CHAr.;.4. 63© ForatTrance of faluation haue recoµde to thy fanEhfi cation. A Com eatarie vpon Me unto the beginnings of fellowfh p withGod, wrh the Saints of God, to a perpetual' Sabbath or ref} f:o:n (Lune, and a con(lant and cheerefull performing before him all the parrs of his worlhi? and ffruiceboth publikeand private : becaufe in theperfeóhon of thefe , coufsfleththe heauenly life ofthe Saints. But how vnweicorneis our counfell? it fee- meth to feeke their torment before their time. Howmany be there that cannot abide the leaf} (hewof heauenly life in themfelues ? how many fcorne it in others ? and how many who thinke it more neceffarie then utterly toneglea it, yet are content to call the careof it into their lall aecounrs, as ifthey were loth to bee fauedbefore they be dead, or as if they would leape into the pert-eel libercie of the fonnesof God at one iumpe? But let it be wellremembred, that hee that is not faced before death, (hall neuer be faced after death; and that he that findeth not hea- uen vpon earth, loofeth it for euer. The Apofile maketh two degreesof the vihon of God : the former is as in a mirrors- or glaffe, and that is here vpon earth, in the word, Sacraments, and meanes of his wor- fhippe; the latter isfacetoface , in heauen when the kingdome in re- gard of chefemeanes (hall be giuen vp to theFather : andconcludeth, that we mull knowe in parr, beforewe can coupe to knoweas we are known e. Vfe. a. Whofoeuer would haue affuranceoffaluation , let him haue recourfe to his fan6hfication,and change ofhis heart and life:doefl thou finde that the word bath beene powerful! to fur,due thy rebellion, and frame thy foule to a fan6lifiedcondit ion,and thy outward man toan ho- lyconuerfation in part? herds an affurance and Peale offaluation, vpon which thou maifl ground goodhopes p for this fmallmeafure of fanélifi- cation is an earnedpennie,confirming all the bargaine and couenant of God with:thee: and it (hall get daily (irength and encreafe vntil it bring thee to meete God in that celefliall Sion, where (hall be no faintneffe:. but where all the remainders offinne, and rellickes of corruption and mortalicie (hall be put off. In this regard,is the worke ofour fan6lifica- tion called thefi jlfrsoits of the fpirit: becaufe as the offering of thefiat fruits was the fauéttfication of the whole field; fo there firfi fruits ofour fan&ification give affured hope of the full glorification of the whole man both in foule and bodie. This bicífed change is calledalto the ffrft ,refurreïiion, which whofoeuer hach part in,haue alreadie efcaped the fe- conddeath.It contraéleth theChriflian foule as apure fpoufe veto Iefus Chrifl, fo as it may withboldneffe and much reioycingexpeáì the ma- riage ofthe lanibe. Where come to bee controlled chofe blind hopes of prefumptuous men; they areperfwaded oftheir faluationandas fure as anyman caribe by
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=