Eighty Sermons, miscellaneous · Sermon 73
SERM. LXXIII. Preached to the King in my Ordinary wayting at VVhite-hall, 18. Aprill 1626.
JOH. 14.2.
In my Fathers Houſe are many Manſions; If it were not ſo, I would have told you.
THere are occaſions of Controverſies of all kinds in this one Verſe; And one is, whether this be one Verſe or no; For as there are Doctrinall Controverſies, out of the ſenſe and interpretation of the words, ſo are there Grammatticall differences about the Diſtinction, and Interpunction of them: Some Tranſlations differing therein from the Originall, (as the Originall Copies are diſtinguiſhed, and interpuncted now) and ſome differing from one another. The firſt Tranſlation that was, that into Syriaque, as it is expreſſed by Tremellius, renders theſe words abſolutely, preciſely, as our two Tranſlations doe; And, as our two Tranſlations doe, applies the ſecond clauſe and propoſition, Si quo minus, If it were not ſo, I would have told you, as in affirmation, and confirmation of the former, In domo Patris, In my Fathers houſe there are many Manſions, For, If it were not ſo I would have told you. But then, as both our Tranſlations doe, the Syriaque alſo admits into this Verſe a third clauſe and propoſition, Vado parare, I goe to prepare you a place. Now Beza doth not ſo; Piſcator doth not ſo; They determine this Verſe in thoſe two propoſitions which conſtitute our Text, In my Fathers houſe, &c. and then they let fall the third propoſition, as an inducement, and inchoation of the next Verſe, I goe to prepare a place for you, and if I goe, I will come againe. Divers others doe otherwiſe, and diverſly; For ſome doe aſſume (as we, and the Syriaque doe) all three propoſitions into the Verſe, but then they doe not (as we, and the Syriaque doe) make the ſecond a proofe of the firſt, In my Fathers houſe are many Manſions, For, If it were not ſo, I would have told you, But they refer the ſecond to the third propoſition, If it were not ſo, I would have told you, For, I goe to prepare you a place, and being to goe from you, would leave you ignorant of nothing. But we find no reaſon to depart from that Diſtinction and Interpunction of theſe words, which our own Church exhibits to us, and therefore we ſhall purſue them ſo; and ſo determine, though not the Verſe, (for into the Verſe, we admit all three propoſitions) yet the whole purpoſe and intention of our Saviour, in thoſe two propoſitions, which accompliſh our Text, In my Fathers houſe, &c.
This Interpunction then offers and conſtitutes our two parts.Diviſic. Firſt, A particular Doctrine, which Chriſt infuſes into his Diſciples, In domo Patris, In my Fathers houſe are many Manſions; And then a generall Rule and Scale, by which we are to meaſure, and waigh all Doctrines, Si quo minus, If it were not ſo, I would have told you. In the order of nature, the later part fals firſt into conſideration, The rule of all Doctrines; which in this place is, The word of God in the mouth of Chriſt, digeſted into the Scriptures; In which, wee ſhall have juſt, more then juſt, neceſſary occaſion to note both their diſtempers, both theirs, that think, That there are other things to be beleeved, then are in the Scriptures, and theirs that think, That there are ſome things in the Scriptures, which are not to bee beleeved: For when our Saviour ſayes, Si quo minus, If it were not ſo, I would have told you, he intends both this propoſition, I have told you all that is neceſſary to be beleeved; and this alſo, All that I have told you, is neceſſary to bee beleeved, ſo as I have told it you. So that this excludes both that imaginary inſufficiency of the Scriptures, which ſome have ventured to averre, (for God ſhall never call Chriſtian to account for any thing not notified in the Scriptures) And it excludes alſo thoſe imaginary Dolos bonos, and fraudes pias, which ſome have adventured to averre too, That God ſhould uſe holy Illuſions, holy deceits, holy frauds, and circumventions in his Scriptures, and not intend in them, that which he pretends by them; This is his Rule, Si quo minus, If it were not ſo, I would have told you, If I have not told you ſo, it is not ſo, and if I have, it is ſo as I have told you: And in theſe two branches we ſhall determine the firſt part, The Rule of Doctrines, the Scripture.
The ſecond part, which is the particular Doctrine which Chriſt adminiſters to his Diſciples here, will alſo derive and cleave it ſelfe into two branches; For firſt wee ſhall inquire, whether this propoſition in our Text, In my Fathers houſe are many Manſions, give any ground, or aſſiſtance, or countenance to that pious opinion, of a diſparity, and difference of degrees of Glory in the Saints in heaven; And then, if we finde the words of this Text to conduce nothing to that Doctrine, wee ſhall conſider the right uſe of the true, and naturall, the native and genuine, the direct, and literall, and uncontrovertible ſenſe of the words; becauſe in them, Chriſt doth not ſay, that in his Fathers houſe there are Divers Manſions, divers for ſeat, or lights, or faſhion, or furniture, but onelyonly that there are Many, and in that notion, the Plurality, the Multipliciry, lies the Conſolation.
Firſt then,1 Part. for the firſt branch of our firſt part, The generall Rule of Doctrines, our Saviour Chriſt in theſe words involves an argument, That hee hath told them all that was neceſſary; Hee hath, becauſe the Scripture hath, for all the Scriptures which were written before Chriſt, and after Chriſt, were written by one and the ſame Spirit, his Spirit. It might then make a good Probleme, why they of the Romane Church, not affording to the Scriptures that dignity which belongs to them, are yet ſo vehement, and make ſo hard ſhift, to bring the books of other Authors into the ranke, and nature, and dignity of being Scriptures: What matter is it, whether their Maccabees, or their Tobies be Scripture or no? what get their Maccabees, or their Tobies by being Scripture, if the Scripture be not full enough, or not plaine enough, to bring me to ſalvation? But ſince their intention and purpoſe, their aime, and their end is, to under-value the Scriptures, that thereby they may over-value their owne Traditions, their way to that end may bee to put the name of Scriptures upon books of a lower value, that ſo the unworthineſſe of thoſe additionall books, may caſt a diminution upon the Canonicall books themſelves, when they are made all one: as in ſome forraigne States we have ſeene, that when the Prince had a purpoſe to erect ſome new Order of Honour, he would diſgrace the old Orders, by conferring and beſtowing them upon unworthy and incapable perſons.
