An exposition of the Creed: or, An explanation of the articles of our Christian faith. Delivered in many afternoone sermons, by that reverend and worthy divine, Master Iohn Smith, late preacher of the Word at Clavering in Essex, and sometime fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Oxford. Now published for the benefit and behoofe of all good Christians, together with an exact table of all the chiefest doctrines and vses throughout the whole booke

SERMON LXX.

HEBREVVES 10. 24, 25.

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love, and to good workes:

Not forsaking the assembling of our selves toge∣ther, as the manner of some is: but exhorting one ano∣ther, and so much the more, as yee see the day approa∣ching.

IN Christian communion two things are to bee looked unto; First, that wee have communion with Christ, and then with his members: that wee may have communion with Christ, wee must la∣bour to get the Spirit of Christ; for as Saint Paul saith, Rom. 8. 9. If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, hee is none of his: Now the meanes to come by it is by the Word and Sacraments, which be the conduits and channels to convey the Spirit into us; there∣fore wee must apply our selves to the hearing of the Word preached, and to the receiving of the Sacraments; and so often as wee use these meanes, we should labour to feele the Power of Christ in us, that wee may say with Saint Paul, Gal. 2. I live not, but Christ liveth in me. If a man take Physicke, the next question that useth to bee asked, is, what doth the Physicke worke? for if it doth not, it is very dangerous to him that taketh it; and if he mend not speedily after it, and gather strength, they doe suspect the man to bee but a dead man; even so the Word and Sa∣craments are Gods Physicke, which when we have received, the next thing that wee should enquire into, is, whether they worke upon us or no? if they doe not stirre our bad humors (as it were) and bee a meanes to remove our sinnes, and to get strength against them, that we may be quickned in our soules with holy graces, if wee doe not mend (I say) upon it, our estate is full of danger: Therefore it must bee our care to profit by the use these good meanes, that we may feele the Power of Christ in us, to kill sinne, and to quicken up all the graces that are in us; for the more wee increase in communion with Christ, the lesse wee shall have communion with our sinnes. To explaine this to you, give

me leave to use a familiar similitude; A certaine man there was that had a foule yard, who got gravell and stones to mend it, yet still his yard was foule; then having a little spring in it, he opens that and turnes the streame through his yard, which carried away all the rubbish, filth, and dirt; so when wee feele and see our hearts to bee uncleane, the way to mend them is not to put gravell & stones upon them, but there is a little spring of the blood of Christ, which we must labor to turne into them; and this will bee sure to carry all the filth, rubbish and corruption that is in us: Againe, those that make opticke glasses, they say can gather all the Sunne beames so together, as by reflecting them on a ship, they can set it on fire; in like manner if we can gather all the gratious beames of the graces of Christ into our hearts, though it doe not burne the ship, yet it will burne up all our sinnes and corruptions: therefore it must be our care by the use of good meanes to nourish this holy Communion, that we have with Christ by the Spirit.

Now as we have communion with Christ, so also with his Members by love; I shewed that there is a threefold Communion: of the living with the living; of the living with the dead; and of the dead with the dead: which was twofold, in their bodies and soules.

But of this sufficiently before: for of the severall Communions of Saints one with another, I have at divers times spoken; my intention at this present is onely to prosecute such necessary consequences as de∣pend upon this Doctrine: which, also I doe reduce chiefly to these three heads: First, That the soule of man dieth not; against Atheists: Secondly, That the soule sleepeth not with the Body; against Anabaptists: Thirdly, That the soule goeth not to Purgatorie; against Papists.

Of these in Order; and first, That the soule of a man dieth not; against the Atheists of this time, who say that the soule dieth together with the body: indeed it were well with them, that their soules might die with their bodies, as a beast dieth, for it goeth but to the ground and there is an end of them, but their soules (I meane Atheists) shall goe into paines and torments. Now because this is a weightie point, and of some im∣portance, I will prove it to you first, by the Scripture and secondly, by Reason: by the Scripture for your sakes, for they care not for the Scrip∣tures; and by Reason for their sakes, because they may bee left without excuse.

First, by the Scriptures; Eccl. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth, and the Spirit to God that gave it; likewise Christ saith to the theefe, This day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise, Luk. 23. Now this could not bee spoken of his bodie, for that was in the hands of the Souldiers to burie; therefore it was spoken in regard of his soule.

