The Treasure of the Church, Lecture 4
The fourth Lecture.
Vers. 3. This is life eternall.
THis verse sheweth the end, which is eternall life; and the way to the end, the true knowledge of God in Christ: the knowledge of God and of the Mediator that bringeth vsus to God, which is Iesus Christ.
First then we do learne,Doctr. 1. that there is an euerlasting state after this life is ended: set foorth by these two names. First, it is truly called life, being exempt from all trouble, sorrow, griefe, and calamitie: so that this which we leade in this world is not to be called a life, being full of all miserie and calamitie. Secondly, it is eternal, without any alteration, end, or change: so is not the state of this world, which is subiect to mutabilitie and mortalitie.
There be then foure things which make this life miserable,What things make the life o… man miserable. Iniquitie, Necessitie, Calamitie and Mortalitie: all these the next life shall free vsus from. There shall be no iniquitie or sinne any more, Isa. …8. 8. That way shall be called holy, the polluted shall not pas…e by it: there shall be no necessitie, as to sow, to plant, to labour, as it was said to Adam, that he should eate his bread in the sweate of his browes: …or they shall then rest from all their labours, Reuel. 14. 13. There shall be no calamitie, no oppression, sorrow, or griefe, Isa. 60. 18. Violence shall be no more heard in the land, Reuel. 21. 4. Neither sorrow, neither crying, neither paine shall be any more. There shall be no mortalitie or mutabilitie, death or sicknesse, Reuel. 21. 8. there shall be no more death.
Thus we reade of Lazarus, that being in Abrahams bosome (that is in the place of euerlasting rest & refreshing) whether his saith (being the child of faithfull Abrahā) brought him: Lazarus was there comforted from all the paines & sorrowes which he before in his life endured. Lake 16. 25. Againe, Mat. 17. 2. we hauehave an excellent representation of the blessed estate of the Saints after this life: there our Sauior was transfigured in the presence of his Apostles, and his face did shine as the Sunne. Moses also and Elias talked with him, who were now deliuered from this vale of miserie, and were entred into glorie: for if Moses face did so shine when he was yet mortall, that the Isaelites were not able to behold him: 2. Cor. 3. 7. how much more glorious was he now.
This celestiall place is that mountaine of mirth, and hill of incense, spoken of in the Canticles 4. 5. and Mons aromatum, the mountaine of spices, Cantic. 8. 14. This is indeed that land of Canaan that sloweth with milke and honie: this is our fathers house, where is bread inough, where with the lost child now returned, we shall hauehave the best robes giuen vsus, and rings put vpō our singers, Luke 15. 22. This is the hauen and rest, where the soules of the righteous after the tempests and stormes of the sea of this world do happily arriue: as it is said in the Psalme, He bringeth them to the hauen, where they would be, Psal. 107. 30.
The reasons why God prouideth for his eternall life out of the Scripture, are these: first, from Gods iustice, 2. Thess. 1. 6. it is a iust thing with God to recompence tribulation to those that trouble you, and to you that are troubled, rest. Secondly, from Gods honour, Mat. 22. 32. he is not the God of the dead, but of the liuing: seeing then that God is God of the faithful departed, they therefore are aliue vntounto him, for it were not for the liuing Gods honour to be the God of the dead. Thirdly, from the state and condition of the faithfull, which were of all other most miserable, if in this life onelyonly we hauehave hope. 1. Corint. 15. 19. Fourthly, from the priuiledge of our profession: we are the holy temples of God which shall not be destroyed. 1. Cor. 3. 17.
