Clause 12

Testimonies out of the Prophetes and Apostles

Esay 64. verse 4. And since the beginning of the worlde they haue not heard nor vnderstoode with the eare, neither hath the eye seene another God beside thee, which doeth so to him that waiteth for him. The which place Paul citeth. 1. Cor. 1. which the eye hath not seene, which the eare hath not heard &c. And in 21. of the Apoc. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrowe nor crying.

The meaning of this article

The meaning is: I beleeue that the same life which is in Iesus Christ, shall be reuealed also in mee: Coloss. 3. Your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ our life shall be made manifest, then shall you also be made manifest in glorie. The name of euerlasting life comprehendeth in it all that same happinesse and gladnesse both of soule and body, which the soules enioye by and by after this life through Iesus Christe, and which also the bodies ioyned to the soules shall enioye with them, when they shall be taken vp into the aire that they may bee alwayes with the Lorde. 1. Thess. 4. I confesse not onely this euerlasting life: but I trust that it is prepared & proper to me. Christ confirmeth this prorietie and feeling begun thereof, which a ful fruition shall follow, saying, Verily, verily, I say vnto you, he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth on him that sent me, hath euerlasting life, and shal not come into iudgement, but he hath passed from death to life. Iohn. 5. vers. 24 The Apostle out of the Prophete Esay. 1. Cor. 1. doeth so shadowe out the full fruition and the enioying thereof, as which can not be comprehended by any thought or vnderstanding in this life, whiche the eye hath not seene &c. There is a notable picture of it in the Apocalips, chapter 21. where amongest other thinges he saith, I haue not seene a temple in it: for the omnipotent Lorde is the temple thereof, that is the lambe. Neither doeth this citie neede sunne or moone to shine in it. For the glorie of God hath enlightened it, and the lambe is the light thereof. For God to whome in Christe wee shall then bee so fully ioyned and knit as the fountaine of all goodnes, that beyond him there is nothing to be desired, to the ende wee might bee truelie happie, as hee saith to the father of all nations, and so to all beleeuers Genesis 15. I am thy greate rewarde: and Psalme 16. Dauid saith, Iehouah is my portion. This fountayne doeth plentifully powre out it selfe vppon vs after the resurrection of our fleshe, as the Apostle teacheth that God shall bee all in all.

The scope or vse of this Article

The scope is that the faithfull may knowe, that their full and stayed felicitie is not in this earth, and that he that hath begune his worke in vs, wil also perfect it. Of which knowledge there is a threefolde vse. First the remembrance of our departure hence into euerlasting life to that same chiefe & high good, will not suffer our heartes to bee fastened here to these earthly thinges as the Apostle sayth, 2 Corinthians 5. And therefore we are alwaies of good comforte, and wee knowe, that seeing wee are straungers in body, wee are hardely absent from the Lorde (for wee walke by faith and not sight) but we trust and rather desire to depart out of the body and to goe to dwel with the Lord. And for this cause we endeuour that both dwelling & departing hence we may bee acceptable vnto him. So in the 8. to the Rom. wee our selues which haue the first fruites of the spirite, do grone with our selues waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of our bodies. 1. Pet. 1. passe the time of your abiding here in feare, hee calleth it an abiding here, but not a dwelling.

The seconde vse is patience and constancie. For this same full felicitie is propounded to be beleeued, to this end that the faithfull, when they shall marke that same taste of happinesse, which they feele by the first fruites of the spirit, and shall perceiue that they are farre of from the full fruition and enioying of it, in respecte of the manifold strife which they haue with sundrie tribulations, which God vseth as instrumentes to mortifie sinne and to conserue them to the head Christ, they shoulde not in the meane season be any whit at al discouraged, but turning the eyes of their mindes to that ful happines, they should waite with a peaceable minde for the day of the reuelation. For so saith Christ Luke 21. Ye shall be hated of al mē for my name sake, but an heare of your heade shall not perish; possesse your soules through patience. And 2. Tim. 2. If any man striue, he is not crowned, vnlesse he striue lawfully.

Nowe this same second vse ought specially to arme the ministers of the worde, with an inuincible fortitude against the vnthankefulnesse of the worlde, to which they doe good against the will thereof, against pinching pouertie, banishmentes, and to be short sundrie daungers: that if so be that the courage of their minde, be sometimes pressed downe vnder the burthen of calamities, they remember that that same great weight of the glory prepared be put in yᵉ other scale of the ballance: which without all doubt shall so ouerwey it, that it shal make that same first to be most light. For this cause wee are not sluggish saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 4. but though our outwarde man perish, yet the inwarde man is dayly renewed. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, causeth vnto vs a far most excellent, and an eternall weight of glorie. Let that same promise also brought by the Angel, be alwayes in sight, which albeit it be commō to all the faithful, as all are prophetes: yet it specially is directed to ministers in Daniel cap. 12. And the wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament, and they that turne many to righteousnes, shal shine as the starres for euer & euer. Therefore Christ also saith, Your reward is great in heauen. Matth. 5. Let them also beleeue this themselues which teach others to beleeue.

The thirde vse is yᵉ certaintie of perseuerance in faith: that is to say, that we beleeue that the Lord will neuer suffer that we shall vtterly fall from grace: because he will haue vs to beleeue euerlasting life. If I must beleeue euerlasting life, I trust not without cause also that I shalbe kept in the way: As Peter plainly teacheth, 1. Epist. 1.5. which are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation, which is prepared to be showed in the last time. And 1. Cor. 1.9. God is faithfull by whom ye are called into the fellow shippe of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde: to him be honor and glorie world with out end. Amen.