But why doe we charge the Roman Church with this undervaluing of the Scriptures, when as they pretend, (and that cannot well be denied them) That they aſcribe to all the books of Scripture this dignity, That all that is in them is true. It is true; they doe ſo; But this may be true of other Authors alſo, and yet thoſe Authors remaine prophane and ſecular Authors. All may be true that Livy ſayes, and all that our Chronicles ſay, may be true; and yet our Chronicles, nor Livy become Goſpell: for ſo much they themſelves will confeſſe and acknowledge, that all that our Church ſayes is true, that our Church affirmes no error; and yet our Church muſt be a hereticall Church, if any Church at all, for all that. Indeed it is but a faint, but an illuſory evidence or witneſſe, that pretends to cleare a point, if, though it ſpeake nothing but truth, yet it does not ſpeake all the truth. The Scriptures are our evidence for life or death;Iohn 5.39. Search the Scriptures, ſayes Chriſt, for in them ye thinke ye have eternall life. Where, ye thinke ſo, is not, ye thinke ſo, but miſtake the matter, but ye thinke ſo, is ye thinke ſo upon a well-grounded and rectified faith and aſſurance. Now if this evidence, the Scripture, ſhall acquit me in one Article, in my beliefe in God, (for I doe finde in the Scripture, as much as they require of me to beleeve, of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt) And then this evidence, the Scripture, ſhall condemne me in another Article, The Catholique Church, (for I doe not finde ſo much in the Scripture, as they require me to beleeve of their Catholique Church) If the Scripture be ſufficient to ſave me in one, and not in the reſt, this is not onelyonly a defective, but an illuſory evidence, which though it ſpeake truth, yet does not ſpeake all the truth.
Fratres ſumus, quare litigamus? ſayes S. Auguſtine, Wee are all Brethren, by one Father, one Almighty God, and one Mother, one Catholique Church, and then why do we goe to Law together? At leaſt, why doe we not bring our Suits to an end? Non inteſtatus mortuus eſt Pater, ſayes he, Our Father is dead; for,Deut. 32.30. Is not he your Father that bought you? is Moſes queſtion; he that bought us with himſelfe, his blood, his life, is not dead inteſtate, but hath left his Will and Teſtament, and why ſhould not that Teſtament decide the cauſe? Silent Advocati, Suſpenſus eſt populus, Legant verba teſtamenti: This that Father notes, to be the end in other cauſes, why not in this? That the Counſell give over pleading, That the people give over murmuring, That the Judge cals for the words of the Will, & by that governs, and according to that eſtabliſhes his Judgement. I would at laſt contentious men would leave wrangling, and people to whom thoſe things belonged not, leave blowing of coales, and that the words of the Will might try the cauſe, ſince he that made the Will, hath made it thus cleare, Si quo minus, If it were not thus, I would have told you, If there were more to be added then this, or more clearneſſe to bee added to this, I would have told you.
In the fift of Matthew, Chriſt puts a great many caſes, what others had told them,Mat. 5. but he tels them, that is not their Rule. Audiviſtis, & ab antiquis, ſays he, you have heard, & heard by them of old, but now I tel you otherwiſe. So Audivimus, & ab antiquis, we have heard, and heard by them of old, That the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Chriſt is ſo abſolutely neceſſary, as that Children were bound to receive it, preſently after Baptiſme, and that no man could be ſaved without it, more then without Baptiſme:Maldon in Iohn 6.35. This we have heard, and heard by them of old; for we have heard S. Auguſtin to have ſaid ſo, and the practiſe of the Church for ſome hundreds of yeares to have ſaid ſo. So Audivimus, & ab antiquis, We have heard, and heard by them of old, That the Saints of God departed out of this life, after their reſurrection, and before their aſcenſion into heaven, ſhall enjoy all worldly proſperity and happineſſe upon the earth, for a thouſand yeares: This we have heard, and heard by them of old, for we have heard Tertullian ſay ſo, and Ireneus, and Lactantius, and ſo many more as would make the balance more then even. So alſo Audivimus, & ab antiquis, We have heard, and heard by them of old, That in how good ſtate ſoever they dye, yet the ſouls of the departed do not ſee the face of God, nor enjoy his preſence, till the day of Judgement, This we have heard, and from ſo many of them of old, as that the voyce of that part is louder, then of the other. And amongſt thoſe reverend and bleſſed Fathers, which ſtraied into theſe errors, ſome were hearers and Diſciples of the Apoſtles themſelves, as Papias was a Diſciple of S. Iohn, and yet Papias was a Millenarian, and expected his thouſand yeares proſperity upon the earth after the Reſurrection: ſome of them were Diſciples of the Apoſtles, and ſome of them were better men then the Apoſtles, for they were Biſhops of Rome; Clement was ſo; and yet Clement was one of them, who denied the fruition of the ſight of God, by the Saints, till the Judgement.
And yet our Adverſaries will enjoy their liberty to depart from all this which they have heard, and heard from them of old, in the mouths of theſe Fathers. And where the Fathers are divided in two ſtreames, where all the Fathers, few, ſcarce any excepted, till S. Auguſtine, Hiſt… Voſſi… l. 7. Theſ. 8. ſo. 538. &c. Bemus ca. 26. Petetius Ro. 8. diſp 22.placed the cauſe of our Election in Gods foreſight, and fore-knowledge of our faith and obedience, and, as generally after S. Auguſtin, they placed it in the right Center, that is, onelyonly in the free goodneſſe and pleaſure of God in Chriſt, halfe the Roman Church goes one way, and halfe the other; (for we may be bold to call the Jeſuits halfe that Church) And in that point the Jeſuits depart from that which they had heard, and heard of old, from the Primitive Fathers, and adhere to the later; And their very heavy, and very bitter adverſaries, the Dominicans, apply themſelves to that which they have heard of old, to the firſt opinion. In that point in the Roman Church they have Fathers on both ſides; but, in a point, where they have no Father, where all the Fathers are unanimely and diametrally againſt them, in the point of the Conception of the moſt bleſſed Virgin,Canus. Etſi omnes Sancti uno ore aſſeverent, ſayes a wiſe Author of theirs, Though all the Ancient Fathers with one intire conſent affirme that ſhe was conceived in Originall ſin, Etſi nullus Author contravenerit, ſayes he, Though no one ancient Author ever denyed it, yet ſayes he, Infirmum eſt ex omnium patrum conſenſu argumentum, Though our opinion have no ground in Scriptures (that, ſayes he, I confeſſe) Though it bee no Apoſtolicall Tradition, (that, ſayes he, I confeſſe) yet it is but a weake argument, ſayes he, that is concluded out of all the Fathers againſt it, becauſe, It was a doctrine manifeſted to the Church but about five hundred yeares ſince, and now for two hundred yeares hath beene well followed and embraced: As the Jeſuit Maldonat ſayes in ſuch another caſe, whatſoever the ancient Fathers have thought, or taught, or ſaid, or writ, that the marriage of Prieſts after Orders taken, and chaſtity profeſſed, was a good marriage, Contrarium nunc verum eſt, whatſoever was true then, the contrary is true now.