Wherefore first we reproue the vaine opiniō of the heathen, who were grossely deceiued concerning the state of the soule after this life.Enemies to euerlasting life confuted. The Epicures beleeued no immortalitie, nor yet any being of the soule after death. Of like opiniō were the Sadduces among the Iewes, and the Atheists among vsus. The Pithagoreans did thinke that the soules did passe out of one bodie into another, yea into the bodies of bruite beastes, such as they were like vntounto in condition of life and manners. The Platonists did hold the immortalitie of the soule, but not of the bodie. The Peripatetickes and Poets imagined the soules of good men to become starres. None of them beleeued aright concerning the immortalitie both of soule and body, and of eternall life with God. This knowledge we hauehave from the scriptures, and God reuealed these things to vsus by his spirit, 1. Corin. 2. 10. that both our bodies and soules shall be made inheritors of life through Christ, as the Apostle sheweth: We shall be eaught vp with him in the clouds, to meete the Lord in the aire. 1. Thess. 4. 17.
B…rnard doth very well describe the happy state both of our bodies and soules in the kingdome of God, agreeable to this doctrin of Paul: first for the soule he saith: whereas there are three faculties thereof, rationalis, concupiscibilis irascibilis, the reasonable part, the election or will, the affection: Implebit Deus rationale nostrum luce sapientiae, implebit concupiscibile nostrum fonte iustitiae, implebit irascibile nostrū summa pace & tranquillitate: He will replenish our reason with the light of wisedome and knowledge, our electiue facultie with iustice, that it shall desire nothing but what is to be desired, our wrathfull and boyling affection with peace and tranquilitie. Concerning the bodie, whereas it consisteth of foure elements: Habebit terra nostra immortalitem, Our earthly part shal hauehave immortality. Habebit aqueum nostrum impassibilitatem, Our watrie part sh…l be without passion: Habebit aereum leuitatem, Our airie part shall hauehave agilitie or lightnesse: Habebit igneum nostrum perfectam pul…hri…udinem, Our fiery part shall hauehave most perfect beautie or glory.
Secondly, the dulnesse of our affections is here to be quickned, and our desire to be inflamed toward the attaining of this happie estate, we should be still groueling vponupon the earth, but eleuate our hearts to heauen, and to hauehave our conuersation in heauen, from whence we looke for our Sauiour, Phil. 3. 20. It is recorded by the heathen, that one Cleombrotus reading Plato his booke of the immortality of the soule, was so rauished with the desire thereof, that presently …e cast himselfe into the sea: like master, like scholer; like teaching, like following. But it may be a shame to vsus, that hauing so pure doctrine reuealed concerning true eternitie,The desire which we ought to hauehave to euerlasting life. which they but dreamed of, are not touched with an earnest desire thereof, as S. Paul was, who desired to be dissolued, & to be with Christ, Phil. 1. 23. Wherefore the assurance and hope of euerlasting life, ought to be the chiefe scope of all our studies, the drift of our desires, the marke to aime at, the race to run at, the prise to striue for, the hauen to saile vntounto, the pearle to be purchased, the inheritance to be desired▪ the country to be trauelled vntounto: & this is that wherein we ought chiefly to reioyce, that our names are written in heauen, Luke 10. 20. thy riches, honour, strength, beautie, wisedome, wife, children, ease, prosperitie, are not to be ioyed in, in comparison of this blessed estate; the which if we earnestly desire now, we shall vndoubtedly possesse then through Iesus Christ, to whom be praise for euer.
That they know thee to be the onelyonly very God. Our Sauiour saith not, to know thee only to be very God; for if the father only were God, then the Sonne and the holy Ghost should be excluded: but the Father is that onelyonly God, and so is the sonne and the holy Ghost, they all three are but only one very God: as where the Apostle calleth Iesus Christ the onelyonly Lord, Iude 4. neither the Father nor the holy Ghost are excluded, for they are all the onelyonly Lord, though they be deuided in person, yet the vnity and essence of the diuine nature and power is not deuided.
The knowledge then of God the Father,Doct. 2. Of the necessitie of the knowledge of God. sonne and holy Ghost is necessary to saluation: the ignorance whereof is sufficient to depriue vnbeleeuers of eternall life.
So the Apostle saith, that they which are without Christ, and without God in this world, are strangers from the promise and from the common-wealth of Israell. Ephes. 2. 12.
