before the ac|compli&s;hment; a <HI>figue</HI> of Gods, owne ch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ing, one Ray of the <HI>Wonders,</HI> in the <HI>depth, breath,</HI> on the <HI>beight</HI> above. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 7.14. <HI>Bo|hold, a Virgin &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> a Sonne, and &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> his name</HI> E|manuel.</P>
<P>That the <HI>Sonne of God,</HI> &s;hould be made the <HI>&s;ome of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">,</HI> made of a <HI>woman,</HI> yea, that <HI>woman</HI> which he him&s;elfe made: That her Wombe then, and the Heavens now, &s;hould containe him, whom
<PB N="25" REF="16">the <HI>Heaven of Heavent cannot contain<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">:</HI> That he &s;hould be both <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Man</HI> in one Per&s;on, and both di&s;tinctly; and &s;o have a <HI>Father</HI> in Heaven, without a <HI>Mother;</HI> and on Earth a <HI>Mother,</HI> without a <HI>Father:</HI> That his <HI>Father</HI> &s;hould be <HI>greater</HI> then hee, and yet hee <HI>equall</HI> to his <HI>Father:</HI> That <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ee &s;hould be before <HI>Abraham,</HI> and yet be borne well-nigh two thou&s;and yeares after him: That hee &s;hould be <HI>Davids</HI> &s;onne, and yet <HI>Davids</HI> Lord: That hee &s;hould <HI>have neither beginning nor end of dayes,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Let <HI>Egypt</HI> cea&s;e to talke of her Mole-hils of Brick, <HI>Ephe&s;us</HI> of her Temple, <HI>Babylo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> of her Walls, <HI>Rhodes</HI> of her Colo&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e; here is a <HI>Wonder,</HI> infinitely beyond all; <HI>God</HI> is made <HI>fle&s;h:</HI> Nay more;</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>made manife&s;t in the fle&s;h, <GAP DESC="foreign"> What may be know<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e of God,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.20.) <HI>is manife&s;t in the Creatures:</HI> but here you have, <HI>God made manife&s;t in the fle&s;h of Man.</HI></P>
<P>God him&s;elfe is <HI>hid from our eyes, I&s;a.</HI> 45.15. <HI>Truly, O Lord, thou art hid from our eyes.</HI> So that God him&s;elfe is a <HI>My&s;terie;</HI> and that which makes the <HI>My&s;ter<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> the greater, God is <HI>h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">d with Light: Hee dwells</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>In Light macce&s;&s;ible, 1 Tim. 6.16.</HI> But what have wee to doe with an hidden God; a God that cannot, will not be &s;ee<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">? <HI>Make us gods</HI> (&s;ay the people unto <HI>Aaron) may goe before us, Ex<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> 32.</P>
<P>Behold here, <HI>God</HI> not onely <HI>made,</HI> but <HI>made manife&s;t in the fle&s;h.</HI> And behold here a lower degree of aba&s;ement: Men, e&s;pe|cially if great, how&s;oever aba&s;ed, cannot endure to have their ba&s;ene&s;&s;e knowne; <HI>Oh, tell it not in G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">h.</HI> Even <HI>Nao<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> in her di&s;tre&s;&s;e, is a&s;hamed of her Name: <HI>Call m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> no more beautifull, but bitter, far the Alo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ghtie hath dealt bitterly with me, Ruth 1.20.</HI> But <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is not onely made <HI>fle&s;h;</HI> but made <HI>manife&s;t in the fle&s;h:</HI> yea, &s;o &s;arre from being a&s;hamed of it; that a little before his death, hee gives a Charge, to have it preached all over the world.</P>
<P>And if the <HI>incarnation</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> be a <HI>My&s;terie,</HI> &s;o great a <HI>My|&s;terie;</HI> them mu&s;t wee learne, &s;ilently to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span">: its no &s;hame, to be ignorant of the things wee cannot know; nay, '<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">is <HI>Docta ignorantia, C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">lv.</HI> Wee are &s;ick of our Mothers Di&s;ea&s;e: wee
<PB N="26" REF="17">would <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">aine know; the <HI>Tree of Knowledge</HI> is goodly to behold, and becau&s;e we thinke it to be matter of great wit, to finde out &s;ecrets; we venture too &s;arre, and to our o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">urt; <HI>Ex<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">d.</HI> 20. God is faine to &s;et-<HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">imits</HI> unto his <HI>people,</HI> that they <HI>pre&s;&s;e not too neere the Mount.</HI> Secret things belong to God; we mu&s;t heere fall downe in the wor&s;hip of admiration, ever prai&s;ing him in a my&s;terious ignorance.</P>
<P>More e&s;pecially in this great <HI>my&s;tery</HI> of Chri&s;ts <HI>Incarnation Who</HI> (&s;aith <HI>E&s;ay</HI> that Evangelicall Prophet) <HI>can declare his generation? Credere <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> ju&s;&s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, di&s;cutere non per<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ai&s;&s;um, Ambrof.</HI> The Virgin <HI>Mary</HI> was over-&s;hadowed by the Holy Gho&s;t; &s;o that God him|&s;elfe hath as it were veiled the truth; and therefore we may not, mu&s;t not too earne&s;tly pry into it.</P>
<P>And yet wee mu&s;t look into it, 'tis the <HI>my&s;terie of Chri&s;t,</HI> and therefore mu&s;t be learned of every Chri&s;tian, &s;o farre as it is re|vealed, <HI>Ioh.</HI> 17.3. In the Arke of the Covenant, the <HI>Cherubins</HI> had their faces towards the <HI>Mercy-&s;eat,</HI> (the type of our Savi|our) to point out unto us, that this is the <HI>my&s;terie</HI> the very <HI>An|gols de&s;ire to</HI> &s;toop and <HI>looke into,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet</HI> 1.12. <HI>Unto whom it was re|vealed, that not unto them&s;elves, but unto us they did mini&s;ter the &s;hings which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">spel unto you, with the Holy Gho&s;t &s;ent downe from Heaven, which things the Angels de&s;ire to looks into:</HI> Wee mu&s;t therefore make our initiation into the Schoole of Chri&s;t, by praying to him, hearing from him receiving his Sacraments. <HI>Oh <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hon</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) that heare&s;t prayers, to thea &s;hall all fle&s;h come:</HI> as proper|ly may we &s;ay, O thou that art <HI>manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h,</HI> to thee &s;hall all fle&s;h come; <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.19, 20. <HI>Having there fore brethren holdne&s;&s;e to enter into the holie&s;t, by the blood of I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;us by a now and living way, which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e bath con&s;ecrated for us, through the voile that is to &s;ay, his Fle&s;h; and having an High-Prie&s;t over the Hou&s;e of God, let us draw neere with a true heart, in full a&s;&s;urance of faith, having our hearts &s;prinkled from an evill con&s;cience, and our bodies wa&s;hed with pure water, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly, if the <HI>incarnation of Chri&s;t</HI> be &s;o great a <HI>my&s;ter<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> then it calls for revererce, in all the parts and pleces of our &s;ervice; how preci&s;e were the Heathen, and to this day are, in their prepara|tions
<PB N="27" REF="17">unto devotions? The Orator could &s;ay, <HI>Ca&s;te jubet lex adire &s;acra;</HI> how much more ought we? &amp;c. <HI>Who&s;oever calleth on the Name of the Lord, let him d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">part from iniqulty, 2 Tim.</HI> 2.19.</P>
<P>Thirdly, this <HI>my&s;ter<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> here, is not onely <HI>great,</HI> but <HI>godly; a my|&s;terie of Godline&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>The Devill had his <HI>my&s;teries,</HI> for to whom but him did the Heathen of old their <HI>&s;acrifices,</HI> their greater and le&s;&s;er <HI>Eln&s;inea,</HI> to <HI>Bacchus,</HI> to <HI>Ceres,</HI> and the re&s;t? 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.20. <HI>But I &s;ay, that the things which the Gentiles &s;acrifice, they &s;acrifice to Devils, and not to God.</HI></P>