If then theſe men who take to themſelves this liberty, will yet ſay to me, in ſome other points, Si quo minus, Surely if you were in the right, ſome of the ancient Fathers would have told you ſo; And then, if I aſſiſt my ſelfe by the Fathers, they will ſay, Si quo minus, If it were not otherwiſe, ſome generall Councell would have told you ſo; And againe, if I ſupport my ſelfe by a Councell, Si quo minus, if that Councell were to be followed, ſome Pope would have confirmed that Councell, And if I ſhow that to have beene done, yet they will ſay, that that Confirmation reaches not to that Seſſion of the Councell, or not to that Canon of that Seſſion, or not to that period in that Canon, or not to that word in that period; And then, of every Father, and Councell, and Seſſion, and Canon, and period, and word, Ejus interpretatio eſt ſenſus Spiritus Sancti, His ſenſe and interpretation muſt be eſteemed the Interpretation, and the Senſe of the Holy Ghoſt, as Bellarmine hath concluded us, why will they not allow me a juſter liberty, then that which they take? That when they ſtop my prayers in their way to God, and bid me turne upon Saints, when they ſtop my faith in the way to Chriſt, and bid me turne upon mine owne, or others merits, when they ſtop my hopes of Heaven upon my death-bed, and bid me turne upon Purgatory, That when, as yet it is in debatement and diſputation, whether man can performe the Law of God or no, they will multiply their Laws, above the proportion of Moſes Tables, And when we have Primogenitum Eccleſiae, The eldeſt ſon by the Primitive Church, The Creed of the Apoſtles, they will ſuper-induce another ſon, by another venter, by a ſtep-mother, by their ſick and crazy Church, and (as the way of ſtep-mothers is) will then make the portion of the later, larger then the elders, make their Trent-Creed larger then the Apoſtles, That in ſuch a caſe, they will not allow me, neither in my ſtudies in the way, nor upon my death-bed at mine end, to hearken unto this voyce of my Saviour, Si quo minus, If it were not ſo, I would have told you, this is not onelyonly to preclude the liberty, but to exclude the duty of a Chriſtian.
But the myſtery of their Iniquity is eaſily revealed, their Arcana Imperii, the ſecrets of their State eaſily diſcovered. All this is not becauſe they abſolutely oppoſe the Scriptures, or ſtiffly deny them to be the moſt certain and conſtant rule that can be preſented, (for whatſoever they pretend for their own Church, or for the Super-ſoveraigne in that Church, their tranſcendent and hyperbolicall ſupreme Head, they will pretend to deduce out of the Scriptures) But becauſe the Scriptures are conſtant, and limited, and determined, there can be no more Scriptures, And they ſhould be ſhrewdly prejudiced, and ſhrewdly diſadvantaged, if all emergent caſes ariſing in the Chriſtian world, muſt be judged by a Law, which others may know before-hand, as well as they; Therefore being wiſe in their own generation, they chooſe rather to lay up their Rule in a Cupboard, then upon a Shelfe, rather in Scrinio pectoris, in the breaſt and boſome of one man, then upon every deske in a ſtudy, where every man may lay, or whence every man may take a Bible. Therefore have ſo many ſad and ſober men amongſt them, repented, that in the Councell of Trent, they came to a finall reſolution in ſo many particulars; becauſe how incommodious ſoever ſome of thoſe particulars may prove to them, yet they are bound to ſome neceſſity of a defence, or to ſome aſperſion if they forſake ſuch things as have been ſolemnly reſolved in that manner.
Therefore it was a prudent, and diſcreet abſtinence in them, to forbeare the determination of ſome things, which have then, and ſince, falne into agitation amongſt them. Be pleaſed to take one in the Councell, and one after for all. Long time it had, and then it did, and ſtill it doth, perplex the Conſciences of penitents that come to Confeſſion, and the underſtandings of Confeſſors, who are to give Abſolution, how far the ſecular Lawes of temporall Princes binde the Conſcience of the Subject, and when, and in what caſes, he is bound to confeſſe it as a ſin, who hath violated and tranſgreſſed any of thoſe Lawes; And herein, ſayes an Author of theirs, who hath written learnedly De legibus, Carbo.of the hand and obligation of Lawes, The Pope was ſolicited and ſupplicated from the Councell, in which it was debated, that he would be pleaſed to come to a Determination; but becauſe he ſaw it was more advantage to him, to hold it undetermined, that ſo he might ſerve others turnes, and his own eſpecially, it remains undetermined, and no Confeſſor is able to un-entangle the Conſcience of his penitent yet. So alſo in another point, of as great conſequence, (at leaſt for the peace of the Church, if not for the profit) which is, thoſe differences, which have ariſen between the Jeſuits and the Dominicans, about the concurrence of the Grace of God, and the free will of man, Though both ſides have come to that vehemence, that violence, that virulency, as to call one anothers opinion hereticall, (which is a word that cuts deepe, and ſhould not be paſſionately uſed) yet he will not be brought to a deciſion, to a determination in the point, but onelyonly forbids both ſides to write at all in that point; and in that inhibition of his, we ſee how he ſuffers himſelfe to be deluded, for ſtill they write with proteſtation, that they write not to advance either opinion, but onelyonly to prepare the way againſt ſuch time, as the Pope ſhall be pleaſed to take off that inhibition, and reſtore them to their liberty of writing; for this way hath one of their laſt Authors, Arriba, taken to vent himſelfe. In a word, if they ſhould ſubmit themſelves to try all points and caſes of Conſcience by Scripture, that were to governe by a knowne, and conſtant Law; but as they have imagined a Monarchy in their Church, ſo have they a prerogative in their Monarchy, a ſecret judgement in one breaſt, however, he who gives them all their power, make this proteſtation, Si quo minus, If it were not thus, and thus, I would have told you ſo.
So then this propoſition in our Text falls firſt upon them, who doe not beleeve All things to be contained in the Scriptures; And it falls alſo upon them, who doe not beleeve All perſons to be intended in the Scriptures, who ſeeme to be concerned therein. The firſt ſort diſhonor God in his Scriptures, in that kinde, That there is not enough in the Scriptures for any mans ſalvation; And the other in this kinde, That that that is, is not intended, as it is pretended, not in that largeneſſe and generality, as it is propoſed, but that God hath ſet a little Diamond in a great deale of gold, a narrow purpoſe in large promiſes; and thereupon they impute to God (in their manner of expreſſing themſelves) Dolos bonos, and Fraudes pias, holy deceits, holy falſhoods, holy illuſions, and circumventions, and over-good husbands of Gods large and bountifull Grace, contract his generall promiſes. I diſpute not, but I am glad to heare the Apoſtle ſay,Rom. 5.14. That as all were dead, ſo one dyed for all; and to put the force of his argument there, in that, That except we can ſay, That one dyed for all, we cannot ſay, that all were dead. I argue not, but I am glad to heare another Apoſtle ſay,1 Joh. 2.2. That Chriſt is the propitiation for the ſinnes of all the world; for if any man had been left out, how ſhould I have come in?
