runneth not the Race hath no hope of the Garland he that Fighteth not the Battel hath no hope to obtain the Crown Why thus my Friends if you sit down satisfied without Grace not labouring to become pure and holy and unblameable before God in love you can never have any good hope to enjoy the Harvest the Garland the Crown of Eternal Life Ephes 2.12 PROMISE yourselves what happiness you please and be as confident of your own good condition as you will Yet believe it Sirs unless now with the Wise Virgins you get Oyl in your Lamps and Grace in your Souls you must never sit down with Christ in the Kingdom of God to the Marriage-Supper For to presume of Life and Happiness without (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Grace and Holiness is the next way to lose them both and to plunge yourselves deeper in Eternal Misery Presumption being still the Preface to Damnation And are you grown so secure indeed that you can sit down satisfied without that which alone can make you meet for Heaven and Eternal Glory Oh methinks that unmarcescible Crown of Life that far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory whereof you must everlastingly fall short if you keep it not in the way of serious Practical Holiness should make you give all diligence to get Grace into your hearts and to become holy Is it nothing do you think to miss of Eternal Glory to be eternally shut out of God's heavenly Kingdom and for ever to lose that Crown of Righteousness that fulness of Joy and those Pleasures which are at God's Right Hand for evermore Oh what everlasting hellish horrour will fill your Souls at Death and Judgment should you spend your lives in Vanity not striving to perfect holiness in the fear of God! Oh that you would look upon a graceless condition and negligence in the ways of God now as you will look upon it when for want of grace and diligence in Heaven's way the Lord shall throw you down for ever into hellish Torments the Lord shall punish you with everlasting destruction from his own blessed Presence and bid you depart accursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Oh the unspeakable horrour Oh the everlasting dreadful confusion that will then fall upon you Oh what Worlds would you not give to be saved when for want of sanctifying grace you must of necessity be damned for ever Oh what would you not now do to come to Heaven when for want of Holiness you are sure to be thrown down into hellish Torments and there shut up amongst damned Spirits in everlasting Chains under darkness In the fear of God Sirs and out of tender compassion to your own Immortal Souls do not rest a moment longer in a graceless condition but as ever you desire to be saved now labour to be throughly sanctified and as ever you would see the face of God in Glory now labour to walk before him in all holy Conversation and Godliness Never think to be Mercenarij if you will not be Operarij You can never receive the Reward of Eternal Glory when you dye if you work not hard in God's Vineyard so long as you live The Lord will give you both the upper and the nether Springs both Grace and Glory But on this condition that you espouse Achsah his Daughter that you devote yourselves to the practice of Piety endeavouring to perfect holiness in the fear of God Heb. 12.28 There is a Kingdom that cannot be moved there is a (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crown of Life more glorious than the (c) 1 Cor. 9.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sun in it's Noon day Brightness there is fulness of Joy in God's Presence together with Soul-satisfying (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Words signify such Pleasures as shall never end but will run Parallel with Eternity it self Pleasures at his Right Hand for evermore and all this you may have for your Portion and to make you everlastingly happy but then you must seek it in God's own way by patient continuance in (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill Hier. Cateches 1. Pag. 2. Well-doing and by a life of Serious Practical Holiness He that would have a good Harvest must diligently Till and Sow his Ground So you must break up the fallow Ground of your Hearts endeavouring to Sow to the Spirit would you ever obtain a blessed Harvest in which you may reap a full Crop of Eternal Joy God hath tyed Grace and Glory Holiness and Happiness together So that no Grace no Glory no Holiness here no Happiness hereafter Whosoever leads a lewd unsanctified life on Earth shall never lead a blessed and glorified life in Heaven As no Man might be in the Wedding-house not having on a Wedding-garment Mat. 22.11 12. So whoever is not found cloathed with the garments of Righteousness he shall never enter into a Mansion of glory into an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Thes 2.13 The Image of God must first be renewed upon you in the Beauties of Holiness before ever you can be capable of seeing the face of God in Sion or be counted meet to be Inhabitants of the New Jerusalem Look at Heaven and Glory as much as you will and let your eye be still fixed upon the Recompence of the Reward Yet if you seek it not by patient continuance in well doing endeavouring to cleanse yourselves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit you are never like to be Crowned with it In vain do we look at Heaven and Eternal Glory so long as we live in Sin never striving to be holy which is nothing but to walk in the way that leads to Hell and everlasting Misery For then only have we due respect to the Recompence of the Reward when we seek it in a way of Obedience endeavouring to be changed into the likeness purity and holiness of that God who hath promised that so doing he will Crown us with it CHAP. V. The Doctrin Proved evincing the lawfulness of having a Respect to the Recompence of the Reward in Twelve Particulars III. HAVING thus shewed you What it is to have Respect to the Recompence of the Reward and how you may do so we are in the next place to evince it for your better satisfaction by some Scriptural Demonstrations That you are allowed of God to have respect to the Recompence of the Reward and may lawfully do so in all your Obedience 1. WE may lawfully have Respect in our Obedience to the Recompence of the Reward because God himself hath commanded us that we should do so Had not the Lord by his own Authority enjoyning us by Patient continuance in Well-doing to seek after Heaven and Glory made it our duty to do so we might well have questioned the Legality of such a practise But now there is not the least ground of Hesitancy nor any colour of Reason why we should question Whether
'T is fictioned by the Poets in their Mythology of Prometheus that he did work and fashion the Bodies of Men out of Clay but he was fain to steal Fire from Heaven for the informing and quickning of them with living Souls (a) Psal 139.1 When the Body is curiously formed and admirably organized in the lower Parts of the Earth yet still it would remain a lifeless and unspirited piece of Clay did not God animate and quicken it with a living Soul with a celestial Spark lighted by his own Breath from Heaven THE Body of Man is but a Flower springing out of the Earth that will quickly wither and return to its Dust but his Soul hath Immortality written upon it it s a Bud of Eternity that can never be blasted nor wither away into nothing The Body indeed is nothing but a Compound of Death and Mortality it will quickly crumble away into dust and rottenness but the Soul having no Principles of Death and Corruption bound up in it will run a Line parallel to aâ—l Eternity it can never be confined by time but will for ever be launching forth in the boundless Ocean of an endless Duration †Matth. 10.28 The Body is obnoxious to the stroke of Death and by the Hand of Violence may before its time be matriculated amongst those that sleep in the Dust but the Soul being an immaterial Substance is above that fatal blow and hath from the spirituality of its own Nature everlasting impregnable security against every Hand of Violence written upon it so that Death itself is not able to touch the Life of the Soul THE Soul therefore being thus Divine in its Original and Eternal in its Being and Duration there is no Man unless he will renounce his own Understanding and apostatize from his own essence but must acknowledge it a point of the most important and masculine reason in all the World to consult the Salvation of our Immortal Souls providing above all things for their Eternal Welfare Should we prefer the Casket before the Jewel a frail Mansion of Mortality before an heavenly Inhabitant or the dark Lanthorn of the Body before the Soul that Divine Lamp which if fed by the Oyl of Grace would always shine forth with most radiant dazling beams of Brightness The excellency of our Souls is so transcendently Great and Glorious that it justly lays claim to our principal care and because they will never be raked up with our Bodies in the cold Embers of Death why therefore hath the Lord made it the great end of our Lives to work out Salvation for them giving diligence to make them meet through Grace for everlasting Mansions of Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven But how can we thus take care of them or design their Eternal Happiness as the great end of our Lives in case we may not have respect to the recompence of the reward seeking Life and Eternal Glory by patient continuance in well-doing to Crown them withal Can the Salvation of our Souls be the object of our principal care next to Gods own Glory when out of a pretended Zeal for that we would seem altogether careless and unsolicitous about the saving of our own Souls How can we say we make salvation the great end of our lives endeavouring that our Souls may be happy when we hold it unlawful to bend and level all our desires for the hitting of that fair mark Believe it Christians they that would perswade you 't is unlawful to have respect in our obedience to Heaven and Glory do in effect go about to argue your Souls into the careless neglect of their own everlasting welfare But can you be regardless of your own Salvation Can you sleight the great end of your lives and turn your back upon your own happiness Can you indeed neglect your immortal Souls that must either be happy or miserable either imparadised Souls in Heaven or damned Spirits in Hell to all eternity Do you know what Salvation is how everlastingly blessed those Souls will be that may approach the presence of their God that may see his Face that may rest in his eternal embraces that may enter into the joy of their Lord and drink freely of those Rivers of pleasure which are at his right hand for evermore Oh then make not light of so great Salvation but give all diligence to get an interest therein for your immortal Souls To make sure of eternal happiness was the great errand upon which God sent us into the World oh therefore take heed that you do not leave it upon uncertainties seeking after the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof as if you were loth to find it 10 WE may lawfully have respect in our obedience to the recompence of the reward because the very nature and proper genius of true Grace is to make a blessed divorce betwixt the world and the heart wherein it is resident and so to carry out the heart in strong desires and unsatisfiable breathings after Heaven and Glory True Grace is an Heaven-born Spark and therefore it doth naturally ascend upward aspiring after Heaven and Glory as its proper region As all the Lines meet in the Center and as all the Rivers do run into the Sea uniting themselves in the vast Ocean so all the desires of a gracious Soul they meet in Heaven uniting all their forces in one continued and insatiate anhâ—lation after fulness of Communion with God in Glory The Sun though seen in the Water yet hath his Tabernacle fixed in Heaven (a) Phil. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar Hom. 17. so though a Christian hath his commoration upon Earth yet his Conversation his Trade his Commerce is daily in Heaven the place of his Eternal Abode The Men of this World are ever inveloping themselves in thick Clay they are not soaring Eagles but crawling Muck-worms but now all those that are truly gracious they are Men of another Spirit they live in the highest Region and are compared to Eagles in regard of their Heavenly-mindedness (b) Isa 40.31 Life enables Men to lift up their Body from the Earth and to tread upon it with their Feet (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar Homil. 16. Thus whoever have the Life of Grace begun in them they tread upon all earthly Enjoyments and are carried upon the Wing of desire quite above all sublunary Comforts into Heaven itself The heart that is seasoned with saving Grace is restless till it come to be fixed in a sure State of Glory and Happiness just like the Needle that is touched with a Load-stone upon which there is nothing but unquiet agitations and tremblings till it be firmly fixed and settle immovably in the North Point We read of Noah's Dove that she found no place whereupon to rest the sole of her Foot but only in the Ark so the People of God they find no place but in Heaven whereupon to rest themselves and therefore all their breathings
will readily grant but that Christ should lay down his Life and die in our stead that we through Faith in his Blood might escape the Damnation of Hell and so have an entrance into heavenly Glory they will not abide They make him like Job upon the Dunghil or Stephen the Proto-martyr under a storm of Stones a rare pattern of patience in his Death but as for the Treasury of his Merit to Life and eternity of Glory that they do wholly reject The most that they will allow concerning the Death and Sufferings of Christ our Redeemer is only this that he died as a famous Martyr to confirm the Doctrin he preached and to be an example unto us that we might walk in all patience and self-denial before God But as for that expiatory Sacrifice which in his Death he offered up to God the Father and that full satisfaction which he made thereby to Divine Ju tice against this they bend all their strength as Men that were industriously resolved to undermine the whole Work of our Redemption and to reduce themselves into the same estate of hopeless and everlasting unpreventable misery with lapsed Angels that are now shut up in everlasting Chains under Darkeness However there is a sufficiency of Scripture-evidence shining forth with most clarified Beams of brightness enough to satisfy all those whose eyes the God of this World hath not blinded that Christ died by way of Satisfaction to Divine Justice that he laid down his Life in our stead and that in all his sufferings he designed the purchasing of Life and eternal Salvation for us Hence besides the several Types and daily hibastical Sacrifices under the Old Testament all prefiguring that Jesus Christ was by his Death to make an Attonement for Sin we have the Holy Ghost every where in holy Writ asserting this as the grand end of Christ's coming into the World and of his becoming obedient unto Death that he might save Sinners that he might make satisfaction to Divine Justice that he might reconcile us unto God that he might impetrate the forgiveness of Sins for us and so put us at length in possession of endless Glory As the Lord doth naturally hate Sin so likewise he is naturally inclined to punish it and though there be a Remnant according to the election of Grace that shall be saved yet in order hereunto the Lord stands upon terms of satisfaction to his own Justice resolving to have an adequate satisfactory price deposited or the Captive shall never be released (a) Rom. 3.25 26. To declare therefore the righteousness of God that he might be just Jesus Christ was set forth to be a propitiation for our Sins redeeming us out of the hands of Divine Justice which once being violated becomes inexorable till full Satisfaction be given not with Silver or Gold or any such corruptible thing but with his own precious Blood as of a Lamb undefiled and without spot In our first and grand Apostacy from God the Fountain of our Life and Happiness we together with the light of Gods countenance did miserably lose our selves (b) Luke 19.10 1 Tim 1.15 For this end therefore Christ came into the World that he by the Sacrifice of himself might seek and save us Though before the Fall there was a sweet accord a blessed Covenant of Love and Friendship betwixt God and Man yet no sooner did our first Parents prevaricate but this peaceful League was changed into a dissentious and mutual enmity God for Sin hating Man and Man through Sin hating God To make up therefore this sad breach to compose this unsociable difference Christ humbles himself unto Death that so this dissentious Flame which threatned to involve the whole Race of Mankind in one general conflagration being by the effusion of his own Blood supprest there might be a mutual Reconciliation and an unjarring indissoluble League of Love betwixt God and Man established The Socinian I know will tell you that the enmity was not mutual betwixt God and Man and that Christ by his Death did not pacify God reconciling him to lost Sinners but only destroyed the enmity that was in our Natures against God shewing us thereby that the Lord was already reconciled unto us and ready to receive us into the bosom of his eternal Love But though 't is true that the very coming of Christ into the World was an evident demonstration of that Philanthropy and Stupendious Love of Benevolence whereby the Lord stood inclined to do good to lost Man yet without the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross there was no Love of complacency but the Wrath of God abiding upon us Reconciliation as Chrysostom observes well presupposing enmity and pacification some kind of hostile opposition Hence Christ our Redeemer is so often called the Propitiation for our sins * 1 John 2.2 4 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat peccatorum expiationem ipsam propitiationem seu id quo propter quod tum pâ—ccata expiantur consequenter Deus placatur Zanch. Christus dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non quod reddat Deo homines propitios sed quod Deum reddat hominibus propitium Maccov which word doth properly signify somewhat whereby the anger of another is pacified and so he is induced to become propitious favourable and merciful towards the Party offending A time there was when Man stood not obnoxious to any guilt but sate enthroned in spotless Innocency so that Divine Justice it self could then bring in no black charges nor any Bills of Indictment against him but since first our first Parents touched the forbidden Fruit we stand every moment obnoxious to the Arrests of Divine Vengeance are involved in an universal guiltiness of nature and must eternally lie under the Dint of Gods heavy displeasure had we not †Ephes 1.7 Redemption through Faith in the Blood of Christ even the forgiveness of our Sins Had not Adam and we in him apostatized from God the Death of Christ would have been needless but now by reason of that first prevarication and our own supperadded Iniquities we could not otherwise escape the damnation of Hell since without the shedding of Blood there was no * Heb. 9.22 remission of Sins If Christ undertake to blot out and cover the black lines of sin he must draw them all over with the red lines of his own Blood 'T is not that unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass so much extolled in the Roman Synagogue that can expiate our guilt and cleanse us from Sin but if the deep stain of Sin be fetched out of our Souls and our Robes washed white it must be in the †Rev. 7.14 Blood of the Lamb. A Popes Indulgence may be of efficacy to send some ignorant People to Hell with more chearfulness and security than otherwise they would have gone thither but that Pardon which will prove effectual indeed to calm your Consciences when estuated through the guilt of sin
saving of our (f) 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Acts 20.28 Souls but yet they were never said to give their Souls a ransom for their Brethren which is said of Christ nor to purchase the Church of God with their own Blood which is plainly affirmed of Christ to let us know that in his suffering and dying for his people there was something peculiar unto him that could not possibly be communicated to any other (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Martyr Epist ad Diogenet pag. 386. Behold than a miracle of transcendent love Oh sweet exchange oh unsearchable artifice oh benefits surpassing all expectation that the iniquity of many should be hidden in one righteous person and that the obedience of one Christ should make many unjust persons righteous Oh what manner of love was this where the unjust sins and the just is punished the guilty transgresseth and the guiltless is beaten the impious offend and the pious is condemned what the evil deserves the good suffers what the servant perpetrates the Lord payeth and what Man commits the Son of God himself undergoes for our sakes All the Glory of the godly it wholly springs out of the shame of theit Lords sufferings and passion All the Rest of the godly it lies in the wounds of their Saviour by whose * Peccat iniquus punitur justus delinquit reus vapulat innocens offendit impius damnatur pius quod meretur malus patitur bonus quod perpetrat servus exolvit dominus quod committit homo sustinet Deus Aust Medit. 67. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Martyr ubi suprà stripes they are healed Jesus Christ was in a bitter agony sweating clods of Blood that a cold sweat in the agony of Death may not seize upon us He would wrestle with the Powers of Death that in our last conflict with Death our Faith might not fail us He would undergo most grievous anguish and have his Soul exceeding sorrowful unto Death that our Hearts might be filled in Heaven with joy unspeakable and full of Glory He would begin his Passion in the Garden that he might expiate Sin which was first committed in the Garden of Paradise He would be unjustly condemned on Earth that we being absolved in Heaven may at length have admittance into the glorious liberty of the Children of God He would have his Face covered that the Veil of Sin which hinders us from the beatifical Vision of God in Glory might be taken away He walked in heaviness towards Mount Calvary bearing the weight of his Cross that he might remove the burden of Eternal Punishment not suffering us to lie under the stroke of God's heavy displeasure for ever He cryed out in the bitterness of (a) Omnis piorum gloria est in Dominicae passionis ignominia Omnis piorum requies est in vulneribus salvatoris nostri Gerhard Medit. 6. Christus pro nobis sargâ—â—â—neum sudorem fudit ne frigidissimus in mortis agone sudor nos opprimeret Luctari voluit cum morte ne in agone mortis deficeremus Anxieâ—atem gravissimam tristitiam usque ad mortem sustinere voluit ut aeternae laetitiae in Caelis participes redderemur In horto fieri voluit passionis initium ut expiaret peccatum quod in horto Paradisi habuerat principium Condemnatus est in terris ut nos absolveremur in Coelis Facies ipsius tegitur ut a nobis removeret velum peccati quod in nobis aspectum Dei impedit damnabilem ignorantiam inducit Crucis pondus portavit ut onus aeternae poenae à nobis submoveret A Deo se derelictum clamavit ut aeternam Dei cohabitationem nobis pararet Sitivit in cruce ut rorem divinae gratiae nobis promereretur ac ne aeterna sitâ— perire cogeremur Lacrymas profudit ut nostras abstergeret lacrymas Coronâ spineâ coronatus est ut coelestem coronam nobis promereretur Gerhard Medit. 7. his Soul as forsaken of God that we might never be forsaken of God but have eternal Communion with him in Heaven He thirsted upon the Cross and would have Gall to drink that having merited for us the enlivening nectareous Dew of Divine Grace we might not pine with perpetual thirst but be satisfied with the sweet Wine of Eternal Consolation He would often weep and be filled with sorrow that coming to Sion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon our Heads we might obtain Joy and Gladness and have all tears wiped from our Eyes so that sorrow and sighing shall fly away He in a word would be crowned with Thorns that having laid aside the Rags of Mortality we at length might be crowned with Life and Eternal Glory in God's heavenly Kingdom Since then Christ was thus afflicted that we might be comforted since he drank of the Brook in the way that we might lift up our Heads with everlasting Joy since his Soul was sorrowful unto Death that we might receive the reward of Eternal Life since he came into the World for our sakes enduring the Cross and despising the Shame for this very end that we at length might be crowned with eternity of heavenly Glory what incongruity can you think it to have respect in our obedience to the recompence of the reward Had Christ our Redeemer a respect in all that he did and suffered to the meriting of Eternal Glory for us and may not we have respect in our obedience to the enjoyment of that Happiness and Glory which Christ hath so merited Did the beloved Son of God come down from the Bosom of the Father live such a miserable Life and die so painful execrable and ignominious a Death to purchase such a reward as a Christian cannot look at in his obedience but it will make him forfeit his ingenuity and transform him presently into a mercenary Indeed to fall in love with the Gift and forget the Giver highly to prize Redemption and to undervalue our Redeemer to have our Hearts more set upon Heaven and Glory than upon Christ himself who hath purchased it for us with his own Blood this were monstrously sordid and disingenuous but yet the respect which Christ had to the purchasing of Heaven and Glory for us in his Death and Sufferings doth sufficiently evince that we also in our obedience may have some respect thereunto I read of a certain Young Gallant that having received a Wound in the Wars whereof he came halt home his Mother told him Son this Wound will make you remember Virtue every step that you take To be sure Christian since Christ was wounded for our transgressions purchasing Life and Eternal Glory for us by the Price of his own Blood this may well make us think of Heaven every step that we take in the way of Gods Commandments Not frequently to make glad our Hearts with the sweet Meditation of Eternal Life not often to dwell upon it in our Thoughts taking encouragement therefrom to all holy and self-denying and upright walking before the Lord what less could it be than to undervalue the precious purchase of Christ's dearest Blood and to make light of that great Salvation which he by his Death and