<P>Antichri&s;t hath his <HI>my<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">teries</HI> al&s;o, the very word <HI>my&s;terium</HI> is written in his fore-head, there is not the lea&s;t <HI>Ceremony</HI> among their many, but is very <HI>my&s;ticall;</HI> their <HI>Durand</HI> hath given the world a book of them, and he calls it his <HI>Rationale.</HI></P>
<P>We al&s;o among our &s;elves have our <HI>my&s;teries</HI> too and never &s;o much as now, &amp;c. too much of the <HI>Serpent,</HI> too little or nothing of the <HI>Dove<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Religion is made a &s;talking hor&s;e unto policie, &amp;c.</P>
<P>But the <HI>my&s;terie</HI> here, is a <HI>my&s;terie of godline&s;&s;e;</HI> the Go&s;pel &s;peaketh and preacheth piety, reveales Gods wonderful love unto us. <HI>Velatio deitat is revelatio charitutis, Iob. 3.16. God &s;o loved the world, that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e gave his onely begotten &s;onne; that who&s;oever belee|veth in him, &s;hould not peri&s;h, but have everla&s;ting life.</HI></P>
<P>This calls us to an holy and godly life: as <HI>Chri&s;t manifested him|&s;elfe in our fle&s;h,</HI> &s;o mu&s;t we <HI>manife&s;t Chri&s;t in our loves and conver|&s;ations:</HI> O<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> u&s;e not this deare name <HI>Ie&s;us,</HI> (not make wanton of his precious blood) but in your prayer<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and interce&s;&s;ions.</P>
<P>A <HI>my&s;terie</HI> not onely &s;ignifies as a <HI>Ceremony,</HI> but operates and workes as a <HI>Ceremony</HI> doth not. The <HI>my&s;ter<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of iniquitie</HI> began to worke in the Apo&s;tles dayes; no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> a <HI>my&s;terie</HI> workes, as other Agents doe; it makes them in whom it workes, like it &s;el<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e; wherefore as ours is the <HI>my&s;terie of godline&s;&s;e,</HI> &s;o mu&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ee but &s;elves be <HI>godly;</HI> Chri&s;t mu&s;t appeare in us; our <HI>light</HI> mu&s;t <HI>&s;hine;</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Tit.</HI> 2.11, 12, 13. <HI>For the grace of God that bring<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">th &s;alvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodline&s;&s;e and worldly lu&s;ts, we &s;hould live &s;oberly, righteou&s;ly, and godly in this pre|&s;ent world, looking for that ble&s;&s;ed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Ie&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> Nay more yet, as our
<PB N="28" REF="18"><HI>my&s;ter<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e of godline&s;&s;e is great,</HI> &s;o mu&s;t wee increa&s;e in godline&s;&s;e every day more and more; we are my&s;ticall enough, aboundant, yea, and manife&s;t too in the wayes of fle&s;h and blood; O let us be as skilfull, as full, and as open in the wayes of life and peace; Gal. 6.16. <HI>And as many as walke according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the I&s;rael of God.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, and la&s;tly, the <HI>my&s;terie of godline&s;&s;e</HI> here is not onely <HI>great,</HI> but <HI>great without controver<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ie;</HI> all that beleeve it, doe in ad|miration acknowledge it.</P>
<P>But did not <HI>Simon Magus</HI> oppo&s;e it? Were there not &s;ome, who both thought and taught, that Chri&s;t was not God; &s;ome, that he was not man? Were not the Phari&s;ees, Sadduces, <HI>Herod,</HI> people, Elders, all again&s;t Chri&s;t? Were not his Apo&s;tles, when he was gone, evill intereated for his &s;ake? Was not <HI>Peter</HI> drunke, and <HI>Panl</HI> a mad man with them? Was the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t any more with <HI>Leo,</HI> then with them, a fable? Are there not &s;ome a|mong us, as with whom the profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t is reproachfull? <HI>Un Chri&s;tana,</HI> &s;ay the <HI>Italians,</HI> when they mean a foole, or a block|hend; Even &s;o it is with as, if not wor&s;e, &s;aith <HI>Salvian:</HI> of what e&s;teeme is Chri&s;t among Chri&s;tians, when the very name is a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|counted ba&s;e among many?</P>
<P>But, &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>We know in whom we have beleeved;</HI> and what is <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e</HI> to the world, is the <HI>wi&s;dome</HI> of God to the perfect: the propo&s;ition therefore is mo&s;t true, <HI>Great is the my|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">teni<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of godline&s;&s;e, without all controver&s;ie:</HI> Let us therefore make no controver&s;ie about it we have already too many in the world, at the be&s;t unprofitable; I would they were gone out of the world, and their authors more wi&s;e, or gone with them. Let us humbly and heartily &s;ubmit to the Go&s;pel of Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and then when he which came once in great humility to redeeme us, &s;hall come againe, he will take as with him, and we &s;hall &s;ee him as he is, 1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 2.28. <HI>And now little children abide in him, that when be &s;hall appeare, we may have con&s;idence, and not be a&s;hdmed before <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> at his comming.</HI></P>
<CLOSER>Soli Deo gloria.</CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="29" REF="18">
<HEAD>THE REWARD OF IMITATION.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>MATTHEVV 19.28.</BIBL>
<P><HI>And Je&s;us &s;aid unto them, verily I &s;ay unto you, that yee which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Sonne of man &s;hall &s;it in the Throne of his glory, yee al&s;o &s;hall &s;it upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael.</HI></P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THe words are a <HI>promi&s;e</HI> made by our Lord and Saviour to the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> but extended to the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> and &s;o to the whole <HI>family of God;</HI> for as they exclude <HI>Judas</HI> (though pre&s;ent when Chri&s;t &s;pake) by rea&s;on of his apo&s;ta&s;ie; &s;o they include us, though many Generations after, through many Generations, being beleevers.</P>
<P>The &s;cope is to infringe tho&s;e argnments of di&s;couragement in the wayes of God, which Satan and our owne corruption may and doe too often pre&s;&s;e us with; <HI>What profit is there in &s;erving God?</HI></P>
<PB N="30" REF="19">
<P>To &s;trengthen us again&s;t this objection; <HI>Ye</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>who have followed me, &amp;c.</HI> an&s;werable whereunto is that of his; <HI>if any man &s;erve me, him will my Father honour.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve in the words.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, a pre&s;ident of Chri&s;tian Imitation, <HI>Yee that have fol|lowed mee.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, a reward of that Imitation, <HI>Yee &s;hall &s;it on twelve Thrones, and judge the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, the determinate terme, or time of this glory, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>in the renovation,</HI> and in&s;tauration of the whole world, when Chri&s;t in his Throne of glory &s;hall declare him&s;elfe to bee the Sonne of God.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the pre&s;ident of Imitation.</P>
<P><HI>Yee that have followed me;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;er.</NOTE> Chri&s;t is the example, wee are all to follow;</HI> hee cryes unto us as unto <HI>Matthew, Come and fol|low mee.</HI></P>
<P>But who is able to finde the way of a Serpent on a &s;tone,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Object.</HI></NOTE> the way of a Ship on the Sea, or of an Eagle in the ayre? the&s;e (&s;aith <HI>Salomon</HI>) are indi&s;cernable; and are not the wayes of Chri&s;t much more un&s;earchable? <HI>His name is wonderfull, hee rides upon a Cherub, and makes darkne&s;&s;e his pavilion;</HI> If di&s;cernable, yet (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>hee inhabits Eternitie, and dwells in Light inacce&s;&s;ible.</HI></P>
