WHereas the blessed A­postle in this Chapter disputeth two questi­ons: First whether there be any resurrection of the dead: Secondly, in what manner it shall be; I haue chosen the second rather then the first: because the second doth containe the first; For being come to Qualis sit, We need not to enquire An sit mortuorū resur­rectio. [Page 2] Albeit in the former the matter is by graue and weightie reasons taught vs to be knowne, yet in the latter it is by vi­sible examples set before vs to be seene. Whereas we haue not only the oracles of God to confirme our faith, but also the miracles of nature to perswade our reasō, so that whatsoeuer faith doth apprehend in the truth of Gods promises, reason may also acknowledge in the almighti­nes of his power. In the second question, S. Paul intreating only of the resurre­ction of the faithfull, principally touch­eth these three things.

First, the Identitie of our bodies, that wee shall rise againe in them hereafter, the same in substance as we are now.

Secondly, he declareth the qualities & properties from whence and to what we shall be changed.

Thirdly, by what power and helpe we do attaine the same.

Touching the first, that we shall arise a­gaine the same in substance as we are now. Though nothing can be more hardly perswaded to the wisdome of the flesh, yet is there nothing more euidently manife­sted by the wisedome of Gods spirit. For [Page 3] as the one article doth cōtaine our whole victorie in Christ; and is in very deede the only supporter of religion, the Arch­piller of our faith, the treasure of the Gos­pell, and the tryumph of the Saints. And therfore of so great waight and impor­tance, that if it be vaine, the whole sum of religion is all meerely vaine: So is the assurāce therof so many ways pledged vn to vs as there is nothing eyther within vs or without vs, either in life or indeath, in the order of natute or of grace, that doth not illustrate the same. To set downe a proofe whereof, the Apostle doth in this place to confirme his assertion, fetch cer­taine examples, as it were liuely images out of the workehouse of nature, as name­ly of seed or sowen corne, that by such things as are set before our eies, he might teach vs the secret and hidden mysteries of our faith; And by exhibiting vnto vs the power of God in the ordinarie works of nature, that he may shew forth to vs the supernaturall workes of grace, not to draw vs from faith to ground vpon rea­son but that as a learned father saith, Ea quae in natura sunt aliquam similitudinē eorū quae supra naturam sunt exprimunt, qua rati­one [Page 4] effectum est, vt eorum notitia quae supra sunt, ex hijs rebus quae natura constant, inda­gari possit. Such things as are in nature, ex­presse some likenes of those things as are aboue nature: by which meanes it com­meth to passe, that the knowledge of such things as are aboue, by those things as are apparent in nature may be searched out.

Of those foresaid examples of the Apo­stle, some are elementall, and some are celestiall. The elementall are of two sorts, the one a vegetable body: the other a sen­sible bodie. The vegetable body as of seede or sowen come, the sensible body, as namely of flesh and the variety therof. In this text we are to cōsider three things: first the phrase and manner of speech, by way of comparison noted in these words, the bodie is sowne: secondly the estate from which we shall be changed, from corrup­tion, dishonour & weaknes: thirdly the estate vnto which our body shall bee changed; to incorruption glorie and power. The com­parison is betweene the bodies of the faithfull, and the sowen corne, the body is sowen. There their bodies are compared to the sowen corne.

The example and comparison we shal [Page 5] best vnderstand, if we note first the con­gruence, and secondly the difference that this corne or seede hath with and from the bodies of men.

The congruence S. Paul setteth down in verse the 36. O foole, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die. Out of which words we gather that they agree in three things: First in sowing: Secōdly in dying; and thirdly in quickening. First the corne is cast into the ground, as into a graue reserued vnto the hope of rising a­gaine: euen so we are cast into the graue as the corne into the ground, and are co­uered with earth as hidden seed reserued to the power of a new life: In respect whereof Math. 13. vers. 38. the faithfull are called wheate which at haruest shalbe brought into the Lords barne. Secondly, as the corne in the ground there dieth, al­tereth, changeth and corrupteh, and rot­teth before it recouer any sparke of life: So our corps likewise doth rot, change, alter and corrupt in the graue, before it receiueth any strength to liue againe; ac­cording to that notable penalty inflicted vpon the head of Adam and his posteri­tie, Gen. 3. ver. 19. Dust thou art and vnto [Page 6] dust shalt thou returne againe. Where we may see that not onely death, but the dis­solution of nature is the punishment of a wicked life.

Thirdly, as the corne after this change corrupting and rotting, doth at last be­come againe notwithstanding, the same bodie as it was at first; So that as out of the vttermost extremitie of the darke night there doth appeare againe a little glimmering of the bright day; Euen so out of rottennesse peereth and peepeth vp life, and out of the middest of corrup­tion beginneth a generation of new bo­dies, whereby we see euidently in the lap of nature a plaine proofe, that out of death there is a rising againe to a new life. And so these our bodies semblably in the last day, shall arise againe the same out of the dust and shall be drawne vp out of the depth of death, vnto a life im­mortall and euerlasting: For if Resurgere be (as Tertullian and S. Augustine do note) nothing else but Reuiuiscere; And Resur­rectio, eius quod cecidit secunda surrectio; Seeing the bodies we now beare do fale the same bodies in substance though not the same in quality and estate shall rise a­gaine; [Page 7] For the corne was sowne a bare and naked seed, hard and dried, old and withered, with an huske, as it were an hood on his head, without either strength or beautie, life or motion: but riseth vp and springeth greene out of death, being outwardly decked with fairnesse of co­lour, and sweetnesse of odor, and inward­ly adorned with rare and pretious ver­tues; hauing receiued mightie and po­werfull strength, not only to grow vp great and burnish into a blade; but also to fructifie and multiplie it selfe an hun­dreth fold, and enrich it selfe an hundreth waies: Euen so shall we be in the life of the resurrection, both outwardly decked in bodie, and inwardly garnished in mind, as here the Apostle doth demon­strate, It is sowne in corruption, and is raised in incorruption, It is sowne in dishonor, and is raised in glorie, it is sowne in weaknesse, and is raised in power.