Such a one was Pharao, who wickedly said: I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go, Exod. 5. 2. Because he knew not God, the Lord would not vouchsafe to know him, but gaue him ouer to hardnes of heart, and got vntounto himself great glory in his destruction and confusion. Thus our Sauiour also testifieth of the Samaritanes, speaking to the woman of Samaria, Iohn 4. 22. Ye worship that which ye know not, we worship that which we know, for saluation is of the Iewes. Saluation then is not of them that ignorantly worship they know not what, as the Athenians did, who erected an altar to the vnknowne God, and ignorantly worshipped they knew not whom. Act. 17. 23.
For like as the beasts that had no knowledge to go vntounto Noahs Arke, perished in the waters: and as the Doue, if she had not knowne the way of returne to the Arke when Noah stretched out his hand and tooke her in, had likewise miscaried: and as the oxe and asse not knowing their masters crib, are like to want their food; so all they which know not God their Creator, are in the high way to destruction, and are barred from life.
The reason hereof S. Paule sheweth, Rom. 10. 13. Whosoeuer shall call vponupon the name of the Lord shal be saued: but how shall they cal vponupon him on whom they hauehave not beleeued; how shal they beleeue in him on whom they hauehave not heard? They then that neither beleeue in God, nor pray vntounto him, nor worship him, because they know him not, nor hauehave not heard of him, cannot be saued. Ignorance then and want of knowledge of God, because it is the fountaine of vnbeleefe and prophanenesse, doth iustly exclude from the kingdome of God.
First then if the knowledge of the blessed Trinitie be necessary vntounto euerlasting life,Heretickes enemies to the Trinitie confuted. we see in what damnable state all heretickes do stand, that beleeue not aright in the Trinitie, whether they impugne any one of the three glorious persons, as the Manichees the person of the father, who was the author of the law, which they refuse and reuile him that gaue it, making him the author of euill. The Arrians dishonor the Sonne, affirming him to be vnequall to his Father. The Macedonians blasphemed the holy Ghost, denying him to be God: or whether they are aduersaries to the whole Trinitie, as the Sabellians, which did hold but one person of the godhead: as the Tritheits that do wickedly teach, that there are three Gods as well as three persons.
Secondly,Against Atheists. all Atheists are here condemned, that beleeue no God at all, such as were Diagoras and one Theodorus among the heathen. Likewise the Gentiles are reproued, who worshipped those which were not Gods, Gal. 4. 8. and brought in a multitude of gods, for they did not acknowledge the onelyonly very God, both worshipping many gods, and those also false gods.
Thirdly, as heresie and prophanenesse condemneth▪ so also ignorance: for that whosoeuer knoweth not, nor yet beleeueth aright in the Trinitie, cannot be saued: as our Sauiour Christ saith, Iohn. 3. 19. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loued darknesse rather then light. Ignorance dangerous.Hearken then ye ignorant persons, ye simple men and women, though there were no other matter against you, your owne ignorance & darknesse is sufficient to condemne you: say not, mine innocencie shall saue me, I do hurt to none, I do no wrong, I am harmelesse, &c. For the ignorant person cannot be innocent, seeing by his ignorance and vnbeleefe he dishonoureth God: it is in vaine to say. I dishonour not man, when thou dost dishonour God. Ambrose saith well: Innocentia & scientia beatum faciunt: Innocencie and knowledge make happie: if either be wanting, there is no true happines. Wherefore let eueryevery one labour for the knowledge of God: parents instruct your children, maisters your seruants, husbands teach your wiues; do not nourish your selues in ignorance, and cast away your soules for want of knowledge.
And whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ] It is not sufficient to saluation to acknowledge God the Creator,Doct. 3. No saluation without faith in Christ. yea to confesse one glorious God, and three persons, vnlesse also we beleeue in Iesus Christ God and man, the Mediator betweene God and man; and so beleeue in him, that we liue by faith in him.
This our Sauior further testifieth: he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie, because he beleeueth not in the name of the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God, Ioh. 3. 18. And again, ye beleeue in God, beleeue also in me, Ioh. 14 1. It is not then enough to beleeue in God the Almightie and omnipotent Creator, vnlesse also we beleeue in Iesus Christ our mercifull Sauiour. Saint Iohn accordingly saith: EueryEvery spirit that confesseth not Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh, is not of God, 1. Ioh. 3. 3.