<P>The workes of Chri&s;t are of two &s;orts;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>An&s;w.</HI></NOTE> fir&s;t, <HI>incommunicable;</HI> &s;econdly, <HI>communicable.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Incommunicable,</HI> As the work of his merit and mediation, the&s;e cannot be imitated; for, &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>There is but one Me|diator betweene God and man, the man Christ Je&s;us,</HI> no other name given, whereby we may be &s;aved: They have not to doe with the Cen&s;er to offer incen&s;e, who have not to doe with the Altar to offer Sacrifice. <HI>Incommunicable</HI> al&s;o is the worke of Go|vernment and influence into his Church, his di&s;pen&s;ing the Spirit to the quickning of the Word, his &s;ubduing his ene|mies, his gathering together his people; the&s;e are all per|&s;onall Honours appertaining unto Chri&s;t, as our Head and Saviour.</P>
<P><HI>Communicable:</HI> The actions of Chri&s;t; whereof by his Grace
<PB N="31" REF="19">others have been, and may be made partakers; and the&s;e are ei|ther <HI>extraordinary,</HI> or <HI>ordinary:</HI></P>
<P><HI>Extraordinary,</HI> for mini&s;try and &s;ervice, not for &s;anctity, or &s;alvation; &s;uch were the miraculous workes of the Apo&s;tles, by way of priviledge, and temporary Di&s;pen&s;ation to them granted.</P>
<P><HI>Ordinary,</HI> and univer&s;all, belonging to all his Members, as praying, fa&s;ting, doing good, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Wee are then to <HI>follow</HI> Chri&s;t, not in all things he did, but in tho&s;e things onely which he him&s;elfe did, and hath commanded; he in the ordinary way of his obedience, mu&s;t be the type and patterne of ours.</P>
<P>Pir&s;t, <HI>Active.</HI></P>
<P>Did Chri&s;t readily do what his Father commanded him? &s;o mu&s;t wee; when they &s;ought unto him to make him King, he re&s;u&s;ed that honour, and we<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">t unto a Mountaine: So ought we even to dye unto the honours and plea&s;ures of this world: <HI>How can you beleeve</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>if yee &s;eeke honour one of another?</HI> Was Chri&s;t meek, and gentle, and courteous? &s;o ought we to be, and that be|cau&s;e Chri&s;t was &s;o. <HI>Learne of me</HI> (&s;aith he, <HI>Math.</HI> 11.29.) <HI>for I am humble and meek:</HI> And <HI>Jo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> 13.15. having wa&s;ht his Di&s;ciples feet; <HI>I</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>have given you an example:</HI> not that we are to wa&s;h one the others feet, (for this was a cu&s;tome onely of that age and place) but that wee are to be of like affections one to the other; all humble: <HI>Let the &s;ame minde be in you that was in Chri&s;t, Philip.</HI> 2.5.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Pa&s;&s;ive.</HI></P>
<P>Chri&s;t &s;uffered, &s;o mu&s;t we; <HI>Hee &s;uffered</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI>) leaving us an example. <HI>If any man</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>will be my Di&s;ciple, let him deny him&s;elfe, and take up his Cro&s;&s;e daily, and fol|low me:</HI> So that in &s;uffering, we are of Chri&s;ts own Order, Chil|dren of the Cro&s;&s;e; <HI>and if wee &s;uffer with him, wee &s;hall be glorified with him, Rom.</HI> 8.17. <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.1, 2.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t not onely &s;uffered, but in &s;uffering, &s;ubmitted unto his Fathers will; <HI>Not my will, but thine bee done; So was <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ee as a Lambe before the &s;hearer, d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">mbe.</HI></P>
<P>Thus ought wee to doe in all our &s;ufferings: <HI>Si filius quante
<PB N="32" REF="20">magis &s;ervuns, Bern.</HI> So &s;hall wee po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e our &s;elves in an holy &s;ilence.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, Chri&s;t being to bid the world &s;arewell, prayes for his enemies, <HI>Father forgive them, they know not what they doe:</HI> Thus ought we, not onely to forgive, but al&s;o to intreat God, that hee al&s;o would forgive them that hate, or hurt us.</P>
<P>We mu&s;t <HI>follow</HI> Chri&s;t through the whole walke of his morall obedience; his whole life was a living, and &s;hining, and exem|plary Precept; a vi&s;ible Commentary on the Law of God, <HI>Et</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>Ny&s;&s;en.</HI> Chri&s;tianitie is nothing el&s;e then an imitation of our Maker. Wee mu&s;t bee holy a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> hee is holy, not in re&s;pect of equality, but quality; <HI>Tam non tantum,</HI> we mu&s;t bee as truly and &s;incerely holy, <HI>following him as Peter, E|longinque, a farre off,</HI> or as a little Childe his Father; <HI>Non pa&s;&s;ibus equis,</HI> &s;o fa&s;t as wee can; &s;aying, as the Church in one of her Songs of Love, <HI>Draw us, and wee will runne after thee.</HI></P>
<P>The Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, this is one of the ends why Chri&s;t came into the World; for fir&s;t, hee came to <HI>Redeeme us,</HI> and then to <HI>&s;anctifie us. This is hee</HI> (&s;aith Saint <HI>John) that came by water and blood;</HI> by <HI>blood,</HI> to take away the guilt; by <HI>water,</HI> to take away the filth of &s;inne.</P>
<P>Secondly, without this <HI>Imitation of Chri&s;t,</HI> no &s;anctification; for we are &s;anctified when wee are renewed unto God, re-indued with the Image of God, whereunto we were at fir&s;t created. Now in an Image there are the&s;e two things:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the &s;imilitude of one thing to another.</P>
<P>Secondly, a deduction, derivation, or impre&s;&s;ion thereof on &s;ome other; from which againe wee take a third, a fourth, &amp;c. in want of which we alwayes run to the Originall, the prototype. Now as for the Image of God; its holineffe, <HI>Colo&s;.</HI> 3.10. <HI>And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him.</HI></P>
<P>This in our fir&s;t Creation did gloriou&s;ly &s;hine in our faces; in <HI>Adam</HI> wee lo&s;t it; and therefore wee mu&s;t all to God a|gaine for it.</P>
<PB N="33" REF="20">
<P>But this cannot be, wee cannot come &s;o neere him, as to looke into him, for he is a <HI>con&s;uming fire, hee dwells in light inacce&s;&s;ible,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.16. <HI>Who onely hath immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath &s;eene, nor can &s;ee.</HI> You &s;ee, if wee could come neere him, yet wee cannot &s;ee him, for he is invi&s;ible: <HI>No man <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;ee him and live; All have &s;inned, and come &s;hort of the Glory of God, Rom</HI> 3.23.</P>
<P>So that wee may as ea&s;ily &s;ee that which is invi&s;ible, and at|taine that which is unapproachable, as of our &s;elves to become holy againe, unle&s;&s;e the Lord &s;hall plea&s;e, through &s;ome veile, to exhibit his Image unto us; or through &s;ome Gla&s;&s;e, &s;hall make the &s;ame to &s;hine upon us: wee &s;hall live and dye without it, &s;trangers from the life of God.</P>
<P>Behold, the Sonne of God is made the Sonne of man, <HI>God made manife&s;t in the fle&s;h,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. So that through his hu|mane Nature, as through a veile, wee have acce&s;&s;e to the holie&s;t of all: <HI>Hee is the Image of the invi&s;ible God, Colo&s;.</HI> 1.15. and <HI>by him are wee made the Sonnes of God, Joh.</HI> 1.12. <HI>Partakers of the Divine Nature,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4. and 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. <HI>Wee all with open face, beholding as in a gla&s;&s;e the glory of the Lord, are changed into the &s;ame Image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord:</HI> So that as Chri&s;t is the Image of <HI>his Father, Heb.</HI> 1.3. &s;o are we the <HI>Image of God;</HI> but with this difference, <HI>Chri&s;t us imago equa|litatis, Chri&s;tianus imitationis;</HI> As the Image of an Emperour (&s;aith <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI>) is, <HI>aliter in nummo, aliter in filio;</HI> &s;o the Image of God is, <HI>aliter in Chri&s;to, aliter in Christiano.</HI> The renewed are the <HI>Image of God, Non quantum ad naturalia</HI> (as the Schooles teach) though therein us yet be &s;ome remaines of our lo&s;t glory; but as renewed by Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the <HI>quality</HI> of the my&s;ticall body, where of Chri&s;t is the head and Saviour, requires this imitation; hee is our head, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.10, 11. <HI>For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many &s;onnes unto glory, to make the Captaine of their &s;alvation perfect through &s;ufferings;</HI> For both hee that &s;anctifieth, and they who are &s;anctified, are all one; for which cau&s;e hee is not a&s;hamed to call them <HI>Brethren,</HI> and <HI>Heb.</HI> 4.15, &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="34" REF="21">