Oh Sirs do you well consider how by such sordid refusals of Mercy you turn that into a favour of Death which breaths out nothing but Life and Happiness you provoke the Lord to rain down Vollies of Wrath and Fury yea Hell it self as the Father said of Sodom's destruction out of Heaven upon you necessitating him to vindicate the reputation of his holiness in your Eternal Misery and Damnation What to blaspheme against the Goodness of God when pursuing you as unwilling to let you without a Blessing To turn your backs upon the gracious condescentions of God when following you with strong importunities of Love and intreating you to provide for your Happiness To make light in a word of Heaven and Glory when offered by the Hand of free Grace upon no harder terms than only that you should cordially accept of them and by patient continuance in well-doing seek after them Oh Sirs such prodigious Ingratitude as this it will destroy you with a double destruction This will heat the Furnace of God's Indignation against you seven times hotter This will set an accent of greatest horrour upon Hell and be the greatest emphasis of your Misery and Eternal Damnation in that place of Torments 3 THIS may give us to understand what a pleasant thing it is to serve the Lord and how unjustly the ways of God are traduced by Men of corrupt minds as if there were no Joy no Comfort no solid grounds of Consolation nor any Cordials to make glad the Heart to be found in them God's People in all the ways of obedience are never suffered to go without the hope of Eternal Life in their Hearts and a fair prospect of Heaven and Glory in their Eye how should they go disconsolate or want matter of delight and comfort to make them rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory If as Solomon tells us it be such a pleasant thing for a †Prov. 3.17 Mortal Eye to behold the Sun how pleasant then are the wayes of Wisdom wherein the Soul having fixed its Eye upon the reward of Eternal Life is always irradiated with most clarified Beams of Joy and reflexions of Glory from the Sun of Righteousness Goodness is true Naomi that will be turned into a Marah into bitterness as she was but is always a pleasant object as that name sounds yeilding matter of delight and spiritual pleasure to all that embrace her The ways of God are like green Fields full of vernal Flowers the Beauty whereof doth exhilerate the Mind making a Man forget his weariness and so come to his Journeys end before he is well aware God deals with all his People as with Moses in the Wilderness to whom he granted for his comfort and satisfaction a prospect of Canaan though he suffered him not to enter therein so though his People cannot enter into the Heavenly Canaan whilst traveling through the Wilderness of their Earthly Pilgrimage yet he brings them down Heaven upon Earth he brings the Harbor into Sea the Rest into their labour the Glory into their trouble and something of the future * Psal 19.11 reward into their present work allowing them for their comfort a â—rospect of the Heavenly Canaan which doth wonderfully rejoyce and make glad their Hearts Men of carnal Hearts are apt indeed to look upon Religion as a sullen and austere exercise that comes to plunder them of all their Comforts as if embracing that they would never have a merry hour nor see one Summers day of joy after As Christ cast out of the Minstrels when he †Mat. 9.23 25. raised up the Rulers Daughter from Death to Life So Christianity they think banisheth all Joy necessitating them to take their longum vale of all delight and to bid farewell to it for ever A Life of serious practical Holiness transforms Men as they imagin into mopish Monks possessing them with unsociable melancholy and causing them like Rachel weeping for her children to refuse all comfort as persons ambitiously desirous to make themselves perfect emblems of sorrow and discontent But surely that encouragement which God allows his People in a way of Duty setting before them a Kingdom of Eternal Glory a Triumphant Crown of Righteousness together with the reward of Eternal Life as the recompense of all their labours may well satisfie us that all those are intolerably abusive and calumnious bringing a most false Report upon a Christian Conversation who do thus shamefully traduce it as a thing destructive of and wholly inconsistent with all Joy If Abraham could rejoice foreseeing by an Eye of Faith the day of Christs incarnation when he only came to purchase Heaven and Glory for his People How much more may the Children of Abraham lift up their Heads with Joy and everlasting consolation foreseeing by an Eye of Faith that Happy day when Christ should be * 2 Thess 1.10 glorified in his Saints and admired in all those that do believe as coming to put them in full possession of that glorious inheritance which is †1 Pet. 1.4 uncorruptible undefiled and which fadeth not away but is reserved sure in the Heavens for them That Christians which the Bernadine Monks fondly conceited that the Sun shone only in their Cell it holds true of you with reference to the Sun of Righteousness he irradiates none with the pure Beams of comfort he lifts up the light of hâ—s Countenance upon none but such as walk close in Communion with him The outward Sun that shines with promiscuous undistinguishable Beams both upon the Good and upon the Bad both upon Frâ—ends and Enemies but the Light of the Knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness that shines upon none that communicates its heart-entrancing heavenly influences of joy and gladness to none but those whom God loves with his special dearest and eternal Love (a) Numb 17.8 Amongst all the Rods of the Princes of Israel the Rod of Aaron the high Priest alone brought forth Buds and bloomed Blossoms and yeilded Almonds Thus amongst all the Children of Men they alone that are made spiritual Priests unto God have their Souls like an Aaron's Rod bringing forth the Buds Blooming the Blossoms and yielding the delicious Fruit of inward comfort to make glad their Hearts God will never pour the new Wine of consolation into the old Bottles of ungracious carnal (b) Deus non infundit oleum misericordiae nisi in nos nutritum Est enim gaudium quod non datur impiis sed iis qui te gratis colunt quorum gaudium tu ipse es August Confes lib. 10. cap. 22. Revel 2.17 Hearts Till therefore the Heart be spiritualized it can never relish the Sweetness of God and his ways nor ever meet with any solid comfort to feed upon The people of God are not left comfortless in the World only they feed upon hidden Manna which a carnal Heart is not able to relish they live upon the
and Undefiled in the way thither With what Face Christian canst thou look upon the Recompence of eternal Life and yet study to gratify thy own brutish Appetite defiling thy self every day with the Pollutions superstitious Observances ungodly Practices and sinful Compliances of a wicked World Believe it Sirs the very Mire in the Streets shall sooner be transubstantiated into massy Gold than a Man thus weltring in the Filth and Mire and Vomit of his Sins shall ever be suffered to enter into the Kingdom of God Sin blocks up the way to Heaven nor must any Man ever think he shall come to Glory there if he enter not in through the Suburbs of Grace (f) Psal 24.4 The Prophet David hath resolved the Case long ago telling us that he who is of clean Hands (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cor mundum scelerisque purum politum omnique immunditiâ vacuum prorsus defaecatum haec denotat phrascologia and of a choice pure polisht Heart as the original imports shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord and shall stand in his holy Place Without Holiness we cannot serve the Lord in a way of Duty ¶ Jos 24 19 Heb. 12.14 much less are we fit without Holiness to enjoy the Lord in a State of Glory A Man living in fleshly Lusts hath the very Plague-sores of Hell running upon him And shall such an one ever think to stand before an holy God in Heavenly Places To be sure the inheritance of Saints in light it was never prepared for those that have any fellowship with Works of Darkness And do you love your Lusts better than your lives or will those Pleasures of Sin which are but for a season countervail the loss of Heaven and Eternal Glory Oh foolish and unwise Sinners who for a draught of Wine for a brutish lust for a moment of carnal Pleasure will let go whatever Joy whatever Happiness the Lord hath provided in Heaven for those that fear him (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hieros Cateches 2. pag. 5. Why is it that you see not the danger of Sin how sadly it provokes the Lord against you how it emasculates and disinews your Souls how it blocks up your way to Heaven how it robs you of your present Comfort how it forfeits your future Crown and Happiness exposing you in the World to come to Eternal unpreventable misery And will you still be defiling your selves with this mortal pollution And that when Heaven and Glory lie before you as a bait to all Purity Uprightness and holy walking before God will you thus provoke the Lord with Manna in your Mouths Shall not the ripe Fruits of Canaan make you nauseat these wild Grapes and for ever to dâ—srelish these clusters of Sodom When the Glory of Heaven is in your Eye will you have upon your Hands the pitch and in your Hearts the very plague of Hell itself Oh why is it that you will thus render your selves uncapable of Heavens Glory by your own sinful Soul-defiling and unrighteous conversation Is not the recompence of Eternal Life which God sets before you attractive enough to draw you out of the mire of all your fleshly Lusts and ungodly Practices You have stronger engagements to purity of Life and holiness of conversation than others upon you You may daily see the Beauties antedate the Pleasures behold the Glory of the Heavenly Jerusalem and yet will you strive to be no more holy no more pure no more undefiled than others 'T is your duty to be every whit as good as others are bad every whit as holy as others are profane every whit as pure as others are polluted and whilst others are running into all excess of riot you must labour the more to cleanse your selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit (b) 2 Cor. 7.1 endeavouring to perfect Holiness in the fear of God What if others profane the Sabbath (c) Jer. 17.22 You must sanctify it What if others drink till they be drunk (d) Ephes 5.18 You must study to be sober What if others defile themselves with the pollutions that are in the World through lust You must labour to keep your selves unspotted of the World What if others cast in their lot and strike hands with the workers of iniquity (e) Ephes 5.11 You must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness ¶ 2 Tim. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hieros Praefat. 'T is only the Self-purifying Soul that is capable of Heaven such an one and none else is a vessel of Honour fit as for the Masters use here so to be filled with the new Wine of Eternal Consolation hereafter Oh therefore do not go to exclude your selves out of Heaven by your sinful compliances nor to make your selves unfit for the Kingdom of God by your self-pollutions What in all the World will encourage to Purity and Holiness if not to live daily upon the mount of Transfiguration thence taking a prospect of Heaven and Eternal Glory God allows you to have a respect to the recompence of the Reward setting Heaven continually before you and let that make you to walk before him in all holy conversation and Godliness You never deserve to see the least glimpse of Heavenly Glory any more if having such a pure undefiled reward in your Eye you keep not your Hearts pure and your lives undefiled in the World 12 AND lastly walk perseveringly never growing weary of well-doing but labouring to be faithful to the death that then you may receive that Crown of Life that transcendently glorious reward which God now sets before you (f) Non quaeruntur in Christianis initia sed finis Paulus male caepit sed bene finivit Judae laudantur exordia sed finis proditione damnatur Hier. epist 16. ad Furiam Christians must not think it is enough to set out for God at the first but they must know 't is their Duty also to hold on in their obedience with God to the last They that have begun to do the Work of God in the Morning of their youth they must continue working in God's Vineyard till the evening of Death would they ever receive their penny of Eternal Glory Be thâ—u faithful unto death (g) Rev. 2.10 and I will give thee sai h Christ speaking to those of the Church in Smyrna a Crown of Life The Lord Jesus will never yield that those shall be crowned after Death who have not been faithful and constant in obedience to him all their Life We must continue stedfast in well-doing to the end would we ever be blessed of God with Eternal Salvation in the end (h) Mat. 24.13 Amongst all those that are hired to work in Gods Vineyard not he that begins first but he that holds on to the last and he alone shall receive the Reward of Eternal Life (i) Rom. 9.22 As God condemneth no Man before through final impenitency persisting
be the Hell the Misery the eternal Heart-rending Reflexions of all Apostates who notwithstanding all their groundless hopes are now like to be swallowed up of black Despair They thought themselves once in an happy condition but now distress and anguish takes hold upon them They promised themselves to drink for ever of the River of God's Pleasures but now whole Vollies of Brimstone and all the Vials of God's Wrath come thundering down upon them They expected to sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom †Ascendens ad montem Loth retrò reliquit Sodomit and flagitia quae autem reflexit retrò non potuit ad superiora evadere Ambros Epist 11. ad Irenaeum ¶ 2 Pet. 2.21 of God but now they are shut up irrecoverably amongst damned Spirits in everlasting Chains under Darkness They presumed themselves to be in the ready way to Heaven but now they are inevitably dropping into Hell the rageful Flames of which Infernal Lake are now ready to seize upon them and burn them without quenching for ever And can there possibly be a greater emphasis of Misery than such everlasting dreadful disappointment Look to it then all you that have taken up the practise of Piety and take heed that you never draw back to your own destruction O labour to hold fast your Integrity be not weary of well-doing but look well to your selves †2 John 8. that you lose not the things which you have wrought that you lose not your Prayers your religious performances and all your sufferings but that you may receive a full Reward You have not only Hells horrour behind you to keep you from drawing back but you have also Heaven's Glory before you to keep you stedfast and unmovable always persevering in the work of the Lord. (a) Non taedeat incipere magna nec fastidiat tenere inchoata scientes quod perseverantia remunerat currentem coronat pugnantem ducit ad brabium conducit cunctos ad portum Aug. Serm. 8. ad fratres in eremo And why will you ever have thoughts to leave that way which leads to Glory or grow weary of that Work which will shortly be crowned with an Eternal Reward If Jacob thought not his fourteen years hard service tedious having Rachel a beautiful indeed but yet a fading Flower in his Eye Why then should you look upon the service of God as tedious or ever grow weary of it having Heaven itself in your Eye where you may gather not only Beautiful but unfadable Flowers of Happiness and Joy and Glory for ever What greater reproach can you bring upon your selves than to fall from your own stedfastness making shipwrack of Faith and a good conscience when the Glory of Heaven lies before you as an encouragement to all patient continuance in well-doing Columbus having sailed long without making any discovery his company at last began to grow weary of the Voyage till at length they espied Land and then they went on chearfully Thus though you be all weather-beaten and tossed as with Storms upon the troublesome Sea of this World yet having the Land of Promise the Heavenly Canaan in your Eye you should never grow weary in well-doing but hold on chearfully It 's but a while Christians and in case we hold fast our integrity we shall have done wrestling and weeping and praying and then reap the fruit of all our labours It s but a while and holding Faith and a good Conscience we shall have done suffering and bleeding and dying for the cause of Christ and so be crowned with Life Everlasting It 's but a while and continuing patient in well-doing we shall come amongst all the redeemed of Christ to Sion with * Isa 35.10 Songs and everlasting Joy upon our Heads we shall obtain Joy and Gladness and sorrow and sighing shall fly away Let not therefore your hearts grow faint nor your hands be weakned through any Afflictions Tryals or Difficulties that you meet with in Heavens way but having such everlasting consolation and good hope through Christ let all your Righteousness be like the Morning-light never declining but still shining more and more to the perfect day They should never backslide nor grow weary of serving God on Earth whom the Lord allows for their encouragement to all holy self-denying and upright walking before him a clear prospect of Heavens Glory In vain doth God shew us the reward of Eternal Life if the sight of it makes us not faithful unto the Death CHAP. X. The Doctrine improved by way of Exhortation to poor ungodly Sinners advising them to give all diligence for an Interest in this glorious reward and pressing the necessity thereof upon them by Five weighty Considerations II BY way of exhortation to you that have no interest in this glorious Reward which God sets before us give all diligence that it may be yours What will Heaven and Glory and Eternal Life avail you if you can not look upon Heaven as your Heaven upon Glory as your Glory and upon the recompence of Life Eternal as that which shall be your portion for ever Wealth in the Mine doth no good at all till actually severed and set apart for persons and uses Water in the Fountain is of no service to a Man till conveyed thence into his own cistern So though the recompence of Reward be as a Mine full of excellent and unsearchable Riches as a Fountain overflowing with living Waters yet till it be actually made our own that we come to dig in this Mine and to draw Water with Comfort out of this Fountain of Life we remain as Poor and Miserable as if this recompence of Eternal Life had never been set before us 'T is not a prospect of Heaven but an interest in Heaven not the tender of Eternal Life but the having of Eternal Life that will make us Happy Moses himself had a sight of Canaan and yet died in the Wilderness Thus God may give you a sight of Heavenly Glory in the tenders of the Gospel yet not embracing it by Faith you may die in your Sins fall short of the celestial Canaan and be damned for ever Sit not down therefore satisfied in hearing of this Eternally Glorious Reward but give diligence now to get an interest in it and to make it your own Oh lose not your precious Souls lose not Heaven and Eternal Glory for want of looking after them 1 CONSIDER if you get not an Interest in the Recompence of the Reward which God sets before us you are like to have all your Portion in this present Life You may possibly promise your selves great things hereafter because your Barns are full and your Cup overflows here But in vain shall you look for Glory when you come to die if you seek it not by patient continuance in well-doing all your Life 'T is no good Argument that your Hearts are filled with saving Grace because your
