The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

he will deliver thee• nay, when thy body shall lye down in the grave (though the Heathen said, when they had burnt the bodies of Gods Saints, and thrown them into the water, Let us now see how they will rise again; they were deceived) thou must be contented, for Christ will redeem that dust, and say to the earth, Give up, and to the sea, Give up thy dead, deliver up the bodies of my servants, let their sinews and bones come together, and body and soul shall come together, and enjoy happiness in heaven together for evermore: if then neither the guilt of sin can condemn us, nor the filth of sin pollute us, if neither misery nor persecution can hurt us, then go away, not only comfortably, but triumphantly into persecution and prison, into holes and caves, and dens of the earth; Christ will be all in all unto you in grace here, and in glory hereafter, therefore let this comfort you.

he will deliver thee• nay, when thy body shall lye downe in the grave (though the Heathen said, when they had burnt the bodies of Gods Saints, and throwne them into the water, Let us now see how they will rise againe; they were deceived) thou must be contented, for Christ will redeem that dust, and say to the earth, Give up, and to the sea, Give up thy dead, deliver up the bodies of my servants, let their sinews and bones come together, and body and soule shall come together, and enjoy happinesse in heaven together for evermore: if then neither the guilt of sinne can condemne us, nor the filth of sinne pollute us, if neither misery nor persecution can hurt us, then goe away, not only comfortably, but triumphantly into persecution and prison, into holes and caves, and dens of the earth; Christ will bee all in all unto you in grace here, and in glorie hereafter, therefore let this comfort you.

Use. 3 In the third place, it is the use the holy Ghost here makes, Is it so that there is a conveyance of all grace from Christ to the believer? he doth what he doth by him, and hath what he hath from ⟨p. 91⟩him? then it is a word of instruction to teach us all to lye down in the dust; let no man glory in man, but let him that glories glory in the Lord, this is the main collection the Apostle infers, God hath chosen the foolish and base things of the world, that no man might glory in flesh; as who should say, it is not my parts, but Christ; it is not my abilities, but mercy; it is not what I can do, but what Christ will perform: therefore if Christ then be Author of all we have or can do, let him receive all the honour and praise of all we have or do; doth the Lord work all our works in us and for us? then let him receive the tribute due to his Name, and take nothing to your selves: away with that proud heart that bars God of his honour and praise, and of the due which indeed belongs unto him, and ought to be performed by all his servants: dost thou think the Lord will bestow all his favour upon thee, and work all for thee, and thou in the mean time prank up thy self, and lift up thy crest? no, I charge you, you Saints of God, as to know your own privileges to be thankful for them, so to know your own unworthiness, and to lie down in the dust, and be abased for ever, and to give God the honour due unto his Name: