Sermons, Sermon 1
THE FIRST SERMON.
II. COR. CHAP. V.
verse 1 For we know, that if our earthly houſe of this tabernacle bee deſtroyed, wee hauehave a building giuen of GOD, that is, an houſe not made with handes, but eternall in the Heauens:
verse 2 For therefore wee ſigh, deſiring to bee clothed with our houſe, which is from Heauen.
verse 3 Becauſe that if we bee clothed, wee ſhall not be found naked:
verse 4 For indeede, we that are in this tabernacle, ſigh, and are burthened becauſe we would not be vnclothed, but woulde bee clothed vponupon, that mortalitie might be ſwallowed vp of life.
IN the Chapter immediatlie going before, the Apoſtle Paul hath bene ſpeaking of the afflictions that hee ſuffered in his owne perſon▪ and hath declared, that there was two things that helde him vp in thoſe afflictions, the one thing preſent, the other thing to come. The thing preſent, the power of God, the life of Ieſus, this held him vp in ſuch ſort (ſaith hee) that when he was dying vnderunder affliction in the bodie, yet the life of Ieſus was manifeſt in him, & he was liuing in ſoule: and the more his bodie was decaying & wearing away, the more the inner-man, that ſpirituall life that floweth from Chriſt, grew and was renewed. Woe to that man that dieth altogether! thou muſt die, and this bodie and life muſt bee ſeparated, the▪ bodie muſt goe to duſt, but looke that ſoule and bodie goe not together: looke that as thou findeſt the bodie and life naturall to decay, ſo thou finde that ſpirituall life that floweth from the Lord of life, to grow, or elſe of neceſſitie thou muſt hauehave a woefull departure. This is the thing preſent that helde him vp. Another thing, and greater, which was not preſent, but to come, helde him vp vnderunder a…l the afflictions that were laide vponupon him, which hee vttereth in th…ſe words, The momentanean lightneſſe of affliction worketh vntounto vsus an euerlaſting weight of glorie that paſſeth in excellencie. Theſe are the wordes of the Apoſtle, wherein hee woulde learne vsus, that after all theſe afflictions are done and ended, there abydeth a glorie after this life, that paſſeth in infinite degrees aboue all the afflictions that euer came to man in this life.
Will yee looke to the nature of the afflictions, Firſt, they are light, that is one propertie: then they laſt but for a moment, that is another property: the weight of them is light▪ the time of their during is but a moment: but the glorie (marke euerie word of the Apoſtle) the glorie (ſaith he) paſſeth in excellencie. It is not onlie excellent, but i… excelleth in excellencie, excellent aboue excellencie, an heape aboue an help, mounting vp to an infinite heape. Then looke to the weight thereof, it is not light▪ but it is heauie: the afflictions were as light as a fether, or as the winde, in compariſon of this glorie, but the glorie is heauie and weightie, a weight of glorie that paſſeth in excellencie, this is the firſt propertie. Then looke to the time, the afflictions were but for a moment. And if thou ſhouldeſt liue a thouſand yeeres, and bee afflicted as manie yeeres (for all thy dayes, and thy beſt dayes, if thou ſhouldeſt liue neuer ſo well, …re but dayes of affliction) all the thouſand yeeres are but a moment in reſpect of that eternitie that followeth. Then let your eye be euer vponupon eternitie of joy, or eternity of pain, eternity either of torment or of reſt. Affliction is but for a moment, this glorie that paſſeth in excellencie is eternall in time. Loe, how great things are ſpoken in few words! A glorie paſsing in weight & eternitie. And when he hath tould you all that he can, he hath not attained to the thouſand part of the greatneſſe of that glorie: neuer man thought of it as it is, nor it could neuer enter into the heart of man that excellent glorie that is prepared for them that louelove God, 1. Cor. 2. 9. When he hath ſet down theſe two points in ye end of the chap. preceeding, he goeth forward, a…d hee ſheweth what he is doing in the meane time whilſt he getteth this excellent glory. Learne to doe as he is doing, hee ſaith, Mine eyes are not vponupon the worlde, my looke is not ſet vponupon theſe viſible things, which mē hauehave ſo great pleaſure into; but mine eyes are lifted vp, & I am looking to thinges inuiſible, that the mortall eye of man cannot ſee, becauſe al theſe things viſible are but temporall, & wil decay. If it were a kingdom, and thou begin to reſt or repoſe vpō it▪ it will decay, and thou ſhalt fall downe together with it, and periſh euerlaſtinglie: But the things inuiſible are eternal, and he who leaneth & repoſeth thereon, ſhall get eternitie. Looke to the condition of thoſe thinges whereupon thou repoſeſt in this world: for if they bee thinges heauenlie, ſpirituall and eternall, thou ſhalt be heauenlie, ſpirituall and eternall: And as euer thou wouldeſt wiſh to ſee that glorie, looke that thine eye be ſet thereon in this earth, looke that thine eye bee mounted vp aboue all theſe earthlie things, & that thou keepe the heauenly things in thy ſight: forget them not, for if thou die and they bee out of thy ſight, thou ſhalt neuer ſee them: Take ple…ſure to looke to that excellent glorie, and thou ſhalt obtaine it, otherwiſe not.
Now I come to the text: I ſhall let you ſee the diſpoſition of the Apoſtle, and what he eſteemeth of this life preſent, whereof we account ſo much, and whereupon our hearts & mindes are ſo ſet to keepe it: All our terrour is for the parting of the ſoule from the body: looke to Paul what he doth, and behold his diſpoſition, either in life or death: Brethren, wee hauehave the more neede to take heede to theſe things, becauſe wee ſhall all be put to the proofe, happie is hee that can bee prepared! The Apoſtle hauing ſpoken this, that his eye was ſet on that heauenlie glorie; it might hauehave beene ſaide, thou ſetteſt thine eye vponupon a life aboue: but take heed Paul, thou ſhalt die in the meane time, is not life and death two contraries? thou muſt die, and that bodie of thine muſt bee diſſolued: lookeſt thou euer to riſe agine? thinkeſt thou anie other thing but to be diſappointed of life? lookeſt thou that that bodie of thine, beeing diſſolued in duſt, ſhall riſe againe to glorie? This is a ſore temptation, and ſundrie thinketh after this maner. The Apoſtle anſwereth, We know that if our earthlie houſe of this tabernacle be diſſolued, we hauehave a building giuen of God, an houſe not made with handes, but eternall in the heauens. Learne a leſſon here: Ye ſee while a man is looking to heauen, he will not be without temptation, no not Paul himſelfe, nor none other man nor woman, that hauehave their conuerſation in heauen: And the ſpecial temptation of him who wold faine hauehave life, is death, and the dreadfull ſight of death, and death is euer in his eye: Hee was neuer borne but death will tempt him, death wil be terrible to fleſh and blood, and when hee is looking vp to that light and glorie in heauen, it will come in betwixt his eye and the ſight of heauen, as it were a terrible blacke cloude, and ſometime will ſunder him and that ſight of Heauen. As when a man is looking vp to the Sunne, a cloude will come, euen ſuddenlie, and take the ſight of the Sunne from him: Euen ſo, when a man is looking vp to the Sunne of righteouſnes, CHRIST IESVS, that cloude of death will come in▪ and catch the ſight of CHRIST from him. This is our eſtate here, & there is none acquainted with Heauenlie things, but hee will find this in experience, as PAVL did. But what is the remedie? In the firſt word of the Text that we hauehave read he ſ…ieth, Wee knowe, and wee are aſſured, for the worde importeth a full aſſurance, and faith, and a full perſwaſion. Then the remedie againſt this temptation of death is onelie Faith, a full perſwaſion, and light in the minde of the knowledge of the glorie of GOD in the face of CHRIST, with a gryping and apprehenſion thereof: this is the onelie remedie. The man that lyeth in ignorance, and hath not this knowledge, hee is oppreſſed by death. So euer ſeeke, and ſeeke earneſtlie for light, CHRIST is light: and let your pleaſure bee in light, for death is darkeneſſe, and ſmoothe…th the ſoule, except it bee lightned with this light that comme…h from the face of IESVS. But to bee more ſpeciall, what light and knowledge muſt this bee? what aſſurance muſt this be? Thou muſt knowe and bee aſſured, not that thou wilt bee free from death: naye, beguile not thy ſelfe, die thou muſt, and therefore reſolue thy ſelfe to die: ſo it muſt not be ſuch an aſſurance as to be perſwaded that thou ſhalt not die, opponing thy ſelf to death, ſaying, I wil not die, & I ſhal not die. Then what aſſurance & knowledge muſt this be? Euer this, that after I am dead I ſhall riſe againe to life. It is true, O death, thou ſhalt ceaſe vponupon my bodie, and thou ſhalt not leaue it till it bee diſſolued into duſt, but when thou haſt gotten this body diſſolued, I ſhall recouer a new glorious bodie. There is the meeting of this temptation, aſſure thy ſelfe of life after death. Seeke this aſſurance, and labour to pierce, with the eye of Faith thorow the clouds of temptation, to ſee that life in Chriſt, which is hid vp aboue thoſe cloudes. Seeke that eye of Faith, to pierce in through thoſe cloudes, to ſhew thee that life and the Sunne of righteouſnes, Chriſt Ieſus. Nowe, the wordes would be weighed particularly: and firſt, marke a deſcription of this death, and of the temptations that woulde ſeparate thee from that