But as the corne doth thus agree in ma­ny points with our bodies: so doth it differ many waies from our bodies.

First, the seed corne commeth not to his perfection but by little and little; But we shall be raised in a moment, euen [Page 8] in the twinckling of an eye: for as the schoolmen say, Virtus infinita operatur in instants, & resurrectio diuina virtute fiet: An infinit vertue worketh in an instant, and the resurrection shall be performed by the di­uine and infinit power of God.

Moreouer the corne doth recouer life vpon none other condition but to die a­gaine; whereas our bodies shall so rise out of death, as that death shall haue no more dominion ouer them: For this cor­ruptible shall put on incorruption, vers. 53.Rom. 6. 1. Cor. 15 31.

Besides, the corne riseth not in the same forme that it was sowne: for it was sowne a naked corne, but it riseth vp a greene tender grasse, and it hath power to mul­tiplie, and spread it selfe into diuerse bo­dies: But our bodies shall rise after the re­surrection, the same that they are now be­fore the resurrection, both in number, forme and order according to the wor­thie saying of Ambrose, Gloria non tollit naturam, sed perficit eam: The estate of glorie doth not take away nature, but perfecteth the same. Againe, the corne doth recouer that new life by the meane of a natural power and vertue included in the seed; but that our bodies cannot reuiue through any [Page 9] naturall power or strength that doth re­maine in vs; but through the supernatu­rall and diuine operation of the spirit of God, which Rom. 8. vers. 11. doth quic­ken our naturall bodies, because that his spirit dwelleth in vs.

So that by this phrase of speech, wher­in our bodies are compared vnto sowne corne, we are sent to the corne of the fieldes, as we may be to the seedes in our gardens, to the fruit in our orchards, that we may behold how euery thing is a pre­sident to shadow and point out the resur­rection vnto vs. For out of dead rotten corne commeth greene tender grasse; out of dead rotten seeds commeth sweet smel­ing hearbes; out of dead rotten kernels mightie growne trees; out of dead rotten stones daintie plesant peaches, cheries and plums: And euen so out of dead rot­ten corses proceed likewise euer liuing bodies. Omnia pereundo seruantur: Omnia Tertul. in Apo­log. de interitu formantur. All things are preser­ued by perishing: All things are formed by de­stroying. Therefore if vegetable bodies which are of small regard, do by the strength of nature after death rise againe to a new life; how much more shall the [Page 10] bodie of man the Lord of all creatures, the image of the inuisible God, endewed with an immortall and eternall soule, by the strength of the spirit of life be loosed from the bonds of death? And if we see with our eies in the corne the distinction, succession and variation of formes; how out of corne commeth earth, out of earth grasse, out of grasse a blade, out of the blade a straw, out of the strawe an eare, out of the eare blossomes, and out of the blossomes corne: Are not these as won­derfull to reason, as is this point of faith that we so much wonder at? yet are we readie to ascribe this excellent order of doing, either to the principles of nature, as if it were to the forme and matter of the corne that wrought it, or else vnto se­condarie causes, as if it were the heauens alone that gaue it. These things are no­thing else but Instruments in the hand of God to be applied vnto the worke. But we are to ascend vp higher euen to the pleasure of God; and there to ac­knowledge his diuine geodnesse in the gift, his power in the act, & his wisdome in the order; and assuredly be perswaded that he is able to draw life out of death, [Page 11] and at his pleasure to make the liuing out of the dead, and by consequence as able to raise them vp to life as are fallē into death, and make them to liue again: God can as well make the dead to liue, as make the liuing out of the dead: For it is all one power and of the like strength: But God doth this euerie day, as we may see notably exemplified vnder the broad seale of the Ladie Nature; wherein we find by proofe that al things which haue life haue their originals out of those things which haue no life, and euerie ge­neration hath his beginning out of the verie entrals of putrefaction. So that here we see the reasons of this compari­son in the first principles, betweene the sowne corne and our buried bodies, with the cōgruence & difference of the same.

But on the other side there are some (and that no small Clarkes of our time) that affirme the Apostle to compare the resurrection vnto corne; that like as the corne doth rise againe, so our bodies shal rise againe: But the corne (say they) doth not rise againe, Idem in numero, but Idem in specie: that is, that the same particular graine that was sowne, is not the same [Page 12] graine that is reaped, but is another graine in number, although the same corne in kinde. And likewise (say they) the same bodies that shall be raised shall not be the same bodies that are departed, but other bodies in particular, not the same in number.

