interpreters have thought good to express this by the word impassible, signifying an impossibility of feeling any more hunger, cold, thirst, sorrow, and the like; in brief, not capable of suffering any more; for at first, sin brought in corruption, but then all sin being abolished, corruption, and all things thereunto belonging, must needs cease.

(2.) He says it is sown in dishonour, and is raised in glory. Thus we see how loathsome a dead body is generally to all, yea, even that of our dearest friends; we cannot then endure to see it. Some may say this is but passion for friends which causes this. I grant, but yet generally there is an hatred naturally in all to look upon a dead body. Ay, but then it shall be a glorious body, a bright, shining body, as Mat. xiii. 43, Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.'

We see here how things of great splendour do affect and move us, as the heat and light of the sun, and the glory of the heavens, the moon and stars, and the like. Consider, then, how glorious thou shalt be, to shine as the sun in the firmament, yea, as the sun when he riseth in his might.

(3.) So again, these bodies, though lame, dismembered, disfigured, abortive, or what you will of the like kind, shall rise again without all deformities, caused either through want and defect of nature, or time; and therefore the apostle, though he say, 'it is sown in weakness,' yet he adds, 'it is raised in power,' strong with the qualities and necessities thereunto. (4.) So also, lastly, the apostle unto the power addeth agility, nimbleness, spiritualness. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body;' subtile as it were, like a spirit, not unable by lumpish heaviness to move upwards, but being uncapable of anything pressing downwards; a glorious body, not clogged with mortality; and the soul, no more imprisoned, then is swift, nimble, and spiritual. Not that I say it shall not then keep the bodily dimensions, to be a body truly, for it shall do so still, but by reason of alteration of qualities, swiftness and agility, so it shall be a spiritual body. And if the glory of the body shall be such, what think you shall be that exceeding glory of the soul?

A taste hereof we have set forth, 1 John iii. 2: For we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.' What can be more? And, Phil. iii. 20, the apostle says, 'But our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.' May some say, This is soon said; how shall this be done? He answers, By that mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. If he hath power over all things, then hath he power to bring to pass this also.

4. Now we want but the time, how long. What can be said of eternity? Think what we can, this is ever beyond the reach of all our thoughts, only I may say thereof as it is Ps. lxxxiv. 10. If the prophet David did make so great account of one day, in the sanctuary upon earth, that he had rather be one day in God's court, as a door-keeper, than be a thousand otherwhere, or dwell in the tents of wickedness,' what shall it be to be not one day in the court of heaven; for even but one day were a great happiness to be there; but to be there for ever, out of all time! For then, the angel in the Revelation, Time shall cease, and be no more,' Rev. x. 6. What is time, but the measure of motion, which, once ceasing, time shall cease also, and we shall have eternal rest. As no minute of time shall ever be that shall give any release to the torments of the damned, so shall there never again be any time which shall give the least intermission to the

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joys of the elect. Oh, where are our hearts? How should they be lift up to hear of these things; what should we leave undone that may be done, once at last, to have life eternal? Now I come to

The uses. 1. If this, then, as is proved, be the only calling that we are called unto, unto glory and virtue, let us labour to acknowledge the excellency of the calling of God, and set a due price upon the same. Why stagger we herein? We are full of false fears, and discouragements, because we hear that all that will live godly in this world shall suffer persecution,' 2 Tim. iii. 12; therefore we give back, and are shamefully dismayed; and yet what lose we by this suffering? for, saith the apostle, 'If we suffer with him, we shall reign with him,' 2 Tim. ii. 12. Is not, then, the reigning beyond the suffering? Oh but if it were to suffer only, it were somewhat! But herein we must war and fight. Oh but it is for a kingdom; would we be crowned and not fight? and in fight would we have no enemies? Ay, but we may be overcome in the fight. No, but we are sure to overcome. Who would not then fight? God, when he calls us to conquer, then he conquers for us, and he conquers in us; and, as it is Rom. viii. 37, 'We are more than conquerors in him.'