Peter is commended for this faith, for confessing Christ the sonne of the liuing God, Mat. 16. 16. And after Thomas had said to Christ, Thou art my Lord and my God: Iesus said to him, Because thou hast seene, thou beleeuest, blessed are they that hauehave not seene and hauehave beleeued, Ioh. 20. 28. 29. Yea this was the faith of Abraham Ioh. 8. 56. Abraham (saith our Sauiour) reioyced to see my day, he saw it and was glad.
So like as when Moses was absent, who was a mediator that went betweene God & his people, the whole host went astray, and committed most grosse Idolatrie, Exod. …2. so and much more are we like to perish, if we hauehave not the presence of Christ our Mediator. Moses also said vntounto God, when he told them, that he wold not go with them, because they were a stiffe-necked people, but he would send onelyonly an Angell before them, Exod. 33. 2. 3. If thy presence go not with vsus, carie vsus not hence, vers. 15. If then the presence of the Mediator was necessarie to conduct them vntounto that terrestriall Canaan, much more to the celestiall.
For in Christ onelyonly is the Lord appeased toward vsus, Mat. 3. 17. This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased. Without Christ thē there is no reconclliation, no peace or attonement with God. Like as princes offended must be dealt with by Mediators, as the cities of Tyrus and Sidon desired peace of Herod by the mediation of Blastus his chamberlaine, Act. 12. 20. so God being displeased with vsus for our sinnes, there is no accesse to be had into his presence without Christ the Mediator.
First then all heretikes are condemned that beleeue not aright in Iesus Christ, either denying his natures, blaspheming his person, or derogating from his offices. Of the first sort are the Arriās & Paulians, that denie his Godhead:Diuerse heresies against the natures & person of Christ. the one saying, that Christ is not equall vntounto God: the other, that he took beginning from Mary. The Valentinians denied his humanitie, saying, he tooke nothing of his mother, but passed through her as water through a pipe. The Eutichians also are of this kind, who confound the natures of Christ, and affirme in him the diuine nature only to remaine. Of the second sort are the Nestorians, who make two persons in Christ, one person of God-Christ, another of man-Christ, saying: that Marie was the mother of the man-Christ, not of God-Christ. Of the third ranke were the Angelici, so called, because they worshipped Angels, and made them their Mediators: such are the Papists, that pray vntounto Saints, and ioyne them with Christ in the office of the Mediatorship: all these acknowledge not Iesus Christ truly, whom God hath sent.
Secondly, we must know, that it is not sufficient to hauehave a general and superficial knowledge, but liuely and effectuall: such as Saint Paul had, confessing thus of himselfe, Gal. 2. 20. Thus I liue, not I now, but Christ liueth in me: and in that I liue now in the flesh, I liue by faith in the Sonne of God, who hath loued me, and giuen himselfe for me. Such a faith and knowledge of Christ then is requisite, whereby the soule liueth vntounto God, working alwaies by louelove, Gal. 5. 6. For there are two things necessarie to saluation: the inward beleefe of the heart, and the outward confession and demonstration of it, as Saint Paule sheweth, Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man beleeueth vntounto righteousnesse, with the mouth man confesseth to saluation.De Isaacho cap. 8. And Saint Ambrose writeth well vponupon these words, Cant. 8. 6. Set me as a seale vponupon thine hart, as a signet vponupon thine arme: signaculum Christ us in corde vt semper diligamus, signaculum de brachio, vt semper operemus, luceat imago eius in confessione nostra, luceat in operibus & factis, vt si fieri possit, tota eius species exprimatur in nobis, &c. Let Christ be a signet in our heart alwaies to louelove him, a bracelet vponupon the arme alwaies to be working for him: let his image shine in our faith and confession, let it shine in our workes and actions, that if it be possible, the whole image of Christ may be expressed in vsus.