Sermons Upon John 1 — Anthony Wotton

Sermons Upon John 1 · Anthony Wotton

THE FOVRTH SERmon, vponupon the firſt Chapter of IOHN.

Verſe 4.

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 And the light ſhineth in darkeneſſe, and the darkeneſſe comprehended it not.

IT is a cleere truth in natural reaſon, and a rul'd caſe in diuinitie, that as all thinges proceede from God, as the firſt cauſe of their being; ſo they are all referr'd to God, as the laſt ende, why they are. In him lActs. 17. 28.(ſayeth the Apoſtle) wee liue, and moue, and hauehave our being. And to conuince the Heathen by the light of nature, hee addes, As alſo certaine of your owne Poets hauehave ſayd, mAratus in Phaenomen.For wee are all his generation. To whom then doe wee owe our ſelues, and whatſoeuer wee are, or hauehave, but to him onelyonly? Witneſſe for nature the wiſeſt of all the Philoſophers, the Stoikes: for diuinitie, he, n1 King 4. 29. …0,that was wiſer, then the wiſeſt of the Heathen, oPro. 1. 12 & 16. 4.Salomon, the preacher, King ouer Iſreal in Ieruſalem. The Lord hath made all things for his owne ſake: yet ſo for his owne ſake, that pPſa…. 8. 34.the Prophet is forced to cry out, When I behold the heauens, the workes of thy fingers, the Moone and the Starres, which thou haſt crealed: what is man (ſay I) that thou art mindefull of him, and the ſonne of man, that thou viſiteſt him? That his gratious reguard of man, whom the Lord ſets in the next place to himſelfe, may the better appeare; as the firſt worke of Creation was for his ſeruice, ſo the ſecond of Regeneration was for his ſaluation. This wee learne of our Euangeliſt: qIoh. 20. 31.who tels vsus, that the ende of writing the Goſpell was, That wee might beleeue, that Ieſus is the Chriſt, the Sonne of God, and that by beleeuing wee might hauehave life through his name. See I pray you, how Saint Iohn hath loyned theſe two endes together: the former is the glorifying of Ieſus Chriſt, as the Sonne of God; the later, the procuring life to men, by faith in him. According to theſe two endes the Euangeliſt hath framed this beginning of his Goſpell. Firſt, rIoh. 1. 1. 2.he deſcribes Ieſus Chriſt vntounto vsus, as hee is in himſelfe, God euerlaſting. Then hee ſhewes, what hee is to vsus. A creator of vsus, when wee were nothing; a Sauiour to vsus, when Ver. 3.wee were worſe then nothing. Of the former points we hauehave heard out of the three former verſes: now of the Ver 4. 5.later, out of theſe two that follow. Whereof wee may ſitly make theſe two parts; a deſcription of the Meſſiah, as the a…tor of Life, in the fourth verſe, and the former part of the fift; His intertainment by men, in the later part of the ſame verſe. In the deſcription, o…r Euangeliſt declareth; firſt, what hee was in the nature of his mediation; verſe 4. then what, in regard of the effect; verſe 5. Concerning the nature of that his office, two points are to bee conſidered: Firſt, that In him was life. 2. that That life was the light of men. The effect is, that The light ſhineth in darkeneſſe. But how was this light intertaind? Or rather this light found no entertainement; The darkeneſſe comprehended it not. Now for the better vnderſtanding of theſe points; Firſt, according to my cuſtome, I wil examine the words, then expound the meaning of the Text. For the wordes, in the firſt clauſe (for I will take eueryevery one ſeuerally, by it ſelfe) we muſt conſider, both what life, the Euangeliſt ſpeaks of; and why hee ſpeakes in that manner ſaying, In him was life. Why hee ſayth, In him was life, rather then He was life; why was, rather then Is; ſeeing it is as true and plaine, that Hee is life, as that life was in him.

But what is this life, hee ſpeakes of? Looke not that I ſhould trouble you, or my ſelfe, with refuting, or ſo much as reciting the diuers, & ſtrange interpretatiōs of Heretickes, fooliſhly grounded vponupon that manner of reading, which couples the former part of this verſe, with the later ende of the third; That, which was made was life in him. I ſhewed in my laſt exerciſe, that if this had beene intended, by the Euangeliſt, hee would rather hauehave ſaid, All things that were made, were life in him. Surely, the manifold, and different expoſitions, that ſo many heretickes hauehave made of theſe wordes ſo read, and the abſurd errors, and blaſphemies, they hauehave gathered from them, may well ſeeme a ſufficient reaſon, to diſcredite ſuch a kinde of reading, as hath no better warrant, then the coniectures of men; Howſoeuer the vulgar Latine retaine it, with the miſlike of many learned Papiſts. ſAuguſt. in Ioa. tract. 1. Ambroſde fide lib. 3. cap. 3. and in Pſal. 36. Theophyl. ad Ioa. 1.The Manichees deuis'd two ſenerall, and almoſt contrarie interpretations of them. The Arians a third; The Macedonians a fourth; Heracleon a fiſt: and euerie one of theſe an erroneous doctrine, ſutable to his expoſition. Yea, tOrigen. lib. 3 in Ioan.the beſt ſenſe, that is giuen of the words ſo read, is ſo curious, and ſub till, that it rather ſhewes the witte, and learning of the Interpreters, then the meaning of the Writer. And perhaps it were but loſt labor, for the greateſt part of this auditorie, to take paines, and ſpend time in ſtriuing to make them vnderſtand it.

Wherefore leauing thoſe nice points to another kinde of exerciſe, and auditorie, let vsus take the wordes plainely, and ſimply, as they offer themſelues to bee conceiv'd of all men; Who if they hauehave any knowledge at all of the Scripture, or of religion, by reading, or hearing, by this word life vnderſtand one of theſe two things: Either the naturall life, whereby all liuing creatures are ſayd to liue; or the ſpirituall life, by which they, that are regenerate by the ſpirite of God, liue ſpiritually in this world by grace, and in the world to come by glorie. Let vsus ſee ſome examples of the word in theſe ſenſes, out of the Scripture. For the naturall life, wee hauehave the very beginning of it in Moſes. uGen. 1. 20.God ſaide, Let the waters, bring foorth in abundance, euerie creeping thing, that hath life. And afterward; Let the earth bring foorth euerie liuing thing, according Ver. 24.to his kinde. Of man it is particularly written, that xGen. 2. 7.The Lord God breathed in his face breath of life, and the man was a liuing ſoule. So ſayth y1. Cor. 15. 45.the Apoſtle, alluding to that place; The firſt man Adam, was made a liuing ſoule. This is that life, which the Lord threatned hee would take away by the floud. Behold *Gen. 6. 17.(ſayth hee) I will bring a floud of waters vponupon the earth, to deſtroy all fleſh, wherein is the breath of life, vnderunder the heauen. In this ſenſe the word is not ſo common in the newe Teſtament; I thinke not once in this whole Goſpell: in other places ſome times. aLuk. 8. 15.Though a man hauehave abundance, his life ſtandeth not in his riches. bAct. 17. 25.God giueth to all, life, and breath in all things. c1. Cor. 15. 19.If, in this life onelyonly, wee hauehave hope in Chriſt. And as this ſignification of life is rare in the new Teſtament; ſo is the other for ſpirituall life in the old: yet now and then, vnderunder the title of this preſent life, the life to come is alſo implyed. Behold dDeu. 30. 15. 19. 20.(ſayeth Moſes) I hauehave ſet before thee this day, life, and good, death, and euill. Afterward; life and death, bleſſing and curſing. And in the next verſe; The Lord thy God is thy life, and the length of thy dayes. In the Pſalme oftner and playner. ePſal. 16. 11.Thou wilt ſhewe mee the path of life. fPſal. 36. 9.With thee is the well of life. So in gPro. 2. 19.the Prouerbes. All they, that goe vntounto her, returne not againe, neither take they hold of the wayes of life. hPro. 6. 23.Corrections for instruction are the way of life. That one booke affordes vsus more examples of this kinde, then all the olde Teſtament beſide. But the new is full of them eueryevery where. iMat. 7. 14. & 18. 8.The way is narrow, that leadeth vntounto life. It is better for thee to enter into life, halt or maimed then hauing two hands or two feete, to be caſt into euerlaſting fire. This is that life of glorie, which is verie often called euerlaſting life; and whereof our Euangeliſt ſpeaketh continually, almoſt in euerie Chapter of this Goſpell, diuers times; eſpecially, in the thirde, the fift, and the ſixt. The life of grace is more often in the Epiſtles; kRom. 6. 4. & 8. 2.That wee might walke in newneſſe of life. The ſpirit of life, which is in Chriſt Ieſus. l2. Cor. 4. 10.That the life of Ieſus might alſo bee made manifeſt in our bodies. mEph. 4 18.Strangers from the life of God. I hauehave beene ſomewhat the larger in this matter, becauſe it helpeth much to the vnderſtanding of many texts of Scripture, to knowe the different ſenſe of the word in queſtion.

For the place in hand, it is commonly thought to be meant of that natural life, which all liuing creatures, receiue from their creator; as if the Euangeliſt ſhould hauehave ſayd, that not onelyonly all things were made by him, as the author of their being, but alſo that they had their life too from him. But this (ſauing their better iudgemēt, that ſo expound the text) ſeemes to me ſomewhat vnlikely. For why ſhould the Euangeliſt repeate that in this verſe, which hee had deliuered ſo fully immediately before? All things were made by him. Was there any feare, that ſome exception would bee taken to theſe wordes? could any man imagine, that this making of all things, implyed no more, but the outwarde faſhioning, and framing of them, and not alſo the inwarde forme, and wholenature? If wee will giuegive the wordes leaue to reach as farre, as by their nature, they doe, All things muſt needes import the ſame thinges in their beſt eſtate, with all their naturall qualities, & properties, and whatſoeuer elſe belongs to their being that, which they are. For example, let vsus ſpeake a word or two of ſome particulars. By him were all trees made. What would a reaſonable man vnderſtand by this ſpeech? That the body of the trees onelyonly, or the roots, boughes, and branches, and leaues, and not the life of the Trees was made by him? Surely, to ſpeake according to truth, all theſe, without the life, and forme, doe no more make a Tree, then a body without a ſoule doth a Man. I might ſay the like of men. By him were all men made. If the Lord God had onelyonly framed Adam of the duſt of the ground, and not breathed into his face, the breath of life; might hee hauehave beene ſayd, to hauehave created a man? No ſurely: vnleſſe a carcaſe bee a man, after the ſoule is departed out of it. But, let vsus thinke the Euangeliſt might hauehave ſuch a meaning, would he (trow yee) hauehave ſpoken, as hee doth, if he had meant as you ſay? In him was life, that is, (ſay you) Hee alſo gaue life to all things that hee had made. Who can ſo much deceiue himſelfe, as to conceiue, that Saint Iohn would deliuer his minde ſo darkely, and doubtfully? Beſide, was not this, you ſpeake of, a creature? If ſo, it was before compris'd vnderunder thoſe generall tearmes, All things, and needed no repetition. Neither will this interpretation of the word agree fitly with that, which followeth. Is it not euident, that the life, and the light, are of the ſame kinde, both naturall, or both ſupernaturall? But, the light, as it ſhall appeare anone, is that of grace to faith, not of nature to knowledge. For the light of nature did comprehend the Creator ſo far, as to acknowledge it ſelfe to proceede from him, and to depend vponupon him. Therefore nRom. 1. 20.the Apoſtle Saint Paul, doth not accuſe the heathen of ignorance, for not knowing God, to be their maker; but for not honouring him, according to the knowledge, they had of him. The inuiſible things of God (ſaith hee) that is, his eternall power, and Godhead, are ſeen… by the creation of the world, being conſidered in his workes, that they might bee without excuſe. Becauſe when they knew Ver. 21.God, they glorified him not as God. So then, the Heathen for all the darkeneſſe of nature, did comprehend the life, that was the naturall light of their ſoules. If you anſwere, that they did not perfitly vnderſtand all things that concerne him as the Creator: you ſay true, but not much to purpoſe. For, who is there, that euer did o… can, eſpecially while hee liues in this world, compaſſed about with this houſe of clay, ſo fully conceiue thoſe points, as they are to bee, and ſhall be, after this life, vnderſtood?