Secondly, by Reasons, which are chiefly three: First, That which is cor∣rupted, is corrupted by the contrarie of it; but there is nothing contrarie to the soule but sinne; as 1 Pet. 2. 11. S. Peter exhorts the brethren, Dearly be∣loved, I beseech your as Pilgrims & strangers abstaine from fleshly lusts that fight against the soule: Now sinne is not contrarie to the substance of the soule, but to the puritie & sanctitie thereof; therefore though sinne destroy the

puritie of the soule, it cannot destroy the subtance of the soule; and con∣sequently the soule still liveth.

Secondly, That if the soule may doe any action in the body, that depends not of the body without the helpe of it, then it may subsist without the body: which wee may easily perceive aswell by demonstration out of the rules of Philosophy, as by evident notes and markes proceeding from the ope∣ration of our soule within our selves, as the severall operations of the intellectuall faculties, that doe not depend at all on the body: even so it is in existing; but the soule may doe some action in the body that doth not depend on it, as the judgement, and the will; therefore it may exist without the body.

Thirdly, a thing that corrupteth must corrupt to something or to nothing: If they say it doth corrupt to some thing, then it will dissolve to the same thing that it was made of, but it was not made of the foure Elements, for then it would bee some thing; nor of the temper of the Elements, for then it should bee compounded; but all Divines hold, that the soule is not a compound thing, but a thing undividable; therefore the soule doth not corrupt to something.

And it doth not corrupt to nothing; for, of nothing nothing can bee made by the power of nature; but by his owne power God is able to make something of nothing. So this opinion is false; therefore if the Atheists cannot tell us what becommeth of the soule, and whether it dieth or not; Gods word can tell, that the soule doth not dye, but that it is im∣mortall.

The Use is, seeing the soule liveth when it is out of the body, there∣fore all our care must be for the salvation of our soules; whatsoever be∣commeth of our bodies, our care must bee for our soules; yet wee see what a-doe there is about the body, all our care is for to cloath and feed it, and yet that shall come to the dust for a while, and the soule shall live for ever in glorie or in paine; therefore our chiefest care must bee for that. Wee see the theefe on the crosse makes his Request to Christ, that hee would remember him when hee comes in his Kingdome, all his care was for the saving of his soule; hee doth not pray Christ to pull the nayles and the splinters out of his hands and feete, to asswage and miti∣gate his bodily paines, but all his care is for saving of his soule; in like manner when wee come to die our request must bee, that God would save our soules whatsoever becommeth of the body: I did shew you the other day that if a house were burnt downe, and the men in it should escape; wee use to say, thankes bee to God for it; so though our bodies goe to the dust, yet prayse God that our soules goe to heaven, into eternall joy and glorie.

The second thing that I will demonstrate is, that the soule doth not sleepe in the body when it is dead; this is against the is Anabaptists, who say that the soule sleepes in the body, when it is in the grave: but I know no ground for this opinion; for whereas Christ sayes Iohn 11. our friend Lazarus sleepeth, &c. that cannot bee meant of the soule, but of the death of the body; so Matth. 27. it is said, that the Saints that slept arose: so then

they have no Scripture for their opinion, but against them.

Now wee will see what Reason wee have against them: First, see what is the cause of sleeping, for it is by reason of certaine vapours that arise from the bottome of the stomack, and ascend into the head where they binde the senses: Now this cause is not in the soule, and therefore that cannot sleepe. Againe, if the soule should sleepe, it must sleepe in the body; for cast out of the body it cannot sleepe, because as long as the soule is in the body there is life in a man, as S. Paul saith, Act. 20. 9. of Eutichus; Trouble not your selves (saith he) for there is life in him; when he fell out of the window, and every one thought hee had beene dead. If they say that the soule sleepes out of the body, it must sleepe in Heaven or in Hell, or in this world, or in the grave: It can not sleepe in Heaven, for there is joy, nor in Hell for there is paine, nor in this world, for there is labour and paine, nor in the grave, for there is corruption; therefore away with this sleepy opinion. Now there is another kinde of sleepe of the soule in the body, which S. Paul speaketh of, Ephes. 5. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead, and, Christ shall give thee life: therefore it is good for men to awake while they bee here out of this sleepe of sinne, lest they bee fearefully awaked, at the dreadfull day of judgement with this fearefull sentence, Goe ye cursed into Hell fire prepared for the De∣vill and his Angells.