Their assertion they proue by naturall reason, as the Philosopher doth auouch the same: But I maruell they do not con­ceiue Arist. 2. de ge­nerati­one. the difference betwixt the order of generation and of resurrection: The Philosopher sheweth how posteritie is taken out of seed by the ordinarie way of nature: And the Apostle teacheth how bodies are raised out of graues by the ex­traordinarie power of grace: Now in generation (saith the Philosopher) where corne is raised out of seed, the new corne is not the same in number with the old: no more then the sonne raised of the fa­thers seed is the same person in number with the father: But in the day of the re­surrection, when the body shall be raised out of the graue, the new body shall not be another but the same in number with the old, as is manifest in Iob 19. ver. 27. Isaiah 26. v. 19. Dan 12. v. 2. And God to [Page 31] make new bodies doth not fetch new matter out of the foure Elements; but raiseth the old former bodies out of the graue. In vaine should S. Paul with trem­bling feare shake the consciences of men, making both small and great to ap­peare before the throne of God, if new bodies should be brought before his tri­bunall seat: Neither could that perswa­sion of our Sauiour, Math. 10. 28. be so forcible to harten vs against the feare of men, That can kill the body, and to drawe vs to the faere of God, that can Kill both body and soule, and cast them into hell fire, if it were not so that these present bodies were made subiect to after paines.

Would these men be wiser then the Apostles, more diuine then the Phophets, more profound then the Euangelists, better learned then Christ? Then might we say (which is extreme blesphemie to say;) O foolish Fathers, Patriarkes, Pro­phets, Confessors and Martyrs, which haue yeelded your bodies to all kinde of torments for the obtaining of the propo­sed glorie, if they shall not rise againe themselues but other men for them. It might pittie vs that the poore widdow of [Page 14] Sarepta tooke such great paines and yet was deceiued: for she receiued not her sonne againe (by these mens learning) but was beguiled with a changeling; and so be like Christ (I rue to speake it) did but delude Mary to make her leaue her weeping: For she had not her brother Lazarus againe, but another counter­feit in his stead.

What truth (I beseech you) can there be in the whole Scripture, if this opinion be not false? Is not this all one with the censure of the Saduceis? They affirme that there is no rising againe, and these denie that there is any rising again of the same bodies: If the same bodies that do fall do not rise, most vndoubtedly there can be no resurrection. The Saduces do denie, and these do peruert the truth of the resurrection; they misbeleeue it, and these do corrupt it; they do depraue, and these do delude it. Both agree in this, to take away the power of the new life; In this they differ, the one doth it by prophanenesse of infidelitie, and the o­ther doth it through subtlenesse of phi­losophie: and yet this philosophicall reason by reason cannot stand.

[Page 15] The diuersitie of nature is betweene corne and our bodies, breeding a diuersi­tie of order in the maner of rising againe, as hereby is most euident to bee seene: namely in that here it is said that the bo­dies are raised in incorruptiō. And it is ap­parent that all the creatures of God what soeuer, they are by the constitution of their natures Incorruptible, either both in the whole & in the parts (as they say) Et secundum totum, & secundum partes, as are celestiall bodies; or else in the whole onely, and not in the parts, of which sort are all the Elements which are subiect to corruption in euerie part, And yet no whole Element euer changed: Or else in part only, and not in the whole, as is man whose soule is immortall, though his bo­die bee caducall; Or else neither in the whole nor in any part as are all terrene and mixt bodies, which are composed of the foure Elements.

Now in this combination of corrup­tion with incorruption, as the first sort, that is, celestial creatures, haue no part of mortalitie; so the contrarie last sort of creatures haue no part of eternitie: And therefore as the celestiall, because they [Page 34] are incorruptible both in matter and forme; are in no wise subiect vnto change and to die; so the terrestiall, because they perish in their essentiall matter & forme, are no way reducible euer to liue againe; And this is the reason why that in the corne and in all those things as are of this transitorie sort, the position of the Philo­pher is true that they cannot, Redire ea­dem in numero, Returne the same things in number. But those other creatures which are incorruptible, either in the whole on­ly as are the Elements, or in their partes onely as are men, are not like to these: for as by that part which is mortall in them, they are made subiect to corruption; so by that part which is not corruptible in them, they are framed to eternitie.

And forasmuch as the essentiall formes and soules of men are of this sort, namely eternall, and are such also as the bodies are created for the vse of them; they must either want their chiefest vse, (which can­not be) or else must at length bee ioyned againe to their former bodies; which since it must needs be; when soeuer these same soules shall receiue againe these same bo­dies; there shall be at last againe, Idem nu­mero, [Page 35] the same person in number as was at first. And thus is this comparison both wayes proued betweene the sowen corne and the bodies of men: And the Identi­tie of our bodies is manifest, that we shall arise the same in substance, number and kind that we are now.

But nowe to the second generall. Though we shall arise the same in sub­stance, number and kind: yet the Apo­stle auoucheth that at the resurrection we shall differ in estate, and be changed in­to a farre more noble and excellent con­dition, viz. From corruption, dishonour and weaknesse; to incorruption, glorie and power. In which chaunge of estate, the Apostle noteth two things. First, the estate from which. Secondly, the estate to which we shall be chaunged, viz. From corruption, dishonor and weaknesse to incorruption, glo­rie and power. So making three degrees of miserie, and three of felicitie he doth match each heauenly good with his con­trary euill: whereby he doth not a little illustrate the excellencie of our happi­nesse: and by laying downe the diffe­rence betweene the estate of our bodies in this life present, and the estate of them [Page 18] in the life to come. He doth glad vs with a double ioy: By the one remembring the wretchednesse we shall escape: By the other the happines we shall obtaine: And so prouoketh vs to a double thank­fulnesse in duty.