Bags and Coffers are stored with Gold Because the World dandles you upon her Lap 't is no sure sign that you shall rest for ever in Abraham's bosom You may not think to be Heirs of Heaven because you are the Possessours of the Earth For not getting an Interest in the Recompence of the Reward now you are sure to go without it to all Eternity The good things of this present World you may love but the good things of Heaven and Glory you shall never have You may have a large Portion of earthly Enjoyments But shall never enjoy the Inheritance of Saints in Light †Psal 17.14 'T is no new thing for God to fill their Bellies with his hidden Treasures with the choicest of all earthly Comforts who never take any care to lay up for themselves a Treasure in Heaven But what alas will it profit you to have Earth in Hand if you have not Heaven in hope What though Riches and Honour are the Lot of your Inheritance amongst those whose Lot is Happiness and eternal Glory What relish think you hath Dives now left him of all his Delicacies or Esau of his dear-bought Pottage What pleasure hath the Rich Fool of his full Barns or that young Man of his large Possessions What delight hath Jezabel in her Paint or Ahab in Naboth's Vineyard What comfort can a Man have in the choicest Quintessence of any or in the greatest Confluence of all earthly Enjoyments who must receive them as his Portion and can never expect any other Happiness any other Portion or Reward in God's heavenly Kingdom It may be for the present thy Mony is thy Idol and thou art held in Thraldom under thy own Possessions but what will remain of thy Silver and Gold to carry thy Soul through the Storm of Death save only the (b) Jam. 5.3 rust thereof to joyn in Judgment against thee and torment thee eating thy Flesh like Fire for ever It may be thou art acted now by vain Glory and Desires of popular Applause but what will it then avail thee to be admired by thy fellow Prisoners and condemned by thy Judge It may be thou servest thy own Lust and another's Beauty but what Pleasure will there be in all this when the Fire of Lust shall be turned into the Fire of Hell It may be thy worldly Comforts and Accommodations are now looked upon by thee as thy greatest Happiness but what miserable Comforters will these be when peeping out of thy Grave thou shalt see Heaven and Earth all on a fire and Christ coming in the Flames thereof to take Vengeance upon thee There is a blessed God that could comfort in such an hour but thou must never see him There is a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away there is a Kingdom that cannot be moved there is all fulness of Joy and Soul-satisfying Pleasure but having thy Portion in this present World thou shalt never have these to comfort thee in the World to come Make the best of your Portion here of your Riches Honours and Pleasures on Earth for you must never receive any Portion hereafter you must never look to be Crowned with Life and Eternity of Glory in Heaven Oh then how unhappy are all those who neglect to get an Interest in the Recompence of the Reward have no Heaven but Earth no Glory but what will end in everlasting Shame and perpetual Contempt no Pleasures but what must shortly be changed into Hellish Intolerable and remediless Torments If you love your immortal Souls come away from all worldly Vanities and be sure to get an Interest in this glorious Reward that your Lives and your Happiness your Rejoycing and all your Comfort may not end together The greatest Portion in this Life will afford you but small Comfort of upon good Grounds you cannot look for a better Portion after Death 2 CONSIDER the Recompence of the Reward which God sets before us it 's a thing feasable and that which you may obtain if you will but seek it The Riches Kingdom and Glory of this World may be sought and yet never found But whoever by patient continuance in well-doing shall seek for Glory and Honour * Rom. 2.7 and blessed Immortality God will certainly Crown them with Life everlasting The Lord is willing to bestow Heaven the best of Rewards upon the worst of Sinners will they but embrace it This eternal Recompence of Reward 't is a thing indeed difficult to be obtained that none may despise it But yet it 's possible to be obtained that so none may sit down discouraged as despairing of it This Exhortation would be out of season to the Damned in Hell betwixt whom and eternal Glory there is a great Gulf fixed so that they are now no longer within the Possibilities of Life and Salvation But for you there is still Balm in Gilead to heal all your Wounds there is an all-sufficiency of Merit in Christ to expiate your Sins and there is still a most merciful Propensity of Will in God to Crown all those that diligently seek him with a glorious Reward And why then since Life is before you will you die the Death Why will you choose to be miserable under Tenders of Glory and eternal Happiness Why will you expose your selves to hellish Torments when the Lord himself doth so earnestly invite you to accept of Heaven Shall God be willing to give and yet you so unwilling to receive the Reward of eternal Life Oh why will you be such Enemies to your own Happiness making light of that great Salvation which though difficult is yet possible to be obtained Can you be content to fall short of eternal Glory and for ever to (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexand. Admonit ad Gentes pag. mihi 6. a. be shut out of Heaven where is fulness of Joy Shall God hold out the Golden Scepter of his Grace and will you not so much as touch it to save your own Lives Must he follow you with daily Importunities of Love intreating you to accept of this glorious Reward to make you happy and will you still with Disdain turn your backs upon him as if the Favour of God in Christ as if Heaven and eternal Glory were not worth the having (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hier. Praef Cateches pag. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem Cateches 1. pag. 3. The Lord is Bountiful and willing to give But yet he expects that you should be so dutiful as to receive with all thankfulness what he gives The bestowance of this glorious Reward doth indeed belong to God as his part But then the seeking and acceptance thereof doth belong to every one of you as your necessary indispensable Duty Give diligence then since God so freely offers with all thankfulness to embrace the Reward of eternal Life Were the Matter of this Exhortation an Impossibility exciting you to seek for what you could never find and to labour for what
then by his Grace excite it that the Sinner may actually believe and repent to the saving of his Soul No Man did ever yet believe repent or come to God for Mercy but in the strength of God Nor did any ever yet obtain the Reward of Eternal Life but through the Grace of God effectually enabling to work in the Lord's Vineyard and making him faithful unto the Death Go then to God in Prayer you that love your Immortal Souls for Grace for Purity for Holiness but be sure that you pray fervently remembring you can never arrive at the Haven of true Happiness without the gentle gales of God's own Spirit to speed you thither By nature you are dead in Trespasses and Sins and if therefore God quicken you not you are lost for ever By nature you are mortally wounded and this your wound is uncurable you must die of it if God heal it not for you By nature you are a Reprobate to every good Word and Work unless therefore God work in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure you can never work out your own Salvation By nature you are dreadfully polluted all over unclean as a Vessel in which there is no pleasure so that if you beg not the Spirit of God to cleanse you from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit you can never be Vessels of Honour sit for the Masters use Holy Jacob being in danger of his Brother Esau's Fury he wrestled with God all Night resolving not to let him go without a Blessing and his two Arms he used in this holy Wrestle (a) Hos 12.4 they were Prayers and Tears Thus Sirs you are in danger not of Man's Fury but of indignation of Wrath and Hell from the great God and will you not wrestle for a Blessing closing in with God by the Arms of Prayer and Tears Oh seek the Lord while he may be found and see that you call upon him whilst yet he is near Do not oh do not trifle away that Time about the Meat that perisheth which should be spent in labouring for the Meat which will endure to eternal Life What is it to gain Earth and lose Heaven to gain the World and lose your Souls What alass to fare deliciously every Day and at Death to be found despairing to be found dropping into Wrath into Tophet into Hell irrecoverably Oh how much better is it that now you should pray and mourn and weep bitterly before the Lord every Day to get prepared for Heaven for Glory for a Crown of Righteousness for the recompence of eternal Life than that you should then weep and howl without Hope for the Misery the Wrath the unsufferable Hellish Flames that must now seize upon you and burn you for ever torment you for ever Well that you may never forget seeking the Lord nor cease praying before him remember where your Strength where your Hope where all your Comfort lies 'T is the Lord alone that hath the Word of Eternal Life and therefore go to him resolving that you will pray and never give over praying that you will wrestle and never give over wrestling that you will weep and sigh and groan and never give over till you have the Blessing The same God who gives us the Crown when we have overcome he must give us strength whereby to overcome He that will cloath us upon with the Garments of Salvation when we come to Heaven he alone it is that must now give us Grace cloathing us first with the Garments of Righteousness that we may be fit for that glorious Inheritance CHAP. XIII The Doctrin improved by way of strong Consolation to God's People exhorting them to live upon a due respect to this eternal Reward as upon hidden Manna IV AND lastly though we have for a little while been leading you as through the Wilderness yet now we begin to draw nigh to the heavenly Canaan My Text is a Tree of Life and I would not willingly come from it till I have shaken some apples of Love some of its sweet and precious Fruit into your Bosoms 'T is the Mount of Transfiguration and I would not willingly come down till your Faces shine with the Oyl of Gladness 'T is a spiritual Eden a Garden full of all pleasant Flowers and I would not willingly come out of it till I have cropt here and there one and gathered you an heavenly Nosegay to revive and refresh with its Divine Fragancy your Spirits in a fainting Hour You have been with us a little upon the Ocean under all those Storms and rageful Tempests which will beat upon such for ever as have no right to the recompence of the Reward But supposing your claim to this Reward good your right unquestionable and evidences without flaw I shall now endeavour to lodge you in the peaceful and wished Harbour of Divine Consolation And truly here is a River the streams whereof if any thing will make glad the City of our God The Well I confess is deep but yet through the Comforters assistance you lending the Bucket of your Faith I doubt not but we may draw Water Water of Life nay the Wine of Eternal Consolation to refresh you to enliven and comfort your Hearts in every Condition What Wilderness need terrify thee having Canaan so plain before thee What Storms can disturb thy peace being come within Ken of thy Eternal Harbour Oh think with thy self dear Christian what Afflictions need discourage thee having always in thy Eye such a far more exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory This Doctrine drops Balm for the healing of wounded Souls 't is as so much spiritual Manna for God's People to feed upon in the Wilderness of this World till they are come to Canaan a Land that floweth with Milk and Hony Deny not then your selves the Comfort of that Reward which God sets before you The Lord for your better encouragement sets Heaven with all the Happiness and Glory thereof in your Eye and therefore let not your Eye upon a pretence of I know not what Modesty or Self-denial be turned away from the stedfast beholding it Oh see Christians that you dwell much in your thoughts in your serious Musings in your Divine Contemplations upon this Theam endeavouring with Moses in all that you do in all that you suffer for God to have a due respect to the recompence of the Reward Oh let the glimpses of Heavens Glory close up your Eyes when you go to Bed at Night and let the Light the bright irradiations and Heart-warming Sun-shine of the same Glory be sure to feast your Eyes when first you awake every Morning Whilst you live live in the Hope of Heaven and when you die oh strive that you may die in the full assurance of Heaven Get like Moses a prospect of Canaan before you leave this Wilderness and whether you pray whether you wrestle with Temptations whether you resist unto Blood striving against Sin or whatever you
chiefest Good for our Portion we must needs have the chiefest Happiness the chiefest Delight true Liberty perfect Charity eternal Security and secure Eternity excluding all possibility of future Misery Here Christians here is the true Gladness the fullest measure of divine Knowledg the most peerless Beauty the perfect Enjoyment of all Blessedness So that you shall see God even to the Satisfaction of your utmost Curiosity have him for your Pleasure and enjoy him for your greatest Delight flourishing in his Eternity shining with the bright Reflexions of his Truth upon you and rejoycing in his Goodness with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Moses's Face shined with the brightness of God's back-parts Paul was sensless of all other Joys when rapt up into the third Heavens Peter was thrown into an Extasie of Admiration when he only saw a glimpse of Christ's Glory in the Mount Oh then what Joy Christian will this be to thy Soul what Beauty to thine Eyes what Musick to thy Ears what Hony to thy Mouth what Perfumes to thy Nostrils what fulness of Delight to thy Heart when enjoying Communion with God in Heaven thou shalt behold nor his back-parts as Moses did but shalt (c) Omnes lectantur in laetitia exulatione omnes delectantur de Deo cujus aspectus pulcher facies decora eloquium dulce Delectabilis est ad videndum suavis ad habendum dulcis ad perfruendum Ipse per se placet et per se sufficit ad meritum sufficit ad praemium nec extra illum quicquam quaeritur quia totum in illo intenitur quicquid defideratur Semper libet eum aspicere semper habere semper in illo delectari in illo perfrui Bern. ubi supra see him Face to Face Here it is that all God's People shall rejoyce and be exceeding glad they shall delight themselves greatly in the Lord Jehovah whose Countenance is most aimable whose Face is Comely whose Voice is sweeter than the Hony and the Hony-comb Oh this Christians is a beatifical Object indeed most delightful to behold most pleasant to have and most sweet to enjoy Such is the fulness of all Good in God that of himself he can please the Soul of himself he sufficeth to merit and to be our eternal Reward Nor can the Soul desire ought out of him as finding the whole of all Happiness in him whatever it be that she can desire Here Christians if any where it contenteth to see him ever to have him ever to enjoy him for ever In God is the Understanding clarified to know and the Affections purified to love (d) In illo clarificatur intellectus et purificatur affectus ad cognoscendam diligendam veritatem Et hoc est torum bonum hominis nosse scilicet amare creatorem suum Idem ibid him as the first Truth as the chiefest Good And this surely is the whole Happiness of Man to know and love the great God his Maker in a way of divine beatifical Vision in a way of full Enjoyment and sweetest Fruition 15 THE Reward whereunto God allows his People a Respect in all their Obedience it 's a very near and proxim Reward and such as you shall speedily be put in possession of The time when the Lord will reward you with all heavenly Glory is of no long date though the time for your enjoyment of that glorious Reward will bear date to all Eternity 'T is but a little while and having finished your Course God himself will be your Portion and your exceeding great Reward The whole time of Man's Life here is so short that it goes but for one day in the Kalender of Heaven And yet as short as it is no sooner shall it close up in the peaceful Evening of a blessed Death but the Peny of eternal Life shall be given you We are usually long before we seriously set our selves to work in God's Vineyard But when once the Lord sees us working in good earnest he delays nor but comes quickly to reward us (e) Rev. 22.12 Behold saith he I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give every Man according as his Work shall be The Lord doth not say he will come to reward us which had implied some delay But as one ready to set the Crown upon our Heads behold saith he speaking in the present Tense I come quickly and my Reward is with me Or if any where the Lord speaks of his People's Reward as a thing to come you may find him qualifying the Speech with such comfortable Diminutives as are enough almost to remove the Futurity of this glorious Reward and to give it a present Subsistence (f) Heb. 10.37 Take that one Instance where the Apostle shewing the Hebrews what need they (g) Quod vero ait 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod valet parum quantum quantum valde parum significat Theoph. in loc had of Patience that having done the Will of God they might receive the promised Reward he tells them that yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Great is the Emphasis of the words in the Original and such as our English cannot with any handsomness of Expression render to the life For the Apostle not willing that these Believers should think the time long he speaks the whole of it by the help of three Diminutives into one short moment telling them that yet a little while yea a very very little while and their Lord who already was coming would no longer adjourn their Happiness but reward them speedily Your Seed-time of Grace how needful soever yet because it 's a dropping time the Lord will not suffer it to last always but hath provided before-hand that shortly it shall end in a rich Harvest of heavenly Glory where all Tears shall be wiped from your Eyes Truth is we have but a few days in this World and therefore many days there cannot be till God will Crown us with fulness of Reward in the World to come Be it so Christian that now thy own unbelieving dead Heart is thy trouble within and that the World and Satan trouble thee from without Yet remember after a few weary days the Lord will give thee a Writ of Ease he will give thee a Sabbath of Rest and will presently notwithstanding all contrary Winds land the Ship of thy precious Soul at the wished shoar of blessed Immortality What Athanasius said of the Arian Perfection calling it nubeculam citò-transituram will hold true of all the Afflictions Tryals and Persecutions of God's People in this Life which are but as a little Cloud that will soon be blown oâ—er So that though now you bear the burden and heat of the day yet Night comes on a pace as a time of (h) Acts 3.19 refreshing from the Lord and then you shall most sweetly repose your selves in the downy Bed of God's eternal Love Be your Sorrow never so grievous over
a Land all whose Rivers run heavenly Nectar and all whose Trees are ever laden with the sweet delicious Grapes of Paradise (o) Si tanta nobis tribuis in careere quid dabis in patria Aug. de civit Dei If here in the Land of your Pilgrimage so much of Heavens Glory be revealed to you what Tongue of Man or Angel can tell the Happiness the Glory to be revealed in you when at home in your own Country The Crown of Life if now so bright and orient to an Eye of Faith beholding it Oh then what a far more excâ—â—ding and Eternal Weight os Glory will be found in it when a glorious Christ shall set it upon your Head with his own remunerative Hands 12 AND lastly a due respect had to this glorious Reward will bring you safe to it never leaving you till your Souls be crowned with fulness of Glory The Loadstone will draw Iron to itself when intra Spheram activitatis suae within the reach of its own attractive influence Thus the Reward of Eternal Life as an heavenly Loadstone hath that magnetick Virtue in it that if you put yourselves by a due respect had thereto under it it will draw you home to itself The wise Men keeping their Eye upon the Star which went before them were at length brought to Christ Thus keeping your Eye Christians upon this Eternal Reward as a glorious Star it will bring you at length to Christ in Glory whom fully to enjoy is our Life our Comfort our Happiness yea the Heaven of Heavens 'T is true Christians we must be uncloathed of this Body of Death before we can enter into the Joy of our Lord and be cloathed upon with the white Robes of Blessed Immortality Death must break down the Prison Walls of a Mortal Body before our Souls can ever come to the glorious Liberty of God's Children (a) 2 Cor. 5.1 Till our earthly Tabernacle be dissolved there is no having of a Building of God an House not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens And why should we not be willing that God should pull down these Cottages of Clay who hath promised to raise us up a more glorious Temple The Loadstone cannot draw Iron as some say whilst the Diamond is in Presence Doubtless were it not for a Body of Death that is still present with us an Eye fixed upon Heaven's Glory would immediately draw us into Heaven For besides the interposition of an earthly gross Body together with those corruptions whose Foundation is in that Dust there is nothing as one well observes that hinders a Christian from the full enjoyment of God in Glory So that Death's peculiar Office is to break down this Wall of separation that the Soul may the better come to her God her beloved Redeemer her Eternal Habitation in the Kingdom of Heaven The Soul when once loosed from this dying Body then she hath the Crown of Life set upon her Head then she sees God no longer through a Glass darkly but Face to Face then she is ravished with the unconceivable sweetness of the beatifical Vision (b) Mori plane timeat sed qui ex aqua spiritu non renatus Gehennae ignibus mancipatur mori timeat qui non Christi cruce passione censetur mori timeat qui ad secundam mortem de hac morte transibit quem de seculo recedentem perennibus poenis aeterna torquebit flamma Cyp. de Mortalit pag. 344. Let those therefore tremble at the knocking and approaches of Death who know not what will become of their immortal Souls who not being born again from above are every moment liable to infernal Flames who have no interest in the Glory purchased by Christ who must pass from Death to Death from short momentany Pleasures to everlasting hellish Torments Death to the Wicked is the Trap-door that opening lets them fall down irrecoverably into the dark vault of Eternal Misery But to the Gracious Soul there is no cause of Terrour in Death no Fear in the Grave no Sting to perplex in a bodily dissolution as that which only ushers in her everlastingly Blessed and Glorious Coronation Death comes to a Man dying the recompence of Reward like Moses to the Israelites to deliver him as the Angel to Peter in Prison to set him free as God's fiery Chariot to carry him like Elias into heavenly Glory And are you Christians afraid of entring upon your own Blessedness are you afraid to be cloathed upon with your House from Heaven Get a right notion of Death which as Bernard calls it is nothing but the Gate of Life the Portal of eternal security Though Death look upon thee with a grim Countenance yet it comes upon a good errand to God's People to fetch them out of their Wilderness-condition and to bring them to an everlasting estate of Happiness By Death we go from Earth to Heaven from conversing with Sinful Men to converse with Millions of glorious Angels and what makes us so loath to remove Who would not leave a Cottage to gain a Kingdom Who would not leave an Egypt to inherit Canaan Who would not leave gladly an oppressive Babylon to be made a Citizen of Sion of the heavenly Jerusalem OUR greatest Misery lies not in Death but in Life 'T is the Veil of Flesh that keeps us from entring into the holiest of all c Death gives us a pasport from corruptible Joys to an incorruptible Crown from a Mortal Life to a Life of blessed Immortality from a troublesome condition to a State of perfect tranquillity So that the name of Death should not offend us But the Happiness and Glory to which it leads should delight us The Moon never comes to the full til after her change Thus through the change of Death a Christian comes to all fulness of Joy and hath the white Robes of Glory given him Now the Bridegroom comes to meet the Soul in Happiness now all Tears are wiped away and Heaven Gates are set wide open to give her everlasting glorious entertainment Now the Reward of life everlasting now the Joy of Eternal Salvation now the full possession of the heavenly Paradise comes Now heavenly Mansions instead of earthly Tabernacles now greatest Glory instead of small and Eternal Happiness instead of poor temporal enjoyments are bestowed upon every Child of God What Man that is well in his Wits woâ—ld not part with Life and bid Death welcome upon terms of such everlasting blessed and glorious advantage (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad pop Ant. hom 7. Death in the true notion (c) Mors haec transitus universorum est transitur à corruptione ad incorruptionem à mortalitate ad immortalitatem à perturbatione ad tranquillitatem Non igitur nomen mortis te offendat sed boni transitûs beneficia delectent Ambros lib. de Bono mort cap. 4. Proemium vitae gaudium salutis aeternae perpetua laetitia possessio Paradisi