I am not exerciſed, nor would I exerciſe theſe Auditories with curioſities, but I heare the Apoſtle ſay,Rom. 14.11. 1 Cor. 8.11. Deſtroy not him with thy meat for whom Chriſt dyed; And I heare him ſay, Through thy knowledge may thy weake brother periſh, for whom Chriſt dyed: and, me thinks, he meanes, That though they might be deſtroyed, though they might periſh, yet Chriſt dyed for them. OnelyOnly to deliver God from all aſperſions, and to defend particular Conſciences from being ſcandalized with dangerous phraſes, and in a pious deteſtation of thoſe impious Doli, and Fraudes, holy deceits, holy falſhoods, I onelyonly ſay, God forbid, that when our Saviour Chriſt called the Phariſee hypocrite, that Phariſee ſhould have been able to recriminate that upon Chriſt, and to have ſaid, So are you, for you pretend to offer ſalvation where you meane it not: God forbid, that when Chriſt had made that the mark of a true Iſraelite in the perſon of Nathaniel, In quo non eſt dolus, In whom there is no deceit, Joh. 1.47.any man ſhould have been able to have ſaid to Chriſt, Then Nathaniel is a better Iſraelite then you, for you pretend to offer ſalvation, where you meane it not.Pſal. 35.3. David hath joyned thoſe two words together, The words of their mouth, are Iniquity and Deceit; If there be Deceit, there is Iniquity too. Our Saviour hath joyned all theſe together,Mar. 7.22. Adulteries, Murders, Blaſphemies, and Deceit; where there is Deceit, all miſchiefe is juſtly preſumed. The Apoſtle S. Paul diſcharges himſelfe of nothing with more earneſtneſſe then that,2 Cor. 12.16. Acts 13.10. Have I deceived you? have I circumvented you with fraud? Neither doth he charge him, whom he calls, The childe of the Devill, Elymas the ſorcerer, farther then ſo, O plene omni dolo, That he was full of all Deceit. And therefore they that thinke to gild and enamell deceit, and falſhood, with the additions of good deceit, good falſhood, before they will make deceit good, will make God bad: For, even in the Law, an action De Dolo, will not lie againſt a Father, nor againſt a Maſter, and ſhall we emplead God De Dolo?
In the laſt forraine Synod, which our Divines aſſiſted, with what a bleſſed ſobriety, they delivered their ſentence,Art. 2. ad Theſ. 3. That all men are truly, and in earneſt called to eternall life, by Gods Miniſter; And that whatſoever is promiſed or offered out of the Goſpel by the Miniſter, is to the ſame men, and in the ſame manner promiſed and offered by the Author of the Goſpel, by God himſelfe. They knew whoſe breaſts they had ſucked; and that that Church,Art. …. our Church had declared, That we muſt receive Gods promiſes ſo, as they be generally ſet forth to us in the Scriptures; And that for our actions and manners, for our life and converſation, we follow that will of God, which is expreſly declared to us in his Word: And that is, That conditionall ſalvation is ſo far offered to every man, as that no man may preclude himſelfe from a poſſibility of ſuch a performance of thoſe Conditions which God requires at his hands, as God will accept at his hands, if either he doe ſincerely endevour the performing, or ſincerely repent the not performing of them. For all this is fayrly implyed in this propoſition, Si quo minus, If it were not ſo, I would have told you; That all that is neceſſary to ſalvation, is comprehended in the Scriptures, which was our firſt branch; And then, That all that is in the Scriptures, is intended ſo as it is propoſed, which was our ſecond; And theſe two conſtitute our firſt part, The generall Rule of Doctrines, and farther we enlarge not that part, but deſcend to the other, The particular Doctrine, which Chriſt gives to his Diſciples, in the other Propoſition, In domo patris, In my Fathers houſe there are many Manſions.
This ſecond part,2 Part. you may alſo be pleaſed to remember, derives it ſelfe into two branches; firſt to inquire, whether this propoſition aſſiſt that Doctrine of Diſparity and Degrees of Glory in the Saints in heaven; And then the right uſe which is to be made of the right ſenſe of theſe words, In domo patris, In my Fathers houſe there are many Manſions. The occaſion of the words will be the foundation of all; Our Saviour Chriſt had ſaid to his Diſciples in the Chapter before,Ver. 33. That he was to ſtay with them but a little while; That when he was gone, they ſhould ſeeke him, and not finde him; And that whither he went, they could not follow: And when, upon that, Peter, who was alwayes forwardeſt,Ver. 36. and ſooneſt ſcandalized, had preſſed him with that queſtion, Lord, whither goeſt thou? and received that anſwer, whither I goe, thou canſt not follow me now, but hereafter thou ſhalt follow me, leſt the reſt of the Diſciples, who were troubled with that which was formerly ſaid, ſhould be more affected with this, to heare that Peter ſhould come, whither none of them might, to eſtabliſh them all, as well as Peter, he ſayes to them all, in the firſt verſe of this Chapter, Let not your hearts be troubled, for, (And here enters this propoſition of our Text, for their generall eſtabliſhment) In my Fathers houſe are many Manſions. So that, that theſe are words of Conſolation is certaine, but whether the conſolation be placed in the diſparity, and difference of degrees of Glory in Heaven, or no, is not ſo certaine.
That there are degrees of Glory in the Saints in heaven, ſcarce any ever denied.Non negatur. Heaven is a Kingdome, and Chriſt a King, and a popular parity agrees not with that State, with a Monarchy. Heaven is a Church, and Chriſt a High-Prieſt, and ſuch a parity agrees as ill with the Triumphant, as with the Militant Church. In the Primitive Church Iovinian denied this difference, and degrees of glory; and S. Hierome was ſo incenſed, ſo inflamed for this, as if foundations had beene ſhaken, and the common cauſe endangered. Indeed it was thus farre the common cauſe, that all the Fathers followed this chaſe, (if wee may uſe that Metaphor) and were never at a default: No one of the Fathers, whom I have obſerved to touch upon this point, did ever deny this difference of degrees of Glory. And therefore, as in the Primitive Church, when that one man Iovinian, came to deny it, S. Hierome was vehement upon him, ſo when in the Reformation, one man (for I never found more then that one, one Schoufeldius) denies it too, I wonder the leſſe,Gerard. that another (of the Reformation alſo) growes ſomewhat ſharpe towards him.