Now in the three degrees of our vn­happie estate, he noteth by corruption all those anonyes that hurle vs downe in­to the destruction of the graue, and by dishonour the want of all those royalties which should garnish vs with honor and renowne: And by weaknesse a fleeting e­state, feeble vnto goodnesse, and euer fading and falling into wretchednesse.

But in the three degrees of our blessed estate in the day of the resurrection, by incorruption, he giueth vs to vnderstand that we shall then want all those euils which we now haue; and by glorie, that we shall then haue all those good things which we now want; and by power that we shall enioy them in such excee­ding measure, and that they shalbe of such incomparable vertue, as that the good things shalbe neuer diminished, nor the euill things euerrenewed, nor our selues any way annoyed, altered, or distempe­red [Page 19] in the state of happines.

So that to vnderstand these three e­states of incorruption, glorie, and pow­er, we must know these two things. First the euils that man is subiect vnto in this lifes miserie. Secondly the good he shall attaine vnto in that lifes felicitie.

The miseries that man lieth wrapped in may be diuided into the miserable wret­chednesse of life; and 2. into the wofull cursednes of death; and 3. the calamities both of life and death. If we wil know the wretched calamities of the bodie in this life, a certaine ancient father sheweth them briefly in discribing mans miserie. Cuius concptio culpa, nasci poena, labor vita, necesse mori: whose conception is sinne, his birth a punishment, his life a labour, and of necessitie he must die.

See how it cometh to passe by Gods iust iudgment, that as man is conceiued and borne in sinne, so is he defiled with vncleannes; and as he is by nature void of all goodnesse, so is he naked, feeble, and succourlesse; and as he is corrupted with wickednesse, so is he exposed to all kinde of wretchednesse; and as he is fal­en from the true God, so doth he fall in [Page 38] his birth most like vnto an Idol, hauing feet yet goeth not, hands yet handleth not, mouth yet tasteth not, he is dombe without speech, infatuate without wit, confused without memorie, hauing none vse of bodie, nor fruition of minde to helpe himselfe withall: and as Bernard saith, he is a man sorowing that he is a man, blushing because he is naked, grie­uing because he is poore, groning be­cause he is wretched, weeping and cry­ing out because he is miserable. Neyther can this sillie worme any sooner gather strength and be able to abide the battery of correction. But presetnly he is assailed with rods, chastisments and feares, in such sort as if he were borne to abide the seue­ritie of others, and not to haue the vse and fruition of himselfe. So that to a na­turall man it may seeme good neuer to be borne, or as Silenus said soone to dy: But when he beginneth to step forth into the depth of discretiō, & to looke about into the world, streight-waies how dolefullie griefes do assaile him, perils besiege him, terrors affright him, wrongs do oppresse him, cares do consume him, and troubles confound him, and that in such maner as [Page 39] it made the wiseman to cry out, homo [...]m­becillitatis exemplū fortunae lusus inconstan­tiae imago iniuria & calamita [...] trutina; Man is the example of weaknesse the play of fortune, the image of inconstancie and the ballāce of wrong and calamitie. And if his lot be such as to draw out his daies vntill the last date; yet euen then also commeth old age laden with gray haires, so withered with drines, so crooked with stifnes, so cripled with pain, & ouerwhel­med with sicknesse, stooping the bodie double to the ground that it neuer doth respite him free from griefe, vntill he be tumbled viterly into the graue.

So then man doth begin his life with weeping, and end his life with groning, his first age is weaknesse, his last age sick­nesse, his yong yeares opprest with feares, his best time consum'd with cares: yea if we consider what great griefe and annoyāce we suffer before our birth, and what defiling and rottennesse we endure after death, we may iustly say that euery calamitie begā long before in the wombe and also endeth long time after in the graue. So that alas beloued we were in miserie before we were, and shall not [Page 22] cease to be in miserie when we cease to be.

If we should recken on a row the ma­nifold misfortunes (as some call them) by wounding, maining, breaking and rotting of members, imprisonment, ba­nishment, tortures and torment, we may trulie affirme with Saint Ambrose, that death might rather seeme to be the re­medy of paine then the penaltie of sinne: Because those euils which while we liue are neuer finished, are at last by death vt­terly extinguished.

But admit there were none of these so great and manifold miseries to fall on vs, yet without them in the midst of our best & greatest prosperitie, our strength is but weaknesse, our time short, our e­state transitory, our life miserie, our selues vanitie; Isaiah calleth it grasse, cap. 40. 6. Ia. 4. 14. a vapor, Iob. 25. 6. miserie, Dauid, vanitie, Iob againe corruption. And as Da­uid noteth, Psal. 51 the seed of sinne, and brood of iniquitie, who as Ro. 8. 8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God, whose waies Gen. 6. are corrupted &c.

So as if we will vouchsafe to looke on the Scriptures, they will as in a glasse [Page 23] shew vs our faulty nature, sinfull seed, wretched birth, that we are the brood of iniquitie, seruants of finne, subiects of death, corruption for fouleness, wormes for vilenesse, and flesh for frailnes our thoughts wicked, our deeds cursed, our hearts crooked, our liues wretched. And so much touching the calamity of the body.