But ſome man will ſay, perhaps, that although the giuing of life to all things, was ſignified in the making of them: yet the preſeruing, and maintaining of it, was not. Nor of their being; which can no more bee continued, without the power of God ſupport them in it, then their life can. Therefore the Apoſtle, deſcribing our Sauiour Chriſts Godhead, ſets it out by this verie worke thereof; when he ſayth of him, that oHeb. 1. 3.He beares vp all things, by his mightie word: and pAct. 17. 28.in another place, where hee tels the heathen, that they liu'd and mou'd in God, hee adde… alſo, that in him they had their being. If then there were no neceſſitie to expreſſe the ſuſtaining of all things in their being, no more was there to note particularly the continuing of them in life. Yea, perhaps it might be dangerous to mention the later, and conceale the former; leaſt ſome men ſhould gather, that all thinges ſtand in neede of God to preſerue their life, but not to continue their being. GiueGive mee leaue to apply one of my former exceptions, to the cleering of this matter alſo. How ſtrangely doth the Euangeliſt ſpeake, if his meaning be, as you make it? In him was life. That is, Hee preſerues all thinges in life. Could this point bee more obſcurely deliuered? What reaſon can you giuegive mee, why the holy Ghoſt ſhould ſay was, when he intended to ſignifie the continuall preſeruing of life? why did hee not rather ſay, In him is life; Or in him the life of all thinges is continually preſerv'd? But if by life, you will hauehave the preſeruing of things in their being ſignified, I deſire to ſee ſome warrant of Scripture, or ground of reaſon, for the vſing of that word, in that ſenſe. Surely there can bee no ſuch found in any place of all the Scripture, either or the word life, or for the phraſe, In him was life.

What remaines then, but qClem. Alex andr. pae lagog lib. 1. cap. 6. A thana…. lib. 3. … hom…. Amb…o. lib. 3 de fide cap 3.to expound the word, of that ſupernaturall life, by which wee liue, through faith in Chriſt? This is the life, of which our Euangeliſt ſo often ſpeakes in this Goſpell, comming to vsus by, and in Chriſt Let vsus heare our Sauiour himſelfe ſpeake. tIoh. 5. 24.He that beleeueth in him, that ſent me, hath euerlaſting life, and ſhall not come into condemnation, but hath paſſed from death to life. And in the ſame Chapter, afterward, hee Ver. 40.reproues the Iewes, becauſe they would not come vntounto him, that they might hauehave life: Whereas the ende of his comming was, ſIoh. 10. 10.That they might hauehave life; and hauehave it in abundance. Therefore doth tAct. 3 15.the Apoſtle Peter call him, the Lord of life. But whome ſhoulde wee rather heare, in this caſe, then u…the Euangeliſt himſelfe, expounding his owne meaning? The life appeared, and wee hauehave ſeene it, and beare witneſſe, and ſhew vntounto you that eternall life, which was with the father and appeared vntounto vsus. Can any man doubt, but the Euangeliſt ſpeaketh of the ſame life, in the beginning of his Epiſtle, whereof he intreateth, in his Goſpell? Compare them together, and ſee if you can perſwade your ſelues otherwiſe. Will you heare him ſpeake yet more plaine? x& 5. 11.This is the recorde, that God hath giuen vntounto vsus eternall life, and this life is in his Sonne. This later is called Eternall life in the wordes before. Then ſurely the Euangeliſt ſpeaketh in the Goſpell alſo, of eternall life, which the Sonne of God bringeth as mediatator; not of this tranſitorie life, which hee giueth as Creator. Now becauſe this ſupernaturall life is double, either of grace in this world, or of glorie in the world to come; I ſhould farther inquire whether of theſe two is here meant, or whether both be not meant. But of that, as alſo of the reaſon, why our regeneration, & ſaluation is tearmed life, I wil ſpeake, when I come to giuegive the meaning of the place.

In the meane while, let vsus goe forward in examining the words: and firſt let vsus ſee, why he vſeth this kinde of ſpeech, In him. Why doth he not rather ſay, as before, by him? doubtleſſe hee might well hauehave ſayde ſo. For, it is by him indeede, that wee hauehave life. yRom. 5. 1. 2.By him wee hauehave peace toward God; By him wee hauehave acceſſe, through Ver. 11.faith vntounto this grace, wherein wee ſtand. By him wee hauehave receiued the attonement. But this manner of ſpeech, though it bee as true as the other: yet it is not ſo fitte in this place, nor ſo ſignificant. Not ſo fitte; becauſe the Euangeliſt would put a difference betwixt the Creator, and the Mediator. All things were made by him; not in him, though *Origen. hon. 2. …n …uerſ.ſome would hauehave without to imply as much: whome I aunſwered the laſt day. But our ſpirituall life is, as by him, ſo in him. The things that are made by him, howſoeuer they alwayes depend on him, for the continuance of their being, yet they are not one with him. Is it ſo with them that receiue the life of grace from him? No, no; They are ioyned cloſe vntounto him: and the life, that they hauehave, is from that ſpirit, by which hee liues. Therefore is aEph. 5. 3…the Church fleſh of his fleſh, and bone of his bone; yea, all the faithfull are members of his bodie, himſelfe being the head. This neere coniun… ction with him, could not bee expreſt ſo ſignificantly, if the Euangeliſt ſhould ſay, By him was life; as it is, when hee ſayth, In him was life: yet doth not ſay, Hee was life, which alſo is true; becauſe he… ſpeakes of it, not as it reſts in him, but as it is communicated by him to vsus.

But why ſayes hee was, and not rather, Is in him? Is there no life nowe to bee had? Or is there any to bee had nowe, but in hi…? No ſurely. There is no ſaluation in any other. b…. 4. 12For amonge men, there is giuen no other name, vnderunder heauen, whereby …ee muſt bee ſaued. How then ſayes the Euangeliſt, that l…e was in him? cTolet. in … innot. 13.Wee may not imagine, that …ee meanes to ſhewe vsus anye other way of attayning to life; as if was, excluded is: No more, then wee may conceiue, that the Word is not GOD nowe, becauſe hee ſayeth of him, The Worde was God. What may then bee the reaſon of this manner of ſpeech? It is thought to bee double: either in re…uard of Gods eternall purpoſe, or in reſpect of the …mes, before the comming of the Meſſiah. The former, wee muſt thus vnderſtand; that the Lorde God, fore-ſeeing the fall of his creature man, decreed in himſelfe, to recouer him, by ſending his Sonne to make ſatiſ…action for ſin, by ſacrificing of himſelfe vponupon the altar of the croſſe. Of this ſaith d2. Tim. 1. 9.the Apoſtle, He hath ſaued vsus, and called vsus with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his owne purpoſe, and grace, which was giuen vsus through Ieſus Chriſt, before the world was. Therefore alſo ſayth our Euangeliſt e1. Ioh. 1. 2.other where, that this life was with the Father, and appeared vntounto vsus. When the fulneſſe of time was come (ſayth Saint Paul) God ſent his Sonne. What fulneſſe of time was this, but the very hower appointed by God? So that Saint Iohn may well ſay, In him was life. Becauſe, euen before the foundations of the world, were layd, life was ſetled, and ſhut vp in the perſon of the Sonne, who was in due time to become the mediator of mankinde, by taking the nature of man vponupon him.

If there bee any man, whome this aunſwere doth not content, it may bee the other coniecture will ſatiſfie him. Let vsus not wearie our ſelues with looking ſo far as to the eternall decree of GOD, but keepe our ſight within the compaſſe of the worlde: within that time alſo wee ſhall finde ſome reaſon of this ſpeech. When was life in him? euer ſince there was any, to whome that life might appertaine, it was ready for him, in the Sonne of GOD, the promiſed Meſſiah. fGen. 3. 15.Where had our firſt parents, Adam and Eue, their ſpirituall life, after the Curſe, but in him? In whom was the couenant eſtabliſhed with gGen. 12. 3. Gal. 3. 8.Abraham, but in his ſeede Ieſus Christ? What name I ſome ſpeciall men? Did not this life offer it ſelfe generally vntounto all, that came of Abraham? Brethren, I would not that you ſhould bee ignorant (ſayeth h1. Cor. 10. 1. 2. 3. 4.the Apoſtle) that all our fathers were vnderunder the Cloude, and all paſſed through the Sea: And were all baptized vntounto. Moſes in the Cloud, and in the Sea: And did all eate the ſame ſpirituall meate; And did all drinke the ſame ſpirituall drinke. For they dranke of the ſame ſpirituall Rocke, that followed them, and the Rocke was Chriſt. What though many thouſandes dyed, before the Sonne of God became men? were they therefore without meanes of life and ſaluation? Nothing leſſe. iHeb. 13. 8.Ieſus Chriſt yeſter-day, and to day, and the ſame for euer. They beleeued in Chriſt to come: wee beleeue in him being come. They ſaw him not; but were perſwaded, hee ſhould bee ſeene, at the time appointed. Neither hauehave wee ſeene him; but are out of doubt, that hee was ſeene, while he liued here vponupon the earth. They truſted in him, as the onelyonly and all-ſufficient meanes of life. Is not our faith the ſame? Therefore leaſt any man ſhould imagine that the Fathers, which died before our Sauiour Chriſt was born, were deſtitute of ſpirituall life, our Euangeliſt aſſures vsus, that there was, euen then, life in him.

Theſe reaſons may giuegive ſome good ſatisfaction to them, who deſire rather to informe themſelues, to edification, then to aime themſelues, for contention. GiueGive me leaue alſo, I pray you, to propound to your conſideration, & meditation, at your better leaſure, what it hath pleaſed God I ſhould conceiue of this matter: would any man knowe of me, why the Euangeliſt ſaith In him was, rather then In him is life? I think, he may be fully ſatisfied, if he do aduiſedly conſider, that hee continueth the courſe, which he begun, in the firſt verſe, & followed in the ſecond, and third. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The ſame was. By him were: without him was. Do not meruaile thē, that the Euangeliſt ſayth here, In him was life. Tell mee how hee could hauehave ſpoken more fitly? Hee proceedes in the deſcription of the Meſſiah, touching his mediatorſhip; whoſe Godhead he had before declared. Could he doe better, thē to hold on the ſame manner of ſpeech? But, will you ſee yet a farther reaſon? that nothing may be wanting, which may helpe vou forward in the vnderſtanding of this ſcripture. Who knowes not, that the Euangeliſt, (according to the ordinary courſe which they take that write the hyſtories of famous men) ſettes downe in the beginning a briefe deſcription of him, of whom afterward hee is to intreat at large: by ſhewing that in particular, which was, at the firſt, deliuered in a generall ſort? This being ſo, let vsus remember, that the hiſtorie is of him, that is not now liuing amongſt vsus, but departed out of this life from vsus. Therefore it was neceſſarie for our Euangeliſt to ſpeak of him, as of one that had beene, and now was not. Not as if hee were not now at all: but becauſe hee is not now aliue, in the world, as hee was, when thoſe things were done, the hiſtorie whereof is written in this Goſpell. So then, we muſt conceiue, that Saint Iohn, in ſaying was, hath reſpect to the time of our Sauiours being herein our nature; and therefore not only might, but ought alſo to ſay, In him was, rather then In him is life: becauſe he is totel vsus, what he did, here in the world and not what hee doth, now he is out of the world. This the holy Ghoſt teacheth vsus, when he ſaith kIoh. 20. 30.toward and lIoh 21. 25.in the end of this Goſpell; Many other ſignes alſo did Ieſus, and there are alſo many other things which Ieſus did. Yet the ende of all is, mIoh. 20. 31.that wee might beleeue that Ieſus is the Chriſt; and ſo, that life is in him, now for vsus, as well as it was for them, that liued in his time.