<P>Fourthly, Chri&s;t is the &s;umme of all Scriptures, and therefore nece&s;&s;arily the rule of all holine&s;&s;e: as the Apo&s;tles did, &s;o mu&s;t wee, preach nothing but <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>How too blame are tho&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>V&s;e.</HI></NOTE> who are &s;o farre from <HI>following Chri&s;t,</HI> that they <HI>follow man,</HI> any man, the wor&s;t, the mo&s;t, and thinke it their &s;afe&s;t way. But if great men, if men in Autho|ritie doe &s;o, and &s;o, then all is out of doubt. Their Religion is to them as their Coyne; all goes for Currant, that is &s;tamped with Authoritie, and allowance of the State. Nay, what phan|ta&s;ticall Spirit &s;o idle and ridioulous, that hath not many Di&s;ci|ples? What jugling Impo&s;tor &s;o de&s;picable, and infamous, that hath not many <HI>followers?</HI> What rebellious Sonne of <HI>Belial,</HI> or Athei&s;ticall Ruffler &s;o execrable and odious, that hath not many ob&s;ervers? What <HI>Ignatian</HI> Viper, or devilli&s;h Je&s;uite, <HI>Monochus Damonnicus,</HI> &s;o prodigiou&s;ly wicked, &s;o trayterou&s;ly audacious, that hath not many favourers and attendants? <HI>Habet &amp; Dio|genes &s;uos para&s;itas,</HI> the Cynick is not without his approvers, and admirers; while&s;t Chri&s;t, <HI>the Sonne of the living God,</HI> &s;its alone, <HI>like a Pellican in the Wilderne&s;&s;e,</HI> or <HI>a Sparrow on the hou&s;e top.</HI></P>
<P>But the men are good, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Yet are they but men: and <HI>all men are Lyars;</HI> may both de|ceive, and be deceived. <HI>Peter</HI> was a good man, yet once di&s;&s;em|bled: &s;o was <HI>Barnabas,</HI> yet &s;natcht away by example, into the like di&s;&s;imulation.</P>
<P>You &s;ee in the Scripture, the failings of the Saints to hang on record; not that God either delights to &s;ee them, or others to gaze on them, for he hath ca&s;t them all behind his back, and blotted them out of the Booke of his Remembrance; but that the Apo&s;tles admonition might ever be thought on, <HI>Let him that &s;tandeth take heed le&s;t he fall: Cavenda tempe&s;tates flenda naufra|gia, Aug.</HI> And that wee might not thinke it &s;afe to <HI>follow</HI> good men, no, not the be&s;t men in all things, nor would good men have us &s;o to doe; <HI>Follow me</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Paul</HI>) <HI>as I follow Chri&s;t,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.1.</P>
<P>Some there are &s;o farre from <HI>following Chri&s;t,</HI> that they goe before him: The&s;e are they that de&s;pi&s;e Government, and &s;peake evill of things they under&s;tand not.</P>
<PB N="35" REF="21">
<P>Others wor&s;e yet, are &s;o farre from <HI>following Chri&s;t,</HI> that they runne from him; called after, they will not returne: having nothing to plead for them&s;elves, they make their Will their Ma&s;ter, and &s;o have as many Lords over them, as Affections in them: all under the Cur&s;e of <HI>Cha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> a &s;lave to their &s;laves; one to his Plea&s;ure, another to his Profit, a third to his Vani|tie, &amp;c.</P>
<P>If God move by his <HI>Spirit,</HI> that is re&s;i&s;ted; if hee allure by his <HI>Mercies,</HI> they are abu&s;ed; if threatned by <HI>Judgements,</HI> they are neglected; if called by <HI>Mini&s;ters,</HI> they are reviled, &amp;c. Oh, when men thus pull away their &s;houlders from Chri&s;ts <HI>Yoake,</HI> when they turne their back on God, &s;et up mounds again&s;t the Go&s;pel, <HI>Non-plus</HI> Gods mercies; this is an heavie &s;igne, that God hath left them unto them&s;elves, a <HI>very plague of plagues:</HI> See <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 81.11, 12, &amp;c. What remaines, but that wee &s;end them to the Judge with this Scrowle on their fore-heads, <HI>Domine noluerunt incantari?</HI></P>
<P>Some there are who <HI>follow Chri&s;t,</HI> but not con&s;tantly: <HI>Sequnn|tur &s;ed non a&s;&s;equuntu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, Bern.</HI> With <HI>Orpha,</HI> they goe a little way, and then returne into their owne Countrey.</P>
<P>Set wee the <HI>example</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> before us,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI></NOTE> in all the things wee doe: If the thing be unlawfull, and yet wee finde our Lu&s;ts &s;waying us that way, aske wee this que&s;tion; Would <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> have done this, or doth hee allow it? &amp;c. If the thing being both lawfull and expedient, yet if not &s;utable to our per&s;on, wee mu&s;t here re&s;pect Chri&s;ts allowance; in all other things, wee mu&s;t re|flect on his <HI>example.</HI></P>
<P>1 <HI>John</HI> 2.6. <HI>He that &s;aith he is in Chri&s;t, ought to walke as he hath walked.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Religiou&s;ly:</HI> Beginning all things with God, &s;anctifying every Creature and every Ordinance with prayer; and this longer or &s;horter, as the occa&s;ions are more or le&s;&s;e &s;erious, do|ing all things by the warrant of the Word; contemning our owne will, that wee may doe our Fathers: chu&s;ing rather to lo&s;e life then our obedience, as if there were but one will betweene God and us; doing all things for God, and re&s;erring all unto his glory.</P>
<PB N="36" REF="22">
<P>Secondly, Chri&s;t walked <HI>holily,</HI> &s;o mu&s;t wee, for without <HI>holi|ne&s;&s;e</HI> no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;hall &s;ee the Lord: if wee live like <HI>mon&s;ters,</HI> Chri&s;t will never owne us for his <HI>members.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, Chri&s;t walked <HI>fruitfully</HI> in his Calling, <HI>Acts</HI> 10. <HI>Hee went about doing good:</HI> hee watched and apprehended all occa&s;i|ons of being helpfull unto others, to their &s;oules, to their bodies. Thus &s;hould wee &s;pend our dayes, and not as the mo&s;t doe, who bring the day to an end without the performance of any thing, the remembrance whereof may comfort them at night; nay, doing things hurtfull both to them&s;elves and others, and thus continually. Thus account: So much time &s;pent in idle Games, &s;o much in unprofitable Companie, which might have beene &s;pent in hearing, reading, praying, meduation, exerci&s;e of hu|miliation for my &s;oules health, or in workes of mercie, for the benefit of my afflicted Brother; did ever my Lord and Saviour thus <HI>walke,</HI> thus conver&s;e?</P>
<P>Fourthly, Chri&s;t walked <HI>ju&s;tly</HI> towards man; never deceived any by thought, word, or deed: <HI>There was no guile found in his mouth.</HI> Never covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e entred his heart; hee gave every man his due: An admirable patterne of Civill Righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e. This mu&s;t wee <HI>follow,</HI> wee mu&s;t <HI>walke as hee walked,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Fifthly, Chri&s;t walked in the <HI>Light;</HI> and this, a three-fold <HI>Light:</HI> fir&s;t, in the puritie of his Nature; there was no <HI>darke|ne&s;&s;e in him at all;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, none at all: in his minde, no <HI>darke|ne&s;&s;e</HI> of ignorance; in his will and affections, no <HI>darkene&s;&s;e</HI> of di&s;order: &s;econdly, in the light and puritie of <HI>holy conver&s;ation;</HI> hee never committed any <HI>workes of darkene&s;&s;e:</HI> thirdly, in <HI>com|munion</HI> and fellow&s;hip with his <HI>Father,</HI> who <HI>dwells in Light in|acce&s;&s;ible.</HI></P>
<P>Thus mu&s;t wee <HI>walke.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, full of the Rayes of <HI>spirituall under&s;tanding;</HI> the Word of God not onely dwelling in our <HI>heads,</HI> but in our <HI>hearts;</HI> and in both, <GAP DESC="foreign">, richly.</P>
<P>Secondly, acting that <HI>Spirituall life,</HI> in our <HI>lives and conver&s;ation walking as Children of the Light,</HI> and of the <HI>Day: Qui male agit odit lucem.</HI></P>
<PB N="37" REF="22">
<P>Thirdly, Embracing <HI>communion</HI> with our God, and rejoy|cing therein, as al&s;o in the place and meanes of his pre&s;ence. Though worldly men are then onely merry, when the thoughts of God are bani&s;hed their hearts, yet are the Saints of God no longer well, then in his pre&s;ence. 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.7. <HI>If wee walke in the Light, as he is in the Light, wee have fellow&s;hip one with another, and the blond of Je&s;us Chri&s;t his Sonne clean&s;eth us from all &s;inne.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ye that have followed Chri&s;t:</HI> you that have framed your lives according to his <HI>example;</HI> you, who together with him, are of the &s;ame minde; <HI>tho&s;e are they that follow the Lambt, whither &s;oever he goes.</HI></P>