(b) Erimus Christiani cum Christo gloriosi de Deo patre beati de perpetua voluptate laetantes semper in conspectu Det agentes Deo gratias semper Cyprian ad Demetr pa. 331. you shall be glorious as Christ is glorious blessed of God replenished with all fulness of Joy and shall have an everlasting Sabbath of Rest taking up your sweetest Repose in the Bosom of your blessed Redeemer loving praising and enjoying him in one eternal Soul-entrancing Fruition HOW chearfully then may the People of God undergo their present Sufferings and entertain when it comes their approaching Dissolution The hope which Jacob had to enjoy the beautiful Rachel was to him a comfortable Hope under all his Hardships yet not worthy to make an Emblem of ours who hope within a few days more to enjoy the Light of God's Countenance and the Soul-ravishing Beauty of our blessed Redeemer's Face in Glory Affliction may attend God's People all their Life long but only as a Foil to set off their future Blessedness and make Heaven so much the sweeter Death it self that bold Pursuivant will erelong look in at the Windows of God's dearest Children but only as their Birth-day to an Eternity of Joy unspeakable and beyond imagination Lift up then your Heads with Joy amidst all your Afflictions to that Crown of Life that follows after And while the Thorn of Death is at your Breast ready to let out your Life-blood even then let your Souls break forth like so many heavenly Nightingales into singing as knowing that your bodily Dissolution will only make way for your Coronation in Glory You (c) Psal 126.5 6. may sow in Tears but shall reap in Joy You may go out weeping though you be such as bear precious Seed but shall doubtless come again rejoycing and bring your full Sheaves of Glory along with you Sorrow you may have over Night when you have the advantage of the Season to sleep it out and pass it over But your Joy will come in the Morning when you shall enter fresh upon it and have before you to enjoy it in the whole Day of a blessed Eternity that will never be over Your Joys are now mixt with Sorrows your Comforts with many Crosses and your Light with much Darkness But having finished your Course Death will put an end to all your Sorrows remove your Crosses and so compass you about with the Light of Glory When wicked Men die their Works follow them in eternal Hellish-torments But when the People of God die their Works follow them in the full Reward of everlasting heavenly Glory For Believers over Hell and Death Christ hath got the Victory and lets (d) 1 Cor. 15.57 them wear the Grown So that (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost now Death which to wicked Men is porta inserni the Gate of Hell to you that believe is become in tâ—â—itus coeli an entrance into Heaven Death which to the wicked is as God's Serjeant to drag them into the infernal fiery Dungeon is to you the Lord's Gentleman Usher to conduct you into the supernal Palace of heavenly Glory And who would not through Storms and Tempests to come to such a Harbour Who would not embrace a fiery Tryal Complement Death and come to the Grave with gladness knowing that to be the ready way to the coelestial Paradise They that come from (f) Chrysost hom de divit Laz. a City to a Country Village to transact Matters of Concern there when their Business is well accomplished they return into the City again with Joy Thus Christians you whose Souls came from the new Jerusalem to Negotiate the great Matters of Eternity here in this World having finished your Course and kept the Faith how joyful may you return like so many Royal Ships laden with the richest Merchandise to that heavenly City where the (g) Rev. 21.23 Lamb will be your Light and God your Glory Well may you be content to serve an hard Apprentiship here so you may come hereafter to be made free Denizens of this heavenly Jerusalem Well may you go on in the Work of the Lord having such a Crown in your Eye and so sure after all your Conflicts to be set upon your Heads Well may you Christians having that clear prospect of Glory which (h) At enim nos exequias adornamus eadem tranquillitate quâ vivimus Minut. Foel Oct. 125. erelong like a divine Load-stone will draw you to it self subscribe your selves upon all Occasions with that resolved Servant of Christ Ann Ayscough such as neither Fear Death nor dread his Might but as merry as those that are bound for Heaven Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only Wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS Mr. Joseph Cooper's Advice to his Wife and Children THE Regions of Eternal Love Which I approach my Soul doth move Something Divine with you to leave While Death of me doth you bereave When I in silent Dust do dwell These Lines to you my Love shall tell Your Widows Vail when you put on Your Fatherless when they make moan Accept these Words naught else I crave Do not despise your Husband 's Grave Know Life is short and Death most sure To dying thoughts yourself inure What I am now Dust and a Shade Your self must be your Life doth fade Let warm Repose nourish no Sin Old Age approaching courts Death in Of my cold Bed in Dust take part You must with or against your Heart This I suggest from silent urn That whilst I speak your Heart may burn And be inflam'd with heavenly Love Aspiring still to things above Your Children sweet in number many Resign to God reserve not any He is their Father and he will Their Souls with all his Goodness fill Doubt not his Love or tenderness To Widows and to Fatherless Can Love you hate can Life you kill Can evil spring from God's good will This is his will that Widows chast Should trust in God and not make hast This is his Goodness to their Seed He will them help in time of need Upon this Promise still depend It fills with joy makes God your Friend His heart is open and his hand Treasures of Love and Grace command To Widows that are pure in heart And Children he doth Life impart And let me whisper one thing more You and your Children have in store Treasures of Sighs Tears Groans and Prayers Of which you are the rightful Heirs He that in silent dust doth sleep For you to God did often weep Nay weeping was his easiest part He sigh'd he groan'd he broke his heart Strugling with God that he might give You Grace in Christ to make you live Hoping for this he did expire God will you save you shall admire Sweet Children and my Spouse most dear Live still by Faith and nothing fear But Sin which is the root of Strife The Seed of Death the Plague of Life Your
patient waiting upon God in all the ways of Obedience that whatsoever the Lord shall call us out to do or suffer we may with chearfulness undergo it all This is that I confess which some will not endure telling us that as we are to give looking for nothing again so we are to walk in all dutiful Obedience before God doing and suffering Whatever he calls us out to without taking any incouragement at all thereto from the Recompence of Reward But certainly the Holy Ghost hath given us in Holy Writ such abundant satisfaction concerning the lawfulness of taking incouragement from the Recompence of Reward to follow hard after God in all the ways of Obedience that no Christian need perplex himself upon that account (g) Justitiae operanti dabitur Corona Ne qui justitiam operatur segnescens oneri laboris succumbat For is not this the great design of God in making Promises of Life Happiness and Eternal Glory to those that obey him thereby to incourage us to all dutiful and obedient walking before him God hath tyed our Work and our Wages together that expecting to receive from him at death the Wages of Eternal Glory we might work the more chearfully for him all our life And that we may not look upon the way of Duty as tedious nor count his Commandments grievous he hath set up a Crown of Life at the end of Duty and assured us That in keeping his Commandments there is great Reward Psal 19.11 GOD is not so austere a Task-master as to envy his People their Comforts in a way of Duty nor will he ever impute it to them as their ruin that in keeping his Commandments they had an eye for their own incouragement to the Recompence of the Reward And truly if to be incouraged in a way of Obedience by the Recompence of Reward may be construed a just forfeiture of a Mans ingenuity as some would bear us in hand I see not for my part how we shall be able to excuse any of God's dearest Children no nor our Blessed Lord himself but must confess them to have been acted by a slavish and servile Spirit which yet to do were the first-born of all horrid Blasphemies For though it should have been written in Capital Letters with a Pen pluckt from the wing of a glorious Seraphim yet it could not have been more plain and legible than the Holy Ghost hath already expressed it that the most holy of all God's Children our Blessed Redeemer himself not accepted had an eye for their incouragement in all the ways of Obedience to the Recompence of the Reward WHAT else did holy Moses but incourage himself to suffer Affliction with God's People by the consideration of Life and eternal Glory in Heaven prepared of God from Eternity for all that Love him Was not this also the Paradice of those Primitive Martyrs who took joyfully the spoiling of their Goods having this as their great Incouragement thereto that they knew themselves to have in Heaven a better and more enduring Substance Heb. 10.34 THE like we may say of those other Worthies who scorned all earthly Injoyments that their Persecutors could offer as Allurements to insnare them not accepting Deliverance from them upon any base and unrighteous Terms but were endued with such a Gallantry and Christian Resolution that rather than dishonour God in the least rather than cast a little Incense upon the Altar in honour of the Idol for the saving of their Lives they would dye the Death they would be Slain with the Edge of the Sword they would be Stoned they would be Burned and Sawn asunder having this strong and everlasting Consolation incouraging them with Patience to undergo all this barbarous and inhumane Cruelty that they hoped to obtain a better Resurrection even a Resurrection to Life and eternal Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven Heb. 11. BUT waving these and the like Instances I shall give you an Instance against which none can except but those whose proud Spirits would make them seem more Holy than Holiness it self and that is of Our blessed Redeemer concerning whom it is thus Written That for the Joy which was set before him he endured the Cross despising the Shame Heb. 12.2 I shall not hence take occasion to determine whether the Sorrow the Cross and the Humiliation of Christ were the Meritorious Cause or only the Antecedent of his Joy his Crown and his Exaltation at the Right Hand of God in Glory as being wholly Excentrick to my present Design But let the decision of that famous Controversy from this Text be what it will yet I think the Apostle's words do concludingly Evince thus much That Christ having an eye to his Mediatory Glory and Exaltation at God's Right Hand in Heaven was incouraged thereby with Patience to undergo that most execrable painful and ignominious Death of the Cross for our Sakes DO not then Question the Lawfulness of this holy Practice any longer but having an Eye stedfastly fixed upon the Recompence of the Reward be incouraged thereby to all diligent and upright walking before God in wayes of Obedience whatever it cost you IF the Men of the World for your Integrity Frown upon you and hate you let this incourage you to hold it fast that God himself will Smile upon you and afford you his Loving-kindness which is better than Life (h) Affecit te aliquis ignominia Quiu tu ad eam suspice gloriam quae reposita est in coelis Jactura rerum tuarum adijsti Oculos imprime fixius coelestibus divitijs Patrione solo exclusus es At patriam habes coelestem Hierusalem If because you cannot comply with the Men of the World in their sinful and ungodly Practises they should cast you into Prison yet let this incourage you still to keep close with God that he will shortly knock off your Fetters and take you up into Mansions of eternal Glory If you meet with any Cross in Heaven's way let this incourage you with Patience to undergo it that e'er long you shall receive from Christ a Crown of Righteousness If in a word any subtil Persecutors should promise you injoyment of Life and Liberty on condition that you will but comply with them and do as they do why let the Hopes of obtaining a better Resurrection that is to say a Resurrection to eternal Life and Glory in the Kingdom of God let this incourage you to scorn the motion not accepting Deliverance from them upon any such dishonourable and unrighteous Terms For when for the Joy which is set before us we can do any thing part with any thing and suffer any thing with Patience that God calls us to chosing rather to indure the most exquisite Torments than in the least to Dishonour our God why then we have an Eye indeed to the Recompence of the Reward 6. TO design in all your Obedience the Salvation of your own Souls making this the great end of your Lives that at
length you may attain to the full injoyment of God in Glory Here also I confess the Truth meets with some Adversaries who do tell us That to make Heaven the end of our Duties seeking in all our Obedience our own Happiness our own Glory our own Salvation is Mercenary and utterly inconsistent with the free Spirit of a Christian But the truth is if we consult holy Scripture we shall find this Practice so far from being Mercenary and inconsistent with the free Spirit of a Christian that he is unworthy the Name of a Christian who in all his Obedience and Performances is not found so doing For if Christ himself hath Commanded us That we should seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof in the first place That we should lay up for our selves a Treasure in Heaven not labouring for the Meats that Perish but for the Meat which shall endure to eternal Life How can we then count that Man a Christian who despising the Authority of Christ cares for none of these things but carelesly goes on in a way of Duty as if Heaven and Glory were not worth the looking after YOU may Believe it Sirs the main Errand upon which God sent you into the World was to work out not only his Glory but your own Salvation with fear and trembling And let me tell you so inseparably is the Glory of God and your own Salvation joined together that you never Dishonour God more than when Salvation-work is neglected by you and you begin to be unmindful of your own Happiness GOD's Glory I must confess must be the Ultimate and Highest End of all our Obedience as will farther be shewed you But yet this hinders not but that in all our Obedience we may design our own Happiness making the eternal Salvation of our immortal Souls the great End next unto God's Glory of our Lives For Subordinata non Pugnant is a sure Maxim We do never Oppose God's Glory when we only make Heaven our End and seek the Salvation of our own Souls with a due Respect had unto his Glory THERE is indeed a Two-fold End Fine Operis Finis Operantis the End of the Work and the End of him that Worketh And though in some cases they are diverse if not contrary to one another yet in the Case now spoken of they are co incident and both of them materially the same thing (l) Nam quis alius noster est finis nisi pervenire ad regnum cujus nullus est finis August de Civit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 70. For not only doth the Scripture make Salvation the end of Faith and Obedience but also of Christians themselves Believing and Obeying the Lord when it teaches them to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling 1. Pet. 1.9 Phil. 2.12 BE not therefore such enemies to your own Souls as to neglect that Happiness which God in all your Obedience would have you to look after but now see that you make Heaven and eternal Glory the great end of your Life Whilst others are designing to make themselves Rich and Great and Honourable in the World Oh! let it be the grand design of your Souls to surprize Heaven and to take by an Holy Violence the Kingdom of God Mat. 11.12 IF Christians you would make again of Godliness be sure then that by all holy and godly Conversation you gain for yourselves in Heaven a Crown of Life Rest not satisfied with the low and beggarly injoyments of this World but now see that you set your Affections on things above endeavouring to lay hold on eternal Life Your present life is a flitting shadow a vanishing bubble a day which though never so pleasant must yet have the dark Curtains of death drawn over it and cannot be long but the life which is to come is a leaf never fading a light ever shining and such a day as shall know no evening Tell me then which is most rational to seek after that life and those Pleasures which are lost almost as soon as found or after that Life and those unfadable Pleasures which being once found can never be lost nor taken away from us Luke 10.42 (k) Praeferantur vera falsis aeterna brevibus utilia jucundis Lactant. de vero Cult c. 21. p. 123. LEARN now to prefer true Happiness before deceitful Riches eternal Comforts before short injoyments and those things that will prove everlastingly advantageous to your Souls before the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a Season God doth not grudge that you would seek your selves in his Service only he would have you to seek after your selves not in the Meat that perisheth but in the Meat which shall endure to eternal Life John 6.27 There is a kind of holy Ambition which our Blessed Lord hath not only allowed but also exhorted us to and that is that we should aim at and seek after a Kingdom Not an earthly Kingdom from which we may soon fall but an Heavenly Kingdom which connot be shaken wherein we shall reign with Christ for ever and ever Revel 22.5 Here then is a whet-stone to diligence and matter for our ambitious thoughts with warrant to be working upon Earthly Princes if under pretence of serving them you seek to possess your selves of their Crowns and Kingdoms will deal with you as Traytors but the King of eternal Glory he is never better pleased with you than when in serving him you aim at a Crown of Life indeavouring to get Possession of the Kingdom of Heaven For then you have respect indeed to the Recompence of the Reward when by patient continuance in well-doing you seek for Glory Honour and Immortality and therefore you need not to doubt but God will shortly render unto you eternal Life Rom. 2. (l) Nullus labor durus nullum tempus longum quo aeternitatis gloria comparatur THINK we therefore no Labour too much no time too long for the gaining of eternal Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven If upon uncertain hopes of a fading Kingdom whose foundation is in the dust Men will take such pains laying all at stake and hazarding not only Liberty but Life it self What should we do then but contemn the World run the hazard of greatest Sufferings and move chearfully forward in all the ways of Obedience towards the Crown of eternal Life towards a Kingdom that cannot be moved towards a City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God For (m) Quisquis corruptelas terrae virtute calcaverit arbiter iâ—â—o summus et verax ad lucem vitam quae perpetuam suscitabet Lact. de vit Beat. ad finem who ever contemning the corruptible Enjoyments of this Life shall aspire in the ways of Obedience after Heavenly Glory why God the Righteous Judge of all the World will make such an one meet to be a partaker of the Inheritance of Saints in light and will honour him at length with a Crown of Eternal
our might though we should give our Bodies to be burnt die ten thousand deaths and lye frying as Firebrands in Hell upon the Grid-iron of God's displeasure so many Millions of Imaginary Ages as there be Stars in the Firmament of Heaven Yet by all this we could not possibly oblige the God of Heaven to render us the Reward of Eternal Life nor bring forth any thing that by way of condign Merit could purchase that Crown of Righteousness that Kingdom of Eternal Glory that fulness of Joy and everlasting Happiness which abides us in the World to come So then though we may look at Heaven in our Obedience yet it 's utterly in vain to think of Meriting Heaven by our Obedience Though the Reward of Eternal Life may encourage us to Well-doing yet in vain shall we look to Purchase that glorious Reward by our well-doing Though we may assure ourselves of the Blessing of Eternal Life and Glory from God in keeping his Commandments Psal 19.11 yet if for keeping his Commandments we expect that God should bless us with so glorious a Reward we are sure everlastingly to fall short of it For if you think to Merit with God expecting upon Terms of Justice the Reward of Eternal Glory from him do but cast up your Reckonings aright and you will find that there is nothing but an Eternal (n) Quanto labore digna est requies quae non hâ—bet finem Si verum vis computare et verum judicare aeterna requies aeterno labore emituor Aug. in Ps 93. Travail which can Merit an Eternal Rest nothing but an everlasting Conflict that can deserve to be Crowned with an everlasting Triumph nothing but Infinite Labour that can Purchase that Infinitely Glorious and Soul-satisfying Reward which the Lord for our encouragement hath set before us Why then should we put ourselves upon such a Prince as we shall never be able to discharge seeking Glory Honour Immortality and Eternal Life by the Merit of our own scanty and imperfect Obedience when we know that the Glory Honour and comfort of Eternal Life can only be obtained through the Riches of God's free Grace and divine Indulgence LOOK you may Christians having fought the good fight having finished your course and kept the Faith to receive from Christ the Righteous Judge and Immarcessible Crown of Glory 2 Tim. 8. But take heed that you never think by your Fighting for God Running the Race he hath set before you and Believing him in all his Promises to Purchase that glorious Crown which is not the Wages of an hiâ—â—ling but an Inheritance prepared of God for all his Children If you think Christians to spin Salvation out of the Bowels of your own good Works and to raise up the Seed of Eternal Life to yourselves out of the dead and barren Womb of your own Righteousness why let me tell you then all your Hope 't is but as a Spider's Web which will quite be swept down by the Besome of Death You never think to live and Purchase Eternal Glory by your own Righteousness but you forfeit that Crown of Righteousness which Christ hath laid up with himself for all that love his appearance Col. 3.3.4 Whilst therefore you look at the Recompence of Eternal Life remember 't is the free gift of God and not the Purchase of your own Obedience (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marcus Heremita For to be sure their life was never hid with Christ in God who think to find Life and Happiness amongst the rubbish of their own ruinous Performances Nor shall they ever appear with Christ in Glory who make a Christ of their own good Works thereby thinking to Merit at God's hands the Reward of Eternal Happiness For to put confidence in our Holiness will as certainly shut us out of God's Heavenly Kingdom as if we were altogether unholy 4. WE are to have respect in our Obedience to the Recompence of Reward not carnally looking for a Sensual Happiness but Spiritually as longing for an Happiness that shall consist in the adequate Perfection of all our Graces together with the full enjoyment of God in Glory We are not to look for a Turkish Paradise to gratify the Flesh but for a Sinless state of Holiness where Grace shall be perfected into Glory We may not think of bathing our Souls in Worldly Delights and Carnal Pleasures but of coming to the full injoyment of God himself whom to see without end love without loathing and praise without ever being weary is the only complement of all our Happiness There are multitudes of Men and Women in the world who having imbibed some gross Conceits and carnal Notions of Heaven would be glad when they can live no longer here to take up there as conceiting it to be a place accomodate to the desires of their own carnal Hearts But we never have any due respect to the recompence of the Reward till we look upon Heaven as a place where Sin shall be wholly abolished Grace perfectly glorified the World trampled upon and God over all blessed for ever enjoy'd as the Center of perfect Rest and everlasting Satisfaction As Balaam desired to dye the death of the righteous which he knew would be Crowned with Peace but had no care at all to conform himself to the life of the righteous so many there be who desire Heaven as a place of Happiness but not as a place of perfect Holiness Such is the Malignity of a carnal Heart that it will assimulate whatever it meets with and turn it into the likeness of it's own brutish Lusts So that whenever a carnal heart desires Heaven it 's not an Heaven of God's preparing but an Heaven of it's own fancying not an Heaven to make it perfectly Holy but an Heaven that will make it sensually Happy As a little Leaven turns the whole Lump into it's own Sourness or as the Salt Sea turns the Fresh Rivers and the Sweet Showers of Heaven into Salt Waters So the Heart which is Unsanctified it turns Bethel into Bethaven the holy City of Sion into a filthy Sodom and the heavenly Jerusalem it self into Babylon looking only for the Wages of Unrighteousness and for Heaven as a place of Sensual Pleasure but not as a place of Spiritual Injoyments As some Jews Acts 1.6 had carnal Notions of Christ and his Kingdom looking for a carnal Messiah who should come in Worldly Pomp and Splendour to restore the Kingdom to Israel So many that profess themselves to be Christians they have carnal Notions about the Recompence of the Reward looking after a Turkish Paradice after an Heaven that is wholly Carnal like their own hearts abounding with nothing but Fleshly Delights and Sensual Contentments They conceive indeed of Heaven as a place where there is Freedom from all Misery and as a place wherein all Fulness of Joy of Delights and everlasting Pleasures dwells But yet both these the Misery removed and the Pleasures indulged both Freedom