We deny not then this difference of degrees of glory in Heaven; But that frame,Modus in Eccleſ. Rom. negatur. and that ſcale of theſe degrees, which they have ſet up in the Romane Church, we do deny. We muſt continue, and returne often to that complaint againſt them, That they ſhake and endanger things neere foundations, by their enormous ſuper-edifications, by their incommodious upper-buildings: That many things, which might bee well enough accepted, and would bee agreed by all, become juſtly ſuſpicious, and really dangerous to the Church, by their manifold conſequences which they ſuper-induce upon them: That many things, which in the ſincerity of their beginning, and inſtitution, were pious, and conduced to the exaltation of Devotion, by their additions are become impious, and deſtroy Devotion ſo farre, as to divert it upon a wrong object. In this point which we have in hand, it is ſo; In theſe degrees of glory in Heaven, That Church, which treads all ſoveraigne Crownes in this world, under her feet, pretends to impart, and diſtribute Crownes in Heaven alſo of her owne making: Wee find Coronam auream, a Crowne of gold upon the head of that Sonne of Man, who is alſo the Sonne of God, Chriſt Jeſus,Revel. 14.14. in the Revelation. And wee find Coronas aureas, particular Crownes of gold, upon the heads of all the Saints that ſtand about the Throne, in the ſame Booke. And theſe Crownes upon the Saints are the emanations, and effluences of that Crowne which is upon Chriſt; The glory of the Saints is the communication of his glory. But then, becauſe in their Tranſlation, in the vulgat Edition of the Roman Church,Exod. 25.25. they find in Exodus that word Aureolam, Facies Coronam aureolam, Thou ſhalt make a leſſer Crowne of gold; out of this diminutive, and miſtaken word, they have eſtabliſhed a Doctrine, that beſides thoſe Coronae aureae, Thoſe Crownes of gold, which are communicated to all the Saints from the Crown of Chriſt, ſome Saints have made to themſelves, and produced out of their owne extraordinary merits certaine Aureolas, certaine leſſer Crownes of their own, whereas indeed the word in the Originall in that place of Exodus is Zer zehab, which is a Crowne of gold, without any intimation of any ſuch leſſer crownes growing out of themſelves. This then is their new Alchymy; that whereas old Alchymiſts pretend to make gold of courſer Metals, theſe will make it of Nothing; Out of a ſuppoſititious word, which is not in the Text, they have hammered and beat out theſe Aureolas, theſe leſſer crownes. And theſe Aureolaes they aſcribe onelyonly to three ſorts of perſons, to Virgins, to Martyrs, to Doctors.
Are then all the other Saints without Crowns? They muſt make ſhift with that beame which they have from the Crowne of Chriſt; for, for theſe additionall crownes proceeding from themſelves, they have none. And yet, ſay they, there are Saints which have ſome additions growing out of themſelves, though not Aureolas, little crownes, and thoſe they call Fructus, peculiar fruits growing out of themſelves; And for theſe fruits they diſtraine upon that place of Matthew, where Chriſt ſaith,Matt. 13.6. That ſome brought forth fruit a hundred fold, ſome ſixty, and ſome thirty; And the greater meaſure they aſcribe to Virgins, the ſixty to Widowes, and the thirty to Maried perſons, but onelyonly ſuch maried perſons, as have lived continently in mariage. So then, to make this Riddle of theirs as plaine as the matter will admit, They place ſalvation it ſelfe, Bleſſedneſſe it ſelfe, (if a man will be content with that.) in that union with God, which is common to all the Saints: But then they conceive certaine Dotes, as they call them, certaine diſpoſitions in this life, by which ſome have made themſelves fitter to be united to God, in a nearer diſtance then an ordinary Saint; And theſe Dotes, theſe endowments, and diſpoſitions here, produce thoſe Aureolas, and thoſe Fructus, thoſe leſſer crownes, and thoſe meaſures of fruits, which are a particular Joy, not that they are united to God, (for ſo every Saint is) but that they had thoſe Dotes, thoſe diſpoſitions to take that particular way of being united to God, The way of Virginity, the way of Martydome, and the way of Preaching; for by this, they become Sancti Majores, as they call them, Saints in favor, Saints in office, and fitter to receive our petitions, and mediate between God and us, then thoſe whom they call Mediocres, and Inferiores, Saints of a middle forme, or of an inferiour ranke. Yet theſe are ſo farre provided for, by them too, that wee muſt pray alſo to theſe Inferiour Saints, either becauſe I may have had a more particular intereſt in this life in that Saint, then in a greater, and ſo the readineſſe, and the aſſiduity of that Saint may recompence his want of power, Or elſe, Ad tollendum faſtidium, leſt a great Saint ſhould grow weary of me, if I trouble him every day, and for every trifle in heaven; And ſome other ſuch reaſons, it pleaſes them to aſſigne, why though ſome Saints have more power with God then others, yet we are bound to pray to all.
And thus they play with Divinity, as though after they had troubled all States with politicall Divinity, with their Bulls, and Breves of Rebus ſic ſtantibus, That as long as things ſtood thus, this ſhould be Catholique Doctrine, and otherwiſe, when otherwiſe, And in this politicall Divinity, Machiavel is their Pope; And after they had perplexed underſtandings with Philoſophicall Divinity in the Schoole, and in that Divinity, Ariſtotle is their Pope; They thought themſelves in courteſie, or conſcience bound, to recreate the world with Poeticall Divinity, with ſuch a Heaven, and ſuch a Hell as would ſtand in their Verſes, and in this Divinity, Virgill is their Pope. And ſo, as Melancthon ſaid, when he furthered the Edition of the Alcoran, that hee would have it printed, Vt videamus quale poema ſit, That the world might ſee what a piece of Poetry the Alcoran was; So I have ſtopped upon this point, that you might ſee what a piece of Poetry they have made of this Problematicall point of Divinity, The diſparity, and degrees of Glory in the Saints in Heaven.
Be this then thus ſettled;Non liquet ex Scripturis. In the matter, The difference of degrees of Glory, we will not differ; In the manner, we would not differ ſo, as to induce a Schiſme, if they would handle ſuch points Problematically, and no farther. But when upon matter of fact they will induce matter of faith, when they will extend Problematicall Divinity to Dogmaticall, when they will argue and conclude thus, It may be thus, therefore it muſt be thus, A man may be ſaved, though he beleeve this, therefore he cannot be ſaved except hee beleeve this, when (in this point in hand) out of our acknowledgement of theſe degrees of Glory in the Saints they will eſtabliſh the Doctrine of Merits, and of Invocation of Saints, then wee muſt neceſſarily call them to the Rule of all Doctrines, the Scriptures. When they tell us Hiſtorically, and upon a Hiſtoricall Obligation, and for a Hiſtoricall certitude, that Peter was at Rome, and that hee was Biſhop of Rome, we are not ſo froward as to deny them that: But when upon his Hiſtoricall and perſonall being at Rome, they will build that mother Article, of an univerſall Supremacy over all the Church, then we muſt neceſſarily call them to the Rule, to the Scriptures, and to require them to prove both his being there, and his being Biſhop there, by the Scriptures, and either of theſe would trouble them; As it would trouble them, in our preſent caſe, to aſſigne evident places of Scripture, for theſe degrees of Glory in the Saints of Heaven. For though we be far from denying the Conſentaneum eſt, That it is reaſonable it ſhould be, and likely it is ſo, and farre from denying the Piè creditur, That it may advance Devotion, and exalt Induſtry to beleeve that it is ſo, Though we acknowledge a poſſibility, a probability, a very ſimilitude, a very truth, and thus farre a neceſſary truth, that our endevours may flagge and ſlacken, except we doe embrace that helpe, that there are degrees of Glory in Heaven, yet if wee ſhall preſſe for places of Scriptures, ſo evident, as muſt conſtitute an Article of faith, there are perchance none to be found, to which very learned, and very reverend Expoſitors have not given convenient Interpretations, without inducing any ſuch neceſſity.