The excellent comfort of this doctrine drawes mee to it with both the hands, but that my promiſe holdes mee backe very ſtrongly. Let me firſt diſcharge this, & then I will beſtowe my ſelfe wholly vponupon the handling of that more at large. I vndertooke to ſhewe theſe two thinges; what ſpirituall life is here ſignified: of grace, or of glorie, or of both; why the tearme life is applyed to note that holineſſe, and happineſſe. I doubt not, but euerie man perceiues already, that by life, I vnderſtand as well our liuing righteouſly in this world, as our liuing gloriouſly in the world to come. How elſe could it note ſuch holineſſe, and happineſſe? The reaſon (perhaps) is not ſo apparant. I will doo my beſt endeuour, to giuegive you ſatisfaction, touching that alſo. It is verie fitte, if not neceſſarie, to giuegive as large an extent to all texts of Scripture, as the circumſtances of the preſent place, and the ordinarie vſe of the wordes will beare; leaſt wee ſeeme to reſtraine the meaning of the holy Ghoſt, more then wee are warranted by him to doe. And therefore I could hauehave beene contented to hauehave ſtretched the worde, euen to note the preſeruing of naturall life; but that I can finde no ſuch vſe of it in the Scripture: neither will that ſenſe well agree, with that expoſition, which the light in the ſecond clauſe ſeemes neceſſarily to require; as I hope to make it appeare anone, if God will.

But neither any circumſtance of the place tieth life to the one, or to the other: and the word is diuers times taken in both ſenſes. Of eternall life, what ſhall I need to bring many examples? This Goſpell is full of them. I will giuegive you a taſte, by one, or two. Yee ſearch the Scriptures nIoh. 5. 39. 40.(ſayth our Sauiour to the Iewes) for in them yee thinke to hauehave eternall life, and they are they, which teſtifie of mee. Yet yee will not come to mee, that yee might hauehave life. That, which in the former verſe, hee nameth eternall life, in the later hee calleth ſimply life. The Ver. 24.like wee hauehave in the ſame Chapter, not very many verſes before; Hee, that beleeueth in him, that ſent mee, hath euerlaſting life, and ſhall not come into condemnation, but hath paſſed from death to life. To what life? Euen to euerlaſting life, which he was ſayd before to hauehave. The other life, grace in this world, both is implyed oftentimes in the life of glorie, whereof alſo it is a part, the Image of God in vsus being renewed by it, and is manie times ſpoken of by it ſelfe, as I ſhewed at large before, out of oEph. 4. 24.diuerſe places of Scripture. It is needleſſe to repeate them, or to adde more to them. What ſhould hinder vsus then frō expounding this life ſo largely, as wee hauehave done? Nave, might wee not be thought iniurious, to the holy Ghoſt, if wee ſhould leaue out either of them? By life then, wee vnderſtand that ſpirituall eſtate of righteouſneſſe, and glory, of which all, that beleeue in Chriſt, are made partakers, by beeing ingraffed into his myſticall bodie. Would any man knowe, why this eſtate, into which wee are reſtored by our Sauiour, ſhould be tearmed life? I aunſwere him, in a word, becauſe the miſerable eſtate, into which wee fell by ſinne, was called by the name of death. It will not bee vnworthy our labour, to conſider this point a little. When the Lord God had made our firſt parents, and placed them in that palace of pleaſure, the garden of Paradiſe, pGen. 2. 8.Hee charged them to forbeare to eate of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill; threatning them, that if they brake his commaundement, that day, that they ate thereof, Ver. 17.they ſhould dye the death. Do you perceiue, that the Lord himlelfe hath giuen that condition of ours the name of death? The olde Teſtament furniſh …th vsus with many examples, to precue the firſt ſinne com…itted by vsus in Adam, caſt vsus all into the ſtate of death …ut this death, ſo often there ſpoken of, is partly the mortalitie of the body, and partly the eternall puniſhment of the ſoule in hell fire; the other death of ſinnei …eldome, or I thinke, neuer mentioned, in any of thoſe books. The new Teſtament ſupplyes vsus with very great plentie of example, of both kindes. Of the one I will ſay nothing at all, becauſe eueryevery man continually obſerue… them: Of the other I muſt needes ſpeak; becauſe perhaps they are not ſo ordinarily markt of all men. qMat. 8. 22.Let the dead bury their dead, ſaith our Sauiour. The dead, to be buried, are they, whoſe carcaſes are left without life, by the departure of the ſoules frō thē, as the hiſtorie that place manifeſtly ſheweth. But, who bee the dead, that muſt bee the buriers of thoſe corpſes? Who elſe, bu… they, that are dead in ſinne, dead to righteouſneſſ… and ſo looke after nothing that concernes euerlaſting life, any more, then men naturally dead doe after the things of this preſent life? So ſaith rLuk. 15. 32.the kind Father of the prodigal Sonne: This thy brother was dead. Dead? The parable had ſaid no ſuch thing of him. What thē was that death, the Father ſpeaks of? Queſtionles the death of ſin; whereby he had liued lewdly, & waſted his goods with verſe. 13.riotouſneſſe, and (as his brother angerly obiected) had deuoured them with harlots. This the Apoſtle expreſſeth, Verſe. 30.when ſpeaking of vsus all in our naturall eſtate before grace, he fEpb. 2. 5. 7.ſaith, that we were dead in ſinnes, and treſpaſſes. This may yet farder be manifeſted, by the title, that is giuen to that condition, into which wee enter by regeneration. Firſt tIoh. 3. 5.our Sauiour ſaith we muſt be borne againe: what needs that if we were neuer dead? And uRom. 6. 2.the Apoſtle S. Paul affirmeth, that they, which are ſo borne againe, are dead to ſinne. Then, till they were ſo borne againe, they liu'd in ſinne. The life of the one is alwaies the dea'h of the other. If thou liue to ſinne, thou art dead to righteouſnes. If thou liue to righteouſnes, thou art dead to ſinne. Therefore x1. Pet. 2. 24.S. Peter ioynes them both together, That we being dead to ſinne, might liue to righteouſneſſe. S. Paul hath the like ſpeech, in vnlike tearmes. When (yRom. 6. 20. ſaith he) yee were the ſeruants of ſinne, yee were freed from righteouſneſſe. But now being freed from ſinne, & Verſe. 22.made ſeruants vntounto God. Marke I pray you, how one of theſe, as it were, deſtroies the other. A naturall man without grace is free from righteouſneſſe, yea as free, as a dead man is, from all matters of this worlde. A ſpirituall man indued with grace is free from ſinne; yea as free as Lazarus was from all the cares of this worlde, while he lay in his graue, without life or breath. But I may not forget my ſelfe too much. The ſumme of all is this, that our Sauiour Chriſt himſelfe, and by his example, our Euangeliſt, deſcribeth the eſtate, into which we are brought, by becomming members of his body, by the tearm of life, becauſe ourformer eſtate, out of which he deliuered vsus, was in name, & nature, an eſtate o… death.

Now hauing examined the words, let vsus come to the doctrine it ſelfe. In him was life: which is all one, as if the holy Euangeliſt ſhould hauehave ſaid, This word, or promiſed Meſſiah, of whom I hauehave begun to intreat, and intend to write this ſtory, not only was eternall, hauing his being, before any thing created ever began to be; & that with God, euen then, when there was nothing beſide God: but was alſo himſelfe very God. From him al things, that are, or euer were, had their whole being: in him, the ſpirituall life, both of grace, and glory was ſo plāted, that who ſoeuer deſires to be partaker of it, muſt hauehave it only, as in him, being come into the world. This is that which we are to learne out of this place. In the handling whereof, I will firſt deliuer the doctrine, that our ſpirituall life is by Chriſt; then I will ſpeake of the manner, how it is by him. Concerning the former point, firſt I wil propoūd it in general: then I wil ſhew it in thoſe particulars of holynes, & happynes, The manner alſo hath 2. things to bee conſidered. That this life was in Chriſt, & that it was in him, euē while he liued here vpō the earth.

Touching the firſt point, that our eſtate is to be recouered by our Sauiour, Chriſt, let me put you in mind of thoſe places which I once before alleag'd, & which are indeed the very foundation of the Goſpell. By ſinne the diuell got dominion ouer vsus, God in iuſtice leauing vsus, when we had forſaken him, & Satan iniuſtly ſeizing on vsus, as it were intruding himſelfe into a houſe void of any owner, to keepe poſſeſſion. But the Lord God, though he would not preſently thruſt out by the head, & ſhoulders, or pluck out by the eares that preſumptuous intruder: yet tels him, that he ſhould not imagin, he had gotten, or ſhould hold quiet poſſeſſion for euer. I will put enmity *Gen. 3. 15.(ſaith the Lord) betwixt thee, & the woman, & between thy ſeed, & her ſeed, What ſhall be the euent of this long, & doubtfull contention? He ſhal breake thy head. & thou ſhalt bruiſe his beele. Though Satan be ſtrong, & armed, & by that meanes may ſeeme to keepe his palace without diſturbance; yet there comes aLuk. 11. 11. 22a ſtronger then he, that ouercomes him, & takes from him al his armo…, wherin he truſted, & diuides his ſpoils. This ſhews manifeſtly, that the deuill ſhall loſe his poſſeſſion; but perhaps he may reenter: or if he do not, yet are wee by this meanes rather freed from miſery, then reſtored to felicity. Let vsus go forward therfore, and heare the promiſe that God makes to Abraham the Father of the faithfull: bGen. 12. 3.In thee ſhall all the families of the earth be bleſſed. cGal 3. 16.S. Paul thus expounds. To Abraham and his ſeedwere the promiſes made; He ſaith not, & to the ſeeds, as of many, but & to thy ſeed, as of one, which is Chriſt. And this promiſe thus made, the ſame Apoſtle cals the preaching of the Verſe 8.Goſpell. The Scripture (ſaith he) foreſeeing that God would iuſtifie the Gentiles by faith, preached before the Goſpell vntounto Abraham, ſaying In thee ſhall al the Gentils be bleſſed. This belſſing our Euangeliſt deſcribes, where ſetting downe the end of the Goſpel, he tels vsus, that dIoh. 20. 31.by beleeuing we ſhal hauehave life through his name. What ſhall I need to heape vp any more teſtimonies in a matter nothing doubted of? we hauehave found that we ſought, that life is to bee had in Ieſus Chriſt.

See, I pray you, & conſider a little with me, how many & greate reaſons we hauehave, to bee inflamed with the louelove of Ieſus Chriſt. If we regard excellency of nature, in which reſpect eVelleius Epi cur. apud Cicer. de nat. deor. l. 1.the graund Atheiſts of the worlde thought the heathē imagined Gods worthy of honor & ſeruice, behold he is God. If length of yeers, he is eternall, without beginning, or ending. But theſe things rather cauſe admiratiō, then moue affection; which is then moſt effectually ſtirred vp, when the ſenſe of ſome benefit receiu'd, hath taken ful poſſeſſion of our hearts. If there be any man, with whom theſe reſpects canot preuaile, what is he but meerely ſenſleſſe, neither knowing what he hath, nor feeling what hee wantes? What ſaid I? Not knowing what hee hath? There needes not ſo much. If no man can bee ignorant, that hee is, all men muſt need vnderſtand, that they are beholding to him, by whome they are. Looke not vponupon the goodly feature of thy body, think not on the excellency of thy ſoule, vnderſtand not that thou haſt vnderſtāding, forget, that thou canſt remember: only deny not, that thou art, becauſe thou prou'ſt it, by denying it, and thou haſ… cauſe enough to louelove the author of thy being. Doth this benefit of thy naturall being ſomewhat affect thee? Oh, how wouldſt thou bee rauiſht, if thou couldſt ſee the bleſſednes of thy ſupernaturall eſtate? I will not goe about to ſhew thee the miſery, in which thou art now, by the corruption of thy nature; I will not ſo much as ſay, thou art miſerable. I reſerue thoſe points for ſome other opportunity, the next verſe will giuegive mee occaſion to ſpeake ſomewhat of them. Only giuegive meeleaue to proclayme life in Ieſus Chriſt. Dooſt thou heare what I ſay? I wil repeate it againe, and that as loud as I can, that all may heare it. The Word, the promiſed Meſſiah, Ieſus Chriſt the Sonne of God, hath life in him, for all, that will be partakers of it. Doſt thou ſit ſtill at the hearing of this proclamation? No maruaile. How ſhould a dead man ſtit? Wouldeſt thou hauehave a better proofe, that thou art dead indeed? Well; if there be no remedy, but that thou wilt continue ſtil in death, I wil leaue thee in it, & turne to them, whom I ſee running vp, and downe, to ſeeke out this life.