life eternall. The words are theſe, If our earthly houſe of this tabernacle be diſſolued. Then what is death? a diſſolution and looſing of a thing that was joyned together, a diſſoluing and ſcattering of the partes of it: it is not an vtter deſtruction of it, the thing that it diſſolueth, it deſtroyeth not vtterlie: It lyeth not in the handes of death to deſtroye the thing it diſſolueth, it may well looſe it and caſt it aſunder, but it cannot deſtroye it. Then death is a diſſolution, and not a deſtruction: a diſſoluing, whereof? not of the ſoule, it lieth not in the power of death to looſe thy ſoule or ſunder the parts thereof, thou haſt that aduantage: Death will diſſolue and looſe thine houſe the lodging that thou dwelleſt in, that is, this bodie which clotheth thy ſoule: Thou art termed by thy ſoule, and the ſoule properlie maketh a man to be a man, it is ye chiefe part of man, and the bodie is called the lodging of the ſoule, and the ſoule dwelleth in it as in an houſe: So death is the diſſolution of the bodie, of the houſe▪ which it looſeth into powder: yea, it wil looſe all the members and parts of the houſe. O! but marke, when it commeth to powder and aſſhes, it lieth not in the handes of death to deſtroy the powder and aſhes of the bodie, but that powder and aſhes in deſpite of death will be gathered and ſet together in a more glorious forme of bodie than euer it was before. Yet looke howe the Apoſtle deſcribeth this houſe: Firſt from the matter, ſecondlie from the forme thereof: As for the matter, he calleth it our earthlie houſe. This bodie is but claye, euen a lumpe of that claye and earth whereupon thou goeſt, eſteeme of it as thou wilt: yee ſee the matter of this bodie is vile and contemptible: as for the forme thereof, it is an houſe, not an houſe that hath a foundation, or builded on a ground-ſtone, but a tabernacle and flitting tent: it is ſet down here to day, tomorrow taken vp, and ſet downe in another place: thy body is a pauilion, that men tranſport hither and thither as they pleaſe. Then thou ſeeſt that thy bodie is a thing litle worth, whether thou looke to the matter whereof it is made (of the earth) or to the form thereof, an vnſtable tent or pauilion. Now marke this well, brethren, who ſpeaketh this? it is Paul: how ſpeaketh he it? by faith: ſpeaketh the bodie this? no: what then? the ſoule that dwelleth in the bodie, as in a lodging ſpeaketh it. The ſoule is ſpeaking of the bodie, the faithfull ſoule of Paul is ſpeaking of his fraile bodie. Then learne how little faith counteth of death: Learne alſo how little the faithfull ſoule counteth of the body, yea▪ euen then when it is dwelling in the bodie, it will lightlie the lodging thereof: it will call it a lumpe of claye, a tabernacle, a tent, a fraile houſe: it will count no more thereof, than a glorious king will count of a cottage, he hauing manie faire palaces. We'l, brethren, it is faith that doth this, it is not the ſoule alone that can count ſo lightlie of death, or of the fraile body: if thou haſt onelyonly the ſoule in the bodie, and want this faith, the ſoule will thinke the bodie ſweet to dwell in: It is faith, and the faithfull ſoule that doeth the turne: and there is not a better argument than this, to ſee if thy ſoule bee faithfull or not. Looke what eſtimation thou haſt of thy bodie and carcaſſe, what account thou makeſt thereof, I ſaye to thee, if thou haſt thy chiefe pleaſure in eſteeming of thy body, decking and feeding it, following thine appetite, wallowing in the luſt thereof, if thou liueſt in ſuch eſtimation of thy body, I ſay, thou haſt a faithleſſe ſoule remaining within thy bodie. Woe to that faithleſſe man, that hath none other pleaſure, not can gripe nor ſeek to none other thing but to the pleaſing of that fleſhly body, without regarde of the precious ſoule: alas! in pleaſuring thy bodie, thou loſeſt thy ſoule, thou makeſt thy bodie thy Heauen, and thou teſtifieſt plainly that thou wanteſt that light and ſenſe of that Heauenly bodie, which ſhall be after this life. Thus farre for the deſcription of the death of the body, which is the houſe of the ſoule, learning vsus to eſteeme of the ſoule and body, as they are indeed, and that not with a fleſhly ſenſe, but with the Spirituall eyes of Faith.