<P>Thus you have the Saints; and in them their motion: but what of the&s;e?</P>
<P><HI>You</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>&s;hall &s;it on twelve Thrones, and judge the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael.</HI> Here is their <HI>Quies.</HI></P>
<P>The degrees here are many; wee &s;hall ari&s;e with them, in our di&s;cour&s;e, according to their order.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>They &s;hall &s;it.</HI> Wee are here full of labour, &s;ubject to many changes, alterations, and di&s;contentments. <HI>Man</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Iob</HI>) <HI>&s;hooteth forth like a Flower, and is cut downe, he va|ni&s;heth away as a Shadow, and never continueth in one &s;tay:</HI> But a day is comming, wherein wee &s;hall re&s;t from all our labours. <HI>Revel.</HI> 14. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they that die in the Lord, they re&s;t from their labours:</HI> wherein wee &s;hall <HI>hunger no more, neither thir&s;t any more, neither &s;hall the Sunne light on us, or any heat, Revel.</HI> 7.16. Wherein <HI>God &s;hall wipe away all teares from our eyes, Revel.</HI> 21.4.</P>
<P>You &s;ee in nature, all things labour to attaine their la&s;t perfection: &s;o our bodyes here, &s;ubject to mutabilitie, to Di&s;ea&s;es, the Stone, the Gout, Feavers, by which Death entring within our Walls, &s;urprizeth the Ca&s;tle of our hearts; and thus are wee &s;till in motion, to our la&s;t <HI>Exit,</HI> alwayes tending to perfection: whither when wee come, and arrive up above Sunne, Moone, and Starres, wee &s;hall &s;it downe with <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Iacob,</HI> in the Kingdome of Heaven.</P>
<PB N="38" REF="23">
<P>The Needle touched by the Load-&s;tone, never gives over his trembling motion, till it &s;tand again&s;t the North Pole, till it come to its Point: &s;o wee, having once touched Chri&s;t, the true Load-&s;tone of our Soules, by faith, neither are, nor can be at re&s;t, till wee re&s;t not onely in him, but with him; Then &s;hall our bodyes be immutable; then &s;hall wee <HI>&s;it downe</HI> and <HI>re&s;t</HI> for ever. Be of good comfort, your labours in <HI>E|gypt,</HI> your travailes in the Wilderne&s;&s;e &s;hall not la&s;t for ever; a <HI>day of re&s;t</HI> is comming. In the meane time, let us take the advice and coun&s;ell the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> gives, <HI>Acts</HI> 1.19. <HI>Repent, and turne unto the Lord, that your &s;innes may be done away, when the time of refre&s;hing &s;hall come from the pre&s;ence of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>Thus the <HI>followers of Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hall one day <HI>&s;it,</HI> and <HI>re&s;t</HI> them. It followeth;</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>They &s;hall &s;it on Thrones.</HI> What the&s;e Thrones are, is no le&s;&s;e unprofitable, then curious to enquire: its like they &s;hall be of the Aire, becau&s;e (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>wee &s;hall meet the Lord in the Aire;</HI> and if conforme to that of our Saviour, it mu&s;t be &s;o: for he &s;hall <HI>ride in the Aire,</HI> and make <HI>the Clouds his Chariot, Revel.</HI> 14.14. <HI>I looked, and behold a white Cloud, and upon the Cloud one &s;ate like unto the Sonne of man,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>But what&s;oever the&s;e <HI>Thrones</HI> are, they promi&s;e two things, <HI>&s;weete&s;t Re&s;t,</HI> and <HI>greate&s;t State.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Sweete&s;t Re&s;t,</HI> and tranquilitie, full acquie&s;cence, not onely to their bodies (as you have heard) but to their &s;oules. Their bodies &s;hall be free from the paine of travaile, and the mu|tabilitie of corruption: their &s;oules &s;hall be free from the waves of trouble, and the conflicts of pa&s;&s;ion: no feare, no griefe, no wrath, no de&s;ire, nor carnall affection, &s;hall any way di&s;turbe the quietne&s;&s;e of their <HI>&s;weet Repo&s;e;</HI> they &s;hall be, as &s;atisfied with the fulne&s;&s;e of the Lord, &s;o al&s;o &s;ecured by the omnipotencie of his greatne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>And as they &s;hall enjoy <HI>&s;weete&s;t Ea&s;e,</HI> &s;o &s;hall they have <HI>grea|te&s;t State:</HI> for as to <HI>&s;it,</HI> &s;peakes <HI>Re&s;t;</HI> &s;o to <HI>&s;it in the pre&s;ence of God,</HI> &s;peakes <HI>Greatne&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>Dignitie;</HI> and this infinite, and mo&s;t incomparable.</P>
<PB N="39" REF="23">
<P>But why <HI>twelve Thrones?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> and his followers, confining the words to the Apo&s;tle, makes the &s;oule of every Chri&s;tian to be a Throne, or place of re&s;idence, thus; They that receive the words of <HI>John,</HI> are the throne of <HI>John;</HI> they that receive the words of <HI>Peter,</HI> are the throne of <HI>Peter,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>But &s;urely the words extend farther, and have re&s;pect to CHRISTS Tribunall, where all the Elect have their &s;e|verall places, and &s;it at Table with him in the Kingdome of Heaven.</P>
<P><HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> thinkes the number twelve therefore to bee here u&s;ed, becau&s;e of the perfection of it, and &s;o falls on a Platoni|call my&s;terie.</P>
<P>But not to trouble you with curio&s;ities, the certaine num|ber of twelve, is here put for an incertaine, a finite, for an in|finite; &s;o that by <HI>twelve Thrones,</HI> wee are to under&s;tand an univer&s;ality of <HI>Thrones,</HI> provided for the Saints in the high|e&s;t places; For, &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>in my Fathers Hou&s;e are many Man&s;ions.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>On tho&s;e Thrones they &s;hall &s;it and judge the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael.</HI></P>
<P><HI>They &s;hall judge.</HI></P>
<P>There is a judgement of power and authoritie, and that be|longs to God the Father, for <HI>hee is Iudge of the whole earthy:</HI> There is a judgement of honour, and delegates, that belongs to Chri&s;t, as hee is man; for <HI>the Father hath given all judge|ment to the Sonne:</HI> There is a judgement of a&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, and wit|ne&s;&s;e of con&s;ent and allowance, and this belongs to the whole company of Gods Elect.</P>
<P>They <HI>&s;hall judge the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael.</HI></P>
<P>All <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> not exempting <HI>Levi;</HI> yea, not onely all <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> but all the world, and all the creatures therein, though never &s;o eminent and &s;ublime in glory, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.23. <HI>Know you not, that the Saints &s;hall judge the World?</HI> Yea, <HI>Angels, Devils.</HI> And how? as members of the my&s;ticall body, whereof Chri&s;t is the head and Saviour. Chri&s;t and his Church are one, and there|fore what&s;oever is given to him, is al&s;o given to her. Chri&s;t
<PB N="40" REF="24">the primary Judge &s;hall pa&s;&s;e the Sentence, and the Saints &s;hall approve it, and rejoyce therein; they &s;hall triumph in the truth of divine Ju&s;tice, with the &s;weete&s;t notes of prai&s;e and jubilation.</P>
<P>See here the glory and honour of Gods people, their ad|vancement and &s;uper-exaltation above the <HI>Starres of the mor|ning,</HI> they are <HI>Citizens of Heaven. When God &s;hall come to judge the world, thou&s;and thou&s;ands of Angels &s;hall come with him;</HI> but yet as his mini&s;ters and &s;ervants: the Saints &s;hall fit with him, as his familiars and a&s;&s;ociates, <HI>upon Thrones,</HI> and that <HI>ever Thrones,</HI> and all the glorious hoa&s;t of his noble&s;t creatures; their judgement (as the Schooles di&s;tingui&s;h) is not <HI>condem|nationis &s;ed manife&s;tationis,</HI> they condemne none, onely they &s;hew forth the prai&s;e and glory of God, in the ju&s;tice of the Sentence on them whom Chri&s;t condemnes.</P>
<P>Here then is ground of &s;upport to all the people of God; you are now troubled and mole&s;ted by the Devill and his agents, malicious adver&s;aries, you groane under unju&s;t Cen&s;ures and accu&s;ations; bee content, a day is comming wherein the Saints &s;hall judge both the <HI>evill angels,</HI> the <HI>Devils,</HI> and all their malicious in&s;truments.</P>