Why do you vexe, & weary your ſelues with ſeeking that, which is vnderunder your noſes? fRom 10. 6.The righteouſneſſe of Verſe. 7this faith ſpeaketh on this wiſe; Say not in thy heart, who ſhall aſcend into heauen? That is to bring Chriſt from aboue. Or Verſe 8.who ſhaldeſcend into deepe? That is to bring Chriſt againe from the dead. But what ſaith it? The word is neere thee; euen in thy mouth, and in thy heart. gGen. 21. 15. 16.When Agar, being turned out of Abrahams houſe with her Sonne Iſmaell, had ſpent the bottle of water, that ſhe brought from home, heleft her Sonne vnderunder a tree, and went a bowe ſhoote off, that ſhe might not ſee him dy. And yet as it appeared afterward ſhe might hard by a well of water, though ſhee knewe it not, God opened her eies (ſaith the text) and ſhe Verſe 19.ſaw a well of water. This is the caſe of thoſe men, to whō I now ſpeake. Are yee turned out of doores from God your heauenly Father? Doe you finde your ſelues out of all hope, to recouer his fauour? Are you dead, and would you liue, but that you can ſee no meanes of life? Be of good comfort, and cheere vp your ſelues. The water of life is neerer, then you are aware of. You are in it, and knowe it not, It comes vp to your very lips. Doe but open your mouths, and it will run in. Agar ſate her downe, and did not ſo much as looke about her, to ſee if Verſe. 16.ſhe could light vpō any ſpring, or pit of water to maintaine life in her Sonne; and the Lord himſelfe cald vntounto her, and fhew'd her, where ſhe might fill many bottels. And will he ſuffer thee (thinkſt thou) to wander from place to place to ſeeke life? Behold it is in his Son. Thou ſhalt not need to climbe vp to heauen. hlib. 3. 13Ieſus Chriſt of his owne accord, without thy deſire, or thought of any ſuch matter, came downe from thence, & brought life with him. Sound not the depths, to fetch it out from below. iLuk. 24. 6.Euen from thence alſo the ſame Ieſus Chriſt came vp with life, Art thou dead? There is life in him. If thou wert not dead, neither couldſt thou receiue, nor he beſtow life vponupon thee. kMat 9. 12.Can a whole man be cured, or lIoh. 8. 33. 34.a free man ſet at liberty? Was mIoh. 11. 6. 39.not Lazarus dead, before he could be raiſed againe to life? Therfore did our Sauiour ſtay in the place, where he was, 2. dayes, after he had word of his ſicknes, that he might be dead, and buried, ere he ſhould come to reſtore him to life againe. Tell me not, how long thou haſt bin dead. The ſtrength of death growes not by continuance, as ſickneſſe doth. He, that hath bin dead, but one hower, is as void of life, as he that died a yeere ago. When our Sauiour came to raiſe Lazarus, he had bin dead 4 daies: Lord ſaid Martha, he ſtinks by this time. There wanted life: and when that came, neither continuance of time, nor noyſmnes of …a…or, nor the bands at his hands and feete, were able to make any reſiſtance, for the detayning of the priſoner.

If the force of life be ſo greate, that no contrary power is of ſtrength to make head againſt it, may it not well ſeem exceeding ſtrange, that ſo few recouer life, or once looke after it. nIoh. 5. 39. 40.Our Sauiour complaines of the Iewes, that although they ſearch the Scripturs, with an opiniō that euerlaſting life was to be had out of them, & thoſe Scriptures teſtified of him, that he was the autor of that …ife: yet they would not come to him, that they might hauehave life. There is no reaſon that we ſhould expect better intertainement, then he found Hee, that will not beleeue, that the light ſhines, when it is plaine to be ſeene, wil hardly giuegive credit to him, that tels him afterward, it did ſhine. Yet me thinks, I cannot chuſe but wonder that this life, which is in our Sauiour, ſhould ſo generally be neglected; I am loth to ſay deſpiſed, or refuſed: b… I muſt of neceſſity cō …eſs, it is not embraced, as it ſh…u…d be. Would you know what the reaſon of it is? what? …e we vnwilling to hauehave life? That is not poſſible, ſeing our chiefeſt care is to maintaine life. Doe wee deſpaire of means to come by it? The leaſt ſhew of hope will make a man try any courſe, that ſhall be directed him. It is a rare thing, to find any man ſo void of hope to liue, that he will not take whatſoeuer is offered him, to continue life. Is the remedy more greeuous, then the diſeaſe? what is eaſier in the opinion of ordinary men, then to belieue? Shall I tell you, what I conceiue of the matter? There are 2 lets, that ſtay vsus commonly from the ſeeking, and embracing of this life. Either we are too wel cōceited of our ſelues, or not well enough perſwaded of him, in whom this life is. Would you hauehave me ſeeke for life? Let them looke after it that lack it. I hauehave life already in my ſelfe, and need not depend vponupon any other for it. I am rich, and increaſed with goods, and hauehave neede of nothing, oReu. 3. 17.ſaith the Church of Laodicea: and yet indeed as our Sauiour there tells her, She was wretched, and miſerable, and poore, and blinde, and naked. This conceipt naturally poſſeſſeth all men; and where this is rooted, and flouriſheth, there is neither roome for ſpiritual life to grow, nor will to plant it. But this, becauſe it is ſo agreeable to the pride of our corrupt nature, is the leſſe to bee wondred at. The other hinderance, whereby wee are helde backe from this life, is more ſtrange, and leſſe excuſeable. There are many, that make open profeſſion to all the world, that they knowe themſelues to be naturally dead, and to ſtand in neede of life to quicken them; yea they goe farder; and, in wordes, acknowledge, that the life, they want, is in Chriſt: and yet (like thoſe Iewes, I ſpake of ere-while) they care not to ioyne themſelues to Chriſt, that they may be made partakers thereof.

This I take to be generally the eſtate of moſt of vsus, that are called Chriſtians. Do we not all profeſſe beleefe in Ieſus Chriſt? Do we not thereby acknowledge, that we are dead in our ſelues, and looke to receiue life from him? And yet, how few of vsus are there, that indeed are ſo perſwaded? Thinke not much, that I make this greeuous cōplaint. If we did truely beleue that in heart which we confeſſe from the teeth outward, were it poſſſible we ſhould be ſo careleſſe? where can you find me one amōgſt a greate many, that either knowes or cares to knowe how this life is to be come by? Doth thy hart leap within thee for ioy, as oft as thou hear'ſt, that there is life to be had in Ieſus Chriſt? pGen. 42. 2.When Iacob, in a time of famin, heard that there was food in Aegypt, hee ſent his S…nns thither with all ſpeed, to buy ſome. How far would they hauehave gon for life, that trauailed into Aegypt, for meate? Thou haſt heard there is life in Chriſt; & for …ll that, ſitſt ſtil thy houſe; I ſhould ſay ly'ſt ſtil in thy graue, and thinkeſt it enough for thee, to hauehave heard of it. Thou dooſt but deceiue thy owne wretched poore ſoule: What could it hauehave auailed Iacob, that hee heard where there was corne to be bought, if hee had not ſent his Sonnes to fetch it? But perhaps thou mak'ſt accoūt, …hat thou haſt it ſure. If I ſhould aſke thee, when or how thou camſt by it, I doubt me thy anſwere woulde bee to ſeeke. Go to: I will not preſſe thee ſo far, though well I might. For this life we ſpeake of, doth not ſte…le into a man, while he lies a-ſleeping, but is followed, and ſought for, before it be obtained. But I will only demād this one queſtiō of thee. Haſt thou indeed found life in Ieſus Chriſt? Oh that it were as …ruly, as it is commonly ſpoken. I will not examin thee vponupon any Interrogatories. Let thine owne ſoule tell thee in ſecret, betwixt it, and thee, whether thy affection to this autor of life bee ſuch, as the feeling of ſo greate a bleſſing can not poſſibly chuſe but make it. He, that ſaith, he beleeues there is life in Chriſt, and vſeth no meanes to become partaker of it, either thinkes he hath no neede thereof, or accoūts it not worth the hauing, or ſaith, he knoweth not what; deceiuing himſelf with an empty ſhadow, the ſubſtance whereof he neither hath nor careth for. What ſhall I ſay of him who brags he is poſſeſt of life in Chriſt; yet neither honors Chriſt, nor reioyceth in his own happines? What elſe? But that his heart beleeues not, what his toong auoucheth.

But I dwel too long in the general. Let vsus come now to the particulars; and firſt to the life of holynes; which is ſo abſolutely from Chriſt, that the Apoſtle ſaith it is not himſelfe, that liueth, but Chriſt, that liueth in him. Will you heare him ſpeake. I through the lawe (qGal. 2. 19. 20. ſaith S. Paul) am dead to the law; and that I might liue vntounto God, I am crucified with Chriſt. Thus I liue; yet not I now, but Chriſt liueth in me. For the ſpirit, by which wee liue, is rEph. 4. 15. 16.the ſpirit of Chriſt reſting in him, as in the head, and ſpreading himſelfe abroad into eueryevery one of the members, to giuegive them their proportion of life, and growth. This is that, which (ſRom. 8. 2. in another place) is call'd the ſpirit of life, which is in Chriſt Ieſus; and which is there ſaid to hauehave freed vsus from the law of ſinne. The Iewes bragd they were free by nature, becauſe they were Abrahams children. tIoh. 8. 33. 34.But our Sauiour aunſweres them, that they were the ſeruants of ſinne, becauſe they committed ſin, and could not be made free indeede but by the ſonne Ver. 36.onelyonly. This, our Baptiſme teacheth vsus, as uRom 6. 2. 3. 4.the Apoſtle ſheweth at large: The ſumme is, that we are buried by Baptiſme into the death of Chriſt, that ſinne may be ſlaine Ver. 11.in vsus; and raiſed againe by the power of his reſurrection, that righteouſnes may liue, and grow in vsus. The concluſion is this, Make account (ſaith the holy Apoſtle) that yee are dead to ſinne, but are aliue to God in Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. xEph. 2. 5.In whom wee were quickened, when wee were dead in ſinnes. For y1 Cor. 1. 30.Chriſt Ieſus is made vntounto vsus of God, wiſedome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption. Where are they now, who finde themſelues ſo perplexed, with the ſight, and ſenſe of that their naturall corruption? Me thinkes I heare the ſighes, and grones of a poore ſoule, lamentably complaining, that ſhee can finde no ende of her wretchedneſſe, no bottome of her running ſore. If ſhe heale vp one, two breake out for it. If ſhe make head againſt pride, couetouſneſſe ſetts vponupon her behinde her backe. While ſhe is buſie with all the force ſhe can make, to withſtand the luſts of the fleſh, that outwardly aſſault her, her owne thoughts inwardly commit fornication. Though ſhee keepe her hands from murder: yet her tongue wounds deepely, and deadly, with euill ſpeeches. To conclude, when ſhee hath ouer night emptied the ſinke, in the morning ſhe findes it full againe. What may wee ſay, to comfort one ſo diſtreſſed? Our Euangeliſt ſhall ſpeake for vsus: In him was life. Art thou dead to righteouſneſſe? There is life in him. Dwelles there no good in thee? In him there is nothing but good. Neuer amplifie the ſtrength of thy corruption, as if the life that is in him could not ouercome it. Thinke not thy death can be ſtronger, then his life. Conſider with thy ſelfe, that it is no eaſie matter to diſpoſſeſſe him, that hath ſo long a time binne willingly enterteyned. Thy corruption is of long continuance, and growth; the grace, that muſt cure it, newly planted in thee, and tender. If thy not beeing could not withſtand thy naturall life, neither ſhall thy being naught, be able to keepe away from thee, the ſupernaturall life.