Now to leaue the body, and to shew the great infelicitie laid vpon the minde, which is by farre more then any mi­serable body can be able to sustaine; what a bitter gall and griefe of minde is this, that once the most glorious image of God did most chiefly shine forth in it, now all these most noble lineaments are vtterly razed out of it? Is not this a most lamētable saying? though I be now a cay­tiefe wretch, yet once I was a most flo­rishing man; now like a diuell, once like a God? For if the losse of name, riches honor, empire, gouernment, and autho­ritie be so grieuous, and so full of sorrowes and woes, that the pleasures of euery thing past, doth bring into remembrance nought else but the smart of after griefe: Alas what importable thing is it, man to [Page 42] haue lost not only the rich treasures, plen­tifull pleasures, the great dignitie, so­ueraignty and authority of the whole earth: But the inestimable ornaments of the diuine nature; wisedome, Iustice, pru­dence, temperance, godlinesse, goodnes innocencie, righteousnes, and perfect in­tegritie both of soule and body, where­with he was made such an excellent man as he glistered in glory like agod. And yet this pensiuenesse is but a small thing in cōparison of that which the minde endu­reth: for if the losse of good things is so grieuous! Oh how much more is the bur­then of contrary euils? if it be so great a corasiue to forget pleasures, what heart­sore is it to endure paine? if it be a thing so lamentable to depart from felicitie, is it not a thing wofull to tast of bitter mise­rie, and specially after the relish of plea­sant prosperitie, whereas not only the present feeling of wofull wretchednesse, but the fresh remembrance of former happinesse may breed in the minde a doubling distresse. But now not only by loosing the felicity which man somtimes held, but by falling also into the contra­ry calamity, is the minde ouerwhelmed [Page 43] with such an huge heap of mischiefes, a that it had not before somuch exceeding happinesse, as is now doubled on it vn­measurable wretchednesse.

Againe the soule of man she produceth not her actions according to God his first institution. The appetites they likewise are not obedient to the gouernment of reason, and the wil wādreth after strange and stragling motions, whereby the bo­dy is made subiect to execute the wic­ked counsels of the minde. And thus is the whole man distained with sinne, de­filed with lust, polluted with filthinesse, out-raged with affections, fretting in en­uy, drowned in gluttony, bleeding in cruelty, and altogether deformed with iniquity, so that from the glorious image of God he is become the right patterne of the diuell, Ioh. 8. 44. Eph. 1. ver. 2. 3. In as much as the Lord repented that he had made man in the earth, and he was some in his heart. And doth alot his whole life to be nought else but a time of punish­ment and chastisment vnto death, suffe­ring the minde (through his iust iudg­ment) somtimes to be ouerwhelmed with pensiuenesse, sometimes to be chastised [Page 26] with fearfulnesse, sometimes to be distra­cted with madnesse, confused with foo­lishnes, and swallowed vp with such in­credible wofulnesse, that naturall men had rather many times then endure it, hang themselues like Achitophel; kill themselues like Saul, burne themselues like Zimrie, strangle themselues like Iu­das, or drowne themselues like the despe­rate darlings of this world; such anguish, such griefe, such sorrows, such woes, such mortalitie, such misery hath God inflict­ed on man and on his posterity. And yet are we not only made subiect to this mi­serie of life, but are abandoned further in­to the accursednesse of death, and the death that is due to vs by Gods Iustice is two-fold. One of the bodie onelie, which is thereof a mortall destruction, Gen. 3. ver. 19. The other both of body and soule, Math. 10. ver. 28. Now daily expe­rience teacheth, that the whole roote of Adams stock is made subiect to the strok of death; and what death is may all men know. It is the mortall enemie of life, the slaughterman of nature, the ruine of the world, the destruction of the body, the curse of God, the woe of man and the [Page 27] dart and power of hell.

If we should but speake of the tempo­rall death of the body only, yet what griefes are in the graue, what darknesse, what solitarinesse, what silence, what rot­tennesse, where is nothing else but an ex­tinguishment of life, a depriuation of pleasure, a desolation of comfort, a con­fusion of order, and a destruction of na­ture: so as it is a dungeon of dreadfulnes, a coffin of calamities, and a cabine of cor­ruptions.

But all this notwithstanding, if this first death be compared to the second, this may be accounted a kinde of happinesse in comparison of the second wretched­nes: for in the graue albeit there be a ru­ine of all that is good, yet is there no re­newing of that which is euill, though there be giuen vs, as a iust reward for our sinnes, our mouthes full of mould, our bellies full of wormes, our bones full of carion, our bodies full of stinch, and that this shalbe to the proudest Prince & bra­uest gallant (for all his glittering here in gold) common with the poorest misera­ble caytiefe wretch, yet in the graue is no griping of griefes, no soaking, con­suming [Page 40] sorrows, no caring; no troubles, no labor; Nay, as in Reuel. 14. 13. They rest from their labors, that is to say, are in qui­etnesse from troubles, and sencelesse of paines: But in the second death, as Math. 25. 30. There shall be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth; Yea, saith Saint Au­gustine, there shall be miserie no mercie, sorrowe no succour, crying no comfort, punishments no pitie: Nay (saith he) mischiefes without measure, torments without ending, fire without quenching, the worme without dying, and death without ending.