them tenders of a Crown of Life But they chose to deck themselves with Rose-buds preferring Earth before Heaven and troubling themselves about many things (c) Luke 10.42 whilst that better part is neglected which if chosen should never be taken from them Like Esau they sell their Birth-right for a mess of Pottage Like Judas they betray the Lord of Life who would save their Souls for thirty pieces of Silver Or like our first Parents to get the forbidden Fruit they let go their Happiness in Paradise preferring one deadly Apple from the Tree of Knowledge before all the delicious Apples on the Tree of Life What pains do we see Men take What hazards do they daily run to satisfie their unsatiate desires after Creature-enjoyments whilst Heaven with all the Glory and Royalties of it are neglected as the pleasing fictions of some devout Fancies rather than matters of reality With what wracking of Brain with what strength of endeavour with what Conflicts of Passions with what vehemency of desire and remorse of Consciences do Men resolving to be rich pursue their Earth-born vanities making that pitiful Religion they have serve turn and Christianity it self become Handmaid to wait upon their gain and secular advantage (d) Boni quippe ad hoc utuntur mundo ut fruantur Deo mali autem contra ut fruantur mundo uti volunt Deo Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 7. Whereas the truly gracious do improve their Earthly Treasures for high and Heavenly ends using them in a subserviency to their Christian devotion that they more freely enjoy God Why on the contrary carnal Hearts they subordinate every thing to their own sordid ends using God his Name his Worship his Ordinances that they may more plausibly prosecute and enjoy the World Doth not daily sad experience let us see how Men will hazard their own lives in desperate undertakings make themselves perpetual Drudges to the Times comply with every prevailing Faction throw away their own Mercies make shipwrack of Faith dissemble conscience and exchange their salvation together with all Hopes of Heaven and Glory for Earth and Earthly enjoyments Oh that I could but speak to the Heart of such amongst you who thus inordinately pursue the World grasping continually with adulterous embraces Was this the end of your being in the World to Idolize the Creature loving prizing and serving that above God your Creator Have you not things of greater consequence and that more nearly concern you to look after than the profits emoluments and perishable comforts of this present Life Is it not an immortal Soul more worthy your care than a sinful Body the Riches of Heaven and Glory than your Earthly Treasure and the recompence of Eternal Life is not that more worthy your care than the confluence of all Creature-enjoyments Your approaching Death your Eternal Judgment before Gods Tribunal your everlasting condition in the world to come should not these things be seriously minded and much rather regarded of you than the husky enjoyments of a dying Life What alass Poor brutish Muck-worm will thy full Garners thy Bags of Gold thy sumptuous Buildings thy long Leases thy gorgeous Apparel or thy dainty Dishes and sweet Morsels avail thee when the great God calls to Judgment when Death as God's inexorable Serjeant shall arrest thee and thou must now breath out thy Life and thy Hope together Will your Deeds and Leases be evidences for Heaven Will your Riches Honours and Pleasurable enjoyments be able to comfort your Hearts when now breaking through the bitter pangs and dying groans that will shortly take hold of you Will your Coffers or your Bags of Gold be accepted as a ransom for your lost Souls or can they purchase your pardon when now tryed for your Lives for your everlasting unchangable State before the righteous Judge of all the World To bring you off from the over eager pursuit of these perishable enjoyments and to beget in your cheeks an holy blush that ever you should neglect Heaven to seek them dwell a little on these things 1 (a) Vacuum quodcunque est si nullam nobis affert utilitatem CONSIDER all Creature-enjoyments they are vain and unprofitable The very choycest of your Worldly comforts they have nothing in them but that which is unprofitable and good for nothing There is always most vanity where there is the least profit And where there is no profit at all there is nothing at all but vanity And yet this is the Character which Solomon hath given us of all our Creature-enjoyments Every Creature in his Diary hath vanity written upon it and (b) Eccles 1.2 therefore since the whole cannot exceed the particulars when added together he gives us in this as the total Sum of all sublunary comforts Vanity of vanities all is vanity Add a thousand Cyphers together and yet without a figure they signify just nothing So though a Man had the whole confluence and universal aggregation of all Creature-comforts yet such is the vanity bound up in them that without the figure of Divine favour they are altogether insignificant and stand for just nothing in the Register of true profit And therefore (c) Prov. 23.5 Solomon endeavouring to call off Men from the too eager pursuit of Riches will not vouchsafe them any station amongst things really existing but thrusting them down into the bottomless Abyss of a non-entity he thus queries with the insatiate Mammonist Wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not and make them to flie as 't is in the original upon a meer nothing The generality of Men they idolize Riches and look upon them as some great matters But the comfort the benefit the profit accrewing to us by them is so small that if you count them any thing at all you do quite over-prize them and do count them a great deal more than what they are ever like to amount unto We can hardly form up a conception of our Creature-enjoyments so diminutive and small as indeed they are Nor can we be able to reach so low in our thoughts as the bottom of that vanity and unprofitableness which is written upon them Most Men look upon their Riches Honours and Worldly accommodations through a Multiplying-glass which doth swell them up far above the proportion of their own magnitude and quite stretcheth them beyond the line of their proper dimensions But would they look upon these things as they are in themselves how would their tall gigantine stature shrink up into a Pygmey-dwarfishness and what a line of unprofitableness and vanity would they find stretched out upon them all * Psal 4.2 How long then ye Sons of Men will ye love vanity and go on to set your Hearts upon that which is not Oh turn not aside from seeking after Glory and Honour after Immortality and Eternal Life (d) 1 Sam. 12.20 21. For why as Samuel said in another case should you go after vain things after
Contemne vivens quae post mortem habere non potes Difficile est imò impossibile ut praesentibus quis frumur bonis futuris at hic ventrem illic mentem impleat ut de deliciâ—â— ad delicias transent ut in Terra in Coelo gloriosus appareat Bern. de interiori Domo Cap. 45. And is not then the everlasting unseen Glory of Heaven to be sought before all those Earthly enjoyments that your Eyes behold Much talk there is of Riches and Honours and Pleasures and for these and the like momentany enjoyments we may daily see Men exhausting their strength and wearying out their Lives though they know they must shortly leave them And shall not we be much more willing to lay forth our selves for those Pleasures which will never fail us for those Honours which shall never be blasted and for those which Riches can never be taken from us The enjoyments of this Life are like a Lâ—â—p which while it burneth doth consume it self But now the Riches of Heaven and Glory are Eternal and can neve be wasted All Worldly comforts they are still upon the wing and when ever Death finds us we shall lose them for ever But now the recompence of reward that hath Eternity written upon it it s a Kingdom that can never be moved it s an Eternal weight of Glory it s that â—etter part thaâ— Soul-entrancing Joy which no Man can take from us Dwell then I beseech you in your thoughts a little seriously upon this particular and forasmuch as all your Creature-comforts will shortly leave you oh labour for those comforts for those Graces and for that Glory which will never fail you but abideth for ever You profess your selves to be Christians to believe the Resurrection and after that an Eternal condition for immortal Souls why then will you fix your Hearts and ground your Hopes upon those inconsistent and rotten materials which will shortly crumble into dust and leave your Souls to sink under the stroak of God's heavy Displeasure in Eternal Misery If Sirs you would not be Eternally miserable in the World to come then take heed that you do not too eagerly pursue the temporal enjoyments of this present World (c) Qui maluerit bene vivere ad tempus malè vivet in aeternum Damnnabitur enim sententiâ Dei ad Eternâ—m poenam quia coelestibus bonis terrena praeposuit Lactant. lib. de vita beata pag. 665. For whoever will have his Heaven of Worldly prosperity in this Life must expect no other portion but an Hell of Wrath and endless Misery in the Life to come He that will live in pleasure for a time shall for ever be tormented it being a Righteous thing with God to sentence all those to Eternal punishment in Hell who have preferred their Earthly enjoyments before the Happiness and Glory of Heaven it self (d) Luke 16.25 Attendamus divitem purpuratum pauperem Lazarum illum post epulas flammis perennibus traditum istum post aerumnas in aeterna sinûs Abrahae quiete securum Fulgent ad Venant epist 7. pag. mihi 574. Thus Dives who in his Life time received his good things whilst Lazarus received his evil things while he was tormented in Hellish flames when that poor Man was comforted in Abraham's Bosom Only thus far let me caution you that every one who prospers in this Life cannot properly be said to receive his good things (e) Non omnes autem qui bona praesentis vitae habent bona praesentis vitae recipiunt nec omnes qui mala hujus vitae patiuntur mala hujus vitae recipiunt Sed illi recipiunt bona in vita sua qui in gaudio et deliciis vitae praesentis exultant in eo se beatos credunt quod se nullâ concuti adversitate conspiciunt illi autem mala recipiunt in vita sua qui pressuras tribulationes praesentis vitae cum timore Dei tolerant in corde contrito humiliato non temporalia gaudia sed aeterna suspirant nec tranfitura bona sed permansura desiderant Idem ibid. Nor can every one who is here afflicted be said to have received his evil things But they receive their good things in their Life time who place the Whole of their Happiness in the Pleasures and Delights of this present World counting themselves to be blessed because they are not in trouble as other Men and they receive their evil things in their Life time who sincerely fearing the Lord do patiently endure all the tribulations of this present World breathing continually with an humble and contrite Heart not after Temporal but Eâ—ernal Joys not after transitory enjoyments but after that better part which shall never be taken from them together with those Pleasures which are at Gods right Hand for evermore Look to 〈◊〉 then that though you use the World yet you set not your Hearts upon it And though you meet with tribulation in the World yet see that you cast not away the confidence of your Hope but laboâ—â— to make a sanctified improvement of it (f) Qui gaudiis temporalibus oblectantur jussa divina contemnunt illi aeternis ignibus sunt concremandi illi verò qui mala temporalia cum timore Dei patienter tolerant aeternâ quiete potituri sunt Fulgent Epist ad Venant pag. 573. For remember those who violating the Commandments of God do place their whole delight in â—â—eir secular accomodations must with Dives be Eternally tormented in Hellish Flames Whilsâ—â—hey who feariâ—â— the Lord do patiently undergo all present Afflictions shall rest with Lazarus for ever in the sweet entrancing Bosom of Father Abraham CHAP. VIII The Doctrine further improv'd by way of Reprehension reproving all ungodly Persons who prefer the Pleasures of Sin before the Recompence of Reward and shewing the Folly of that Practice in Six Particulars II. SInâ—â— God allows us to seek Life and Eternity of Heavenly Glory for our selves by patient continuance in well-doing how justly may this speak reproof to all those who have pleasure in unrighteousness making daily Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof God would have them to seek after Spiritual Delights but they seek after nothing save their carnal Pleasures preferring the Wages of unrighteousness before that eternal recompence of Reward which the Lord hath prepared for those that love him They are not so much desirous of the pure and unmixed Joys of Heaven as of those feculent and sordid Delights which they find in a course of Sin whilst indulging their own bruitish and sensual Appetites Such are all those who prefer a Tavern before the Sanctuary a Strumpets arms before their Saviours embraces the Bowls of Bacchus before the Cup of Salvation and carousing Healths amongst their ungodly Associates before those Rivers of unperishable Pleasures which water the Garden of God in Paradise for evermore Oh but how is it that for the putrid and noysome
Carrion of bestial Delights you will thus renounce the Communion of Heavenly Joys Is this your Wisdom your Prudence to make Sin the object of your Joy the Theatre of your Delight the Centre of your Desires and the Element wherein you would continually chuse to live when God by a Miracle of rich Grace calls upon you to seek after Glory and Honour after Immortality and Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven Can you think to maintain the comfort of your Life by Sin which is nothing but the fuel of Death and Misery Will you make that the sole object of your Joy which alone is the inlet to an ocean of Sorrow and perplexing disquietments The truth is we have many amongst us who wear Christ's Livery and are called Christians but yet they live as Persons resolved to chuse Epicurus that grand Sensualist for the Master oâ— their licentious Faction making Pleasure with him the Alpha and Omega of all their Happiness Seneca though an Heathen had a far more noble â—â—d heroick Spirit than such esteeming it the greatest Pleasure to contemn all carnal Pleasures whilst these reckon it for the highest accent of â—â—licity to live in them Such voluptuous Wantons walk directly antipodes to the end of their own being living in nothing but carnal Delights as if God sent them into the World to be therein like the Leviathan sporting themselves and feasting their Souls in an Ocean of sensual Pleasures They begin to anticipate here that Paradise of swinish Delights which Mahomet promised his own naâ—â—y Herd at leastwise to take an earnest of it continually soaking themselves in their own intemperance and brutish luxury They look after no other Heaven than only to go singing to Hell and though you give them the greatest variety of delightful objects yet they cannot be Merry unless they may have Treason against Heaven it self for the game and the Devil for their playfellow But be ashamed oh carnal Gospellers thus to give up the strength of your Souls in the service of sensual Pleasures making light in the mean time of Heaven and Glory together with those unsullied Paradisical Pleasures which are at God's right Hand for evermore Oh let not that be matter of Pleasure and Delight to you which lay so heavy upon the Soul of your blessed Redeemer Did Christ bleed and groan and die to save you from your Sins and yet will you live with delight in the Pleasures of Sin How ever can you have a good thought of Sin when you look upon it as that which brought down the Son of God from Heaven and that murthered the Lord of Life and Glory Must the beloved Son of God undergo the curse due to your Sins and must he also humble himself unto Death to purchase for you the reward of Life everlasting that after all this you should undervalue his Love and make light of so great Salvation preferring the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a season before it Will you see I beseech you your folly in the glass of these ensuing considerations 1 CONSIDER thus to delight in carnal Pleasures it argues your Souls to be utterly void of Grace and dead in sin Where ever Grace comes with power it mortifies all vile affections and quite alienates the Heart from all sinful delights so that whoever delights in the Pleasures of Sin to be sure he is yet in a state of Nature and was never brought under the Power of converting Grace (a) Quâ—madmodum impossibile est ut ignis flammam concipiat in aquâ ita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est voluptates mundi cum poenitentia Christiana manere Otho Casman A voluptuous Man cannot be a gracious Man Nor is it possible for the Dove of true Piety to find any place whereon to rest the sole of her foot in a deluge of carnal Pleasures Our first Parents by eating of the forbidden fruit they lost their right to the Tree of Life and were shut out of Paradise (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ait Xenophon By feeding with delight upon the forbidden fruit of Sin Men forfeit their right to all saving Grace and must need be shut out of Gods presence which is better than life it self as that alone which can quicken and revive a dead Soul T is the dead Fish only and not the living that are carried away with the stream Thus when Men are carried away with a deluge of Sin and swim willingly down the stream of carnal delights it s a sign they were never alive unto God but that still they are dead in trespasses and Sins Hence the Widow who indulges a sensual appetite living in Pleasure (c) 1 Tim. 5.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexand Paedag. lib. 3. cap. 7. pag. 172. is said to be dead whilst she lives Who ever hath Pleasure in unrighteousness delighting in that as his proper element he hath no principle of Life and Grace abiding in him but is spiritually dead whilst he lives in the Body When Wickedness is sweet to our taste and we delight our selves in it here is the reigning power of Sin separating betwixt us and the God of Heaven and that indeed is not only the Death but the Hell of every graceless Soul A Life of sensuality speaks that Man to be spiritually dead who in such a manner lives after the Flesh (d) Rom. 8.13 For if you live after the Flesh saith St. Paul ye shall die When Men give their full consent to sinful desires not only committing iniquity but having Pleasure therein Not only esteeming a sinful Life to be happy but also counting it their Wisdom with profane Esau to sell their Eternal Birth-right for one mess of such pottage why this now is to live after the Flesh and whoever thus lives he is dead whilst he lives Doth then thy fancy run in a way of Sinful objects with delight taking thought for the Flesh to fulfil it in the lusts thereof Dost thou make thy self the standard and thy sensual appetite the rule of all thy actions Hast thou an Heart carried out continually after sinful objects if absent desiring and grieving for them but if present rejoicing and delighting in them How dreadful oh brutish Sinner is thy present condition If thus to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin be the Life of thy Soul it s estranged from the Life of God and thou art dead though thou livest (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. Leg. Alleg. lib. There is a Death saith Philo of the Man and there is a Death of the Soul The first which he calls the Death of the Man that 's the separation of the Soul from the Body the second which he calls the Death of the Soul that stands in the want of Grace and the presence of Sin Tho then thy Soul be not separated from thy Body yet what will all this avail so long as thou livest in Sin which is the most dreadful Death and wantest the Grace of God
nor could Mary Magdalen refrain her weeping by Christ's (b) John 20.14 15. Sepulchre because though Christ was present with her yet she did not know him So though the Well of Life Everlasting be before us and Christ having the Reward of eternal Glory in his Hand be present with us to Crown us yet if we know not all this we may well be filled with Sorrow and go weeping as Men without Hope from day to day For it is not so much Heaven as the Assurance of Heaven nor so much an Interest in eternal Life as the Knowledg of our Interest in that glorious reward that can wipe away all Tears from our Eyes and make our Hearts rejoyce with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory The Safety of your Souls depends indeed upon your Interest in the Recompence of eternal Glory that gives them the strongest Security against an everlasting Shipwrack so that let what Storms and Tempests will be abroad in the World yet having an Interest in heavenly Glory they shall never miscarry but be landed safe upon the wished Shoar of eternal Rest But yet the Comfort of your Souls and Hearts and Lives doth mainly depend upon the Knowledg and Assurance of that blessed Interest You may be safe with a bare Interest in Heaven but you can never be Comfortable nor free from Heart-perplexing Thoughts all the day long without knowing your Interest without some Assurance of Heaven as your eternal Inheritance The Sun when hid in a Cloud doth not yield those comfortable Irradiations and guilded Beams of Brightness to refresh us as at other times when shining forth in its Noon-day Splendour So neither must you expect the like Comfort from Heaven and eternal Glory to solace your Hearts your Interest therein being hid from your Eyes as otherwise they would afford did you but know Heaven to be your home and eternal Glory to be entailed upon you as your Portion in another World You then that would live Comfortable and die Triumphing give diligence to know what Right you have to the Recompence of Reward 'T will afford you little Comfort to have Heaven in your Eye so long as you want the Assurance of Heaven in your Hearts not knowing but you may eternally fall short of it A prospect of eternal Glory without a known Interest in eternal Glory will prove but a dull Cordial Be thy Right to eternal Life never so good yet thou losest the Comfort thereof so long as thy Evidences for eternal Life are not cleared up And had you rather dwell in the Tents of Kedar invelop'd in thick Darkness than to live and die assured of the heavenly Jerusalem as your own Inheritance Had you rather walk under the Fears of Death and be filled every day with the dreadful Apprehensions of eternal Burnings than to know that your Names are written in the Book of Life Had you rather be wandring in the Wilderness not knowing whether ever you shall come to Canaan than to be upon sure ground for that holy Land Had you rather be shut up in a black Cloud than solace your Souls in the bright Sun-shine of God's Love and Favour Had you ratheâ— be under continual Tossings at Sea and live at the Mercy of every enraged Wave than to come with full Sails into the peaceful Harbour of a divine Plerophory Had you rather be upon Uncertainties for an heavenly Mansion than to know that if your earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved you have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens In one word had you rather barely look upon heavenly Glory than to behold it with an Eye of Faith as that which shall infallibly be the Reward of all your Obedience to Crown you with What alas are all the Royalties of Heaven and Glory to me if I may not know them to be mine Were all the Beams of heavenly Glory collected and gathered together in one Sun yet what were all this to me if still I be left to sit in Darkness not seeing any ground of Claim to one beam of that Glory Let all the Clusters of Canaan let all the Grapes of that Holy Land be pressed and strained into one Cup yet what Comfort can my Soul have thence when seeing them I know not but I may want them for ever God allows us in all our Obedience to look at Heaven and Glory and eternal Happiness but wherewith shall I clear up my Heart and make glad my Soul if I cannot look upon Heaven as my Heaven upon Glory as my Glory upon eternal Happiness as my own Happiness and exceeding great Reward What sweetness can a Christian draw from the Promise of eternal Life if he know not himself to have an Interest in it and be not sure to live eternally by it Lose not therefore the Comfort of your Souls in an heap of Uncertainties do not cast away through your Unbelief those Cordials which God hath provided for you oh sit not down satisfied any longer without the assurance of Heaven if you would not live and die without the Joys of Heaven Many there are I confess that cry down Assurance under the reproachful Nick-names of carnal Confidence Presumption and Security as if this heavenly Manna like that in the Wilderness were subject to Corruption and would breed Worms making Men turn Libertines grow careless and cease to work out their own Salvation with Fear and Trembling But the truth is there are none that ever walk so chearful so upright so circumspect in Heavens way as those that know they shall infallibly come there Amongst all Men in the World those are always most stedfast most immoveable most abounding in the Work of the Lord that know their Labour shall never be in vain but be Crowned at length with eternal Rest Whoever expects to receive much from God and hath the Hope of eternal Life abiding in him such an one will most willingly spend and be spent in the Service of God giving diligence above all others to purify himself as (c) 1 John 3.3 he is pure As well you may say that the Fire will make a Man freeze with cold as that the Assurance of eternal Life will make God's People grow secure sloathful and negligent in their Christian Course taking boldness to live as they list What doth the Assurance of future Glory dispose those that have it to turn the Grace of God into Wantonness Shall a known Interest in the Reward of eternal Life be thought to make Men love the Wages of Unrighteousness Must the knowing that we have an Inheritance amongst the Saints in Light incline us to have the more Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness Can you think that the Souls Evidences for Heaven should encourage it to walk the way which leads to Hell Men that are yet unacquainted with the Spirit of Adoption not knowing what it is to have the hope of eternal Life abiding in them may tell you so