But many occaſions will be offred vsus, in the whole courſe of this Goſpell, to comfort, and ſtrengthen all them, that feele themſelues to bee ſpiritually dead, and deſire to hauehave life in Ieſus Chriſt. GiueGive me leaue therefore, now in the beginning, to diſcouer the heretickes and idolaters, their erronious opinions, and conceiptes of our Sauiour, and of themſelues. The heretikes, that denied his diuinitie, neuer ſuffi…iently waighed the poize of our Euangeliſts ſpeech; In him was life. For if they had aduiſedly conſidered, that all ſpirituall life was ſhut vp in him, ſo that none at all was to be had, either without him, or out of him, they woulde eaſily hauehave diſcerned, that hee muſt needs bee very God. Can not naturall life bee ſetled in any creature, as in the fountaine thereof; and can ſpirituall life (trow yee) ſpring in him, that hath not ſo much as his naturall beeing from himſelfe? Let vsus imagin the greateſt power of this kinde, that poſſibly can bee in any creature. The moſt, he can doe, is, to offer the conſideration of ſpirituall matters to our meditation, to make cleere, in ſome meaſure, the truth of that, hee ſaith; to perſwade, and vrge vsus to beleeue and like of that, which hee deliuers. Alas; all this comes very ſhort of the helpe wee neede. Can he withdraw our minds from the cares, and pleaſures of this world, that wee may giuegive our ſelues to the meditation, he exhorts to? Can hee giuegive vsus ſpirituall eies, to ſee the truth, of that, he teacheth? Can he incline our vnwilling hearts, and make them willing, to embrace the life, he ſo commends vntounto vsus? Dares hee ſay, there is life in himſelfe, otherwiſe then by his depending vponupon him, of whom our Euangeliſt ſaith, In him was life? The moſt excellent creatures, for their natures, are the Angells; yet had not they life in them, as the fountaine thereof. For many of them are ſpiritually dead, hauing no true holineſſe, or righteouſneſſe in them: and as for them, that continue in life, what hauehave they, that they hauehave not receiued? If it were poſſible to digge a new chanell for the ſea, and to empty that, wherein now the water runnes, into that new one ſo prepared, ſtopping vp the paſſage betwixt them; might wee account of this, as of the ſpring of waters? Let the breadth, length, and depth of it bee neuer ſo great, as long as the ſpringes are not there, it may bee a lake, or poole, and that a great one; but the ſea, or beginning of waters it cannot bee. So it is with all creatures whatſoeuer. If the life of righteouſneſſe, like the water of the ſea, could be conceiued to be in them, and they not in Chriſt; yet were not this the life, wee ſpeake of; which is the well-ſpring of life, and feeds all riuers with a continuall ſupply of liuing water. Of his fulneſſe (ſaith S. Iohn) hauehave wee receiued; and ſo receiued, that as the ſunne beame hath all his light, by continuing ioined to the body of the ſunne, from which if it ſhould bee ſeparted, it would bee wrapped vp in darkeneſſe: ſo hauehave wee life in Chriſt; who could not ſo largely impart it to all his members, if it were not his owne by nature, and in him, as in the firſt breeder of it. How can hee then bee any leſſe, then perfite God? Shall I now compare him with the Idolls of the Heathen? the auncienteſt, and principalleſt of whome were (at the moſt) but men, as I ſhewed in my former exerciciſes. The compariſon would be too baſe, and labour loſt, to proue them to bee without life, whoſe murders, adultries, and thefts, are recorded by the chie…eſt of their owne followers. I cannot chooſe but wonder that the heathen, who worſhipt ſuch vncleane, vniuſt, intempera…e, and eueryevery way wicked wretches, for Gods, could hauehave any conceipt of their owne vertues. Doubtleſſe if the report they make of their God, be true, and the commendation they giuegive to many of their philoſophers, Sta…eſ men, and Captaines, true alſo there was more reaſon to honour the…a, Gods that liued vertuouſly, then to account of them, as the fountaines of vertue, that poured out ſuch flouds, and ſeas of all manner of viciouſnes. Is not this ſufficient to roote out that vaine conceipte of the Heathen Philoſophers, and other, who are lrangely proud of I know not what vertue they dreame of, that ſhould be in them? Let vsus conferre a little, if not as learned, yet as reaſonable men. Art thou ſo conce…pted of thine own vertues? I maruaile whence thou ſhouldeſt hauehave that, thou ſo much bragſt of. Thou wilt not for ſhame ſay, that the fountaine of all vertue is in thy ſelfe. For then how ſhould other men hauehave any, that neuer fetcht drop at thy ſpring, or ſtreames? How ſhould the world hauehave done for a new ſupply, when thou dyedſt? Me think it is againſt ſenſe, for any of the Heathen to boaſt of vertue, ſeeing it is more then apparant, that their Gods the fountaines of it were ſo dry, & empty. But I will deale with them more kindly: and not call them to account, where they had it; but onelyonly make a little triall, whether they had it, or no. The triall is ſoone made. Take the opinions of the beſt, and moſt vertuous, that euerliued, without the life of righteouſneſſe in Chriſt, and you ſhall finde them full of error; I will not ſay in matter of religion, without which there can bee no holines, but in iudging of ordinarie duties, betwixt man and man. If I ſhould rehearſe ſome maine grounds, that the wiſeſt, and iuſteſt of them deliuered, vponupon ripe, and See Plato de Republ. & Ariſto tel. politia.aduiſed deliberation, in the greateſt points of the gouernment of ſtates, you would hardly indure the hearing of them. But I will not enter into particulars, whereof there would bee no end. What life of righteouſneſſe could there be amongſt them, which alwaies allowed reuenge to bee moſt lawfull? I will onelyonly ſay thus much in one worde, that they laboured to cleanſe the outſide of the veſſell, but within were full of all vncleanneſſe.

It ſhall ſuffize then for the concluſion of this point, that the life of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, was in Chriſt indeede; becauſe no man euer had it, that was not in him; & many hauehave had, & hauehave it in abundance, by depending wholy vpō him. The principal point is yet behind, cōcerning the life of glory. Which though it properly belong to the world to come: yet there is one chiefe thing, apperteining therunto, which is to be had in this world, as an entrance to the other. The death, that inſued vponupon the breach of that charge; *Gen. 2. 17.Thou ſhalt not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good & euill, was the eſtate of mortalitie to the body, and of condemnation both to body, and ſoule. Therefore the life, that was in Chriſt, muſt needs affoord vsus remedy againſt both theſe. Let vsus take them in their order. And firſt, that by death, the ſeparation of the ſoule, and body was ſignified; it may euidently appeare, as by the words themſelues, in their proper ſenſe: ſo alſo by the ſentence of the Lord, pronounced after the ſinne, according to the penalty before threatned; In aGen 3. 19.the ſweat of thy face ſhalt thou eate bread, till thou returne to the earth: for out of it waſt thou taken: becauſe thou art duſt, and to duſt thou ſhalt returne. Adam indeede liued many hundred yeeres after this ſentence, but at laſt the execution of it came. bGen. 5. 5.All the daies that Adam liued, were 930. yeeres, and he died. But this is ſo well knowne, and generally confeſt, that it needs no furder proofe. Let vsus ſhew, that there is life in Chriſt, to deſtroy this death. Ne ther neede wee goe farre, to ſeeke for that matter. Remember cG…n 3. 15.what was threatned the diuell, that the ſeed of the woman ſhould bruſe his head. dHeb. 2. 14.If the diuell bee ſubdued, who hath the power of death, as the Apoſtle tells vsus; what ſhall become of death, that is vnderunder his power? The Lord himſelfe tells thee, by eHeb. 2. 14.his Prophet, e Oſe 13. 14.where he triumpheth ouer death, trampling him vnderunder his feete, O death, I will be thy death: Oh graue, I will bee thy destruction. But this was rather a diſcouragement of death, then a deſtruction. Heare f1 Cor. 15. 54.the Apoſtle proclaiming the victory, after the fight was ended. Death is ſwalowed Verſe 55.vp in victory. He proceeds to inſult ouer him. O death, where is thy ſting? O graue where is thy victory? The Verſe 56. 27.sting of death is ſin; and the ſtrength of ſinne is the law. But thanks be vntounto God, who hath giuegive vsus victory, through I. Chr. Verſe 21. 22.our Lord. Giuē vsus victory? How doth that appear? For ſince by man, came death by man alſo came the reſurrection of the dead. For as in Adāal mēdy, ſo in Chriſt ſhal albe made aliue: 2. Tim 1. 10.through Chriſt (I ſay) gwho hath aboliſhed death & hath brought life, & immortalitie to light, through the Goſpell.

I wiſh it were ſo (may ſome men ſay) that death were indeede deſtoried, & that we need no longer ſtand in feare of him. But what credit may be giuen to that, which is refuted by ſenſe, in daily and hoverly experience? Did not A…ā die? Are not Abraham, Iſaak Iacob, & al the prophets, and Patriarchs dead? Is not there proofe enough in the ſcripture, that eueryevery man muſt die? hPſal. 89. 48.What man liueth and ſhall not ſee death? The Apoſtle ſeconds the Prophet; iHeb. 9. 27.It is appointed to men that they ſhal once die. What ſay you to that great conquerour of death himſelfe? The two tneeues, that were executed with him, withſtood death longer thē he did. The Souldiers came kIoh. 19. 32. Ver 33.ſaith the Euangeliſt) and brake the legges of the firſt, and of the other, which was crucified with Ieſus. But when they came to Ieſus, and ſaw that he was dead already, they brake not his legges. See I pray you; the champion, that ſhould ouercome death, is ſooner ſubdued by death, then either of theſe two ordinarie fellowes. It was no wonder though the Iewes vpbraided him, when he hung vponupon the Croſſe. He ſaued others (quoth they) but he cannot ſaue himſelfe. Is it poſſible lMat. 27. 42.to beleeue, that there was life in him, whoſe death his beſt friends cōfeſſe? Doth this ſeeme vnpoſſible to thee? What wilt thou ſay then, if I tell thee of a greater matter? Hee ouercame death by dying. The ſame ſtroke, that tooke life from him, through him mHeb. 2. 14.ſlew death himſelfe, & him that had power over death euen the diuell. Would you know more particularly, how that could bee? I may not enter into any large diſcourſe of the point: In one word it was thus, The ſting of death (as the Apoſtle taught vsus) is ſinne: By which the diuell preuailed, to the deſtruction of them, that had ſinned. This ſting was not onelyonly blunted, and rebated, but pluckt out and caſt away by our Sauiour. For his death, being a ſacrifice for ſin, tooke ſinne quite away nIob. 1. 29.Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the ſinnes of the world. So that now the name of death is more terrible, then the thing: there is more feare, then hurt in it. Tell me what it could indanger, or indamage thee, to hauehave a ſnake creepe vponupon thee, yea if it were into thy boſom; ſo the ſting, teeth, and whatſoeuer els it hath power to hurt withall, were firſt pulled out? It might perhaps ſcarre thee, or make thee ſtart, as a litle cold water will doe, if it be caſt (vponupon a ſodaine) in thy face: but that is all the harme thou couldeſt hauehave by it.