Nowe wee come to the life that is contrarie to death. There is two partes of man, his ſoule and bodie: this glorie, of the which wee ſpeake, is not the glorie of the ſoule onelyonly, but the glorie of the bodie likewiſe, a glorie belonging both to ſoule and bodie. Wee (ſaieth hee) ſhall get a building, not a ſillie houſe, as this earthly body was, but a faire building. Hee calleth the body, which wee hauehave preſently, an houſe: but the body which we ſhall get, hee termeth it a building: Thou gotteſt this bodie from nature, that other is aboue nature: nature cannot giuegive thee that other bodie, GOD ſhall giuegive thee it aboue nature, and againſt nature. What building is this? It is an houſe, not builded with the hands of men, it is builded with GODS owne hand: the LORD immediatelie with his owne hand builded vp this building. The former houſe of this body was vnſtable, and had no abiding, for this body paſſeth away: but this ſecond building is an houſe that ſhall neuer fall nor ſlit, but ſhall be eternall: When thou ſhalt get this building, thou ſhalt not need to be afraid for the diſſolution thereof, it ſhall neuer be diſſolued. Where ſhall this building be builded? men regard much ſituation in building: this houſe in the which we dwel here, it is builded in the earth, and it is a tabernacle pitched ſomtimes in this place, & ſomtimes in that place, but the ſituatiō of this building ſhall bee in the Heauen: for I aſſure thee, when a man is once glorified, & entereth into that glorie, hee ſhall no more returne to the earth. The earth cannot beare a glorified perſon. Chriſt beeing glorified, coulde not abide in the earth, but He went to that glorious manſion in the Heauens. Thou ſhalt no ſooner bee glorified, but thou ſhalt mount vp to Heauen as CHRIST did. Well then, there is the glorie, and there is no worde heere, but it aggregeth that paſſing glorie. Euerie worde l…tteth vsus ſee the greatneſſe of that glorie, and yet it is not all tolde. Nay, Paul cannot tell thee all the glorie that ſhall bee in the glorified bodie, he hath giuen but a little inckling of it. It is but a building whereof hee telleth thee: Yet marke, Who is this that ſpeaketh this? It is Paul. How ſpeaketh he it? by faith. Is it his mouth that ſpeaketh it? no: it is the ſoule that lodgeth in the bodie, that falleth out in the extolling of that building that it ſhall dwell in. As a ſillie man, in a cottage, appointed to glorye ſhoulde ſaye, I am nowe ſitting in a ſillie houſe, but I ſhall once ſit in a glorious Palace. So marke, Faith will cauſe the ſoule mount vp aboue the bodie, and whilſt the ſoule is in the bodie, Faith and Hope will lift it vp, and put it (in a maner) into Heauen. Therefore this ſame Paul ſaith in the third Chapt. to the Phillip. & the 30 verſ. By Faith and Hope hee had his conuerſation in Heauen, while hee was yet dwelling on the earth. Get therefore Faith and Hope, that entereth thee into the poſſeſſiō of that glorie, and before the ſoule bee ſeuered from the bodie, they will (in a maner) put thee in poſſeſſion thereof. It is the too-looke to heauen that maketh the ſoule of Paul to rejoyce in this glorie. The cottager that hath not a too-looke to a better houſe, is a foole to deſpiſe his cottage, but hee that hath a too-looke to a better, who can blame him to deſpiſe this cottage? I will tell thee my counſell, before thou diſlodge out of this bodie, for as fraile as it is, be aſſured of a better, goe not out of the houſe doore, except thou knowe that thou ſhalt enter into a glorious houſe. I aſſure thee if thou bee not prouided for a better houſe, and hauehave not Faith and Hope of a better than that which thou lodgeſt in, thou ſhalt enter in a worſe, thou ſhalt get that bodie againe which was euill before, but then it ſhall bee a thouſande times worſe: for the ſoule ſhall bee ſhot into that bodie againe, and then thou ſhalt be ſhot both ſoule and bodie into that foule dungeon of Hell. So, brethren, looke for a glorious building, & thou that eſteemeſt not