No man, we know, how base soever, even the greatest coward that may be, but he would fight, if he were sure to overcome. What cowards then are we. Every one of us would be reputed stout and valiant; where, then, is our valour, whenas every barking of a dog, as I may so call them, or every touch of a fly, makes us deny our master? Oh, the shame of our profession; what is this temporising but to draw to lukewarmness, and so to denial, that we are ashamed in this or that company for these and these causes of our profession! Well, remember, if we deny him, he will deny us; if we be ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of us, Mat. x. 33. In this case, what shall, what can we answer him at that great day?

But if nothing in the excellency of this great calling will encourage us to war thus, yet let glory do it. 'Called to glory,' as it is Heb. xii. 2. Set glory before thy eyes, this or nothing will make thee go on. Look at Christ Jesus, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of God.' This will encourage thee to go on; and if thou so run that thou mayest obtain, so shalt thou in time be.

This is that which formerly hath been taught us out of the former chapter, Heb. xi. 10. Of all those famous champions, what made them hold out so in all their troubles and crosses but this, that they look at 'a better city, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God?' Here, therefore, stir up your fainting spirits to despise these base things you so delight in here, and look at glory; and to stir you up a little thereunto, give me leave to tell you a story which may help you to see what base delights we rejoice so in.

It is written of Cæsar that, travelling in his journey through a certain city, as he passed along, he saw the women for the most playing with monkeys and parrots, at which sight, thinking it strange, he said, What, have they no children to play with? So, I say, it is a base thing for us to be so toying* with these worldly delights, as though we had no better things to look to, when we are carried away with fair buildings, rich household stuff, riches, high birth, and the like; what are all these but monkeys and parrots unto this glory?

I confess, in themselves they are good things, but when these put Christ * That is, 'trifling'-G.

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out of doors, and take up your heart so as we think most of them, then all is not well. Nay, even in the church, how are our hearts carried away from better things? When we see one with a better fashioned gown than we, one with a better plume, oh our hearts run on this all the sermon time, never resting until we have the like. If it be thus with us still, O God, where is our calling to glory and virtue? Where is that kingdom we aspire after, when we hunt so eagerly after these things, in themselves so vain, got with so much ado, kept with so many fears, and parted with [with] such a deal of sorrow, and thus forget that calling of him who calleth us to glory and virtue ?

It were good, methinks, that every man, when he is a-going to these idle sports, should thus reason with himself: O my soul, whither now art thou a-going? to see such a show, to see such a fair house, to see this mask and yonder play, and this and that company? If these seem to delight thee, yet what are they compared to glory? Are they not all vanity? Why art thou so eager in vain things. Oh why are we told here of a calling unto glory and virtue, but to stir and lift our hearts unto the search of such a calling which we are called unto, and in regard thereof to set a low price on all the things of this earth? There are many of you, I know, that dare not in your hearts say against that which I now speak, and yet you labour not for the same. Well, I wish you deceive not yourselves. Never think that you have learned anything, until your hearts be warned* and affected at these things. Oh worldly-minded men, and so taken up with the things of this life, with the base trudgery of this world!

2. The next is, to value the children of God highly for the graces of God in them, so judging of them. Not that I take upon me, as some have foolishly done, to judge and know certainly such a one to go to heaven or not. I determine not of such, only I mean that such in whom we see God's graces shine in a holy life, we must judge that such are called. And to what are they called? To glory, and eternal glory. You see how much ado we make here of great heirs, though we shall never be the better for them. How we do prize, embrace, dandle them in our arms, who at age never thank us again. If we delight so in these great heirs, why prize we not the heirs of heaven? why delight we not in God's children, who are greater heirs? Perhaps they are in their minority and nonage, yet are they heirs of heaven, kings and priests of God. But perhaps they are wronged and abused by some in this world, yet are they great heirs still. How darest thou despise or abuse any of these little ones? Sayest thou that thou art called to glory and virtue? Hast thou any portion in Christ, and despisest such? If thou wert called to glory, thou wouldst highly esteem

of such.