way as thou dreamest of or if there be why yet in that very Lyon thou mayst find Hony The way to Heaven is not so dark and gloomy as most imagine though indeed it be strait and tedious to Flesh and Blood yet there stands a bright Crown of eternal Glory at the end which makes it comfortable Be ashamed then having such encouragement to walk disconsolate in Heavens way There are not so many Thorns to prick you as Roses to refresh you Nor half so much cause of Sorrow â—s there is of Comfort and rejoycing of Spirit Christians walking in Heaven's Way they may meet I confess with a fiery Tryal but then there is some Light for their Comfort as well as Heat to Torment them And let me tell you the more your Hearts are melted and softned in such a Flame the deeper will be the Impression of divine Love Consolation and Sweetness upon them A sight of Glory from Heaven is then most Cordial when we can see nothing but Bonds and Imprisonments and forest Afflictions to abide us on Earth (a) Acts 7.55 How sweetly did Stephen that blessed Proto-martyr fall asleep under a Shower of Stones as if he had gone to Heaven in a Bed of Down The Reason of all was this he saw Heaven open and Jesus standing at the right Hand of God ready to turn every Stone that was thrown at him into an orient Pearl and to Crown him so soon as ever he had passed the Straits of Death with eternal Life Thiâ— made him forget his Sorrow and walk on with Comfort through the Valley of Death that at length he might come to that Glory in Heaven which he found such a Cordial to his Soul when ready to leave her earthly Tabernacle And why is it that we having the same Recompence of Reward set before us cannot endure the like Hardships with the same Comfort Must there be so much ado to make us live upon those Cordials which Heaven it self hath provided for us Are the Consolations of God grown small with us that we resolve thus to walk with sorrowful Hearts whilst he shews us Heaven as in a Glass and sets Glory in our Eye Shall every light Affliction eat â—ut the Heart of our Comfort when we see there lies before us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory Either Christian let thy Heart feel more or thy Eye see less of Heaven And do not go to bring up an ill Report upon the celestial Canaan by walking disconsolate in the way thither For you that have Heaven before you to come weeping after for you that have Glory in your Eye to be filled with Sorrow for you that may hope to live with God for ever in the Mount to go mourning from day to day like Doves of the Valley how unseemly were this If the World be bitter yet sweet is Paradise If the Earth cast you out yet Heaven will receive you If here you be tossed with Storms like a Ship at Sea yet arriving at the wished Shoar of Eternity you will find rest If in this (b) Mat. World Men Revile you and Persecute you saying all manner of Evil of you falsly for Christ's sake yet still you should walk rejoycing and be exceeding glad because great is your Reward in Heaven And what so great Matters are all our Afflictions on Earth that they should be able to imbitter Heaven Pray you (c) 2 Cor. 4.16 what is Affliction to Glory What is light Affliction to a weight of Glory What is a short momentary Affliction that like a little Cloud will soon be blown over to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory beyond all possible Hyperbole that will never be over That Man sure never looked by Faith so far as Heaven whom any Affliction on earth can make to go weeping â—ike Rachel refusing to be Comforted 11 WALK purely endeavouring to cleanse your selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and to mortifie every Lust â—hat would spoyl you of your Reward It becomes not those that have the Recompence of eternal Life before them to love the Wages of Unrighteousness Nor those that have Glory in their Eye to make themselves by the Polâ—utions that are in the World through Lust like one of the base Fellows The Inheritance of the Saints in Light â—ts a pure and an undefiled Inheritance And therefore beholding it we must labour to be changed into the â—ame undefiled Purity and Holiness with it would we ever come to the full Enjoyment of it The Lord alows us a sight of Heaven in all our Obedience that beholding from day to day we might at length receive a Tincture of Purity and unspotted Holiness from it He gives us a prospect of our future Happiness that be (d) 2 Cor. 3.18 holding with open face the Glory of the Lord we might be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory The difference betwixt Grace and Glory is not as some observe from these words specifical but gradual They differ not in Kind but only in Degree Grace is Glory inchoate and Glory is Grace consummate Grace is Glory Militant and Glory is Grace Triumphant Grace is Glory dawning and Glory is Grace shining forth in its noon-dayâ— brightness And I know no better way to ripen Grace into Glory than for Grace to behold and continually sun it self in the warm Beams of eternal Glory The Hope of future Happiness is the strongest Inducement to present Holiness Every Man (e) 1 John 3.3 that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure Hope to be like Christ hereafter Glorious as he is Glorious and Blessed as he is Blessed will work in us a desire to be as like him as we can here Pure as he is Pure and Holy as he is Holy He that hath most hope of being saved will give most diligence of all others to be sanctified We never cleanse our Hands so much as when we have Glory in Hope Nor do we ever Purify our Hearts so throughly as when we have Heaven in our Eye When Moses had been with God upon the Mount he came down with his Face shining Thus if at any time God calls us up into the Mount with himself giving us a sight of that Glory which shall shortly be revealed in us we should be sure to come down having not only our Faces but our Hearts likewise shining with unspotted Purity It were the most unbecoming thing in the World for those to Dâ—file themselves with any Unrighteousness who have their Eye continually fixed upon an undefiled Inheritance expecting as the full Reward of all their Labours a Crown of Righteousness What shall not Heaven's Brightness expel the Darkness of Hell Shall not the Hope of eternal Happiness promote in our Hearts and Lives the Work of Holiness Is there a Crown of Glory at the end of our Christian Course and shall not that make us walk Pure
you could never obtain you might well in such case make light of it But when thus you have a Crown a Kingdom an eternal Wâ—â—ght of Glory set before you together with this Encouragement that in seeking you shall be sure to find them how inexcusable must you needs be if still you should go on in the careless neglect of them Because the Recompence of eternal Life is possible to be obtained therefore impossible will it be for those that seek it not that ever they should escape the Vengeance of eternal Death 3 CONSIDER how unable all your Creature-enjoyments will be to afford you any solid Comfort at Death and Judgment not having an Interest in the Recompence of eternal Life What the Holy Ghost saith of Riches may truly be affirmed of all Creature-enjoyments and worldly Accommodations they profit not in a Day of Wrath. The Night approaching we lose the benefit of the Sun for a time and can no longer we enjoy the Light of his beauteous Beams So the darksom Night of Death and Judgment approaching you can now no longer enjoy the Comfort of Riches Honours and the like worldly Accommodations but must lose them for ever You may cry Brethren to your Riches and cry to your Honours and cry to your Friends and cry bitterly to your dearest Relations but not having an Interest in the Recompence of Reward all these will then answer you as the King of Israel (e) Kings 6.26.27 sometime answered the poor Woman of Samaria if God do not help you whence shall we help you The good things of this Life they are only calculated for the Meridian of Time and do only shine with a borrowed light So that when Death shall seize upon you and Judgment overtake you they will then be gone and like a Shadow disappear for ever And will you not labour all this considered that you may not be comfortless when all your Creature-comforts fail you not without good ground of rejoycing when all your Enjoyments will avail you nothing Oh that you were but wise to consider this that you would but remember your latter end Will your Health and your Strength and your Life endure for ever or have you any thing in this present World that can deliver you from Death and the Jaws of Hell Boast you may for a while of your worldly Enjoyments without an Interest in heavenly Glory but when you come Sirs to look pale Death in the Face and must hold up thy Hand to be judged at the Bar of Christ the Righteous Judge of all the World though now you had the very Quintessence and most refined Spirits of all Creatures mingled in one Cup for your Comfort yet assuredly you would find them but a cold Cordial Though Sirs you were Cloathed in Scarlet faring deliciously every day though you were all bespangled with the Pearls of Heaven enjoying the whole Empire of the World as your own Yet what alas were all this against the fatal Stroak of impartial Death or against the Judgment of the great God now Sentencing your Soul and Body to the Vengeance of eternal Fire Never think that your Riches Honours and the like earthly Comforts will avail you any thing against the Thunder and Fire of Heaven in such a day An Interest in heavenly Glory this indeed will be able to comfort you But have all the Riches Honours and Pleasures that the World can afford and yet without this your condition is equally helpless with the Damned in Hell And shall not all this constrain you to seek the Kingdom of God endeavouring to get an Interest in eternal Glory Since Earth cannot relieve you why will you not resolve to look after Heaven 4 CONSIDER how small the number is of such as shall ever obtain the reward of Eternal Life and let that make you labour the more for an interest in it The Lord hath indeed prepared a Kingdom yet not for the reception of all promiscuously whatever good or bad (a) Luke 12.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But only for the housing of that twice little diminutive Flock for whose sake the good Shepherd hath laid down his Life This glorious recompence of the reward will be given but to very few because so many refuse to work in God's Vineyard for it Of those many that are called (b) Matth. 20.16 there are but few that are chosen to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ And yet how few are all those that are called in comparison of such as never yet had any call from Christ in the Gospel If the learned Brerewood compute right who divideth the whole World into thirty parts assigning nineteen of those thirty to idolatrous Pagans six to Mahumetans and but five to Christians within how narrow a compass will salvation be confined Salvation to be sure is no plant of India nor is it any commodity to be found in Turkey Such Goats and Swine as inhabit there whether Idolaters worshipping false Gods or Infidels worshipping the true God out of Christ they must never think to enter into Paradise nor to gather fruit from the Tree of Life So that if any where Salvation may be found 't is only amongst those that are Christians And yet even here such is the number of seduced erroneous Papists on the one hand and of profane formal Protestants on the other that undoubtedly there are not many of them that shall ever be saved (c) Luke 8. Of the four sorts of grounds that we read of in the Parable of the Sower there is not three good and one only bad nor two good and two bad but only one good and all the rest bad to teach us how small the number is of sincere Christians who receive the blessing of Eternal Life in comparison of those impenitent fruitless and ungodly Christians who are nigh unto cursing (d) Heb. 6.8 and whose end is to be burned Amongst all the inhabitants of the Earth there are but few to be found that will ever find the right way to Heaven and Glory (e) Matth. 7.14 For strait is the gate saith Christ and narrow is the way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Though all Men desire and many seek yet few they be that find the Way to true Blessedness This is the mark that all Men aim at but so many take their aim amiss that but few hit it This is that wished Harbour for which all Men are bound but so many sail by a false Compass that small is the number of those who steer a right course thither There are multitudes of Men and Women that perish in the Broad Way which leadeth to Destruction But few that walk in the narrow Way which leadeth unto Happiness and blessed immortality in the Kingdom of God And what will make you cast off Presumption and offer violence to the Kingdom of Heaven if not this consideration that there is but a very few who have either part or lot in
that Glorious Inheritance Were there but few damned and many saved yet in that case it would much concern us to look to our selves lest we should be some of those few that must go to Hell How much more should we look to our selves laying hold upon Eternal Life when so few shall be saved and go to Heaven when so many walk on in the Way of Destruction and must go to Hell Oh deceive not your own Souls expecting to go to Heaven in a croud but give diligence to be found of that little Flock upon whom it is the Fathers good Pleasure to bestow a Kingdom Whilst multitudes of Men and Women go crouding into Hell strive you to walk in that narrow Way which will bring you to Glory Be not discouraged by the paucity of those that shall be saved but because they are so few resolve to be found in that blessed Number that they may be the more Remembring this still for your encouragement that though there be but few yet some there are who shall receive the reward of Eternal Life and you as soon as any if by patient continuance in well-doing you will but seek it Be they never so few that shall find the Way which leads to Glory yet no Man can ever lose the Way thither but through his own negligence 5 CONSIDER you have yet an opportunity wherein to seek the recompence of Eternal Life and let that make you to give all possible diligence in labouring for it When God affords us an opportunity of Grace he then expects that by patient continuance in Well-doing we should seek for Glory When he holds open the Gate of Mercy then if ever he calls us to enter in When in a word he makes reports of Life and Salvation to us in an acceptable time then oh then above all things in the World it concerneth us to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling Well yet the fair-day of God's Grace is not over and therefore deal wisely in your Heavenly Merchandise now buying of him Gold tried in the Fire that you may be rich and purchasing for your selves that one Pearl of great price Yet your seed-time is not past be sure therefore to sow in tears that hereafter ye may reap in Joy now sow to the Spirit that of the Spirit ye may reap Life Everlasting Yet Christians the six Days of the Week are not all of them gone see therefore that you gather Manna now labouring to make provision for an everlasting Sabbath of Rest in God's Heavenly Kingdom Though the damned in Hell be shut up in an Everlasting Night under Darkness yet still it is Day with you Work therefore while you have the Day because the Night cometh wherein you cannot work If ever you would be able to go through with the work of your Salvation you must be sure to set about it in the Day of Salvation And if you ever would find the Reward of Eternal Life you must be sure to seek it before the glass of your Life be run out and your strength exhausted Pray therefore to Day repent to Day seek Heaven to Day thou art not sure of to morrow And he that is not fit to Day will be less fit to seek after Heaven when to morrow comes How vainly then do Men talk of working for Heaven when they are just going to the place of Reward and of doing the greatest Work to repent believe and seek the Kingdom of God when their strength is at the lowest ebb (f) Poenitentia quae ab infirmo petitur infirma est poenitentia quae à moriente tantum petitur timeo ne ipsa moriatur August Serm. 57. de temp But believe it Sinners you will find it too much for one to look after a sick Soul and a sick Body together too much to get a lively faith when he lieth a dying too much to mount up as on Eagles wings to Heaven when his feet are going down to the Grave and his steps take hold of Hell If ever you would have your works in the full and Eternal Reward of them to follow you when dead you must be sure to follow your work close while you live now seeking by patient continuance in well-doing for Glory Honour Immortality and Eternal Life Now therefore delay not the doing of that which must be once done or your Souls are undone for ever What do you not yet know the certainty of an approaching Death together with the Vanity and shortness of your own Life which according to the just estimate of Truth is no more than a span which is soon measured a Vapour that quickly vanisheth a Flower that presently fadeth or a little spot of time betwixt too vast Eternities Do you not know that upon this short moment of time dependeth your Eternal condition of Happiness if improved well but of Misery if ill-improved (g) Quippe ex voluntate perversa facta est libido dum servitur libidini facta est consuetudo dum consuetudini non resistitur facta est necessitas Aug. Confes lib. 8. cap. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arest Eth. lib. 2. cap. 6. Natura consuetudo robustissimam faciunt invictissimam cupiditatem Aug. ad Simpl. lib. 1. q. 1. Non pudet te reliquias vitae tibi reservare id solum tempus bonae menti destinare quod in nullam rem conferri possit Sen. de brevit vit cap. 4. Juventutem tuam in peccatis traducis ubi verò labore fracta fuerint instrumenta tunc ipsa ad Deum adducis eum jam illorum nullus sit usus Basil Orat. 4. Do you not know that the longer you delay to seek after this Eternal Reward the more unfit you will be for it and the less able to go through with so difficult a province it being impossible that your Hearts thro' procrastination should not grow harder your corruptions stronger whilst custom converted into a second Nature produceth without a miracle of Mercy an irrecoverableness in a course of Sin Do you not know it 's a point of the greatest disingenuity that can be to exhaust the Spirits of your strength in the service of Sin consecrating the first fruits of your Time to such a cruel Aegyptian Taskmaster and to reserve no better for the service of the great God than the very ruins of your strength nor any other than the dregs of your time wherein to seek the Kingdom of Heaven (h) Sicut dormiens in navi vehitur ad portum ita tu dormis sed tempus tuum ambulat Ambr. in Psal 1. Do you not know how fast your lives unravel being not of a permanent but transient nature continually wasting like the Oyl in the lamp whether you work or stand idle in God's Vineyard whether you will seek for a Crown of Life or not seek it Do you not know that be the time of your lives never so short yet the term allotted for us of God