of this bodie, bee carefull for a better. A vaine prodigall man will caſt his ſoule out of this bodie, and in the meane time will not bee prouided for a better lodging thereto. Hee is not eſteemed a man in theſe dayes, that wil not hazard and caſt out his life for an euill cauſe and quarell. Truſteſt thou that that ſoule of thine ſhall get any better lodging hereafter, and thou not prouided thereof by Faith and Hope here? nay, nay. O bleſſed is that man that dieth in a good cauſe! And what better cauſe can be than Chriſtes cauſe, who is the God of life? Aſſure thee, thou that wilt die for Chriſts cauſe, thou ſhalt get a building in Heauen: thou that takeſt no care of this life for Chriſts cauſe, death ſhall be aduantage to thee. The Lord graunt vsus a too-looking to that Heauenlie building, & an aſſurance of that Heauenlie life. Thus much for the aſſurance that Paule hath, that hee ſhall dwell in Heauen.
Nowe in the verſe following, learne howe hee groundeth this aſſurance, and what warrande hee hath for him: Faith is not a word, as to ſay, (I belieue) and Hope is not a word, as to ſay, (I hope) Nay, but thou muſt hauehave a warrand of thy ſaluation in this life or elſe I aſſure thee, in the Name of GOD, thou ſhalt neuer get Heauen: It is a ſtraite way to come to Heauen, and it is wondrous hard to get the aſſurance of it: It is no ſmall matter to get an aſſurance of life euerlaſting after death. Then looke what warrandes this man PAVLE had, that thou mayeſt preaſſe to hauehave the like. The firſt grounde of his aſſurance is in this ſeconde verſe, For this cauſe (ſaieth hee) wee ſigh, deſiring to bee clothed, to put on, as it were, a garment: Wherewith? With our houſe which is from Heaven. Theſe are his wordes. Then his firſt warrande and ground of his aſſurance is a deſire of that ſame glory. What ſort of deſire? An earreſt deſire, with ſighing and ſobbing: not a colde deſire, but day and night crying and ſobbing for life. Thinkeſt thou ſo eaſily to get Heauen, that canſt neuer ſay earneſtly in thine heart, GOD giuegive mee that Heauenly life: no, thou wilt bee diſappointed: It is the violent that entreth into Heauen, Matth. 11. 12. as yee will ſee a man violentlie thruſt in at a doore. Thou that wouldeſt goe to Heauen, make thee for thronging thorowe till all thy gut…es bee almoſte thruſt out. Paule, in the eight chapter to the Romanes. and the 22. and 23. verſes, vſeth theſe argumentes againſt thoſe wicked men that cannot ſigh for Heauen: Firſt, hee taketh his argument from the elementes, the ſenſeleſſe and dumbe reatures, which ſobbe and grone for the reuelation of the ſonnes of GOD, and trauell for that time, as a woman in her birt… ▪ O miſerable man! The earth ſhall condemne thee, the …loore thou ſitteſt on is ſighing, and woulde faine hauehave that carcaſſe of thine to Heauen: The waters, the aire, the heauens, all ſighing for that laſt deliuerance: the glorie appertaineth to thee, and yet thou art laughing: Alas! what ſhall betide thee? The other argument hee taketh from the ſighing of men, who hauehave gotten the Spirit of GOD: We alſo (ſaith he) who hauehave the firſt fruites of the Spirit, euen wee doe ſigh in our ſelues, waiting for the adoption, euen the redemption of our bodie. Thou that haſt not gotten the Spirit ſhalt neuer ſigh for Heauen: fleſh and blood will neuer ſhed one teare for Heauen. It muſt onelyonly bee the Spirite of IESVS, that muſt fetch vp the ſigh out of the heart, and the teare in the eye, Roman. 8. 26. So hee taketh his argument from them who hauehave gotten a ſenſe of the Spirit of GOD, and redemption of the body to prooue the certainty of that Heauenly Kingdome and glory. Nowe, there cannot bee a ſurer argument to vsus that euer wee ſhall obtaine glory, than this ſighing in heart for it, and this earneſt deſire thereof. If thou find thine heart deſirous of glory, a ſure argument thou ſhalt bee partaker of glory. It is ſaide, Bleſſed are they that hunger and thirſt for righteouſnes, for they ſhall be filled, Matth. 5. 