3. The last is for consolation, a man that hath this calling unto glory, Oh how marvellously may such an one be joyful in all tribulations, sorrows, and crosses. Oh but, says one, I am in poverty, what shall I do? Stay a while, and glory will come, and thou shalt be rich as the best. Oh, may some other say, but I am tormented with sorrow and sickness, yea, am so loathsome, as doth make me stink in my own sight, and be a burden to myself and others,—a thing which may befall even God's dear children. Oh but think then even this loathsome vile body is appointed unto glory, and glory will come ere it be long. And so in my children and friends, in whose death, as a heathen said, we die often (b); yet I will rest in this, in that God hath taken them into perpetual rest, in that they are laid up in * Qu.'warmed'?—ED.

the bosom of my Saviour, and are heirs of glory. I will think them all most safe. Oh but grisly death comes; what of all this? This shall cheer me most of all. There may well be a little struggling, but I shall overcome: this shall be to me the door of life and rest. Then will I think and expect the bright morning shall come, and look for a glorious wakening. So of all Satan's temptations, how many, mighty, or great soever they be, though they vex me sore for a time, yet I shall get double strength by them, having once overcome, for he who most wrestles thus hath most strength at last. All they shall make me but so much the stronger to contend for this glory; yea, all the sufferings of this life shall not be able to rob me of the same; for strong is my Redeemer to confirm me unto the end. What shall I say more? If we were not novices, and unacquainted in this our calling to glory, we could not be so distempered at our own crosses and losses, and those of others. What will not the hope of glory go through? Lord, so work upon our hearts, that we may know what the excellence of this our calling is to glory, that so we contend for the same.

NOTES.

(a) P. 494.'One Francis Spira.' See note, Vol. III. page 533, note qq. (b) P. 503.-'So in my children and friends, in whose death, as a heathen said, we die often.' Seneca, in his Epistolæ; but it is a commonplace of the Classics.

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THE PATTERN OF PURITY.*

And every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is

-1 JOHN III. 3.

pure.

I SHALL not need to stand on any curious division of these words: if you please shortly for your memory's sake to observe these three things:

1. The workman. 2. The work. 3. The pattern to be imitated. 1. The workman is every one that hath hope in him,' every one that looks to be like the Lord Jesus in the kingdom of glory, he is the man must set about this task. 2. Secondly, The work is a work to be wrought by himself; he is a part of the Lord's husbandry, and he must take pains as it were to plough his own ground, to weed his own corn, he must purify himself; this is the work. 3. Thirdly, The pattern by which he must be directed is the pattern of the Lord Jesus his purity. Put him for a pattern and instance; look unto him that is the author and finisher of our faith; as you have seen him do, so do you; as he is pure, so labour you to express in your lives the virtue of him who hath redeemed you. These be the three particulars.

Not to stand on curiosity, but to fall to the work in hand, the work is purity, to purify ourselves;' that howsoever this is a task which is now laughed out of countenance,-purity is become a nickname, those that will be thus are counted the scorn of the world, a reproach to men,-yet it is a point so absolutely needful unto salvation, that if thou despise it thou despisest thyself. If thou hast a hope to be saved, thou must do this; so that if a man do not purify himself, and take pains this way and overgo the scorns of the world, and cannot get the mastery, but will be kept out of heaven for a laugh of the world, he is worthy to go to his place, he is worthy of damnation.

But for the workman that God puts this task on, it is every one that hath this hope.' What hope is that, you see in the verse before. Now we are the sons of God; it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we

* 'The Pattern of Purity' forms No. 13 of the original edition of the Saint's Cordials. 1629. It was withdrawn in the other two editions. Its separate titlepage is as follows:- The Patterne of Pvritie: Wherein is shewed, What Purity of heart is. The necessitie and excellency thereof. The meanes how to purifie our selves. With divers other particulars concerning the same. Prælucendo Pereo. Vprightnes Hath Boldnes. London, Printed in the yeare 1629.'