At leaſt,Minus ex hee Taxtu. however other places of Scripture may ſeeme to contribute more, this propoſition of our text, In my Fathers houſe are many manſions (though it have beene applyed to the proofe of that) hath no inclination, no inclinableneſſe that way. For in this text, our Saviour applies himſelfe to his Diſciples, in that wherein they needed comfort, That Chriſt would go away, That they might not goe too, That Peter had got a Non-obſtante, He might, and they might not, and Chriſt gives them that comfort, that all might, In my Fathers houſe are many manſions. 1 Tim. 3.16.When the Apoſtle preſents a great part of our Chriſtian Religion together, ſo as that he cals it a Myſterie, and a great myſterie, yet he cals it a myſterie without controverſie; Without controverſie great is the myſterie of God manifeſted in the fleſh, juſtified in the Spirit, preached to the Gentiles, beleeved in the world, received into glory. When he preſents matter of conſolation, he would have it without controverſie; To eſtabliſh a diſconſolate ſoule, there is alwaies Divinity enough, that was never drawne into Controverſie. I would pray? I finde the Spirit of God to diſpoſe my heart, and my tongue, and mine eyes, and hands, and knees to pray; Doe I doubt to whom I ſhould pray? To God, or to the Saints? That prayer to God alone was ſufficient, was never drawne into controverſie. I would have ſomething to rely and ſettle and eſtabliſh my aſſurance upon; Doe I doubt whether upon Chriſt, or mine owne, or others merits? That to rely upon Chriſt alone was ſufficient, was never drawne into Controverſie. At this time, Chriſt diſpoſed himſelfe to comfort his Diſciples in that wherein they needed comfort; now their diſcomfort, and their feare lay not in this, whether there were different degrees of glory in Heaven, but their feare was, that Chriſt being gone, and having taken Peter, and none but him, there ſhould be no roome for them, and thereupon Chriſt ſayes, Let not that trouble you, for, In my Fathers houſe are many manſions. And ſo we have done with the former branch of this laſt part, That it is piouſly done to beleeve theſe degrees of glory in Heaven; That they have inconſiderately extended this probleme in the Roman Church, That no Scriptures are ſo evident as to induce a neceſſity in it, That this Scripture conduces not at all to it; and therefore we paſſe to our laſt Conſideration, The right uſe of the right ſenſe of theſe words.
Firſt then, Chriſt propoſes in theſe words Conſolation; A worke,Conſolatio. then which none is more divine, nor more proper to God, nor to thoſe inſtruments, whom he ſends to worke upon the ſoules and conſciences of others. Who but my ſelfe can conceive the ſweetneſſe of that ſalutation, when the Spirit of God ſayes to me in a morning, Go forth to day and preach, and preach conſolation, preach peace, preach mercy, And ſpare my people, ſpare that people whom I have redeemed with my precious Blood, and be not angry with them for ever; Do not wound them, doe not grinde them, do not aſtoniſh them with the bitterneſſe, with the heavineſſe, with the ſharpneſſe, with the conſternation of my judgements. David propoſes to himſelfe, that he would Sing of mercy, Pſal. 101.1.and of judgement; but it is of mercy firſt; and not of judgement at all, otherwiſe then it will come into a ſong, as joy and conſolation is compatible with it. It hath falne into diſputation, and admitted argument, whether ever God inflicted puniſhments by his good Angels; But that the good Angels, the miniſteriall Angels of the Church, are properly his inſtruments, for conveying mercy, peace, conſolation, never fell into queſtion, never admitted oppoſition.
How heartily God ſeemes to utter, and how delightfully to inſiſt upon that, which he ſayes in Eſay, Conſolamini, conſolamini populum meum, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, Eſay 40.1.And Loquimini ad cor, Speake to the heart of Ieruſalem, and tell her, Thine iniquities are pardoned? How glad Chriſt ſeemes that he had it for him, when he gives the ſick man that comfort, Fili confide, My ſon be of good comfort, thy ſins are forgiven thee? What a Coronation is our taking of Orders, by which God makes us a Royall Prieſthood? And what an inthronization is the comming up into a Pulpit, where God inveſts his ſervants with his Ordinance, as with a Cloud, and then preſſes that Cloud with a Vaeſi non, woe be unto thee, if thou doe not preach, and then enables him to preach peace, mercy, conſolation, to the whole Congregation. That God ſhould appeare in a Cloud, upon the Mercy Seat, as he promiſes Moſes he will doe, That from ſo poore a man as ſtands here,Levit. 16.2. wrapped up in clouds of infirmity, and in clouds of iniquity, God ſhould drop, raine, poure downe his dew, and ſweeten that dew with his honey, and cruſt that honied dew into Manna, and multiply that Manna into Gomers, and fill thoſe Gomers every day, and give every particular man his Gomer, give every ſoule in the Congregation, conſolation by me; That when I call to God for grace here, God ſhould give me grace for grace, Grace in a power to derive grace upon others, and that this Oyle, this Balſamum ſhould flow to the hem of the garment, even upon them that ſtand under me; That when mine eyes looke up to Heaven, the eyes of all ſhould looke up upon me, and God ſhould open my mouth, to give them meat in due ſeaſon; That I ſhould not onelyonly be able to ſay, as Chriſt ſaid to that poore ſoule, Confide fili, My ſon be of good comfort, but Fratres & Patres mei, My Brethren, and my Fathers, nay Domini mei, and Rex meus, My Lords, and my King be of good comfort, your ſins are forgiven you; That God ſhould ſeale to me that Patent, Ite praedicate omni Creaturae, Goe and preach the Goſpell to every Creature, be that creature what he will, That if God lead me into a Congregation, as into his Arke, where there are but eight ſoules, but a few diſpoſed to a ſenſe of his mercies, and all the reſt (as in the Arke) ignobler creatures, and of brutall natures and affections, That if I finde a licentious Goat, a ſupplanting Fox, an uſurious Wolfe, an ambitious Lion, yet to that creature, to every creature I ſhould preach the Goſpel of peace and conſolation, and offer theſe creatures a Metamorphoſis, a transformation, a new Creation in Chriſt Jeſus, and thereby make my Goat, and my Fox, and my Wolfe, and my Lion, to become Semen Dei, The ſeed of God, and Filium Dei, The child of God, and Participem Divinae Naturae, Partaker of the Divine Nature it ſelfe; This is that which Chriſt is eſſentially in himſelfe, This is that which miniſterially and inſtrumentally he hath committed to me, to ſhed his conſolation upon you, upon you all; Not as his Almoner to drop his conſolation upon one ſoule, nor as his Treaſurer to iſſue his conſolation to a whole Congregation, but as his Ophir, as his Indies, to derive his gold, his precious conſolation upon the King himſelfe.