Now the first step of our happie estate, doth consist herein to be made free from all this woe and wretchednesse, which how sweete it is, is best knowne of them that haue tasted the sharpnes of the sow­er: For as the Phisition is best welcome to the sicke, so the immunitie of paine, & the richnes of mercy are alwais most pre­cious to the wretches of miserie. And so much touching the euill things we shall then want.

Now of the good things we shall then haue: The learned doe commonly part these good things into three branches. [Page 29] First the inward decking of the soule; se­condly, the outward garnishing of the body; thirdly the common fruition of externall good things. S. Bernard (In ser­monum libro) when he would set out the ornaments of the minde, bursteth forth into an incredible exclamation (as ra­uished with the meditation of these new celestiall dowries) O happie region (saith he) for there shalbe wisedome without vndiscreet­nesse, knowledge without ignorance, memo­rie without forgetfulnes, vnderstanding with­out erroniousnes, will without perturbation, and reason without obscuration, S. Am­brose intreating of the great dignitie and honor of the glorified bodies saith (exal­ting them in this sort) Habebunt integri­tatem in perfectione, impatibilitatem sine cor­ruptione, &c. They shall haue integritie in perfection, impassibilitie without cor­ruption, they shalbe as swift as thought for agilitie, and vnresistable for subtil­tie, as beautifull as the fairest heauens, and in light and clearenes as the brightest starres. And to speake of externall good things: S. Augstine in lib. 22. De ciuita­te Dei saith: There shall be whatsoeuer wee can desire, neither can we desire any thing that [Page 30] shall not be there; all that is there shal be good, and all shall be good that shall be there: there is immortall blessednesse, and blessed immor­talnesse, certaine securitie, and secure tran­quilitie, pleasant incunditie, happie eternitie, and eternal felicitie. For there saith Saint Gregorie (in his booke of homilies) are the ioyes of heauen euerlasting quiers of An­gels, euer-singing, blesled spirits euer praising, holy Saints euer triumphing, Gods presence euer shining, the foun­taine of life euer springing, and inacces­sable light neuer dimming. Whereas we shall sit and see all things, loue and praise all things, praise and haue all things; Oh saith Saint Augustine what a Soueraine felicitie is this, to see all things that you shall loue, and what a soueraigne charitie to loue all that you shall see, and what a soueraigne iocunditie in the end to haue all, and that without all end.

But because it would be too too tedious to speake of euerie branch of this parti­tion seuerally, and since that of Saint Ambrose (intreating of the bodies of the Saintes, as they are resumed againe to their soules) doth without labour ex­presse the excellencie of both natures, I [Page 31] will in this discourse only explane his re­hearsall.

First therfore as touching integritie; it shalbe such (no doubt) as that no man shal in that glorious resurrection, rise with any mayme or want of limme, deformitie or imperfection of body. But that they shal in that day euerie one be whole without want, strong without weakenesse, pure without blemish, perfect without defect, exact without fault. August. in Enche­rid saith, Resurgent sanctorum corpora sine vllo vitio, sine vlla deformitate sine vlla cor­ruptione, sine vlla difficultate, The bodies of the Saints shall arise without any fault, without any deformitie, without any corrup­tion, without any difficultie; And the reason of this so great exquisitnesse is this; because at that day, man is to be be aduanced to the highest top and sum­mitie of all his perfection, and to be in­stalled as the glorious sonne of God in the kingdome of his Father; for if it be so (as Isaiah saith cap. 30. 26.) that against that day (as against the coronatiō of a most glo­rious and immortall King) the Sunne and Moone and al creatures shall be most roy­ally set forth, with what diuine and ad­mirable [Page 32] adorning shall the King himselfe be braued out?

Moreouer the resurrection shall be the most admirable worke of God. And the diuine worke of God must needes be a­boue all others most perfect, because that without derogation of the work-maister there must be found none imperfection in the work. And yet not only shall these bodies be most absolute and consummate in euery point. But also shall haue a most mightie and prepotent power to resist all manner of alteration, insomuch as their integrity shall neuer be diminished, their perfectnesse altered, nor their exquisit­nes abated: For otherwise we know this by common sence, that whatsoeuer is pas­sible is likewise corruptible (according to that ground, Omne patibile est corrup­tibile, and suffer end it must whatsoeuer doth suffer chaunge) but all their excel­lencie whatsoeuer as it shall then be most absolute, so shall it likewise be most per­manent, remaining alwayes immutable without change, inuiolable without hurt, inuincible without vanquish, continuall without cessing, and euerlasting without ending.

[Page 33] Neither shall there be alone at that day an integritie of nature, a perfection of bo­dy, a reiection of change, a perpetuitie of estate; But beyond all this pollishing of the humane creature, there shalbe a fur­ther garnishing by the diuine spirit with such wonderfull subtiltie and agilitie, as shall by farre surpasse all the adornings by nature. This subtilnes I apprehend to be contrarie to this our corpulent grosse­nesse, and this agilitie to debilitie and slownes, so that whereas it is now grosse, heauy feeble, cumbersome, burthenous, and no smal hindrāce and let many times to the opperation of the mind, and can­not be carried to and fro by the soule, but by great labor and in great time, nor per­forme the will, but with great trauell and in great trouble: so at that day shall all these impediments be cleane remoued & taken from it, & the contrary adiuments wholie inuested and giuen to it. The glo­rified body shall then not only haue no slownes, no waightines, no massines, no cumbrance, no grossenes, none vnaptnes, (as it hath now:) But further it shall be made as subtile as ayer, as light, as wind, as quick as lightning, as swift as thought, [Page 34] hauing all celeritie, dexteritie, abillite, ac­tiuitie, placed in the same; for the A­postle here testifieth that the glorified body shall rise a spirituall body, that is to say a body in all, actiuenes, like vnto a spirit able to do althings that a spirit can.

