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CHAP. CXI. Life Eternal. (Book 111)

THe Gospel promiseth to mortal Men, not only that the Son of God was Incarnate, and suffered for the Salvation of Man; but that these two Misteries are to be apply∣ed unto Individuals, which else should be as it were in vain: But I have considered of that Application, after this manner.

For indeed by Sin, Man brake no less the Intent, than the Decree of God, from whence humane Nature was corrupted in its Root; because there followed another almost beast-like Generation thereupon, which of it self is uncapable of life Eternal: Wherefore the Gospel ought to include the abolishment of Original Sin and of all other things issuing from the Corruption of Nature: Therefore, seeing Man thenceforeward ought to be born no longer of God; but naturally only of the Bloods of the Sexes, of the will of the Flesh, and of the will of Man: neither yet could his Body rise again (through any Power of his own) into its antient Dignity, and much less cease to be, that it might again, and otherwise begin to be: Therefore the joyful Message was brought unto us, that one Baptisme should be given for the Remission of Sins, whereby Man should be so renewed by Water and the Holy Spirit, that his Soul should be born again as it were by a new Nativity, and be made partaker of the unspotted Humanity of Christ the Saviour, being framed by the holy Spirit: Which new Birth also, reposeth the Soul into its antient State of Innocency, taking away Sin; and we believe that thing altogether really thus to be; but not as if we

should embrace Allegories or Metaphors for truth; but these things do so really and actually happen in Baptized Persons, that God doth grant a Testimony of that actual Grace, which is conferred by Baptisme, to be sensibly derived into the Body: In which respect indeed, Mahometans receive Baptism, as it takes away from them an inbred Stink, otherwise durable for Life, and the which, we observe to be otherwise in all Jews, at this day: And so the more inward effect of Baptisme doth even outwardly shine forth: Yea and that thing confirmes, that there is a perpetual and unobliterable effect of one only Baptisme.

But that new Birth doth not take away Death, but leaves Christians with the Fardle of a corrupt Body, generated by the Will of Man: and in this respect, nevertheless, leaves the Soul subject to the Vices of a corrupted Body: Wherefore unto those that are of ripe Age, Baptisme was not sufficient, although unto those of younger Years, as long as they are innocent, it is abundantly sufficient.

There is therefore, another Priviledge promulged, whereby Persons of ripe Years may have eternal Life: that he who shall not eat unworthily the Lords Body, Christ shall raise him up unto Life in the last Day; but if he shall not eat, he is to have no Life in him: For this Mistery was given unto us for the Life of the World: For the Life of the World is Adamical, Frail or Mortal, and well nigh Brutal: For the transchanging whereof, a Pledge is given unto us, and likewise an actual and real Participation of Life eternal. Therefore the Merits of the Lords Passion are comunicated unto us, through a participa∣tion of the unspotted Virginity of Christ the Lord; for the Communion of his most pure and chast Body, unites us to himself, and doth actually regenerate us in himself, and so gives us a Life conformable unto himself: The Body of the Lord is given for the Life of the World. And although the Body of Man, which was conceived of Bloods, doth not pre∣sently perish; Yet in that very Moment, wherein we are united with the Lords Body, and his Humanity, it makes us partakers of his incomprehensible Incarnation, and re∣stores us into the antient Integrity of humane Nature; as we do partakingly attain the most pure Virginity of Christ, wherein we ought to be saved. And so by reason of his amorous Union, a participation of the Merits of his Passion is attributed unto us: There∣fore the most principal effect of the holy sacred Eucharist, is a Participation of the Purity, and Virgin-uncorrupted Nature of the Lord Jesus: And so for this Cause, it is declared by a proper Circumlocution, to be Wine budding forth Virgins.

Furthermore, that this Mistery of the unutterable Love of God, doth operate the a∣foresaid real effects of regeneration in the Nature of Man: The Apostle teacheth, We shall all indeed rise again; but we shall not all be changed: As if he should say; All Mortals shall at sometime rise again from Death: The Damned indeed shall rise again, being not any thing changed; but in their former Adamical Body, being ponderous, not piercing, &c. to wit, only the wished for necessity of Death, being taken away from them. But Children being regenerated by the Laver of Baptisme, shall rise again in a Body, after some sort Glorified, but by so much the less perfect, by how much they were remote from so great an happiness.

But they, who were united in the communion of the Lords Body, shall rise again, plainly glorious throughout their whole Nature; because they were most perfectly regenerated in their life-time: of which Regeneration, although visible Signs appeared not; yet they were in very deed within, for neither are they made anew in the Resurrecti∣on, unless they had first fore-existed in the Life-time, by an every-way regeneration. Our Faith is not of things not in Being, but of true things; not Visible, because he will have us to profit by Faith: Wherefore, although this Mark of resemblance of Love, and Union with God, be altogether unsearchable, even as also its Effects are only invisible; Yet the aforesaid mystical and real New-birth, is as yet reckoned earthly by Nicodemus, and from that Title, I have transferred it hither.

I therefore contemplate of the New-birth or renewing of those that are to be saved, to be made in a sublunary and earthly Nature, just, even as in the Projection of the Stone which maketh Gold: For truly, I have divers times seen it, and handled it with my hands: but it was of colour, such as is in Saffron in its Powder, yet weighty, and shining like unto powdered Glass: There was once given unto me one fourth part of one Grain: But I call a Grain the six hundredth part of one Ounce: This quarter of one Grain there∣fore, being rouled up in Paper, I projected upon eight Ounces of Quick-silver made hot in a Crucible; and straightway all the Quick-silver, with a certain degree of Noise, stood still from flowing, and being congealed, setled like unto a yellow Lump: but after pouring it out, the Bellows blowing, there were found eight Ounces, and a little less than

eleven Grains of the purest Gold: Therefore one only Grain of that Powder, had trans∣changed 19186 Parts of Quick-silver, equal to it self, into the best Gold. The aforesaid Powder therefore, among earthly things, is found to be after some sort like them, the which transchangeth almost an infinite quantity of impure Mettal into the best Gold, and by uniting it to it self, doth defend it from cankering, rust, rottenness, and Death, and makes it to be as it were Immortal, against all the torture of the Fire, and Art, and tran∣slates it into the virgin-Purity of Gold; only it requires Heat.

The Soul therefore, and Body, are thus regenerated by Baptisme, and the communion of the unspotted Body of the Lord; so that a just heat of Devotion of the Faithful shall be present. Let the Divine pardon me, if I as being beyond my Last, have spoken of Life eternal by way of a Parenthesis: For I willingly confess, that a regenerated Body is not belonging to my Employment: I treat only of prolonging the Life of the World.

This only I have said, that Baptisme doth bring with it a real Effect of Purity perceivable by Sense, and that the holy-sacred Communion of the Eucharist, hath something like it in earthly things, whereby we may the more easily believe Regeneration.