<P>Let our care be in the meane time, &s;o to live and conver&s;e here, as to be worthy of that honour then; farre bee it from them that are to judge the world, &s;o to live, as to ju&s;tifie the world by their prophane and impure conver&s;ation.</P>
<P>Thus they that <HI>follow Chri&s;t, &s;hall &s;it on twelve Thrones, and judge the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael.</HI></P>
<P>But when?</P>
<P><HI>In the regeneration, when the &s;onne of man &s;hall &s;it in the Throne of his Glory:</HI> Wherein you have the determinate time of Glory.</P>
<P>Where ob&s;erve,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, A Po&s;ition, <HI>in the regeneration:</HI> Secondly, an Expo|&s;ition, that <HI>regeneration wherein Christ &s;hall &s;it in the Throne of his Glory.</HI></P>
<P>The Po&s;ition,</P>
<P>The <HI>regeneration,</HI> that is, the <HI>Re&s;urrection,</HI> or otherwi&s;e the
<PB N="41" REF="24">redemption of our bodies. A time is comming wherein all creatures &s;hall be as it were <HI>new borne. Mortality</HI> &s;hall be <HI>&s;wal|lowed up of life,</HI> and <HI>this corruptible &s;hall put on incorruption,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. Our bodies now &s;ubject to many infirmities, to hun|ger, nakedne&s;&s;e, thir&s;t, cold, many di&s;ea&s;es, dull and heavie in the &s;ervice of God, &s;hall then bee <HI>immortall,</HI> and therefore needing no bodily refre&s;hments: <HI>immortality</HI> &s;hall chu&s;e death out of nature, and command &s;leepe from the eyes; then &s;hall our bodies have &s;trength to performe their owne actions: Were &s;uch an <HI>Elixar</HI> to be bought, your Chymicks talke of, as would free us from all di&s;ea&s;es, and repaire the ruines of old age, who would not give all hee hath to have it? and &s;uch an one there is in the hands of God, an <HI>Elixar of immor|talitie.</HI></P>
<P><HI>'Tis better</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Matth.</HI> 18.8.) <HI>for a man to enter into life, hurt and maymed, then having two hands, two feet,</HI> and &s;o all parts intire, <HI>to be ca&s;t into hell fire:</HI> True it is, were it po&s;|&s;ible; but of this we may be &s;ure, we cannot goe to heaven, ei|ther imperfect, or without glory. Particularly.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, wee &s;hall have all the parts of our bodies <HI>perfect,</HI> and <HI>intire,</HI> though now maymed or deformed, yet than wee &s;hall be perfect.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e then all things &s;hall be reduced to their former e&s;tate of beauty and perfection, that namely the body had in its fir&s;t creation. <HI>The Heavens</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter, Acts</HI> 3.21.) <HI>must containe Chri&s;t, till all things be re&s;tored.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. 'Tis &s;aid, <HI>Revel.</HI> 21.4. <HI>There &s;hall be no more death;</HI> If no more death to the whole man, (&s;aith <HI>Tertullian</HI>) then no more death to any part of man.</P>
<P><HI>It's better</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.) <HI>for a man to goe halt,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Object.</HI></NOTE> <HI>or maymed into Heaven then, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Under&s;tand Chri&s;t, <HI>Ex hypothe&s;i,</HI> not that any &s;hall goe to heaven <HI>maimed,</HI> but that if po&s;&s;ible, i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> were better &s;o to doe, then to <HI>goe to hell</HI> with all the glory of the world.</P>
<P>Neither doth Chri&s;t there &s;peake of the body, but of the &s;oule, and the conclu&s;ion would be this; that it is farre better for a man to lo&s;e any, or all his limbes, for the &s;aving of his
<PB N="42" REF="25">&s;oule, then to lo&s;e his &s;oule, and &s;o to goe into hell with all his members. Feare not then to lo&s;e a legge, or an arme, or an eye for Chri&s;t, every member then &s;hall bee re&s;tored againe. Ha&s;t thou lo&s;t any member for Chri&s;t, or otherwi&s;e? trouble not thy &s;elfe; remember, he that gave <HI>Malcus</HI> his eare againe, who was his enemy, will much more re&s;tore to thee thy parts who act his friend.</P>
<P>Secondly, our bodies &s;hall not onely be <HI>intire,</HI> but <HI>beautifull and lovely,</HI> though now deformed; much more, when &s;tained with the pale and ga&s;tly colours of death; yet then we &s;hall be exceeding faire, farre beyond the mo&s;t exqui&s;ite beauty of any that lived ever &s;ince <HI>Adam,</HI> for wee &s;hall then be as <HI>Adam</HI> in his innocencie, on who&s;e beauty and &s;plendour the bea&s;ts of the field &s;tood gazing.</P>
<P><HI>Salomons</HI> Temple was full of beauty and glory; the &s;econd Temple, the former being de&s;troyed by the <HI>Chaldeans,</HI> was how&s;oever faire, yet farre &s;hort of the former, in re|&s;pect of beauty; but our bodies in that Day, &s;hall bee re&s;tored to greater beautie and loveline&s;&s;e then ever they had.</P>
<P>O what paines doe the crooked take, to make their bodies &s;treight, or at lea&s;t to app<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">are &s;o, or not &s;o crooked as they are? How farre &s;end they for complexion, and how deare doe they buy it? and this at la&s;t makes them more deformed; per|fect beauty is not to bee had, till the <HI>Glorious morning of the Re&s;urrection;</HI> and the way to have it then, is to bee <HI>Reli|gious</HI> now.</P>
<P>Thirdly, our bodies &s;hall bee <HI>full of &s;plendour;</HI> how&s;oever now darke and ob&s;cure, yet then they &s;hall bee as &s;o many <HI>&s;hining Starres, Dan.</HI> 12.3. <HI>They &s;hall &s;hine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father, Matth.</HI> 13.43. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> returning from God, after his fortie dayes conference with him, was &s;o full of <HI>&s;hining Glory in his face,</HI> by the <HI>Reflection</HI> of the <HI>Glory of GOD,</HI> that the people could not behold him: How full of Glory &s;hall our bodies bee, when wee &s;hall abide with God, not fortie dayes onely, but for ever and ever?</P>
<PB N="43" REF="25">
<P>Fourthly, our bodies &s;hall be <HI>immutable, and immortall,</HI> &s;ub|ject to no change, not needing the Elements, or Elementary food. God doth with us, as the Gold&s;mith with his Gold or Silver, fir&s;t melts our bodies by death, and then makes us up againe to a more glorious forme, as <HI>Ve&s;&s;els of Honour</HI> to &s;tand before him in his Temple for ever. A &s;weet meditation, e&s;pe|cially in the time of &s;ickne&s;&s;e, and in the houre of death, again&s;t the crawling wormes, and the place of &s;ilence. <HI>I know</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Iob</HI>) <HI>that my Redeemer liveth, and that hee &s;hall &s;tand at the lat|ter day upon the Earth, and though after my skin, Wormes de|&s;troy this body, yet in my fle&s;h &s;hall I &s;ee God, whom I &s;hall &s;ee for my &s;elfe, and mine eyes &s;hall behold, and not another, though my reines be con&s;umed within me, Iob</HI> 19.25, 26, 27.</P>
<P>O what meanes doe many u&s;e, to keepe them&s;elves ali<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e, yea, to pre&s;erve the bodies of their friends, being dead, from putrifaction, they imbalme them in Spices, and lay them up in Marble, yet all will not do, the bodies of Kings and Queens mu&s;t yeeld to rottenne&s;&s;e, onely a <HI>good life</HI> makes our bodies <HI>immortall.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, Our bodies &s;hall bee <HI>&s;pirituall: 'Tis &s;owne</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>a naturall body, 'tis rai&s;ed a &s;pirituall body;</HI> For then they &s;hall bee &s;u&s;tained by the Spirit without meat and drinke; not as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> on the Mount for fortie dayes onely, but for ever and ever; and whereas now the fle&s;h lu&s;teth again&s;t the Spirit; there being a <HI>Law in the mem|bers, rebelling against the law of the minde;</HI> Then the bo|dy &s;hall bee &s;ubject to the Spirit, and in all things attend on him.</P>
<P>Sixtly and la&s;tly, <HI>This body</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>is &s;owne in weakene&s;&s;e, it ri&s;eth in power;</HI> whereas now wee are weary of kneeling in prayer, weary of Prayer it &s;elfe; In&s;omuch that <HI>Aaron</HI> and <HI>Hur</HI> mu&s;t attend <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> to hold up his in&s;eebled hands; but then &s;hall our bodies bee able to performe their owne actions, without de&s;atigation; they &s;hall then bee able to move them&s;elves any way with ea&s;e, upwards, downwards, backwards, forwards, more ea&s;ily then now to lift up an hand; and <HI>hee &s;hall change our vile bodies, and make them like