The third thing that I will demonstrate unto you is, That the soules doe not goe to a middle place, as the Papists say: if men have done well then they goe to Heaven presently, but if they have committed great faults then they rest in a middle place: The Scriptures shew otherwise Eccle. 12. it is said, that dust goeth to the earth and the soule to God that gave it: and Christ said to the theefe, This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise: Origen saith that that which Christ spake to the theefe on the Crosse, hee spake to all his people; that when they died, their soules goe presently to joy: and S. Paul shewes the same where hee saith, 2 Cor. 6. 7. Therefore wee are bold and love rather to remove out of the body, and to dwell with God. Hence then wee see it plaine in the Scripture, that so soone as a man dieth his soule goeth home to God, to glorie and happinesse if hee bee a true beleever. Therefore seeing the soule doth not die, neither with the body as the Atheists say, nor sleepe in the body, as the Anabaptists say, nor rest in a middle place as the Papists say it is a certaine truth that the soules of the Godly are gathered presently after death into the Kingdome of Heaven. O then what a joyfull meeting will that be when my soule and thy soule and all the soules of Gods Children shall bee gathered to Angels and Archangels, to the Patriarchs and Prophets; to Abraham, Isaak and Iaakob, and all the Holy men of God that are departed in the faith of Christ; therfore above all things (my brethren) labour to have Communion with the Saints here in the Kingdome of Grace that thou mayest have Commu∣nion with them in the Kingdome of glorie; for if it bee a sweet thing to have Communion with the Saints here in this life, much more it is a sweet and joyfull thing to have Communion with them in the Kingdome of glorie.

Now there are foure things in this life that hinder and allay the comfortable Communion that the Saints should have one with ano∣ther.

• 1. The mixture of wicked men.
• 2. The Imperfection of good men.
• 3. The Distance of place.
• 4. The narrownesse of their love.

The first thing that taketh downe and allaieth the comfortable com∣munion of the People of God in this World, is mixture malorum, The mixture of evill men: and that in two respects:

First, because they hurt and vexe them with their wrongs; of the People of God be as Lambes amongst Wolves, innocent and harmelesse; and the wicked Ezekiel 34. 21. They are called Rammes that thrust with side and with shoulder, and push at the weake with their hornes, untill they have scat∣tered them: Therefore David complaines of the wicked, Psal. 144 That they eate Gods People as a man eats bread; so also Psal. 41. 9. (saith he) Yea my familiar friends whom I trusted, which did eate of my bread, have lift up the heele against me: they that were of the same communion with him did much wrong him. Saint Basil observeth that a ship in the Sea is in more danger of those rockes that are hidden with water, than with those that may be seene a great way off; so (saith he) the close and secret ene∣mies of the Church, and such as live amongst them, are more dangerous than they that be open and apparent to be seene.

Secondly, they grieve and offend them with their sinnes; though they do not wrong nor hurt them otherwise, yet with their sinnes and their un∣civill conversation they doe vexe and grieve them; as 2 Pet. 2. 8. it is said, that Lots soule was vexed every day with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites dwelling amongst them, and yet they did not hurt with their hands. If one man should set up a number of goodly lights, and one should come and make a smoke in the roome, it would dimme the lights; so the Lord hath set up a number of Saints to shine as lights in this World, and the Divell he thrusts in a number of vile and wicked men to make a smoke to dampe their light, which although they can∣not quite quench, yet they much dimme: this doth hinder and allay the sweete and comfortable communion that the Saints should have one with another. Now in the Kingdome of Heaven there shall be no such matter: as Matth. 13. 41. It is said that Christ will thrust out of his kingdome all things that offend: so there shall not bee a wicked man left to hurt nor offend them: so Esay 11. 9. it is said, They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine: and likewise Revel. 21. 27. it is said, And there shall enter into it no uncleane thing, neither whosoever worketh abomination, or telleth lies: againe, Revel 22. 15. saith he, For without shall be dogges, inchan∣ters, whoremongers, murtherers, Idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh lies: So all the wicked shall be excluded and shut out of the kingdome of God, there shall be no body to hurt the Saints nor to grieve and of∣fend them; O how comfortable will the communion of Saints bee in Heaven?

Secondly, Imperfectio bonorum, the imperfection of good men; for they be not perfectly sanctified in this world, they are regenerated but in part; partly flesh, and partly spirit: so by reason hereof there bee many jarres and brangles that doe arise amongst them; as Gregory saith out of Psal. 10. that many times friends have much adoe to agree: for wee see Abraham and Lot were both sanctified and holy men, and yet there was a jarre betweene them, they were glad to be parted, Gen. 13. 8. so Paul and Barnabas wee both good and holy men, and yet they were so at oddes one with another, that they parted company. Acts 15. 39. Da∣mascen observeth, that as there is no rose (since the fall of Man) but hath his prickles; so there is no man, even the best that is, but hath some thing or other in him, that is distastefull: but in Heaven all these infir∣mities shall be taken away, and then there will bee infinite matter of comfort. As Gen. 21. 10. yee see that there was a jarre betweene Abra∣ham and Sarah, about the bondwoman and her childe, who when shee was cast out, all was at peace: so many times there is contention and strife betweene Christians, all being about the bondwoman and her Childe; that is, the reliques and remainders of corruptions in the flesh, but when they shall be taken from us, then wee shall have sweet agree∣ment: therefore if the communion of Saints be comfortable here, how much more comfortable will it be in Heaven?