Death then is thus diſarmd by our Sauiour Chriſt: but the deſtructiō of him, is by his reſurrection. If thou wouldeſt ſee death dead indeed, look into the graue, where Ieſus thy ſauiour was laid. There ſhewd death the vttermoſt of his power. He thought himſelfe ſure enough of the victory, when he had ſhut him vp without life in the ſepulchre, rolled a great ſtone to the mouth of it, and ſaw a guard of ſouldiers ſet to watch him well: there hee keeps him in that eſtate, the ſame day he was crucified, all the next, and the beginning of the third. What enſued? Surely if hee had bin put in aliue, hee would hauehave bin dead, by that time. There is no queſtion then, but that wee ſhall finde him dead in the graue. So though his diſciples. Who the next day, after the Iewes Sabboath, oLuke 24. 1.Early in the morning, came vntounto the Sepulchre, and brought the odors, which they had prepared, to embalme his body withall; They made no doubt, but they ſhould finde him, pMark. 16. 1. Mark 15. 47.where they had ſeene him laid. For dead men are no ſtarters. OnelyOnly their feare was, that they ſhould not be able to roule away the ſtone, from the doore of the Sepulchre. But that feare laſted not long. qLuke 24. 2. 3When they looked, they ſaw that the ſtone was rolled away: And they went in, but found not the body of the Lord IESVS. What ſhould they now thinke? Or how ſhould they come to learne, what was become of him? Sure they were, that there hee was laid; and being dead, had no power to conuay himſelfe away from thence. The likelieſt was, that ſome body had taken him vp, and caried him away to ſome other place. Sir (rIoh. 20. 15. ſaith Mary Magdalen to one, who ſhee thought had bin the Gardiner) If thou haſt borne him hence, tell mee, where thou haſt laide him, and I will take him away: Thou ſhalt not neede to bee in feare, of hauing thy garden annoyed, or troubled with him any further. ſIoh. 20. 2.His Apoſtles were informed of this doubtfull matter. To Ver. 6.aſſure themſelues the better, they runne to the ſepulchre, they find the linnen clothes, in which hee was wrapped, & the Ver. 7.kerchiefe, that was vponupon his head; not lying with the linnen clothes, but wrapped together, in aplace by it ſelfe. Hauing Ver. 17.ſeen this, they return back, whēce they came. Mary ſtaies: & to her Ieſus diſcouers himſelfe. What ſhould I make many words? The proofe of this point, belōgs to an other place. Death had done his worſt: & in deſpite of him, the Lord Ieſus is riſen again, leauing him aſhamed, & cōquequered. To eLuk 24. 5. 6.this the Angels beare witnes; Why ſeeke yee him, that liueth, among the dead? He is not here n but is riſen. I ſpeake of knowne things, it is enough to name them. Wee ſee for all this goodly diſcourſe, that death ſtill ſeizeth vponupon all men: let them be neuer ſo well ſetled in Ieſus Chriſt, he plucks them vp, & carries them away with him into the graue. What is become of the holy Apoſtles? where is his bleſſed mother the virgin? Is there life in the head, when the members of the body die ſo faſt, eueryevery day? And not one or two, a ioint or a finger, or a limme, but the very principall parts, yea all, one, & other? Dooſt thou doubt, whether there bee life in him or no, who hath wraſtled with death, and ouerthrowne him? Can death preuaile againſt him, now he liueth, whom he could not keepe in ſubiection, when he had him dead & buried? uRom. 5. 9. 10.Chriſt being raiſed from the dead, dyeth no more; death hath no more dominion ouer him. For, in that hee died, he died once to ſinne, but in that be liueth, hee liueth to God. Sinne had his due; a ſacrifice of infinit worth, to pay the price of mans redemption: now muſt God alſo hauehave his due, that hee, that liueth to him, may liue for euer. But I would not hauehave any man ſo much deceiue himſelfe, as to imagin, that the dying of them, which are in Chriſt, is an argument of the continuance of the authoritie, or power of death. No, no, beloued, there is an other reaſon of this diſſolution. Alas, alas, death doth not aduance his owne eſtate, and kingdome by this meanes, but ſerues the Lords turne, to bring his purpoſe to effect. It fares with him, in this caſe, as it did in the death of our Sauiour. That which hee thought to eſtabliſh his power by, by that he deſtroied it. So is it in the death of thoſe, that are Chriſts. The body, as now it is, is neither capable of immortalitie, and fit for the ſeruice of ſinne. How ſhall it be prepared to receiue the one; how purged and clenſed from the other, but by death? Fleſh & bloud (x1. Cor. 15. 50. ſaith the Apoſtle) can not inherit the kingdome of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Wouldeſt thou hauehave part in our Sauiour Chriſts immortalitie, that thou mighteſt bee free from death? Die then, that thou maieſt be ridde of mortalitie. Art thou affraid? Of what? Leaſt death ſhould be too ſtrong for thee, if he once ger thee into his clouches? Haſt thou not an example in Chriſt? I am aliue (yReuel. 1. 18. ſaith he) but I was dead; and beholde I am aliue for euermore. But thou feareſt, becauſe thy body ſhall be turned into duſt. O foole *1 Cor. 15. 36ſaith the Apoſtle) that, which thou ſoweſt, is not quickened, except it die. Keepe thy corne aboue ground; becauſe if thou put it into the earth, it will conſume, that thou ſhalt neuer finde it againe. Where then ſhall the freſh greene blade appeare? When ſhall the ſtalke grow vp? When ſhall it eare? When ſhall it flower? Shall not all this glorie bee loſt, if the graine bee not ſowed in the furrowes of the earth? And art thou ſo, I will not ſay fearefull, but fooliſh, and childiſh, that thou dareſt not die once, that thou maiſt liue for euer? Plucke vp thy ſpirits, and bee no longer a childe, but a man: were it not better for thee to die a thouſand deaths, then to bee continually diſquieted with the motions of thy corruption? Thou haſt now ſome life of Chriſt in thee, by the power of his ſpirit, which inables thee to fight againſt ſinne, and to preuaile. But there is no finall ſubduing of it, till the body be deſtroied, which doth ſo incline, & draw thee to the ſeruice thereof: Neither hath the ſpirit of God quiet, or full poſſeſſion of thy ſoule, as long as that corruption abides therein. And that, as it was bred with thee, muſt die with thee: there is no other courſe appointed by God, to rid thee of it. I doubt not, but thou art now reſolu'd to deſire death, whē it ſhall pleaſe God: ſeeing there is no way to life, but by it: & with this reſolution, I leaue thee, that I may ſpeak a word, or two to thē, that are yet out of Chriſt

And how ſhall I addreſſe my ſpeech vntounto them? It is needleſſe to inflame them with a deſire of life. For they are wholly poſſeſt with that already, It is in vaine to perſwade them they ſhall neuer die, if they be in Chriſt. For all experience teacheth the contrary. Shall I exhort them not to feare that, which they cannot auoide? They may learne that in the ſchoole of reaſon: what remaines then? At the leaſt giuegive mee leaue to aduiſe you, how you may make the beſt of that, which can by no meanes bee eſcaped. You are reſolued, there is no way with you, but one. Die you muſt, and it is vncertaine how ſoone. Yet if you may die ſo, that you may be ſure to liue againe, & that for euer, what hurt can there be in death, what feare ſhould there be of it? A crab ſtock, that hauing his head, boughts, & armes cut off, is graffed with a pippin, or ſome other dainty fruit, can not reaſonably complaine of hurt, but rather hath great cauſe to reioice, and glory. Hath hee any wrong done him, that hauing his cottage of clay pulled downe, hath a goodly palace of ſtone built for his dwelling? But theſe mē will not beleeue, that there is any ſuch life in Chriſt. I would to God I were able to perſwade thē, but to make ſom litle trial. O! if they would be cōtented, but to reſt vpō him for life, how quickly ſhould they find his promiſe true, & certain? Be perſwaded, be intreated I beſeech you by the louelove of life, which you ſo deſire: what ſhall you loſe by it? If that we preach be falſe, yet ſhal the reſt of your yeers be ſpent in more hope, & cōfort. If you know any better waie to prouide for your ſelues; in kindnes, & humanity, impart that at knowledge to vsus. If you do not; in quilitie, & good manners cōdemne vsus not, till vponupon triall, you can diſproue vsus. Life you earneſtly deſire, euen bodily life: refuſe it not, when it is oftred you without any danger of loſſe if you ſhould be deceiued.

I am come now at the laſt, to the chiefe point of all, which is life euerlaſting; begun (as I ſaid ere-while) in this world, by the forgiuing of ſin, & perfited in the next by the giuing of glory. Of which notwithſtāding I intēd not to ſay much; becauſe, being the maine matter of the Goſpell, eueryevery chapter almoſt will afford me neceſſary occaſion to intreat therof. Shortly for the proofe of the point, that eternall death, and condemnation are compriz'd in that threating, aGen. 2. 17.Thou ſhalt die the death; I appeale to the whole courſe of the ſcripture, and the ioint conſent of all, that euer profeſt true religion, Iewes & Chriſtians. But it is manifeſt enough, by the deliuerance, wee hauehave through Chriſt; that I may make one labour of two. bIob. 3. 17.God ſent not his Sonne into the world, that he ſhould condemne the world, but that the world through him might be ſaved. He Ver. 18.that beleeueth in him, ſhall not be condemned: but he that beleeueth not, is condemned already. Yea ſuch is the redemption, which we hauehave by Ieſus Chriſt, cIob. 5. 24.that he, which beleeueth, hath paſſed from death to life. What is this paſſing from death to life, but obteining forgiuenes of ſinnes, being reconciled to God? whoſe wrath otherwiſe abideth in vsus, to condemnation. God hath ſet forth Ieſus Chriſt (dRom. 3. 25. ſaith the Apoſtle) to bee apropitiation, through faith in his bloud, to declare his righteouſneſſe by the forgiuenes of ſinnes, that are paſt, eRom. 5. 10.If when wee were enemies, wee were reconciled to God by the death of his ſonne, much more, beeing reeonciled we ſhall be ſaued by his life. But I forget my ſelfe, in ſtaying too long in this diſcourſe; wherein the new Teſtament is ſo plentifull and eaſie to bee vnderſtood.

Neither is the point of euerlaſting life, either harder, or rarer. This one Goſpell of S. Iohn, hath not ſo few as twenty ſeuerall places to that purpoſe. f10. 3. 16.God ſo loued the world, that hee gaue his onelyonly begotten ſonne, that who ſoeuer beleeueth in him ſhould not periſh but hauehave life euerlaſting. This is the will of him, that ſent me, that eueryevery man which ſeeth the ſon & beleeueth in him, ſhould hauehave euerlaſting life, & gIoh. 6. 40.I will raiſe him vp at the laſt day. Look not that I ſhould go forward in this courſe, or ſpēd time in amplifying the vnſpeakable glory of that life. For the one I refer al men to the reading of this goſpel; eſpecially the chapters I named before: and concerning the other, all I can poſſibly ſay of it, is leſſe then nothing in compariſon of the thing it ſelfe. Therefore alſo I hold it in a manner needleſſe, to enter into any courſe of exhortation. For who can hear of theſe kindes of life in our Sauiour; and not be carried to him, for the enioying of them, with all ſpeed, and means, he can poſſibly make? Let it be a ſmall thing, for a man to bee dead in ſinne, becauſe perhaps he feeles it not. Let the life of righteouſneſſe be little accounted of; ov reaſon of the pleaſure we take in ſinning. Let vsus deſpie bodily death, as a common matter. Let vsus not reguard the reſurrection of the fleſh, as long as the ſoul is immortall. Shall not feare of damnation for euer in hel fire affright vsus? Shall not hope of eternall ioy in heauen delight vsus? Is it nothing to indure moſt horrible torments, without eaſe or ende? Is it nothing to be partaker of ſuch pleaſure, as cannot be conceiu'd, without danger, or feare of change? What is the immortality of the ſoule, of which thou bragſt, but an immortall miſerie? The more thou art perſwaded of the euerlaſting continuance thereof, the greater knowledge thou haſt of thine owne endleſſe calamitie: Whereas if once thou come to bee ioined to Chriſt; the farderthou ſeeſt into the continuance of thy life, the more thou art inflamed with a delight to liue. But now I hauehave brought thee where this life is to bee had, I will ſhew thee how it is to bee attained