6. Seekeſt thou for CHRISTES righteouſneſſe and thy glorie, aſſure thee thou ſhalt get a ſweete filling. Marke it, I ſaye to thee, thou haſt not onlie through this earneſt deſire of glorie, an aſſurance that thou ſhalt reigne in glorie, but (looke to your experience) that deſire is not ſo ſoone begun of that life and glorie, but ſo ſoone alſo the ſoule of the faithfull beginneth to riſe with joye. Who euer yet was hee that gaue a ſigh from his heart, raiſed vp by the Spirite of Chriſt, that felt not with that ſigh a joye in his heart? Learne it by your experience. This letteth vsus ſee, that the deſire and thirſt of glory putteth vsus in preſent poſſeſſion of a part of glorie. Ere thou come to it deſire it earneſtly, and I promiſe thee, in the Name of the Father, thou ſhalt be preſently put in poſſeſſion of a part of that Heauenly inheritance. It is true thou ſhalt not get it al here, yet there is none other Heauen after this life, but that Heauen which thou getteſt begunne in thee in this life. Alwayes, looke euer for that joye that is by ſight: There are two ioyes, the one by ſight, the other by faith, 2. Cor. 5. 6. The ioye by faith is in our pilgrimage in this life: The ioy by ſight is after this life, when with our eyes wee ſhall ſee Chriſt: The ioy by faith is to looke to Chriſt a far of, and yet wee reioyce, and louelove Him that is farre abſent, 1. Pet. 1. 8. Faith hath a ioye that it enioyeth, by ſpeaking and thinking: Sight hath the ioye that it enioyeth by preſence: The ioye of the eye great in quantitie, and the fulneſſe of ioye: The ioye of faith not ſo great, for it is the ioye of a pilgrime, not as yet come to his home. The ioye of the ſight is when wee ſhall ſee our glorious Lord, face to face, whom we ſee only now by faith. 1 Cor 13 12. This is the fulnes of ioy. The ioy of Faith, which induring our pilgrimage, is not ſo full. O how great ſhal be the ioy at the perfect ſeeing of Chriſt! Thinke never to have the ioy by ſight after this life, except in this life thou have the ioy by faith, as the earneſt-penny of the other, & except by Faith thou once get a ioy before thou depart from this life, thou ſhalt never ſee the face of Chriſt, nor have ioy in him. So brethren, it is a good thing to have that deſire of Heaven: Sigh and ſob, and deſire with Paul for Heaven: for it is a Charter & Evidence of thine everlaſting inheritance: & never earthly lord had a ſurer charter of his land, than thou that haſt a deſire of heaven, haſt of thine inheritāce in heaven: for theſe earthly evidences of land are without thē in their kiſts but this evidence of thine is written & ingraffed in thine hart. Now, when extremity is threatned, it is time to ſeek thy warrands of this heavēly in heritance: this preſent country is good forthee, & the beſt country that ever thou ſhalt ſee, except thou find this warrand of ſighing, and deſire for that heavēly inheritāce. And therfore let ſcorners & mockers ſcorn as they wil, the children of God muſt powre forth tears: And this is it that y• Lord hath bene deſiring theſe many days paſt, he hath benegently drawing out of us this ſenſe, but now He beginneth to preſſe it out of us, that our eyes might burſt out in teares: and thou that canſt not ſob, and deſire in theſe miſerable dayes to bee diſſolved, thou haſt no true matter of ioy. Woe bee to them that have none heart to ſigh for the troubles of Chriſts Church, but are ever ready to execute iudgement againſt Gods ſervants when the Lord is viſiting them. Well, the Lord ſhall wring out teares out of them in His wrath, that will not ſob in the time of the danger and trouble of His Church. Then what is it that Pavle ſigheth for? And what deſireth he? Hee deſireth a new cloathing to bee put one above as a cloathing that is, he would keep this ſame body in ſubſtance, and caſt off this filthy garment of ſinand death, & put on that glorious ſhape of the body of Chriſt. The reaſon is ſet down, For when the Lord ſhal cloath us, we ſhall not be found naked. So this body ſhall remaine in ſubſtance but O the glory and immortality of it! Mark the natur of the lodging which we ſhall receive, it ſhal not be another body in ſubſtance, than this body which we have heer in earth. The ſame body in ſubſtance wee ſhall have in heaven, which we have heer. Heerein onelyonly is the difference, this body is vile, it is mortall, full of ſinne and wickedneſſe, unglorious, ignominious, full of corruption, weak infirm, But when this body ſhall be changed in heaven, it ſhall not be changed in ſubſtance, but in qualitie Paul. 1 Cor. 15. 