Thirdly, distantia locorum, that they live in remote places one from a∣nother; and yet there is a providence of God in it, For the People of God are said to be the salt of the Earth: Salt must not be laid all in one place, but it is sprinkled and scattered in every place to make meat seasonable and savoury, that is, unto many; so the Godly, doe not live all in one Towne, Countrie, and Place, but are scattered and sprinkled all the world over to season the hearts of their brethren, and their soules; to make them savoury unto God: so because they be thus scattered and hindered one from another, this doth hinder and allay the sweet and comfortable communion that they should have one of another. It is said, Iudges 5. 16. For the divisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart; for Reuben was placed on the other side of Iordan, so that they could not get mutuall helpe from them, because there was a River betweene them; In like manner because there is a Iordan, betweene the People of God in this World; some living in one Countrie, and some in another, so that they cannot lend their mutuall helpe one to another; this maketh great thoughts of heart, and allayeth the comfort that they might have one of another: but at the day of death they shall all goe into the king∣dome of God, and live in one place. As Matth. 8. Christ shewes that they shall come from the East, and from the West, and shall sit downe with Abra∣ham, Isaak, and Iaakob, in the Kingdome of God. Wee see how comforta∣ble it is when a few Christians are met together to conferre, pray, and sing Psalmes, who notwithstanding have their weaknesse and frailties: and if it be so comfortable here, what will it be when all the People of God shall meete together in Heaven. If one see an infinite number of godly Diamonds shinning, scattered here and there, and they bee all

brought into one roome, what a light and lustre would there bee? So the People of God are as a company of shinning Pearles or Diamonds, that are seated here in this world, but one day when all they are gathe∣red together and brought into Heaven, then what a wonderfull glory and shining will there be?

Fourthly; Angustia amorum, the narrownesse of their love: for the Peo∣ple of God are bound to love as brethren, and to tender the good one of another. Now there is such a narrownesse in our love, that we have much adoe to love our friends, much lesse all the Saints; for there be a number of Saints that we know not, neither doe wee love all we know, as we should doe; but at the day of death when wee shall all meete to∣gether in Heaven, then our love shall be inlarged, and we shall love the whole Israel of God, no brother loveth his brother so dearely as we shall love one another; yea, though we never saw them before, nor heard of them; then consider how great will our comfort be at that day, when we shall part from this world, and live together in Heaven?

Now besides all these, there is a double communion wee have with the Saints:

• 1. A communion with them in Grace.
• 2. A communion with them in Glorie.

Therefore it must be every mans care to labour to appertaine to the communion of saints in grace, that so they may come to have cōmunion with them in the kingdome of glory. Indeed all men desire to appertain to the communion of saints in glory, to go to the kingdome of Heaven; like Balaam that desired to die the death of the righteous, to be in glo∣ry and happinesse with the People of God, but cared not to live godlily here: But if ever wee expect to have communion with the Saints here∣after in the kingdome of Glory, wee must bee sure to have communion with them here in the kingdome of Grace. And therefore let us labour to repent us of our sinnes, to get faith in Christ, to walke before God in newnesse and holinesse of life, and then after this life, we shall live in all blessednesse in the kingdome of Heaven for ever.

Notes

• SERM. LXX.
• Simile.
• ART. X.
• Simile.
• Simile.
• 1
• That the soule dieth not.
• 1
• Proofe by the Scripture.
• 2
• By Reason.
• Reason 2.
• Reason 3.
• 1
• 2
• Vse
• Simile.
• Simile.
• 2
• That the soule sleepe not in the body.
• Reasons against it.
• Cause of sleepe.
• 2
• Object.
• Ans.
• 3
• That the soules doe not goe to a middle place.
• Foure lets of the communion of Saints.
• 1
• Let the mixture of evill men.
• In wronging the Saints.
• 1
• Simile.
• 2
• They vexe them with their fine.
• Simile.
• 2
• The imperfecti∣ons of good men.
• Simile.
• 3
• The distance of Place.
• Simile.
• Simile.
• Simile.
• 4
• Narrownesse of their Love.