Now these spirituall natures and abso­lute formes, not beeing at all combred with the weight of the body, they are able to pierce the heauens, walke on the waters, flie in the aire, accomplish their worke in a moment, and to moue from place to place in an instant: And as Au­gustine saith, In a space of time, if not in­diuisible, yet at leastwise inperceptible. All which things the glorified bodies shalbe able to do: The like whereof our Sauiour seemeth to affirme, Mat. 10. that they shall be lake Angels in heauen, full of ex­cellencie, full of puritie, full of potency and powerfull actiuitie; and the Apostle here saith the body shall be raised in po­wer, that is to say, actiue, strong, mighty, immortall, full of all abilitie, perfectly to accomplish and fulfill the desire of the soule: For like as we see by the same we call Funambuli, how that by great exer­cise, they make the body able and apt to [Page 35] obey the will of the minde: Euen so do we find that the greater dominion which the soule hath ouer the body, with so much the lesse labour and paines the bo­dy is mooued by the soule. Seeing then that after the resurrection the soule shall haue perfect dominion ouer the body, both by reason of the perfection of the soule, & of the perfect abilitie of the bo­die, there shall be no labour in the mo­uing of the body: But looke how much the glorified soule and glorified body do excell the vertue and power of the soule and body now: Euen so much swifter shall the soule then moue the body like­wise more then nowe; Wherefore as­much as it shall incredibly exceed in the excellencie of power: euen so shall it do also in the swiftnesse of motion. Which assertion Augustine also maintaineth in his Enchiridion; In corporibus sanctorum (saith he) tanta facilitas quantafelicitas erit, There shall be as great facilitie of mouing, as felicitie of enioying.

Of this diuine decking and adorning of the saints, the learned diuines make two sorts: The first they call Pulchritu­dinem: The second Lucem, beautie and [Page 36] light. Pulchritudo corporis (saith Augustine, In lib. 19. De ciuitate Dei) est partium con­nenientia, cum suanitate quadam coloris, The beautie of the bodie, is the conueniencie of the parts, with a certaine sweetnesse of co­lour. So may we define this light; to be the ornament of brightnesse in the gar­ment of glorie.

Lo thus (by these mens iudgements) the saints shall haue both fauor and color to make them amiable, light and bright­nesse to make them admirable, colour to make them visible to be seene, light to make them impossible to be hid: the one to make them orient with beautie, the o­ther to make them resulgent with glory. But our admirall decking in that day, though it cannot now be any way ex­pressed, yet when the Lord will haue it somwhat shadowed out for our comfort, he doth compare it to the beautifullest bodies that are in the world: as are the sunne, firmament and stars, Math. 13. 43. Dan. 12. 3.

Now in that the Lord anoucheth the shining of the iust to be as the glittering of the sunne: How many things of ex­cellency vnder that one doth he ascribe [Page 37] vnto our bodies. Forasmuch as that shine amōgst creatures, is such a singular thing for goodnesse, as nothing can be better, so pleasant & delightfull, as nothing can be sweeter; so faire and orient, as nothing can be brighter; of such power and ver­tue, as nothing can be greater: A taste whereof was reueiled to Peter, Iames and Iohn by the Lord, Math. 17. 2. when his face did shine as the sunne, and his gar­ments were as white as the lightning: and that Moses and Elias did appeare vnto him in glorie: for if the Lord did streng­then his mortal face, to receiue the diuine ornaments of immortall beautie, and a­dorne an earthen peece of clay, with such celestiall and heauenly glory: What shall our fairnesse & sweetnesse then be, when as we shall haue glorified and immortall bodies, made able to receiue the garni­shing of heauenly dignities? Or how shall our selues (thinke you) be braued out, when as our garmēts shall be made so re­sulgent as to shine with gleaming sparkes of light? And yet doth our Sauiour in this place not only simply and absolutly de­nounce that the iust shall shine as the sunne; but addeth a degree of exaltation [Page 38] further, which is as the iust shall shine in the kingdome of their father; not as it is in this world, whereas it is oftentimes obscured with vapours, shaddowed with cloudes, dimmed with stormes: But as it shall shine in the kingdome of God: whereas his light shall be so illustrate, as Isaiah doth note, Chap. 30. 26. The light of the moone shall be as the light of the sunne: And the light of the sunne shall be seuenfold, And like the light of seuen dayes.