42. 43. 44. Saith, The bodie is ſawn in corruption, and is raiſed againe in incorruption, and is raiſed againe in incorruption: it is ſowne in diſhonour, and is raiſed in glorie: it is ſowne in weakeneſſe, and is raiſed in power: (The weakeſt bodie in Heauen, ſhall be ſtronger than the ſtrongeſt man in earth) Then (ſaieth hee) it is ſowne a naturall bodie, and is raiſed a ſpirituall bodie. So the change is in qualitie, and therefore he ſaith to the Philippians, chap. 3. verſ. 21. When CHRIST commeth, Hee ſhall transforme (not aboliſh, but tranſforme) in qualitie, our vile bodies like to His owne glorious body. Chriſt keepeth in ye Heauen that ſame very body which he had in the earth, & thou ſhalt keep the ſame bodie in Heauē, which thou haſt in earth, but it ſhall be altered in qualitie, as far as ye Heauē & earth is different. Brethrē, this miniſtreth comfort: there is none of vsus, but naturally we louelove this body: then let this comfort thee, that ſuppoſe thy ſoule ſhall bee for a time without this bodie, yet thou ſhalt get it again. Another comfort: death cannot deſtroy it, the graue ſhall not bee able to ſwallow vp that body, but the graue ſhal keep it, & the duſt & ſubſtance thereof till the comming of Chriſt, & then it ſhall be compelled to render it againe. Life ſhall ſwallow vp death, but death (nor the graue) ſhall not be able to ſwallow vp the bodie of God… Elect: But the reprobate ſhall be ſwallowed vp of death, both in ſoule & bodie. In the 8. chap. to the ROMANES, the 10. and 11. verſes, Paul miniſtreth theſe two conſolations againſt death, Hee ſaieth, The bodie must die, becauſe of ſinne: but hee ſubjoyneth, The ſoule in the meane time ſhall liue: and the Spirit of Ieſus ſhall take it & couer it with that blood: And albeit it was a ſinfull ſoule, yet aſſoone as the Father blinketh vponupon it, wimpled and wrapped, as it were, in the blood of Ieſus, immediately hee biddeth it paſſe to glorie. He goeth forward: And where it might hauehave bene ſaid, shall we hauehave no conſolation in the body? He anſwereth, If the Spirite of Him that raiſed Ieſus from the dead, dwell in your mortall body: what then? He, that is, GOD the Father, that raiſed vp Chriſt from the dead, He, by His Spirit, ſhall raiſe your bodies: that ſame body that is dead and laid in graue, that ſame body, by Gods Spirit (for the Spirit of Ieſus, and the Spirite of the Father is all one) ſhall be raiſed vp Learne then, if this holy Spirit of God once take lodging in you, He ſhall neuer leaue you in ſoule nor body, He ſhal accompanie the body in the graue, and conuoy the ſoule to Heauen: The Spirit of Ieſus ſhall goe with ye ſoule, & lift it vp: The earth getteth the body, when the ſoule is ſeparated from it, yet the Holy Spirit ſhall goe to the graue with the body, and ſhall remain with it in the graue, and with the leaſt part of the duſt thereof: And when Chriſt ſhall come, He ſhall gather it together, and make it a whole body. So, happy are they that hauehave once lodged this gueſt in their ſoules: for, neither fire nor water, nor none other power, euer ſhall bee able to deſtroy them, becauſe that Holy Spirit euer remaineth with thē. Now in the next verſe, becauſe it might hauehave bene ſaid and objected, Thou wouldſt not want the bodie▪ why ſigheſt thou then? and what meaneth this deſire, if thou wouldſt keepe the body? Wee (the faithfull) that are in this tabernacle, we ſigh, & are burthened, (but marke our deſire) becauſe wee would