<PB N="44" REF="26">unto his glorious body, according to his mighty working, whereby he is able to &s;ubdue all things unto him&s;elfe.</HI></P>
<P>Yea, not onely man, but the Heavens and the Earth, &s;hall in that day bee as it were new borne. <HI>Behold</HI> (&s;aith God) <HI>I create a new Heaven and a new Earth;</HI> So it is likewi&s;e in 2 <HI>Pet. 3. Whereas the Heavens now give raine and &s;now, &amp;c.</HI> then they &s;hall exhibit Chri&s;t, <HI>Matth.</HI> 26.64. <HI>Hereafter &s;hall yee &s;ee the &s;onne of man &s;itting on the right hand of power, and comming in the clouds of Heaven:</HI> Whereas the Heavens are now ever whirling, and wheeling about, alwayes winding up the thread of mans life, then they &s;hall &s;tand fa&s;t for ever; the Heavens &s;hall re&s;t from their motion, and receive a greater perfection of brightne&s;&s;e and claritie: The ayre &s;hall be purged from ob|&s;curity; the fire from con&s;uming quality, the water from pu|trifaction, the earth from weeds and all hurtfull creatures, yea from barrenne&s;&s;e, &s;he &s;hall bring forth as before the Fall, with|out labour and Husbandry.</P>
<P>And all this for the comfort of the <HI>Saints,</HI> who are to pa&s;&s;e this way into Heaven, in their <HI>long white Robes,</HI> as Princes through &s;ome Gallerie, into their Chambers of Pre&s;ence. Then this Earth, how&s;oever <HI>now a Valley of Teares,</HI> &s;hall be unto us a <HI>Doore of Hope in the Valley of Achor.</HI> The wicked &s;hall &s;ee this, and by it, as through a Crevi&s;e, the glory of Hea|ven, but them&s;elves &s;hut out of both.</P>
<P>But when &s;hall this <HI>regeneration</HI> of the Creatures be? <HI>When the Sonne of man &s;hall &s;it in the Throne of his glory.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Chri&s;t &s;hall come to judge the quick and dead:</HI> &s;o it is &s;aid, <HI>Acts</HI> 10.42. <HI>And he commanded us to preach unto the peo|ple, and to te&s;tifie, that it is hee which was ordained of God, to be the Judge of quick and dead.</HI> So againe in the 17. Chapter, ver&s;e 31. <HI>Becau&s;e he hath appointed a day in the which hee will judge the world in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, by that man whom he hath or|dained, whereof he hath given a&s;&s;urance unto all men, in that hee hath ray&s;ed him from the dead.</HI> And &s;o <HI>wee beleeve.</HI></P>
<P>Hee knowes all, even our mo&s;t &s;ecret thoughts: <HI>Hell and de&s;truction</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Salomon</HI>) <HI>are before the Lord,</HI> how much more the hearts of the &s;onnes of men? All things are naked
<PB N="45" REF="26">and broken up before him; and as hee knowes all, &s;o hee is able to puni&s;h, and that not the body onely; hee can ca&s;t both body and &s;oule into Hell. <HI>Revel.</HI> 20. <HI>Who&s;oever was not found written in the Booke of the Lambe, was ca&s;t into the Lake of fire.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, this &s;hould teach us <HI>feare and trembling; Knowing the terrors of the Lord</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI>) <HI>wee per&s;wade men. And</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter) if yee call him Father, who without respect of per&s;ons judgeth every man according to his workes, pa&s;&s;e the time of your &s;ojourning here in feare,</HI> 1 <HI>Peter</HI> 1.17.</P>
<P>Secondly, learne from hence to looke to your <HI>Packes:</HI> &s;ee what <HI>Wares</HI> you carry with you; for in <HI>that Day,</HI> all mu&s;t be opened.</P>
<P>Thirdly, learne hence to <HI>agree with your adver&s;arie while you are in the way.</HI> If you were to dye to morrow, what would you doe to day, how &s;pend your time? And yet you may dye &s;ooner: Take heed, <HI>At the Tree falleth, there it lyes.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, Art thou injured, &s;landered, mifu&s;ed any way? Remember, a <HI>Day</HI> is comming, wherein all mu&s;t &s;tand at Chri&s;ts Tribunall. <HI>You</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Corah,</HI> with his Complices, unto <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron) you take too much upon you, Numb.</HI> 16. And what doth <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> an&s;wer? <HI>To morrow</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>the Lord &s;hall &s;hew who are his.</HI> And 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.3, 4. <HI>But with me it is a very &s;mall thing, that I &s;hon'd be judged of you, or of mans judgement; yea, I judge not mine owne &s;elfe, for I know nothing by my &s;elfe: yet am I not hereby ju&s;tified; but he that judgeth me, is the Lord.</HI> Therefore judge nothing before the time, untill the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkne&s;&s;e, and will make manife&s;t the coun|&s;els of the heart; and then &s;hall every man have pray&s;e of God.</P>
<P>Fifthly, Art thou afraid to appeare before the <HI>Judge?</HI> Remember, it is thy Saviour th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> dyed for thee. If <HI>Pharaohs</HI> Butler feared not to got before him, becau&s;e <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> had a&s;&s;u|red
<PB N="46" REF="27">him of Libertie; how comfortably then are wee to ap|peare before the Judge, being alreadie a&s;&s;ured, all &s;hall goe well with us? Hee is our <HI>Judge,</HI> who is our <HI>Saviour,</HI> and <HI>Me|diatour:</HI> a mo&s;t comfortable Meditation. <HI>I am your Brother</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> unto his Brethren) <HI>I am your Brother Jo&s;eph:</HI> This could not but comfort them, how&s;oever con&s;cious of their injuries done him. So it is here.</P>
<P>Sixthly, It <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> mu&s;t be our <HI>Judge;</HI> how warily then, and holily, are wee to live <HI>now,</HI> that wee may not be a&s;hamed at his <HI>Comming? Peter</HI> being on the Seas, and &s;eeing his <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> on the yonder &s;hoare, <HI>girds his Coat about him:</HI> One would thinke, hee &s;hould rather have ca&s;t his Coat from him: No, no, hee was to appeare before his <HI>Ma&s;ter,</HI> and hee would ap|peare comely. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.10. <HI>For wee mu&s;t all appeare before the Iudgement-Seat of Chri&s;t, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that hea hath done, whether it be good or bad.</HI></P>
<P>Seventhly, Happie are all they, that are gone out of them|&s;elves into <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> for, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.1. <HI>There is therefore now no con|demnation to them which are in Chri&s;tle&s;us, who walke not after the fle&s;h, but after the Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve further:</P>
<P>As <HI>Chri&s;t &s;hall come to judge the world;</HI> &s;o being <HI>come,</HI> hee <HI>&s;hall &s;it in the Throne of his glory. Dun.</HI> 7.9, 14. <HI>I behold, and lee are like the Some of Man <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">h the Clouds of Heaven, and came to the Ancient of dayes, and they brought him neere be|fore him; and there was given him Dominion and Glory, and a Kingdome, that all People, Nations, and Languages &s;hould &s;erve hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">; his Dominion is an everla&s;ting Dominion, which &s;hall not pa&s;&s;e away, and his Kingdome that, which &s;hall not bee de&s;troyed. Match</HI> 34.30. <HI>And then &s;hall appeare the figne of the Sonne of Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> in Heaven.</HI> What this figne is, me thinkes may be ga|thered from <HI>ver&s;e</HI> the 27. <HI>As the Lightning commeth from the Ea&s;t and pa&s;&s;eth to the We&s;t, &s;o &s;hall the comming of the Sonne of Man be M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> <HI>here is Chri&s;t and there is Chri&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> &s;hall be the &s;igne of
<PB N="47" REF="27">my comming, even the bright<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and &s;plendour of my Body;</HI> ob&s;curing all other Lights, and awakening all the World. That it &s;hall be this, is manife&s;t, <HI>Revel.</HI> 21.23. <HI>And the Citie had no need of the Sunne, neither of the Moone to &s;hine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lambe is the light thereof.</HI></P>
<P>If wee tell you of <HI>Chri&s;ts Glory</HI> at his <HI>Trans&s;iguration in the Mount,</HI> you will tell us of that of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> comming from his fortie dayes conference with the Lord.</P>