wherein to seek after Heaven and Glory is never extended beyond it (i) Exod. 16.26 Qui promisit poenitenti veniam non promisit poenitendi horam qui poenitenti misericordiam premisit peccanti crastinum non promisit Aug. de verb. Dom. Serm. 59. as the Israelites might gather Manna on any of the six days in the Week but not on the seventh Do you not know but if you neglect the present opportunity refusing now to seek after the reward of Eternal Life God may seal you up in your impenitency for ever denying you all further advantages for your Souls as not having promised a Day of Repentance to any though he have promised to all that are truly penitent a Crown of Glory (k) Cor. 6.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epic. Stob. cap. 16. Oh then to Day if you will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts neglecting the reward of Eternal Life till tomorrow when the present time is the only Day of Salvation If the Day of Salvation be neglected your hope of Salvation will for ever be frustrated If now you let slip the Day of Grace you cannot chuse but fall short hereafter of the Crown of Glory Time and opportunity in this case do vastly differ Time is the continuation of Hours Days and Years successively coming after each other But opportunity is the universal concurrence of all other helps and advantages to give birth by their auspicious Midwifery to your wished ends So that you may have time and yet lose your opportunity You may have in the Glass of your time many sands when there is not a sand left in the Glass of your opportunity You may have the Moon-light of time when the Sun of opportunity is gon down in an everlasting Night of Darkness upon you And to be sure Sirs if you lose the Sun-light of opportunity you will never be able by the Moon-light of time to find out and walk in that narrow Way which leads to Glory (l) Matth. 25.10 11 12. The five foolish Virgins came too late and for that cause were everlastingly shut out from the marriage Supper (m) Luke 19.42 Si eo ipso die resipuisset quo Christus urbem ingressus est haec sententia lata non fuisset quod quia neglexit in posterum nullus misericordiae locus ex quo liquet quantum interest resipiscentiam non dico in annum sed in diem differre Cart. in loc Heb. Jerusalem had the things belonging to her peace hid from her Eyes because in the Day of her visitation she would not know them And Esau having lost through delays his Fathers Blessing he found no place of Repentance nor opportunity to recover it though he sought it with Tears So that you see the least of opportunity to get Heaven once fallen never springeth again The Market-day of Grace once over we must never expect a second wherein to purchase for our selves that one Pearl of great price The swift tide of God's mercy in the strivings of his Spirit once returned we must never look to see it high water again nor think by the reflowings thereof to have our Souls landed safe upon the wished shore of Eternal Rest And this dear Friends I tell you not to plunge you in despair but to beget in you desires after the lively hope of Eternal Life not to shut you up under a sentence of wrath and unpreventable Misery in Hell but to hasten you in your pursuit of Heaven and Eternal Glory Though you have formerly made light of Salvation yet if now you will prize it though you have heretofore turned your backs upon Heaven yet will you but now seek after it though hitherto you have undervalued all those inestimable tenders of Life and Eternal Glory which God hath made you yet if now you will close with them seeking diligently by patient continuance in well-doing for Glory Honour and Immortality you need not doubt but Salvation shall be your Crown Heaven shall be your home and the full enjoyment of God in Glory that shall be your portion and your exceeding great reward Yet the Golden Scepter of God's Grace is stretched out now therefore be sure to lay hold upon it Yet there is a door of Mercy stands open be sure now to enter in thereat Yet you are not sealed up under an irreversible Sentence of Wrath in Hell give diligence therefore this day this hour this present moment to lay up for your selves a Treasure in Heaven Now oh now my beloved is your Term-time wherein to plead with God for the lives of your Immortal Souls shortly comes an everlasting Vacation of Happiness or Misery where you cannot be heard pleading for your selves though with Tears of Blood ¶ In morte cheu nec vel semel quidem peccare licet nam hoc tale peccatum est irrevocabile Semel mortuus es semper mortuus es semel male mortuus es semper damnatus es Hanc mortem corrigere hanc damnationem excutere per omnem aeternitatem non poteris As in War so in this case we are not permitted to err twice now Heaven and Eternal Glory lie before you either speedily get an interest in them or together with your present opportunity you will lose them for ever When Death begins to make his arrest upon thee it s not then a time to sow but to reap the fruit of our doings not to labour for Eternal Rest but to rest from our labours not by works of Righteousness to seek a Crown but to receive a Crown of Righteousness not to lay up for our selves a Treasure in Heaven but to go to Heaven where our Comfort our Treasure our Happiness are all laid up That Seed of Grace must be sown in season from which we would ever reap a crop of Eternal Glory Now therefore while the Lord waits to be gracious while his Spirit strives and calls you to break off your Sins by Repentance be sure to work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling providing for your selves everlasting Heavenly Mansions against the Time that your Earthly Tabernacles will be dissolved Oh remember if while God affords you the auspicious gales of his own Spirit you shall not now hoyst up your Sails setting forward in your Voyage for the holy land you must never expect to arrive safe at the shore of blessed Eternity CHAP. XI A Sixth Consideration added to move Sinners to seek an Interest in Heaven and Glory taken from that everlasting Misery that will otherwise befall them where also the Horror of that Hellish Misery is set out in Six Particulars 6 AND lastly consider if you get not an interest in Heavenly Glory the reward of Eternal Misery must be your portion It hath by some been fiction'd that what every Man affected in this Life with that he should be solaced in the Elisian fields The Moral carrieth in it a certain truth that look what Men set their Hearts most upon here such shall
be their Eternal condition in another World whether it be upon Sin unto Death or upon Righteousness unto life everlasting Whatever the Church of Rome may dogmatize of their Limbus Infantum a Receptacle for the Souls of Infants dying without Baptism or of a Purgatory for such as die in venial Sins whose guilt was not fully expiated * Omnis homo aut est cum Christo regnaturus aut cum Diabolo cruciandns Aug. Ser. 85. de Temp. Aut Caesar aut nullus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gregor Naz. in Pentecost Rom. 2.7 8 9. Yet as the ways of Men in this life are but two either Holy or Unholy so the Divine Oracle acknowledgeth no more than two Final and Everlasting estates for Men in the Life to come the one of Happiness the other of Misery the one of all fulness of Joy in God's presence and the other of everlasting Destruction from his Presence and from the Glory of his Power Hence it is said of God that to those who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality he will render eternal Life But to every Soul that hath Pleasure in Unrighteousness not obeying the Gospel Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish (*) Mat 25.31.46 And Christ himself declaring the Process of that great Day as he only takes Cognizance of two sorts of Men the one Righteous the other Wicked the one as Sheep on his right Hand the other as Goats on his left So he only makes mention of a twofold Sentence the one of Absolution the other of Condemnation each assigning to its proper Objects their everlasting Condition so that the Wicked in the Execution of this Sentence must go away into everlasting Punishment and the Righteous into life Eternal They that have not the Happiness to stand amongst the Sheep of Christ on the right Hand they must stand amongst the Goats on his left They that are not pronounced Blessed are pronounced Accursed And whoever is not called to inherit the Kingdom of God to be sure he must have his Portion with Hypocrites in the Lake that bumeth with Fire and Brimstone for ever Every Man's Works when he once comes to be matriculated amongst the Dead will (†) Opera sequuntur bonos persequuntur malos illi secundum opera coronâ justitiae donantur hi propter opera injustitiae quae injusti perpetrârunt oeternâ plectuntur miseriâ be sure to follow him either for his Comfort if they have been Righteous or for his eternal Confusion if Unrighteous Never think then my Brethren falling short of Heaven and Glory to escape the Damnation of Hell For as when the Light is departed a gloomy Darkness immediately thereupon succeedeth and taketh place So whoever are not counted Meet to be partakers of the Inheritance b of the (a) Col. 1.12 Saints in Light for them is reserved the (c) Heb. 10.27 Blackness of Darkness for ever And who to avoid Misery would not choose Happiness Who to escape everlasting Shame and perpetual Contempt in the World to come would not now make Glory his Option Who to prevent the heaviest Stroak of God's eternal Displeasure the furious gnawings of that Worm which never dies and the most exquisite Torments of everlasting Burnings in Hell would not now give diligence to lay up for himself a Treasure in Heaven Believe it Sinner thou that art a Demas embracing this present World thou that art a Judas betraying thy Lord and Master for thirty pieces of Silver thou that art an ungodly Achan hugging thy self in any accursed thing which God hath devoted thou in a word that art a prophane Esau selling thy Birth-right for a Mess of Pottage I have received a Commission from God to write bitter things against thee and out of love to thy poor Soul let me tell thee that if thus thou go on to make light of Heaven and Glory there remaineth nothing but a fearful looking for of Judgment d and fiery Indignation from the Lord to devour to torment and to burn thee for ever Oh then consider this all ye that forget God left he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you What is there in all the Profits Honours and pleasurable Vanities of this World that for them you should run the hazard of everlasting hellish Torments What is not Life to be preferred before Death Happiness before an Eternity of Misery and the Joys of Heaven before the everlasting Pains Tortures and Burnings of Hell Oh remember it Sinner there is that in Hell which though thy Flesh were of Iron and thy Bones of Brass might make thee tremble and thy Knees to smite one against another And yet in case thou be a Drunkard a Swearer a Covetous or an unclean Person making light of Heaven to enjoy thy Lust this is the place whither shortly thou (b) Jude 13. must go and wherein thou must erelong receive for thy Portion the Vengeance of eternal Fire For the Mouth of Truth hath spoken it and will make it good (d) Psal 9.17 that the Wicked shall be turned into Hell with all the Nations that forget God But that what I have said may effectually influence your Souls to look after Heaven give me leave to Epitomize Hell and to shew you in some few Particulars the Horrors wherewith this place of Torment is filled up to the brim 1 CONSIDER the Purity of Hell Torments which are a Cup of the Wine of God's fiercest Wrath unmixed wherein there is not to be found any one Ingredient of his Love or Mercy Here the worst of Men do enjoy some Good But in Hell even they whose Condition is the best they have nothing but Evil. There is not any Grant of the least Comfort to the greatest Torment not one drop of Hony in all the Gall which is given them to drink of nor so much as the least glimpse of heavenly Light in all that Cimmerian Darkness But (e) Jam. 2.13 Sorrow without Joy Death without (f) Potest dici quod etiam in eis damnatis scil misericordia locum habet in quantum citra condignum puniuntur Aq. Sup. 3. part q. 99. art 2. 1. Life and Judgment without Mercy must for ever be their Portion 'T is I know the Opinion of the Schoolmen that the very Reprobates in Hell are punished oitra condignum Whence some would infer that there is no place wherein there is not some Impression of God's Mercy nor any Creature which doth not tast of his Goodness But however God should mitigate some part of that Torment which the Sinner justly deserved and which in the Rigour of his Justice he might rightly have inflicted Yet as for any positive Effect of God's Mercy and Goodness in Hell the Damned are altogether unacquainted with it 'T is true both the Devils and Reprobates in Hell they have a Physical Being which in it self is good But yet to them it is nothing so as being only
thereof to rage and burn so furiously that all Rhetoricians in the Word have not Expressions comprehensive enough to set forth the Horror of it Think often therefore of the Hell of Sin and by that means through the Grace of God thou wilt save thy self from the Hell of Punishment 6 AND lastly consider the Eternity of Hell Torments which inevitably will seize upon you in case you fall short of Heaven and Glory and let that prevail with you to make sure of them Now God sets before you the recompence of Eternal Life But in case you make light of that to be sure Eternal Death and Misery will be your portion You cannot refuse an Eternal Weight of Glory but you must needs expose your selves to an Eternal Weight of Wrath. Whoever turn their Backs upon Heaven falling short of that they fall into Hell irrecoverably (a) Mark 9.44 where the Worm dieth not and the Fire is never quenched As the Fire of Hell is unquenchable so the Worm of Conscience is unendable Neither can the Fire of Hell be quenched that it should not for ever burn you nor yet the Worm of Conscience that Bosom Fury by any means be finished that it should not Everlastingly torment you 'T is storied of Caius Caligula that having condemned a Malefactor he would give order to the Executioner so to strike that the party might feel himself dying and suffer the pains of a lingring Death Thus poor self-destroying Sinner will it with thee in case thou make not sure of Heavenly Glory (b) Revel 9.6 Constat quod sicut finis non est gaudio bonorum ita nec tormento malorum Greg. Dial. Thou must ever be dying but never dead ever seeking Death but never find it Thou shalt follow after it but it will ever fly from thee As the Righteous shall be blessed with an Eternal Sun-shine of Love and Glory So the wicked they shall all be inveloped in an Everlasting Night of Horrour Wrath and extremest Anguish Whilst the Righteous are called up into Heaven there to be with the Lord for ever (c) 2 Thess 1.9 The Wicked these are the Men these are the Women that must then be punished with Everlasting Destruction from the presence of God and from the Glory of his Power In Hell the damned shall never be able with Agag to say the bitterness of Death is over But when for millions of Ages they have lain broyling upon the Grid-iron of God's sorest displeasure still they will find bitterness to come Wrath to come Torment to come Fire and Brimstone to come that will burn them without quenching for ever As the People of God shall rest with him in Glory for ever So the Wicked must be kept for ever upon the Rack of God's fierce indignation As the Saints Heaven so the Sinners Hell hath Eternity written upon it There is no fear of falling from Heavens Happiness nor any hope of ever escaping the Torments of Hell The Saints Joys and the Sinners Groans will run parallel with all Eternity And look as the Pleasures of the one shall never have any period so the Pains of the other shall never have any end The Wicked in Hell they can neither cease to be miserable Though now they will infinitely desire it yet there is no possibility of returning to that dark Abyss of nothing whence first they were taken or of hiding themselves for ever according to the Socinian dotage in the most abhorred State of Annihilation Nor yet according to Origen's wild Opinion any hope of a Goal-delivery out of that infernal Prison as if the Mercy of God hyperbolizing into a Solescisme of foolish Pity towards the damned in Hell the very conceit whereof borders nigh upon the Confines of Blasphemy would at last after some few Centuries of Years rescue both Men and Devils out of the sure Hands of Divine avenging Justice (d) Cum peccatores peccent contra Deum qui aeternus est conveniens est ut poena aeterna eis ex divina justitia inferatur Aq. Sup. 3. part q. 99. a. i. o. The infinitely Glorious Majesty of God by their Sins was offended which must needs derive an infinite guilt and demerit upon them binding them over to suffer an infinite punishment But because no punishment can be intensively infinite in the degrees and greatness of it as being a thing impossible that a finite Vessel should hold an infinite Wrath (e) Cum non possit esse infinita poena per intenticuem quia creatura non est capax alicujus qualitatis infinitae requiritur quod sit saltem duratione infinita Aquin. ibid. that the back of a Poor finite Creature should bear an infinit Stroak why therefore it must be extensively infinite what is abated in greatness must be made up in the Everlasting Duration of the suffering and so the whole penalty will always be suffering but never suffered always will the Sinner be burning but never burnt nor ever come to any end of his Torments The Sinner he despised an Eternal Happiness making light of the greatest Salvation (f) Factus est malo dignus aeterno qui hoc in se peremit bonum quod esse posset aeternum August de Civit. Dei l. 21. cap. 12. and therefore how justly doth he now fall under an Eternal Misery whilst everlasting Wrath and Damnation take hold upon him Who more deservedly shut up in Everlasting Chains under Darkness than such as willfully go on to neglect Eternal Mansions of Glory Such is the desperate madness of wicked Men (g) Peccator punitur poenâ aeternâ quia peccavit suo aeterno id est sine fine Pic. Mirandula Apolog. quaest 2. that all their Life long Heaven and Glory are neglected and nothing but the Pleasures of Sin delighted in So that wicked Men thus Sinning in their Eternity no wonder though they be punished in Gods Eternity they sinning so long as they had a life to live how justly doth God retâ—liate punishing all their Wickedness and Sins upon them so long as he lives Because the Righteous God lives for ever therefore the Wicked and the Ungodly they must die for ever be damned for ever be tormented for ever (h) Ad magnam justitiam judicantis pertinet ut nunquam careant supplicio qui in hac vita nunquam voluerunt carere peccato Gregor lib. 34. mor. cap. 2. Iniqui ideo cum fine deliquerunt quia cum fine vixerunt voluissent quippe sine fine vivere ut sine fine potuissent in suis iniquitatibus permanere Nam magis appetunt peccare quam vivere Greg. Dialog 4. c. 44. Their desires of sinning were infinite had they lived for ever they would have sinned for ever And how Righteous a thing is this with God that they should have punishment without end who had he not stopped them in the swiftest career of their carnal Pleasures by the unwelcome arrest of Death would neâ—â—r have put any end to their
plunge the Soul in remediless intolerable Misery 2 Be sure that you quit your own Righteousness giving diligence to see the Insufficiency of it to Life and Salvation Such is the Corruption of our Nature that though the Covenant of Works be violated and the Condition thereof unperformable to Man lapsed Yet still we would Trade for Heaven in a way of working building our Hope for eternaâ— Life upon the sandy Foundation of a Self-opiniative Righteousness If at any time Men are startled by the powerful Impressions of a Soul-searching Ministry and begin to feel the Sting of Sin in their Consciences you may presently see them have recourse not to Christ but to Moses not to the Righteousness which is of God by Faith but to the Righteousness which is of the Law placing their whole Affiance in the supposed Worth and Merit of their own good Works as if these could save them But know you must that those who put Confidence in their own Righteousness will as surely fall short of Heaven and Glory as those who make no Conscience of Righteousness at all Good Works when rested in and made the Matter of our justification before God are as infallibly Damning as evil Works when never Repented of (p) Gal. 3.10 For as many as be of the Works of the Law trusting in and expecting Salvation by them are under the Curse The Law at first was an easie way to Righteousness and from thence to Salvation But now every step thereof sinks as low as Hell It 's written within and without with Curses which way soever a Man stirs he finds nothing but Death before him One Man's way by the Civility of his Education the Ingenuity of his Disposition the Engagement of other ends or Relations may seem more smooth and plausible than anothers but by Nature they all run into Hell as all Rivers though never so different in other Circumstances run into the Sea And the Reason of all this the Apostle hath subjoyned in the following words taken from that everlasting Inability that we lie under to fulfil all Righteousness which the Law in its utmost rigour and latitude doth require at our Hands as pronouncing all those Accursed that continue not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. Eremita to do them So then though Sin and Death go together as Work and Wageâ— yet eternal Life must never be expected as the Purchase of our own good Works but as the free Gift of God in Christ Jesus The Ways of Sin (r) Rom. 6.23 is Death saith the Apostle But the Gift of God saith he purposely changing the manner of his Speech is eternal Life Say therefore the Papists what they will of their Merit of Condignity proportionate in worth and excellency to eternal Glory Yet would you not for ever be shut out of Heaven and fall short of Glory you must Renounce all Opinion of your own Merit laying hold on eternal Life as the free Gift of God For can we rationally think that our imperfect Obedience should justly deserve with God the Reward of eternal Glory Do we fail coming short in every Duty and shall we yet look for Heaven and not of Debt and not of Mercy If the (s) Rom. 8.18 Sufferings of this present Life are not worthy to be compared with the (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum in loc Glory that shall be revealed in us what little reason can we have to think by any inferior act of Obedience to merit such a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Philip. Homil. 11. The Reward of eternal Life is the gift of God and therefore not to be sought by Works of Righteousness as infinitely exceeding in Worth and Dignity all our performances how glorious soever Misinterpret me not as if I were declaiming against the necessity of inherent Righteousness when indeed the meritoriousness and condignity thereof proportionate to eternal Life is all that we here deny We do not cry down Obedience and good Works as they stand in subordination to â—â—ace and are the genuine Fruits of Sanctification as they of the Romish Faction have maliciously traduced the Reformation But only as they stand in opposition to the free Grace of God in our Justification and are made by Pharisaical self-justitiaries the Foundation whereupon to bottom their hopes for eternal Life We of the Church of England do maintain the necessity of good Works pressing earnestly to the practise of them as antecedaneous to Life Eternal without which no Man can be saved But that wherein we dissent from the Church of Rome is about the causality of good Words with whom we dare not affirm (a) Si propriè appellentur ea quae decimus nostra merita Spei quidem Seminaria sunt charitatis Incentiva occultae praedestinationis Judicia futurae foelicitatis Praesagia Via regni non causa regnandi Bern. lib. de Grat. liber Arbitr but deny them to be meritorious of Eternal Life as if a Man should be saved for them We do allow them with Bernard to be the preservatives of Hope the Incentives of Charity the marks of hidden Predestination the Presages of future Happiness the Way that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven but not the meritorious causes of our reigning with Christ there Take heed then that you think not of your own Righteousness above what you ought to think 'T is your duty to fulfil all Righteousness but will certainly be your undoing if you trust in any Beware therefore oh Man of this sugared Poyson within thee let there be no depending upon thy good Heart thy good Life thy good Performances But remember the proud Pharisee who stands upon his own bottom as well as ungodâ—â— Sinners whose lives are notoriously infamous for all manner of abominable impieties will fall short of Heaven Whoever thinks to find Life in his own Righteousness and Glory in his own Graces will be sunk through such carnal Confidence to lose Life and Eternal Glory for ever Oh then let not any Man be found cloathed in his own Righteousness that would ever be cloathed upon with the Garments of Salvation For Men to despair in themselves counting all their Righteousness but loss for the excellency of Heaven This is the best way to obtain the reward of Eternal Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven He that here cries out as a Man lost and undone in himself will hereafter be found in Christ to the saving of his Soul Never did any Man yet get to Heaven by trusting in his own Righteousness Nor shall any Man fall short of Heaven who renouncing his own Righteousness trusteth wholly to the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus 3 GET renewed Natures making sure of a principle of Grace within (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar Hom. 30. A Wicked Man in his unregeneracy is no more capable of an