not be vnclothed, (as ſome will ſay, Soule to God, and bones to the dung-hill, in contempt of the body: but thinkeſt thou to be glorified in Heauē, without a body? No) but would be clothed vponupon, that mortalitie might bee ſwallowed vp of Life. As if hee would ſay, I wold hauehave this faire cloke of glory put vponupon this body, that it might conſume and ſwallow vp all this ſtinke of ſinne that is in the body. Learne then firſt, the body as it is now is a burthen. Hee ſaieth, Wee that are in this tabernacle ſigh, and are burthened: It is a loade laide vponupon the backe of the ſoule, it is a tabernacle, but a burthenable tabernacle, as an houſe ſmoothering him down, and he holding the ſame vponupon his ſhoulders, that appearantly it would be better for him to bee out of it. Learne ſecondly the eſtate of them that dwell in this tabernacle: If the body be a burthen, then the ſoule muſt ſigh & grone as a man vnderunder a heauie burthen: And the body is nothing but an houſe of mourning to the faithfull ſoule, as long as it dwelleth therein: The wanton light man thinketh this body which he beareth about, to bee no burthen, and will run and leape with it, as though this carcaſſe were as light as a fether: Alas! hee feeleth duplicate page duplicate page not the burthen, hee is ſenſeleſſe, and like one in a feuer, and in a rage, that knoweth not what hee doeth, nor what hee ſuffereth: A mountaine is lying vponupon him, and hee feeleth it not. Woe to thoſe men that are ſo wanton vnderunder this miſerie! Amend in time or the LORD ſh…ll thruſt thee downe to Hell. Fye on thee, that dwelleſt in Bethania, the houſe of mourning & canſt not mourn: Mourne in time, or elſe I aſſure thee, thou ſhalt mourne for euer. This beeing the condition of men who dwell in this tabernacle, ſighing and deſiring, as a wom…n with childe, to bee relieued, what is the ende of this deſire? The ende of the mourning of the Godlie, is not that they woulde bee quite of the houſe, as manie deſire, that were wrong: for manie will mourne vnderunder this houſe deſperatelie, and the bodie will bee a burthen to the ſoule in them, and their life will be vnpleaſant to them: they will thinke to get a reliefe of the burthen by the want of this preſent life, and will put hand in themſelues: but then beginneth their euerlaſting mourning, for they neuer knew what mourning was till that end come. So then, this is not the way to bee deliuered of the burthen, but the way is, To ſeeke to put on a cloathing on this bodie, and heere is the ende of our deſire. It is clothed with mortalitie, and that is all the matter of thy mourning: It is not the ſubſtance of the bodie that cauſeth thee to mourne, but ſinne, that poſſeſſeth thy bodie, and corrupteth the marowe of thy bones, death accompanying ſinne. Then this mortalitie beeing an accident of ſinne, which is the chiefe cauſe thereof: the remedie is, Seeke to bee cloathed with the life that commeth from Chriſt: Sucke in, by Faith, a droppe of that life of Chriſt. This will not deſtroy thy bodie, but it will deſtroy the death & ſinne that poſſeſſeth thy bodie. And the life of Ieſus Chriſt in a moment wil ſwallowe vp all that death and ſinne, and all that miſerie that laye on thee: There is the way to dwell with eaſe in the bodie: Seeke not to deſtroy the bodie, But ſeeke the ſlaughter of that ſinne and death that lieth vponupon thy bodie, otherwiſe ſoule and bodie both ſhall periſh, the houſe ſhall fall downe, and the man that lodged in the houſe ſhall bee deſtroyed.
Remember then, Life and Death are not matters to bee ſcorned withall, they are not wordes, nay, nay: Thinke grauelie of them, and before thy ſoule bee diſlodged, looke that thou bee prepared for a better life: Looke that thou finde the LORD of Life CHRIST IESVS by His Spirit working the death of mortalitie in thee, and the beginning of the Life that ſhall laſt for euer. The LORD by His Spirit worke theſe thinges in your heartes. To whom bee all Praiſe, Honour, and Glorie, for euer and euer,
AMEN.