<P>But the difference is grear.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the <HI>glory</HI> of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was onely in his <HI>face;</HI> that of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> all over his <HI>Body:</HI> &s;econdly, when <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> veyled his <HI>face,</HI> none could &s;ee his <HI>beautle;</HI> but that of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> appeared through his <HI>garments.</HI> Thirdly, the <HI>glory</HI> of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> made the people <HI>afraid;</HI> but that of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was <HI>amiable,</HI> and <HI>lovely: Bonum e&s;t, e&s;&s;e hit,</HI> &s;aid they that were with him. Fourthly, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> could not communicate his <HI>glory</HI> unto any, but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>&s;hall make our bodyes like unto his glorious Body.</HI></P>
<P>Since the <HI>Glory of Chri&s;t</HI> was &s;uch at his <HI>Transfiguration,</HI> what will his <HI>Glory</HI> be in that <HI>Day, when hee &s;hall &s;it in his Throne?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Hee came in the forme of a &s;ervant,</HI> was a man of <HI>&s;errowes, knowning infirmities;</HI> Our <HI>&s;innes,</HI> like continuall <HI>droppings</HI> of water, putting out the <HI>Lumpe</HI> of his life. But when hee comes againe, O what beauty, what re&s;plendant Maje&s;ty!</P>
<P>But what of all this?</P>
<P><HI>In that day, they that have followed Christ, &s;hall &s;it on twelve Thrones, and judge the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve, Fir&s;t, the Saints &s;hall partake of CHRISTS GLORY.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>They</HI> and none but <HI>they.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, Nor <HI>they,</HI> till then.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the Saints &s;hall partake of <HI>Chri&s;ts Glory.</HI> God hath &s;aid it, and you know hee is faithfull who hath promi&s;ed; <HI>All his promi&s;er are Ye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, and Amer.</HI></P>
<PB N="48" REF="28">
<P>See here what a good <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> we &s;erve. The World payes, his followers with trouble and carefulne&s;&s;e, the Fle&s;h payes her followers with corruption and filthine&s;&s;e, the Devill his with de&s;paire and wre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">edne&s;&s;e; but Chri&s;t his with <HI>Glory,</HI> and <HI>Ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e.</HI> To ha&s;ten your de&s;ires homeward, and to &s;weeten your affections by the way; with <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> looke up to the recompence of Reward; God gives you leave &s;o to doe.</P>
<P>Secondly, as the Saints &s;hall partake of <HI>Chri&s;ts Glory,</HI> &s;o none but they &s;hall partake thereof, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50.5. <HI>Gather my Saints together unto me<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> tho&s;e that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice.</HI> So <HI>Mal.</HI> 3.17, 18. <HI>And they &s;hall bee mine, &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts, in that day when I make up my Jawels, and I will &s;pare them as a man &s;pareth his owne &s;onne that &s;erveth him; then &s;hall yee returns and di&s;cerne betweene the righteous and the wicked; betweene him that &s;erveth God, and him that &s;erveth him not.</HI></P>
<P>Againe, <HI>Mal.</HI> 4.2, 3. <HI>But unto you that feare my Name, &s;hall the Sonne of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e ari&s;e, with healing in his wings, and yee &s;hall goe forth and grow as Calues of the &s;tall, and yee &s;hall tread downe the wicked, for they &s;hall bee as a&s;hes under the &s;oles of your feet; in that day I &s;hall doe this, &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts.</HI></P>
<P>This point, like the Red Sea, opens it &s;elfe for the pa&s;&s;age of Gods people into Heaven, and then clo&s;eth againe on the un|godly, to their de&s;truction. You that live prophanely, &amp;c. you are lo&s;t men, you are of the forlorne hope; for 1. <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.2, 3. <HI>Beloved, now are wee the Sonnes of God, and it doth not yet ap|peare what wee &s;hall bee; but wee know, that when hee &s;hall ap|peare, wee &s;hall bee like him; for wee &s;hall &s;ee him as hee is, and every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth him&s;elfe, even as hee is pure.</HI></P>
<P>Gather hence a nece&s;&s;ity of a <HI>godly life;</HI> if wee will be <HI>happy,</HI> wee mu&s;t be <HI>holy; Revel.</HI> 22.14. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they that doe his Commandements, that they may have a right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the Gates into the City.</HI> This al&s;o the
<PB N="49" REF="28"><HI>Glory</HI> promi&s;ed and expected calls for. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.1. <HI>Having there|fore the&s;e promi&s;es, dearely beloved, let us clean&s;e our &s;elves from all filt hine&s;&s;e of the fle&s;h and &s;pirit, perfecting holine&s;&s;e in the feare of God. Alexander,</HI> invited to a Race with <HI>Plebeians,</HI> could an|&s;wer. That Kings ought not to run but with Kings: So nei|ther Chri&s;tians, but with Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P>Thirdly, as the <HI>followers of Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hall bee partakers of <HI>Chri&s;ts Glory,</HI> and <HI>they onely,</HI> &s;o <HI>they onely</HI> in the <HI>Regeneration, when Chri&s;t &s;hall come in his glory,</HI> not till then, that is the day of our Redemption.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, therefore, wee are to long and look out for this <HI>Day. Job</HI> 14.14. <HI>If a man dye, &s;hall he live againe? All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Rom.</HI> 8.22, 23. <HI>For wee know, that the whole Creation groaneth and tra|velleth in paine together, untill now; and not-onely they, but our &s;elves al&s;o, which have the fir&s;t fruits of the Spirit, even wee our &s;elves groane within our &s;elves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the Redemption of our body.</HI> Then is our <HI>Iubile;</HI> the Trumpet having &s;ounded, and liberty proclaimed, wee may enter into our po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions.</P>
<P>Secondly, wee are to comfort our &s;elves again&s;t all troubles in a&s;&s;urance and expectation of that <HI>Day, Colo&s;.</HI> 3.2, 3, 4. <HI>Set your affections on things above, not on things on the Earth, for yee are dead, and your life is hid with Chri&s;t in God; when Chri&s;t who is our life &s;hall appeare, then &s;hall wee appeare with him in glory. Recordatione temporum, meliorum spero,</HI> &s;aid a <HI>Roman,</HI> beholding the rubbi&s;h of old Marble, the ruines of ancient building. But looke forward to the <HI>day</HI> comming, and the <HI>glory</HI> thereof: me thinkes this &s;hould much comfort us; &s;urely <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> would, if wee did beleeve.</P>
<P>How joyfull will it be to meet with our Saviour in that <HI>day,</HI> when the thought of it is &s;o refre&s;hing? <HI>Rabboni,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Mary</HI> unto Chri&s;t, when her eyes were opened to &s;ee her <HI>Savicur,</HI> whom before &s;hee &s;uppo&s;ed to be the Gardner: as if &s;hee &s;hould have &s;aid; What, have I found <HI>thee,</HI> whom I have &s;o de&s;ired, &s;o longed for? If thus it were with <HI>Mary</HI>
<PB N="50" REF="29">then; How exuberant beyond expre&s;&s;ion, yea imagina|tion great, &s;hall our joy in that <HI>Day</HI> bee, when <HI>wee &s;hall &s;it on Thrones with</HI> CHRIST, and all <HI>partake of his Glory?</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, wee are in the meane time to waite on, in the u&s;e of all holy meanes, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.36. <HI>For yee have need of patience, that after yee have done the will of God, yee might receive the promi&s;e; for yet a little while, and hee that &s;hall come, will come, and will not tarry.</HI> 1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 2.28. <HI>And now little chil|dren, abide in him, that when hee &s;hall appeare, wee may have confidence, and not bee a&s;hamed before him at his com|ming.</HI> Amen.</P>
<CLOSER>Soli Deo Gloria.</CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