What would a good Judge, a good natured Judge give in his Circuit, what would you, in whoſe breaſts the Judgements of the Star-chamber, or other criminall Courts are, give, that you had a warrant from the King, to change the ſentence of blood into a pardon, where you found a Delinquent penitent? How rufully do we heare the Prophets groane under that Onus viſionis, which they repeat ſo often, O the burden of my viſion upon Judah, or upon Moab, or Damaſcus, or Babylon, or any place? Which is not only that that judgement would be a heavy burden upon that place, but that it was a heavy burden to them to denounce that judgement, even upon Gods enemies. Our errand, our joy, our Crowne is Conſolation: for, if we conſider the three Perſons of the holy, bleſſed and glorious Trinity, and their working upon us, a third part of their worke (if we may ſo ſpeake) is conſolation; the Father is Power, the Son Wiſdome, and the Holy Ghoſt Conſolation: for the Holy Ghoſt is not in a Vulture, that hovers over Armies, and infected Cities, and feeds upon carcaſſes, But the Holy Ghoſt is in a Dove, that would not make a Congregation a ſlaughter-houſe, but feeds upon corne, corne that hath in nature a diſpoſition to a reviviſcence, and a repullulation, and would imprint in you al, the conſolation and ſenſe of a poſſibility of returning to a new, and a better life. God found me nothing, and of that nothing made me; Adam left me worſe then God found me, worſe then nothing, the child of wrath, corrupted with the leaven of Originall ſin; Chriſt Jeſus found me worſe then Adam left me, not onelyonly ſowred with Originall, but ſpotted, and gangrened, and dead, and buried, and putrified in actual and habitual ſins, and yet in that ſtate redeemed me; And I make my ſelfe worſe then Chriſt found me, and in an inordinate dejection of ſpirit, conceive a jealouſie and ſuſpition, that his merit concernes not me, that his blood extends not to my ſin; And in this laſt and worſt ſtate, the Holy Ghoſt finds me, the Spirit of Conſolation, And he ſends a Barnabas, a ſon of Conſolation unto me, A Barnabas to my ſick bed ſide, A Phyſitian that comforts with hopes, and meanes of health, A Barnabas to my broken fortune, A potent and a loving friend, that aſſiſts the reparation, and the eſtabliſhing of my ſtate, A Barnabas into the Pulpit, that reſtores and rectifies my conſcience, and ſcatters, and diſpels all thoſe clouds that inveſted it, and infeſted it before. That un-imaginable worke of the Creation were not ready for a Sabbath, though I be a Creature, and a man, I could have no Sabbath, no reſt, no peace of conſcience; That un-expreſſible worke of the Redemption were not ready for that Seale, which our Saviour ſet to it upon the Croſſe, in the Conſummatum eſt; All were not finiſhed that concerned me, if the Holy Ghoſt were not ready to deliver that which Chriſt ſealed, and to witneſſe that which were ſo delivered, that that Spirit might ever teſtifie to my ſpirit, That all that Chriſt Jeſus ſaid, and did, and ſuffered, was ſaid, and done, and ſuffered for my ſoule. Conſolation is not all, if we conſider God, but if I conſider my ſelfe, and my ſtate, Conſolation is all.
Chriſts meaning then in this place, was to eſtabliſh in his Diſciples this Conſolation;Conſolatio vera. but thus, Si quo minus, If it were not thus, I would tell you; If this were not true conſolation, I would not delude you, I would not entertaine you with falſe: for he is Deus omnium miſerationum, The God of all mercies, and yet he will not ſhew mercy to them, who ſin upon preſumption; So he is Deus omnium Conſolationum, The God of all Comforts, and yet will not comfort them, who rely upon the falſe, and miſerable comforts of this world. How many, how very many of us doe otherwiſe? Otherwiſe to others, otherwiſe to our own Conſciences? Delude all with falſe Comforts? They would not ſuffer Chriſt himſelfe to ſleepe upon a pillow in a ſtorme, but they waked him with that, Maſter, careſt not thou, though we periſh? When will we wake any Maſter,Mar. 4.38. any upon whom we depend, and ſay, Maſter, careſt not thou, though thou periſh? We ſuffer others, whom we ſhould inſtruct, and we ſuffer our ſelves to paſſe on to the laſt gaſpe, and we never rebuke our Conſciences, till our Conſciences rebuke us at laſt, Alas, it is otherwiſe, and you never told us.
Chriſt comforts then, he diſputes not, that is not his way; He miniſters true comfort,Domus. he flatters not, that is not his way; And in this true comfort, the firſt beame is, That that ſtate which he promiſes them is a Houſe, In my Fathers Houſe, &c. God hath a progreſſe houſe, a removing houſe here upon earth, His houſe of prayer; At this houre, God enters into as many of theſe houſes, as are opened for his ſervice at this houre: But his ſtanding houſe, his houſe of glory, is that in Heaven, and that he promiſes them. God himſelfe dwelt in Tents in this world, and he gives them a Houſe in Heaven. A Houſe, in the deſigne and ſurvay whereof, the Holy Ghoſt himſelfe is figurative, the Fathers wanton, and the School-men wilde. The Holy Ghoſt, in deſcribing this Houſe,Rev. 21. fills our contemplation with foundations, and walls, and gates, of gold, of precious ſtones, and all materialls, that we can call precious. The Holy Ghoſt is figurative; And the Fathers are wanton in their ſpirituall elegancies, ſuch as that of S. Auguſtins, (if that booke be his) Hiems horrens, Aeſtas torrens, And, Virent prata, vernant ſata, and ſuch other harmonious, and melodious, and mellifluous cadences of theſe waters of life. But the School-men are wild; for as one Author, who is afraid of admitting too great a hollowneſſe in the Earth,Munſter. leſt then the Earth might not be ſaid to be ſolid, pronounces that Hell cannot poſſibly be above three thouſand miles in compaſſe, (and then one of the torments of Hell will be the throng, for their bodies muſt be there, in their dimenſions, as well as their ſoules) ſo when the School-men come to meaſure this houſe in heaven, (as they will meaſure it, and the Maſter, God, and all his Attributes, and tell us how Allmighty, and how Infinite he is) they pronounce, that every ſoule in that houſe ſhall have more roome to it ſelfe, then all this world is. We know not that; nor ſee we that the conſolation lyes in that; we reſt in this, that it is a Houſe, It hath a foundation, no Earth-quake ſhall ſhake it, It hath walls, no Artillery ſhall batter it, It hath a roofe, no tempeſt ſhall pierce it. It is a houſe that affords ſecurity, and that is one beame; And it is Domus patris, His Fathers houſe, a houſe in which he hath intereſt, and that is another beame of his Conſolation.