Behold then (I pray you) with what a glorious vesture of incomparable beauty shall the bodies of the saints then be de­cored, when the glory of the sunne shall be seuenfold, and as the light of seuen dayes: They shall be (I say) so diuinely adorned, with such a radiant shine of heauenly light, as that they shall not at all be exceeded of the sun, no not when the sunne shall seuenfold exceed himself. A notable experiment whereof was ex­hibited to S. Paul in his iourney to Da­mascus, Acts. 9. Whereas the excellent brightnesse of the sonne of God did so farre exceed the light of the sun-globe, that the one was chearfull for his shine the other fearfull for his glory, the one so [Page 37] moderate that it serued vnto light, but the other so infinit that it oppressed the sences; the one lightning with his shine the darknesse of the earth, the other dark­ning with his brightnesse the very light of heauen. Therefore if the sonne of God doth so farre passe the glorie of the sun, that when the sun may be well endured, his brightnesse alone cannot be sustained with mortall eye: What maruell if the light of all the bodies of the Saints shall seeme to darken the brightnesse of the sunne, seeing the holy Ghost doth assure vs, Phil. 3. 21. that our vile bodies shall be fashioned like vnto his most glorious body. Now how his most glorious body is dec­ked out infinitly with the gorgeousnesse of light, it is plentifully testified in Reu. 21. 23. And the citie had no need of the sun, neither of the moone to shine in it: for the glo­rie of God did light it: And the lambe is the light of it. Because that when as for the greatnes of the light in that kingdom, it is shewed that there is no need of the light of the sun, &c. All that wonderful illumi­nation notwithstanding is prescribed to proceed from the glorie of the Lambe; In as much as the people that are saued [Page 40] are affirmed shall walke in the light of it, verse 24.

Now way this description, and note how infinit you may deeme his beauty to be; In respect of whom, the sunne and the moone are needles: and without whom, the kingdome of light is darknesse: and by whom all the saints are so garnished, as that without him, all their brightnesse is quite blemished.

Wherefore let it be so that to be made in fairenesse as an angell, in brightnesse as the firmament, in beautie as the light, in glorie as the sunne: yea, to exceed his adorning with clearnesse, and obscure it with its brightnesse, be so great and in­comparable an excellencie, as may by filling our breasts with ioy, and our harts with pleasure, breed an admiration in our minds, and an astonishment to our sences; yet to haue our vile bodies which do rise out of dust, and do fall into carrion to be fashioned like to the glorious body of the Lord, which is of such pecrlesse per­spicuitie, that like as the sunne doth a­dorne al the stars, so doth it illuminate all the saints: This doth exceed far beyond the bonds, not only of all beautie, but al­so [Page 41] farre aboue all the comprehension that we can haue of glorie. For albeit in these former resemblances, I confesse the roy­all decking of the saints is made compa­rable to the best of all creatures, yet in this it is made fashionable to the Lord himselfe: In the former, though the light is to be admired, yet is it to be defined; but tis shewed by this, not only to be in­finit for goodnesse, but of vnmeasurable greatnesse.

Moreouer in those former, there was a speciall relation to sweetnesse of beau­tie: but in this, a generall reference to all excellencie of body: For S. Paul affir­meth that our vile bodies shall be like to his most glorious bodie. And can there be a more wonderfull or incredible excellen­cie attributed vnto any creature, then to haue (I say not that body which is vile to be made glorious,) but that body which is more vile then carion, to be made no lesse glorious then like to the son of God; And these our rotten carcasses to be fa­shioned like vnto Christ, not only in spe­ciousnesse of beautie, but in preciousnes of body.

Wherefore to speake now by way of [Page 42] conclusion of externall good things, what a wonderfull exaltation is this for mortall flesh, to be cloathed like the son of God with immortall glory; to be assu­med in honor into heauen, to be associa­ted in felowship with the blessed angels, to passe all time in eternity of pleasures, to enioy al worlds in variety of delights, and that not only continually without a­ny intermitting: But also euerlastingly without all ending, to be decked out a­boue all creatures, with the ornaments of beauty, garnished eternally with incom­parable light, and fashioned in all excel­lencie like the Lord Iesus himselfe, al­though not in equall degree of glory (for therein Christ is to haue the prehemi­nence, & to be the head of his members) yet the members must needs be propor­tionable to the head; And therfore can­not but be stuffed full of brightnes, light, fairnesse; sweetnes, integritie, subtlety, a­gilitie, power, strength, immortality, feli­citie, glory and maiesty; being ioyous, happie, blessed, triumphant, glorious, im­mortall and eternall; euen as the sonne of God himselfe is.

Lo (Christians) if any be in loue, here is [Page 43] that which is most amiable, if any desire to be faire; no beauty is so admirable: In comparison of this all faces are but dust, and all beauties are but shadows. Foolish Pigmalions that there are, which gaze in­amored on images of mold, & are not ra­ther rauished with this comelines diuine. Shall the painting of earth moue more then the pollishings of heauen, the ve­stures of corruption, more then the orna­ments of glorie? or that which is lesse beautifull then a flower, beyond that which is more orient then the light? or a face drawne out of dust by the pensill of nature, then a grace distincted in the hea­uens by the finger of Gods hand? Nay, rather as S. Augustine saith (in Epistola qua­dam) He that loueth pleasures, let him seeke them there, where it neuer can be distracted with any paine; He that loueth honor, let him seeke it there, whereas no contempt or abasement can make him be without it; He that loueth treasure, let him lay it vp there, whereas no consu­ming can euer wast it out; He that loueth health, let him seeke it there, whereas no sicknesse can euer make him want it; He that would liue long, let him there ob­taine [Page 44] life, where it neuer can be determi­ned by the stroke of death.

God graunt therefore we may so set our affections on things aboue, and not on things beneath: As that when Christ which is our life and light shall ap­peare; we may also appeare with him in glorie.

Amen.