In him was life: Where though it may ſeeme that the Euangeliſt ſayes no more, but he is life, or life is by him, yet indeed the ſpeech is more ſignificant. Firſt in reſpect of life, the manner of ſpeaking makes difference in the thing. For when the ſcripture ſaith that Chriſt is life, the word is to be taken for the cauſe of life. hIohn. 11. 25.I am the reſurrection, and the life, ſaith our Sauiour: and again, I iIoh. 14. 6.am the way, the truth & the life. So ſpeakes kCol. 3. 4.the Apoſtle of him. When Chriſt your life ſhal appear. Who ſee not, that by life in theſe places, the author of life, or life, as it is in the cauſe thereof, is vnderſtood? But in the other phraſe, the ſame thing is noted, as it is imparted by him to vsus. l1 Ioh. 5, 11.God hath giuen vsus euerlaſting life, and that life is in his ſonne. Wee hauehave example of both theſe in one place; yee are dead (ſaith mCol. 3. 3. 4.the Apoſtle) and your life is hidwith God in Chriſt: What life? That ſame life, which Chriſt hath communicated to you, and by which you liue. What followes? When Chriſt your life ſhall appeare. How is Chriſt their life? By giuing them life. And as in this kind of ſpeech wee may eaſily diſcerne ſome reaſon of the difference, that the ſcripture obſerueth; ſo may wee alſo in the other. Sometimes nCor. 1. 30.the holy Ghoſt ſaith, that Chriſt is made vntounto vsus wiſedome, righteouſneſſe, &c. What is this els, but that wee receiue theſe things from Chriſt, as the autor, and cauſe therof. Somtimes, life is ſaid to be in him: ſo we are ſaid to bee in Chriſt Ieſus; o1 Ioh, 5. 11.yee are of him in Chriſt; as in the place I named before: pRom. 8, 1.There is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt. Now in theſe ſpeeches, and the like, not onelyonly the effect, but alſo the manner of our comming by it is ſignified. Will you hauehave a plaine example of it? q1 Cor. 15. x1.Since by man came death, by man alſo came the reſurrection of the dead. We hauehave here the effect of Adams tranſgreſſion, and of Chriſts reſurrection. The next verſe ſhewes the maner of both more Ver. 22.euidently. For as in Adam (ſaith the Apoſtle) all men die, euen ſo in Chriſt ſhall all bee made aliue. How die all men in Adam; but rRom 5. 12.as beeing one with Adam, in whoſe loines they were, when he ſinned, ſHeb. 7, 9. 10.as Leui was in his father Abrahams, when he paide tithes to Melchiſedech? So are all raiſed againe in Chriſt. Not ſimply all: but all his. t1 Cor. 15. 23.The firſt fruits is Chriſts: then they, that are Chriſts, at his comming.

Wouldeſt thou then bee made partaker of this life, of which thou haſt heard ſo many admirable, and glorious things? This life is in Chriſt. How wilt thou do to fetch it out of him? Deceiue not thy ſelfe: it is not ſo to he had. Hee, that will enioy the life, which is in Chriſt, muſt not thinke to come to him, and take a ſnatch, and carry it away with him. He keepes it cloſe ſhut vp within himſelfe: Not refuſing to impart it to other, but deſiring to ioine other to him, that they may bee ſure to holde faſt for euer, that hee giues them. If hee ſhould commit it to thy cuſtodie, and let thee depart from him with it, what wouldeſt thou doe, or what meanes couldeſt thou vſe, to keepe it ſafe? Satan is craftie, and mighty. It is a great venture, but either hee would coſin thee of it by deceipt, or robbe thee of it by force. What ſay I a venture? It is out of queſtion, thou wouldeſt neuer be able to keepe it from him. If thou hauehave any experience of his vndermining, and aſſaulting thee, thou knoweſt how hardly, and with what adoe, it is now held, when yet thou art knit by faith to him, in whom the very fountaine of it is. Dooſt thou not feele how ſtrongly he pulls, to rent thee from him, that ſometimes thou canſt ſcarce tell, whether hee hauehave ſeuered thee from him, or no? If thy experience bee ſmall in thy ſelfe; didſt thou neuer ſee a poore ſoule ſtand quaking, and trembling, looking ruefully about on eueryevery ſide, ſhrieking, and crying out for feare, leaſt hee ſhould bee ſeparated from Ieſus Chriſt? At the leaſt perſwade thy ſelfe, it is not for nothing, that our Sauiour himſelfe, when hee labours to aſſure his ſheepe, that they ſhall neuer bee wrung out of his hands, puts them in mind of his fathers Almigh. …ie power. uIoh. 10. 27. ver. 28My ſheepe heare my voice, and I know them, ind they follow mee: And I giuegive them eternall life, and they ſhall neuer periſh: neither ſhall any plucke them out of my hand: Is not here aſſurance enough? They know his voice, that they may not bee deceiued by harkning to a ſtranger. They follow him, hauing him ſtil in ſight, leaſt they ſhould miſtake ſome other for him. Hee giues them eternall life. How ſhall they die, that hauehave life euerlaſting? He ſecures them, in ſaying, they ſhall neuer periſh. They hauehave life, and ſhall hold it faſt to the end. Is there yet more? None ſhall take them out of his hand. This confirmes all the reſt. What though the deuill be haling, and drawing of them continually? Hee ſhall not preuaile. How ſhall wee bee aſſured of that? For then wee are ſafe indeede. Heare what followes. My father which gaue them mee, is greater then all, and none is able to take ver. 29.them out of my fathers hand. What needed all this, if it bee ſo eaſie a matter to keepe life, when once thou haſt it? Thou makeſt account to take life of our Sauiour, and when thou haſt it, to be gone with all ſpeed. Alas poore man, thou wilt keepe it but a little while lwis, if thou hauehave no better help then thine owne. But if thou cleaue faſt to Ieſus Chriſt, and ſtirre not an inch, or an hayres bredth from his ſide, thou maiſt perhaps heare the diuell roaring at thy backe, or ſee him running vp and downe prying, and ſeeking ſome aduantage to ſeize vponupon thee: it may bee hee will offer to ſnatch at thee, and lay holde vponupon thee; cling to rhy Sauiour, as the childe dooth to the mother, when hee is in feare: and then doubt not, but he, that is greater then all, will keepe thee out of Satans iawes, maugre all his power, and malice.

Beare with mee, I pray you, if I ſeeme to be ouerlarge in this point. I feele ſuch an increaſe of comfort, and aſſurance in the meditation of this matter, that I can not leaue it, till I hauehave lookt a little neerer into the particulars thereof, eſpecially thoſe, that concerne the temporall death of the body, and the eternall both of it, and the ſoule.

Now the life, whereby wee are deliuered from the one and the other death, as it hath oft bin ſaid, is in Chriſt. For the better, and fuller conceiuing whereof, wee muſt remember, that faith, whereby we are ioined vntounto Chriſt, that wee may partake of that life, which is in him, maketh vsus al one with him. There are a ſimilirudes, by which the Scripture expreſſeth this ſpirituall coniunction: the one is that bond, which is betwixt man, and wife; by which they, that were two, become one fleſh. This is moſt excellently ſet out by xEph. 5. 23.the Apoſtle S. Paul; where he ſhewes, that Chriſt is the head of the Church, as the husband thereof; that the Lord nouriſheth, & cheriſheth it, as his owne fleſh. And no maruaile though he do ſo: For (as it followes) we are members of his body, of his fleſh, & of his bones. Yea ſo members of them, that wee are one fleſh with him, by reaſon of this bond of marriage, that ſo chaynes, & links vsus together. No man can be ſo fond, as to vnderſtand this of our humane nature; as if therefore wee were ſaid to bee one fleſh, becauſe hee & wee are of the ſame nature. For neither are all men one fleſh, though they be all of the ſame nature: & if the Apoſtle had intended to ſpeake of that point, he would not hauehave ſaid, that wee are bone of his bone, and fleſh of his fleſh; but rather that he was bone of our bone, and fleſh of our fleſh. For it is well knowne to al men, that, in regard of the nature of man, they, that are the Church, I meane a great part of them, euē al that died before our Sauiour, and were partakers of the life we ſpeake of, had it, before he was made man: & but for their ſake, & ſome others, hee had not taken that nature vponupon him. But the myſticall coniunction, whereof xEph. 5. 23. 29the Apoſtle profeſſeth to ſpeak in that place, hath the beginning and ground in Chriſt, & not in vsus. Hee is the huſband, we are the wife; Eue was bone of Adams bone, not Verſe. 30.he of hers. Yet, when they were ioined together in marriage, they were both but one fleſh. It is then apparant verſe. 31.by this ſimilitude, that we being thus ſpiritually become one with Chr. hauehave the ſame life, which is in him; as the Verſe. 32.wife hath the ſame fleſh, or rather is the ſame fleſh with her husband. The other ſimilitude is of the head & body; which liue by the ſame ſpirit of life. reſting originally in the head, and from thence diſperſing it ſelfe into all the members of the body. This alſo, the ſame Apoſtle ſetteth forth in the ſame Epiſtle. It will be ſufficient to rehearſe his words. Let vsus (yFph 4. 35. 16 ſaith he) follow the truth, in louelove, and in all things grow vp into him, which is the head, euen Chriſt. By whom at the body being coupled, & kint together by eueryevery ioynt, for the furniture thereof, according to the effectuall power, in the meaſure of eueryevery part, receiueth increaſe of the body, vntounto the edifying of it ſelfe in louelove. Therefore doth he often call the Church the body of Chriſt. *Fph. 1. 22. 23.God hath appointed him ouer all, the head to the Church, which is his body. aFph…. 5 23.Chriſt is the head of the Church; & the ſame is the Sauiour of his body. bCol. 1. 18.He is the head of the body of the Church.

GiueGive eare now with attention, and take knowledge of the aſſurance of your life. Why do you ſhrinke, and quake, at the mention of death? Euen when your are dead, you are ſtill aliue. Are you not one with Ieſus Chriſt? Are you not bone of his bone, and fleſh of his fleſh? Are not you and he one fleſh? Doth not eueryevery man nouriſh, & cheriſh his owne fleſh: And will Chriſt (thinke you) ſuffer his fleſh to be deſtroied by death? What doſt thou tell me, of the decay of thy ſtrength? that thy ſight waxeth dimme, thy leggs feeble, thine armes weake, and all thy ſenſes begin to fayle thee? Is not Chriſt aliue? Or canſt thou dy, as long as hee liues? Thou art but the leaſt part of thy ſelfe; thy husband is thy head, and thy life. And whereas thou art now a-dying, it is not for thy deſtruction, but for the aboliſhing of that which makes thee ſubiect to dy. Chriſt thy huſband doth not meane to forgoe thee, but to ioyne thee neerer to him. Wouldſt thou bring a mortall carcaſe into heauen? Wouldeſt thou bee continually in danger of dying? Is it not better once to endure it, then alwaies to feare it? A quarter of an howers worke, will rid thee of all paine for euer. How wilt thou wonder at thy ſelfe when thou ſhalt behold the glory of that body, which thou left'ſt naked, and miſerable? Shal I need to put thee in minde of thy happineſſe? Doſt thou remember, that thou art a part of Ieſus Chriſts body? Hath he any dead part trow'ſt thou? Thou canſt not imagin, that any man of reaſon would ſuffer his enimies to diſmember his body, or to depriue the leaſt finger he hath of life or ſenſe? How then ſhould Chriſt endure ſuch a mayme? But what talke I of bereauing his members of life? As if it were any way poſſible, that deathſhould be in that part in which life is continued? Wait the time, that God hath appointed for thy quicking. Thou art but dreſſing, & attiring, that thou mai'ſt be a fit Bride, for an immortal Bridegrome.

As for condemnation to hel fire, the ſecond death, be not ſo iniurious to the Maieſtie of Chriſt, as once to think, that any member of his body can bee lyable to damnation. cRom. 8. 1.There is no condemnation to them, that are in Chriſt. VVho ſhall laye anything to the charge of Ieſus Chriſt? Canſt thou bee condemned, and hee acquited? Can the head bee in heauen, and the members in hell? Father (dIohn. 17. 24. ſaith our Sauiour) I will that they, which thou haſt giuen me, be with me, euen where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou haſt giuen me. Can the firſt fruites bee holy, and the lumpe vncleane? Can the head raigne in glory, and the members bee plunged in the pit of damnation? Aſſure thy ſelfe, if there bee life in Chriſt, & thou one of his members, thy part is in it. He bought thee too deare, now to loſe thee, or let thee be taken from him. Beſides, hee hath openly confeſt; that hee receiued a charge from God his Father, to ſee that none ſhoulde periſh, that belieu'd in him: and eIoh. 6 40.hee hath profeſt, that hee will diſcharge the truſt repoſed in him. I will raiſe him vp at the laſt day. Hee that eateth my fleſh, and Verſe. 54. Ver. 56.drinketh my bloud. hath eternall life, and I n will raiſe him vp at the laſt day: In him, as it followeth, Chriſt dwels, and he in Chriſt. Then muſt hee needs be ſure of euerlaſting li'e, that lodgeth ſuch a gueſt.