It was his Fathers, and ſo his; And his, and ſo ours;Patris. for we are not joynt purchaſers of Heaven with the Saints, but we are co-heires with Chriſt Jeſus. We have not a place there, becauſe they have done more then enough for themſelves, but becauſe he hath done enough for them and us too. By death we are gathered to our Fathers in nature; and by death, through his mercy, gathered to his Father alſo. Where we ſhall have a full ſatisfaction, in that wherein S. Philip placed all ſatisfaction, Oſtende nobis patrem, Lord, ſhew us thy Father, and it is enough. We ſhall ſee his Father, and ſee him made ours in him.
And then a third beame of this Conſolation is, That in this houſe of his Fathers,Manſiones. thus by him made ours, there are Manſions; In which word, the Conſolation is not placed, (I doe not ſay, that there is not truth in it) but the Conſolation is not placed in this, That ſome of theſe Manſions are below, ſome above ſtaires, ſome better ſeated, better lighted, better vaulted, better fretted, better furniſhed then others; but onelyonly in this, That they are Manſions; which word, in the Originall, and Latin, and our Language, ſignifies a Remaining, and denotes the perpetuity, the everlaſtingneſſe of that ſtate. A ſtate but of one Day, becauſe no Night ſhall over-take, or determine it, but ſuch a Day, as is not of a thouſand yeares, which is the longeſt meaſure in the Scriptures, but of a thouſand millions of millions of generations:Auguſt. Qui nec praeceditur heſterno, nec excluditur craſtino, A day that hath no pridie, nor poſtridie, yeſterday doth not uſher it in, nor to morrow ſhall not drive it out. Methuſalem, with all his hundreds of yeares, was but a Muſhrome of a nights growth, to this day, And all the foure Monarchies, with all their thouſands of yeares, And all the powerfull Kings, and all the beautifull Queenes of this world, were but as a bed of flowers, ſome gathered at ſix, ſome at ſeaven, ſome at eight, All in one Morning, in reſpect of this Day. In all the two thouſand yeares of Nature, before the Law given by Moſes, And the two thouſand yeares of Law, before the Goſpel given by Chriſt, And the two thouſand of Grace, which are running now, (of which laſt houre we have heard three quarters ſtrike, more then fifteen hundred of this laſt two thouſand ſpent) In all this ſix thouſand, and in all thoſe, which God may be pleaſed to adde, In domo patris, In this Houſe of his Fathers, there was never heard quarter clock to ſtrike, never ſeen minute glaſſe to turne. No time leſſe then it ſelfe would ſerve to expreſſe this time, which is intended in this word Manſions; which is alſo exalted with another beame, that they are Multa, In my Fathers Houſe there are many Manſions.
In this Circumſtance,Multa. an Eſſentiall, a Subſtantiall Circumſtance, we would conſider the joy of our ſociety, and converſation in heaven, ſince ſociety and converſation is one great element and ingredient into the joy, which we have in this world. We ſhall have an aſſociation with Chriſt himſelfe; for where he is, it is his promiſe, that we alſo ſhall be. We ſhall have an aſſociation with the Angels, and ſuch a one, as we ſhall be ſuch as they. We ſhall have an aſſociation with the Saints, and not onelyonly ſo, to be ſuch as they, but to be they:Mat. 8.11. And with all who come from the Eaſt, and from the Weſt, and from the North, and from the South, and ſit down with Abraham, and Iſaac, and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven. Where we ſhall be ſo far from being enemies to one another, as that we ſhall not be ſtrangers to one another: And ſo far from envying one another, as that all that every one hath, ſhall be every others poſſeſſion: where all ſoules ſhall be ſo intirely knit together, as if all were but one ſoule, and God ſo intirely knit to every ſoule, as if there were as many Gods as ſoules.
Be comforted then, ſayes Chriſt to them, for This, which is a Houſe, and not a Ship, not ſubject to ſtormes by the way, nor wrecks in the end, My Fathers Houſe, not a ſtrangers, in whom I had no intereſt, A Houſe of Manſions, a dwelling, not a ſojourning, And of many Manſions not an Abridgement, a Modell of a Houſe, not a Monaſtery of many Cells, but an extenſion of many Houſes, into the City of the living God, This houſe ſhall be yours, though I depart from you. Chriſt is nearer us, when we behold him with the eyes of faith in Heaven, then when we ſeeke him in a piece of bread, or in a ſacramentall box here. Drive him not away from thee, by wrangling and diſputing how he is preſent with thee; unneceſſary doubts of his preſence may induce fearfull aſſurances of his abſence: The beſt determination of the Reall preſence is to be ſure, that thou be really preſent with him, by an aſcending faith: Make ſure thine own Reall preſence, and doubt not of his: Thou art not the farther from him, by his being gone thither before thee.
No, nor though Peter be gone thither before thee neither, which was the other point, in which the Apoſtles needed conſolation; They were troubled that Chriſt would goe, and none of them, and troubled that Peter might goe, and none but he. What men ſoever God take into heaven before thee, though thy Father that ſhould give thee thy education, though thy Paſtor that ſhould give thee thy inſtruction, though theſe men may be ſuch in the ſtate, and ſuch in the Church, as thou mayeſt thinke the Church and ſtate cannot ſubſiſt without them, Diſcourage not thy ſelfe, neither admit a jealouſie or ſuſpition of the providence and good purpoſe of God; for, as God hath his panier full of Manna, and of Quailes, and can powre out to morrow, though he have powred them out plentifully upon his friends before; ſo God hath his Quiver full of arrows, and can ſhoot as powerfully, as heretofore, upon his Enemies. I forbid thee not S. Pauls wiſh, Cupio diſſolvi, To deſire to be diſſolved, therefore, that thou mayeſt be with Chriſt; I forbid thee not Davids ſigh, Hei mihi, Woe is me that I muſt dwell ſo long with them that love not peace! I onelyonly enjoyne thee thy Saviours Veruntamen, Yet not mine, but thy will, O Father, be done; That all thy wiſhes may have relation to his purpoſes, and all thy prayers may be inanimated with that, Lord manifeſt thy will unto me, and conforme my will unto thine. So ſhalt thou not be afrighted, as though God aymed at thee, when he ſhoots about the marke, and thou ſeeſt a thouſand fall at thy right hand, and ten thouſand at thy left; Nor diſcouraged as though God had left out thee, when thou ſeeſt him take others into garriſon, and leave thee in the field, aſſume others to Triumph, and leave thee in the Battell ſtill. For as Chriſt Jeſus would have come down from heaven, to have dyed for thee, though there had been no ſoule to have been ſaved but thine; So is he gone up to heaven, to prepare a place for thee, though all the ſoules in this world were to be ſaved as well as thine. Trouble not thy ſelfe with dignity, and priority, and precedency in Heaven, for Conſolation and Devotion conſiſt not in that, and thou wilt be the leſſe troubled with dignity, and priority, and precedency in this world, for Reſt and Quietneſſe conſiſt not in that.