A gueſt, that hath life in him, as in the fountaine therof, from whence it floweth to al thoſe, that are io… ned to him. For although our Euangeliſt ſay, In him was life & not Is life; yet he may no more be thought once to hauehave had it, & now to be without it, thē once to hauehave bin God, & now not to be ſo. But that all doubt of this matter may be taken a way, we muſt call to minde that which we heard before of the reaſons, why this maner of ſpeech is vſed. Firſt then (for I will now ſett it in the firſt place, becauſe it is the plaineſt, & hath leaſt need of any explication) we may well, & reaſonably imagine, that the Evangeliſt continues his former kind of ſpeech; The word was in the beginning, was with God, was God. All things were made by him, nothing was made without him. was it not fitter then, to ſay, In him was, then, in him is life, that the whole deſcription of him may bee deliuered in the like tearmes? This might ſerue, in my poor opinion, to ſatiſfy any man, concerning the worde. Yet becauſe there are ſome other reaſons of it alleaged, & thoſe both true, for the doctrine they teach, & not vnfit for the text it ſelfe, I will make bold to ſtand a little vponupon them; the rather becauſe I perceiue I ſhall not end theſe 2 verſes in this one exerciſe, as I purpoſed, and deſired to do.

The former reaſon of the word was depends vponupon the like courſe the Euāgeliſt takes in the reſt of his deſcription: thoſe that now I am to handle, concerne the time, either before our Sauiours being in the world, or while he was in the world. The time before, either reaches to eternity, before all beginning, or at the leaſt makes it ſelf equall to the continuance of the world, after the fall of Adam, til the cōming of Chriſt in the fleſh. If wee apply it to eternity, who can doubt, but life was always in him who only liues of himſelf, & giues life both tēporal & ſpiritual to al, euē to eueryevery one that hath it. But becauſe this maner of giuing life is an effect of Godhead; & ſo, common to him with the Father, and the holy Ghoſt and not a matter belonging properly to his perſon, nor any worke of his mediatorſhip: I will leaue it, as not intended in this place; and come to a ſecond conſideration of life being in him from all eternity, as in the mediator betwixt God and man. In what reſpect then may it be truly, and fitly ſaid, that life was in him from all eternity? In reſpect of the eternall decree of God, whereby he determined to reſtore to life thoſe, whome hee choſe therevnto by the mediation of his Sonne, the word, of whom we ſpeake. Of this fRom. 8. 29. 30the Apoſtle ſpeaks: Thoſe, whom he knewe before, he did alſo predeſtinate, to bee made like to the image of his Sonne, that he might bee the firſt borne among many children. VponUpon this predeſtination (as the Apoſtle adds) followeth calling, iuſtifying, and at the laſt glorifying, which is the higheſt degree of the life, that is in Chriſt. But in gEph. 1. 3. 4.an other place hee ſpeakes more plainely. Bleſſed be God, euen the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt; which hath bleſſed vsus with all ſpirituall bleſſings in heauenly things in Chriſt: As he hath choſen vsus in him bebefore the foundation of the world. Therefore doth the Apoſtle Peter aſcribe the appointing of the meanes, and the execution of it, according to the appointment, to the foreknowledge of God. hAct. 2. 23.Him hauehave ye taken by the hands of the wicked, being deliuered by the determinate counſaile, and fore knowledge of God. The ſame is acknowledged by the ioynt confeſſion of the Apoſtles, where they ſay, that Herod, Pontius Pilat, the Gentiles, and the people of Iſraell, gathered them ſelues together againſt the holy Sonne of & 4. 27. 28.God Ieſus (whom God had annointed) to doe what ſoeuer the hande, and counſaile of the Lorde had determined afore to bee donne. VVorthily then doth Saint Iohn avouch, that life was in him; yea before any time was, life was in him. iGal. 4. 4.VVhen the fulneſſe of time was come God ſent his Sonne. Life did not then begin to be in him, but to ſhew it ſelfe to be in him, kRom 3 25.God ſet him forth (by his incarnation) to be apropitiation. Life was in him before, in regard of Gods eternall counſaile; but not diſcouered, nor manifeſted to the world, no nor thoſe works of his, which were to bring life, performed: Yet euen thē was life in him.

If it ſeeme to any man ſomewhat ouermuch, to go ſo far for the Euangeliſts meaning, let him ſhorten his iorney, & containe him ſelfe, within the compaſſe of the world created. Shal we not find ſufficient reaſon of this ſpeech In him was life, though wee goe not out of the world? yes out of doubt, very ſufficient. For ſeeing many worthy Patriarchs, and holy Prophets, many true Iſraelits, & Sonns of Abraham by faith, as well as by nature, departed out of this worlde, before our Sauiour came into it, to performe the foreappointed worke of redemption, either theſe muſt hauehave died without life, & ſo alwaies continue dead, or there was life in him, before he was incarnat. lLuk. 10. 24.Many Prophets, and Kings deſired to ſee and heare him, at the Apoſtles while hee liued heere, ſaw and heard. Surely then they were not ignorant of him, and that life was in him. But did they not ſee him? By one, iudge of the reſt, Your Father Abraham mIoh. 8. 56.(ſaith Chriſt) reioyced to ſee my day: and hee ſaw it, and was glad. And yet, what name I one? ſeeing wee hauehave a cloud of witneſſes, that compaſſeth vsus round about, nHeb. 11. 1. 2. 3. &c.ſounding out the ſame aſſurance of fayth, that we now hauehave, and looking for the ſame promiſes to bee fulfilled, which wee beleeue, and knowe to hauehave beene performed to the vttermoſt. Was not our God, oMat 22. 32.the God of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob? Was not our Sauiour, their Sauiour? pRom. 4. 11. Gal. 3. 16.Dooth not our intereſt, wee hauehave in Chriſt, depend vponupon our being the children of Abraham? qHeb. 13. 8.VVas not Ieſus Chriſt yeſter-day, is hee not to day, ſhall hee not bee the ſame for euer? Then may wee ſafely, and truely conclude, that there was life in him, before he was in the nature of man.

But howſoeuer it be true, & certaine, that life was in him, both from all eternity, in regard of the counſaile of God, which is as ancient as himſelfe; & in effect, in reſpect of them, that from time to time were partakers of it, euen from Adam to Iohn Baptist: yet it was then moſt properly in him, when hauing taken our nature vponupon him, he ouercame death, and him, that had power ouer it, the Deuill. This was that, which thoſe Kings, & Prophets deſired, and longed to ſee. This was that, which good olde Simeon ſo reioyced at, that he was ready to depart out of this life with full ſatisfaction, and contentedneſſe, when he had ſeene the promiſed Meſſiah in the nature of man: Lord rLuk. 2. 29. 39(ſaith he) now letteſt thou thy ſeruant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eies hauehave ſeen thy ſaluation. The holy man had a long time beleeu'd by faith, that ſaluation was to come, and in hope with patience waited for the comming of it, but he neuer ſaw it til that time. Indeed how ſhould he? For it was neuer to be ſeene, till then. How could it be? For it neuer was fully, & perfitly till then. It was not enough for the Son of God, that he had infinite power, as God, to giuegive life to whom he would, to repair the ruins of his image in man, by clenſing him frō ſin, & cloathing him with righteouſnes, by raiſing him frō death, as he firſt breath ed the ſoule of life into him, by vouchſafing him a place in heauen, which was at his command, that had made it. Al this I ſay would not ſerue the turne, that the Euangeliſt might ſay as he doth, In him was life. For the Lorde God, Father, Son, & Holy ghoſt, had appointed another courſe of giuing life, another meanes of ſaluatiō, not to be perform'd by the Son of God, ſitting in heauē; but to be wrought here vpō earth, in the ſame nature, that had ſind, & was dead. He, that made mā holy, & righteous at his creatiō, could, by the ſame powr, hauehave reſtord to him his original righteouſnes in a momēt. But it pleaſ'd him to doe it after an other maner; wherof more hereafter in due place. To ſay al at once; ſeing by man cam death, God would hauehave life to come by mā, & no otherwiſe.

Let it be graunted (may ſome man ſay) that there was no poſſibility of life, but by the death of the Sonne of God, and that the Sonne of God could not dye, vnleſſe he became man; yet might the Evangeliſt hauehave wel ſaid, In him is life. For ſince it is confeſt, that hee tooke the nature of man, and continues ſtill in heauen in that nature, ſurely life was no more in him, while hee was heere, then it is in him, now he is gone from hence. Why then ſaith S. Iohn, In him was life? I anſwere in one word, though life be ſtill in him; yet it is in reſpect of that, which he performed, when he was here on the earth. Here he tooke, and ſanctified our nature; here hee bare the chaſtiſement of our peace? here he offred vp that invaluable ſacrifice, for the purging of our ſinnes: Here hee triumphed on the Croſſe ouer all principalities, and powers: Heere hee roſe out of the graue from death to life: Only one thing, which here poſſibly could not be don, he hath done being gon from hence; that is he hath taken poſſeſſiō of our inheritance in heauen, & waites there to receiue vsus into his owne glory. The Euangeliſt therefore writing the hiſtory of his life & death, while he was here in the world, ſpeaks of him, as of one that was, & is not. But of this enough before.

I ſhould now proceed to the later part of this fourth verſe; And that life was the light of men: But I find my ſelf ſo much ouertaken by the time, that it is in vain to meddle with it. I will I therefore content my ſelfe with ſome word of exhortation, whereby wee maie bee ſtirred vp to the embracing of that life, which was in Chriſt. To which purpoſe what ſhal I need to ſay much? The mat ter dooth ſo highly commende it ſelfe, that it refuſeth to be entreated for. Looke not therefore, that I ſhoulde deſire you to bee willing to liue. Nay, bee vnwilling if you can. Doe but propound the matter to your own hearts, and you will not chooſe, but like of it. And yet, mee thinkes I ſee no man make any great haſte. Shall I wonder or complayne? It is ſtrange, that life, life euerlaſting ſhould bee ſo little ſet by. It is lamentable that death, eternall death ſhould ſo little bee feared. If it were any long Iorney, or daungerous way, if hard to come by, or ſoone loſt againe, there might bee perhaps ſome colour of excuſe for this backewardneſſe. But when the thing it ſelfe is neere at hand, the way to it ſafe, the meanes of attaining to it eaſie, and the poſſeſſion of it ſure, who can excuſe himſelfe to himſelfe (I ſay not to God) if hee fayle of ſo glorious a treaſure? Do wee not beleeue the Euangeliſt, that there is life in him? Doe wee flatter our ſelues with a conceite, that there is life in vsus? Why come wee to heare that, which when wee hauehave heard, wee will not credite? why make wee a ſhew, as if wee ſtood in need of life from Chriſt, when wee thinke our ſelues, ſped of it already? Perhaps it ſeemes the leſſe worth, becauſe it is offered. Who euer thought, that the kindneſſe of the giuer ſhould abate the valew of the gift? Condemne thy ſelfe, for not ſeeking to him; not him, for ſeeking to thee. That hee reueales to thee, hee conceales from many. That which thou vnthankefully refuſeſt, many thouſandes would moſt thankefully receiue. O the frowardneſſe of the hearts of men! O the blindneſſe of their minds! If this life were in God, they would tremble to come neere him for it, becauſe of his dreadfull maieſtie. Now it is in a man (leaſt happely they ſhould be too much afrayd) they diſdaine to take it of him, by reaſon of his meaneneſſe. ſMat. 11. 19.But wiſedome is iuſtified of her children. He is both God, and man, that thou maiſt neither feare nor deſpiſe him. If thou wilt not liue to ſhew his merciemercy, thou ſhalt die to ſet foorth his Iuſtice; For to him belongeth all glorie, both of mercy and Iuſtice for euer and euer, Amen.

Sermons Upon John 1, Sermon 4

p. 154THE FOVRTH SERmon, vponupon the firſt Chapter of IOHN.

THE FOVRTH SERmon, vponupon the firſt Chapter of IOHN.