of God! If Sirs you think â—an Honour to appear Good (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat epist ad Magnes pag. 52. Omnino enim nihil prodest nomen sanctum habere sine moribus quia vita à professione discordans abrogat illustris tituli honorem per indignorum actuum vilitatem Salvian de Gubern Dei lib. 3. pag. mihi 94. is it not much morâ—â—n Honour to be so indeed What alas is the Name of Christian worth if you will goâ— put on the Nature of a Christian To think I was well reputed of amongst God's People I was called a good and had the Name of a Christian can this be a Cordial when you come to die Or will it comfort your Hearts when appearing before the Judgment-seat of (c) Quid est in quo nobis de Christiano nomine blandiamur cum utique hoc ipso magis per nomen sacratissimum rei simus qui à sancto nomine discrepamus Nam ideo plus sub religionis titulo Deum ludimus quia positi in religione peccamus Idem paulo post the great God where all your Paint and Varnish being washed off you must now be punished as Hypocrites with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of God and from the Glory of his Power To be counted Rich and yet turn Bankrupt to be judged healthful and yet sick unto Death would but aggravate in such cases a Man's Misery So to be counted Holy and yet Profane to have a Name to live and yet after all be found dead in Trespasses and Sins oh this will most dreadfully aggravate the Hypocrites Misery another day this will sink them deeper in Hell than the notoriously ungodly this will prepare flaming Ingredients for the Cup of Wrath and put new Stiâ—gs into those fiery Scorpions that will vex and torment them for ever If then you love your Souls give diligence now to have the best side inward doing every thing from the Heart sâ—â—cerely as unto God! Strive you must to make clean the inside as well as the outside of the Platter and to have pure Hearts as well aâ—â—lean Hands would you ever (d) 2 Tim. 2.21 be Vessels of Honour 〈◊〉 for the Master's use The foolish Virgins they had Lamps in their Hands a Profession of Godliness (e) Mat. 25.3 adorned with many glorious Performances But these were not animated with an upright Heart they wanted the Oyl of Grace within and therefore depart from me saith Christ I never knew you Christ will know those well he will know them to be Men of pure Minds and upright Hearts whom he receives to dwell with himself in eternal Mansions of Glory Otherwise if a Work of Grace be wanting within if the Heart be unsound and not inwardly Holy they must look to depart accursed into everlasting burnings where the painted fire of all their pretended zeal shall most surely be punished with the true fire of God's heavy wrath and sore displeasure Thus you may possibly appear Holy before Men and have your Christian Profession adorned with many seemingly glorious Performances But in case your Hearts be not upright before God now he throws you down for ever into Hellish-torments now he punisheth your Souls with everlasting Destruction from his own Presence now he commands you to depart accursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and you must obey him Oh then what a woful thing is a rotten Heart and how much doth it concern us all to be that indeed which we are in shew He that is seemingly good but really bad though die he may with seeming hopes for Heaven and Glory yet fall he must into a real Hell of Misery and eternal endless Torments 7 SEE that you mortify through the Spirit the Deeds of the Body That which thou sowest saith the Apostle (f) 1 Cor. 15.36 is not quickned except it die so except first you die to Sin you can never be quickned nor raised to enjoy the Reward of eternal Life The way to die hereafter is to live here And the way to live hereafter is to die here They that now live in Sin must hereafter expect Death and eternal Misery as the just Reward and Punishment of their Sins But they that now die to Sin crucifying the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts shall hereafter live with God in eternal Mansions of Glory For saith the Apostle if ye live after the (h) Rom. 8.13 Flesh ye shall die But if ye through the Spirit mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live Here you see are described two ways the one leading to Death the other to Life the one to Hell the other to Heaven the one to endless Torments the other to all fulness of Joy in God's own presence So then he that will save the Life of his Sins shall lose his Soul But he that will mortifie himself his beloved Lusts and Sins and dearest Corruptions he shall live for ever Though then you cannot totally kill (g) Gal. 5.24 your Corruptions in this Life yet see that you be daily mortifying them Though you cannot wholly cast them out from remaining yet be sure to keep them under from reigning in your mortal Bodies that you should obey them All Sins are meritoriously Mortal but none save those which are left unmortified do eventually prove so (i) Rom. 6. Though it be true that every Sin deserveth Death even the Motus primò primi concerning which the Schoolmen write the very first risings and ebullitions of Lust in the Soul which do prevent all use of Reason though standing in her highest Watch-tower of Vigilancy to descry and with all curiosity to make observation of every approaching Enemy Yet there is no Sin though aggravated by supervening Circumstances to an equality of Guilt and heinousness with the most prodigious and horrid â—mpieties that were ever yet perpetrated by any Offender that doth actually infer Death exposing a Man to the Vengeance of eternal Fire unless suffered to go unmortified The least Sin when allowed of is enough for thy Damnation and the greatest when mortified can by no means hinder thy eternal Salvation The Life of Sin and the Life of a Sinner are like two Buckets at a Well if the one go up the other must go down Thus if your Pride your Hypocrisie your Covetousness your Carnality your vile Affections live in you you must die eternally but if through the Spirit you mortify them you shall live for ever Behold then I now set before you Life and Death Mount Ebal and Mount Gerrizzim Blessings and Cursings the Pleasures of Heaven and the Torments of Hell and oh that you would choose not Death but Life not Ebal but Gerizzim not Cursings but Blessings not hellish intolerable Torments but heavenly Glory There are but two Estates of Men in this present Life and but two proportionate to them in the Life to come Some here live after the Flesh and they must die
no Thunder nor Storms To be sure all our Thunder-claps do proceed from our own malignant Vapours nor should we be troubled with any Storm of affliction were it not for these Sins and Corruptions that abide in us (l) Cum à nobis amota fuerit omnis iniquitas nulla remanebit infirmitas Fulgent ad Trasimund lib. 3. pag. 370. For when once we are perfectly freed from all the Reliques of indwelling Corruption we shall hear no more of any Affliction But shall quite be past and out of the reach of all suffering so soon as ever we are past a possibility of sinning Rejoice then and lift up your Heads all you that have found Sin an heavy Burden like a Gravel in your Bowels like Fire in your Bones and like Poyson drinking up your Spirits the reward of Eternal Life will infallibly Prove the death of all your Sins There is a fourfol◠state of Man which respecting the point in Hand is vastly different A state of innocency before the Fall a state of Nature in the Fall a state of Grace after the Fall a state of Glory above the Fall In the State of Innocency Man might but would not abstain from Sin in the State of Nature Man neither can nor will forbear sinning in the state of Grace Man would but cannot be wholly free from Sin but in the state of Glory Man neither will nor can have any the least Sin abiding in him And if any thing I am sure this is welcome news to you that know the bitterness of Sin that find whenever you would be good Evil is present with you that groan continually under that Body of Death which you carry about you that complain every Day of Sin as that which hinders your Communion with a precious Christ disturbs the quiet of your minds makes Duty a weariness to you cools the heat damps the vigour and blasteth the Comfort of all your Devotions turning your poor distressed Hearts into a very Dunghil of all unclean and noysom Lusts Sin in the Heart is like the Leprosy in the House that would not out till the House was pulled down Thus though Sin may cleave to you for the whole time of this Life when once your earthly Tabernacles are dissolved now Christ comes to reward you to set the Crown upon your Heads to receive you into Eternal Mansions of Glory so that Sin and your Souls shall be parted never to meet again to all Eternity (m) Jam. 3.2 Here in many things we offend all But in Heaven we shall none of us offend in any thing at all (n) 1 John 1.8 10. Here if we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves if with any Sin we enter into Heaven we must deceive the infinitely wise God who never admits of us there till perfectly cleansed from all our Sins (o) 1 King 8.46 On Earth there is no Man that sinneth not (p) Eccles 7.20 in Heaven there is no Man that either doth or can sin (q) 1 Chron. 6.36 That Sin which is now only so far mortified that it cannot reign over you Shall then be totally abolished that it may not remain in you God's People are now like the Moon-light in the Lord but yet as the Moon so they have their spots and blemishes But then they shall be as the Sun in its Noon-day brightness (r) Ephes 5.27 wholly light and unchangeably Glorious not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Grace indeed doth weaken Sin in the Soul enabling it to resist the Temptations of Satan But the recompence of Eternal Glory will wholly abolish the former and deliver from the latter (a) Joshua 10.24.25 As Joshua took the five Kings and shut them up in the Cave at Makkedah till the Battel was over (b) Absorptâ ergo morte in victoriâ nulla erit animae carnisve corruptio Fulgent de pass pag. 370. So God restrains and shuts up Sin in the Cave of our Body till our Warfare be finished but then he will utterly destroy them all That Crown of Righteousness which shall now be set upon your Heads it will perfectly ease you of every weight and the Sin that doth so easily beset you dividing like Moses's Rod the Waters of indwelling Corruption and so making a free passage for you into the heavenly Canaan So that having got this Crown upon thy Head now thou shalt never more Christian have cause to complain oh my Pride oh my Hypocrisy oh my outsidedness oh my vile affections oh my carnal earthly deceitful Heart but standing upon the Shore of Blessed Eternity thou shalt see all these Egyptians lie dead on the red Sea of Christ's Blood never any more to perplex thee nor any more to trouble thee nor any more to grieve thy Heart and wound thy Spirit to all Eternity Oh this is the blessed time wherein the Garden of thy Soul shall no more be incumbred with any such noysom Weeds (c) Genus illud peccati quod toties conturbat nos concupiscentias loquor desideria mala reprimi quidem debet potest per gratiam Dei ut non regnet in nobis sed non ejicitur nisi in morte Bern. ser 6. de advent Dom. This is the Funeral of all thy Sins and therefore must needs be to thy Soul the Birth-day of Joy unspeakable and full of Glory What is it Christian that is now thy greatest Sorrow thy daily Burden thy continual Trouble but only the remainders of Sin and indwelling Corruption Well rejoyce Christian and be exceeding glad the time is at hand when all these Achans that trouble thy Peace shall be stoned to death all these Jonah's which cause so many Storms in thy Soul shall be thrown over-board And all those Egyptian Lusts that daily pursue thee as unwilling to let thee go free they shall all of them be drowned and everlastingly overwhelmed as Pharaoh and his Host in the Red-sea One touch of this glorious Reward it will quite dry up every bloody Issue of Sin in thy Soul and as perfectly cleanse thee from all Filthiness and Pollution as thy Heart can desire to be 3 THE Reward whereunto God allows his People a respect in all their Obedience it 's a suitable Reward This Reward doth so punctually hit the Condition of an immortal Soul the Miseries the Wants the Desires of it as nothing in the World besides can do Be your present Troubles never so many your Necessities never so urgent your Desires never so enlarged Yet the Recompence of eternal Glory it affords a proper supply to them all answering every Trouble with a suitable Comfort every Necessity with a suitable Mercy every Desire with a suitable Good to fill up and satisfie it Here is Bread of Life to feed the hungry and sincere Milk to nourish the Weak (a) Isa 55.1 and the Wine of divine Consolation to comfort the Disconsolate and white Robes to adorn the naked and Rivers of living
Water to refresh the Thirsty and an eternal Sabbath of Rest for all that are now weary This Reward is Manna cujuslibet suporis like the Manna prepared for God's People in the Wilderness which they say had that very tast and relish in every Man's Mouth that pleased him best Here if one thing suite well with your Desires yet another goes cross or if one thing answer your Expectations yet in some other Mercy or Comfort you are often disappointed Oh but the Reward of heavenly Glory this will answer your Desires this will answer all your Wants your Grievances your sorrowful Sighs and careful Groans accommodating it self most exactly to your longing Expectations in all things Every poor Soul in this Life is a very Compound of manifold Miseries Wants and heart-breaking Distresses But as it is said of Mony that answers all things so this Reward it answers them all and removes them all What is it poor Child of God that thou standest in most need of What are thy Wounds that most pain thee thy Troubles that most oppress thee and what are thy daily Burdens that lie most heavy upon thy Spirit to grieve and afflict thee What is it after which thy Heart doth so pant and breath so impatiently long for Oh it may be thou art now upon the Rack sorely distressed But this Reward it will give thee a Writ of Ease from all thy Pain not suffering thee to groan under them any longer It may be with Zion thou sittest with Tears upon thy Cheeks weeping bitterly in the Night Oh but this Reward it will bring in fulness (b) Isaiah 35.10 of Comfort wiping away all Tears from thy Eyes Thou may'st possibly go mourning and be bowed down by reason of great Affliction Oh but this Reward it will give thee the Oyl of Gladness and make thee lift up thy Head with everlasting rejoycing Possibly thy Sins thy Unbelief thy Unfruitfulness thy hardness of Heart thy want of love to God and our dear Lord Jesus these trouble and afflict thy Spirit Oh but this Reward it destroys all our Sins turns faith into open Vision Hope into full Fruition crowning all our Graces how weak soever here with fullness and everlasting Perfection If thou groan because thy Pilgrimage is prolonged and thou dwellest as it were in the Tents of Kedar Oh remember this Reward it will bring thee home to thy Father's House it will gather thee to the Spirits of just Men made perfect it will change thy Sodom into a Zion it will turn the Brick-kilns of Egypt into Canaan's Golden Mines and the barren Wilderness of this World wherein thou now wandrest up and down like a poor distressed Pilgrim this Reward will change it into the Garden of God into the heavenly Paradise into a spiritual Eden full of purest Delights and divine Contentments Now peradventure thou hast Sorrow to remember thy Sins thy former Miscarriages thy daily Troubles thy absence from the Lord who alone is thy Hope thy Life thy Comfort thy Hearts desire oh but dear Christian this Reward it will make thee to forget (c) John 16.20 22. the days of thy Mourning it will put thee into the Bosom of thy dearest Lord it will turn thy Sorrow into Joy that shall never be taken from thee On Christians there is that suitableness in his Reward that it 's the very Plaister for your Sore the very Balm for your Wound the very Voice of Joy to your Spirits in heaviness the very Harbour of Rest and Happiness after all your Storms that have so grievously tossed you That variety of Expression made use of by the holy Ghost to shadow out the transcendent Excellency of this Reward doth most clearly evince the suitableness of it to all the Wants Indigences and desires of an immortal Soul If the Soul be dislodged from its earthly Tabernacle this Reward (d) 2 Cor. 5.1 provides Mansions of Glory for the comfortable Entertainment thereof in another World If a Man be hungry it 's a pot of hidden Manna to feast him If sorrowful (e) Rev. 2.17 it s the Joy of the Lord to comfort him If any Man be thirsty (f) Mat. 25.21 it's Rivers of Pleasure at God's right Hand for evermore to cool and refresh him If any Man walk in darkness (g) Psal 16. and have no light in him (h) Col. 1.12 it is the Inheritance of the Saints in Light If any Man walk in the valley of the shadow of Death it 's a Crown of Life (i) James like a Death-bed-cordial to revive him If any Man suffer Nakedness for Righteousness sake it 's the Garments of Salvation to cloath him it 's the white Robes of Glory to hide the Shame of his Nakedness If any Man lose Houses or Lands for Christ it 's an Inheritance incorruptible Undefiled (k) 1 Pet. 1. and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for him To the weary Soul that hath long been troubled through the Malice of an ungrateful World (l) Rev. 14.13 it 's a resting from his Labours To be short if any Man endure Afflictions it 's a far more exceeding and eternal weight of (m) 2 Cor. 4.17 Glory Oh then how suitable is this Reward that a poor Soul cannot be in any Distress nor labour under any Wants but this Reward will afford supply of Comfort giving ease to all that are now in pain the Garment of Praise to all that are now in heaviness and to all that are now labouring and weary and heavy laden the sweet enchearing Bosom of God himself for their eternal easeful Repose 4 THE Reward whereunto God allows his People a Respect in all their Obedience it 's a sure Reward So you may find it called by Sâ—lomon a Man in whose Breast all the Lines of Wisdom met as in their proper Center (n) Prov. 11.18 The Wicked worketh a deceitful Work but to him that soweth Righteousness shall be a sure Reward Both the Righteous and the Wicked are Men of active Spirits only the Works of the Wicked they prove abortive promising all good but exposing to Misery and so deceive Expectation But the Righteous he never meets with any such sad Disappointment but as the Harvest naturally follows the Seed-time so after a short Seed-time of Grace there will spring up as the never failing sure Reward of such a Person a full crop of eternal Glory So (o) Gal. 6.8 that you see the Text though but short doth yet carry in it both Blessing and Cursing both Life and Death both Heaven and Hell Blessing Life and Heaven to Crown the Righteous Cursing Death and Hell as that which must inevitably be the Portion of all the Ungodly The Wicked he worketh the work of a Lie that is a sinful Work every Sin being a Lie and such a Work that albeit it tells us a fair tale yet it will miserably deceive us at last betraying us into the Hands of Wrath Hell and
delight in Sin or take pleasure in it 10 A due respect had to this glorious Reward it will comfort your Hearts in all your Afflictions and make you greatly rejoice under them how many and grievous soever An Eye stedfastly fixed upon heavenly Glory this will bring down Heaven inro your Souls causing your consolations to abound by Christ (c) 2 Cor. 1. when ever your sufferings abound for him A bright prospect of the celestial Canaan as it bears up the Spirits of God's People with invincible patience under all their Pressures and Calamities which befal them in the Wilderness of this present World So it anoynts their Head with Oyl causeth their Cup to overflow with Gladness and makes their Hearts to rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory (d) 2 Cor. 7.4 Thus we find Paul professing of himself I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do overflow saith he with Joy I have more than Heart can hold (e) Acts. 16.25 Nor is this profession of his any hyperbolical strain but an experimented Truth whereof we have full assurance from Paul and Silas his Prison vouches when in bonds together then brim full of Joy so full that their Hearts could not hold it from breaking out and running over at their Mouths into Psalms of Praise Like the Tree cast into the bitter Waters of Marah Faith eying the recompence of the Reward it sweetens all Afflictions enabling the Soul not only to stand it out in a fiery tryal but to glory for Gladness of Heart under the Cross at the Stake in the Flames of Martyrdom The Soul that can rejoice in hope of the Glory of God will easily glory in all the tribulations that it suffers for God (f) Rom. 5.3 So saith the Apostle we glory in tribulation also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that word implieth the triumphant act of Joy a Joy expressed with holy Boasting and exultation of Spirit such a Joy as the Soul is not ashamed to own and make her boast of let Earth and Hell let the Devil and wicked Men do their worst This Truth I might give you subscribed by all the holy Martyrs and confessors of Christ who thought Famine dainty fare for Christ that complemented wild Beasts to devour them that snatcht at Torments as if they had been rich Treasures that laid down their Bodies as a Man would lay off an old Garment to put on a new that went as gladly to their Flames as a labouring Man to his Bed and embraced the most cruel Martyrdom as an holy stratagem to escape the stroak of Death (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pass from Life to Life as Basil hath it (h) Euseb Eccles Hist lib. 5. cap. 1. Hence when Juliâ—n the Apostate had caused Marcus Bishop of Arethusa to be tormented one of his Nobles admiring that holy Man's Joy cries out we are ashamed oh Emperour the Christians laught at your Cruelty growing more resolute thereby so that these things are more fearful to the Tormentors than to the sufferers (i) Acts and Mon. vol. 3. pag. 177. Were it needful I might tell you of Dr. Tayler Martyr in the Marian persecution who drawing nigh to the place of Execution leapt for Joy as Men do in dancing professing himself never better in all his Life for now I know saith he I am almost at home I have but two Stiles to go over and then I am at my Father's House With like holy Joy was Cicely Ormes Martress filled (k) Acts and Mon. vol. 3. pag. 853. who when brought to the Stake came and kissed it saying Welcome the sweet Cross of Christ and when now the Flames were kindled upon her my Soul quoth she doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Orat. in 40. Martyr After the same manner we find certain Martyrs that were cast out naked in a Winters night and to suffer the next Day comforting one another from this Recompence of Reward in these Words sharp is the Cold but sweet is Paradise troublesome is the way but pleasant will be the end of our Journey let us endure cold a little and the Patriarchs Bosom shall refresh us for ever Nor is the story of Theodoret unworthy our remembrance who found so much sweetness in this even when he was upon the Rack in the midst of his grievous Torments that he found not the least anguish in his torture but a great deal of Pleasure Insomuch that when they took him off from the Rack he complained that they had done him much wrong in ceasing to torment him For said he all the while I was tortured upon the Rack me thought there was a young Man in white an Angel from the Lord stood by me who wiped off the sweat wherein I found much sweetness which now I have lost In these and many the like instances which might be given we see how an Eye fixed upon Heaven's Glory in our sufferings brings down much of that Glory into them making the cruel Tortures of God's People infinitely more sweet than their ease and more desirable to them Let Faith but reallize the Glory of Heaven behold the Reward of Eternal Life and observe the infinite Pleasures which are at God's right Hand for evermore and then the Soul cannot choose but rejoice taking Pleasure in Reproaches in Persecutions in Exile in Imprisonments in Death itself for the sake of Christ This good Mr. Glover found true who going to the stake though before he were a Man of Sorrows yet now he is a Man of Joys and so filled with divine Consolations that he can no longer contain but crieth out speaking of the Comforter making his Heart to rejoice in hope of this glorious Reward he is come he is come Oh little can you now conceive what Comfort what Gladness of Soul what Joy in the Holy Ghost God's People have in their sufferings when stedfastly eying the Glory that shall be revealed in them NOW they find an Hony-comb in the Lyon's Carcass they suck sweetness out of the bitterness of Herbs now they gather Grapes of Thorns and Figs of Thistles now they have a warm Sunshine of Comfort from God to make glad their Hearts Would you therefore have Comfort Christians and be able to smile when the World frowns upon you Would you have your Prison be turned into a Paradise Would you if banished into a strange Land find a spiritual Eden a Garden of all heavenly delights in every howling Wilderness through which you may wander When reproached when fawn asunder when cruelly scourged tormented and dying in the hottest Flames of Martyrdom would you then triumph rejoicing with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Oh see then see that you look within the veil fixing your Eye upon that Crown of Life which is set before you This will turn your Sorrow into Joy this will give you the Oyl of
if the Wicked be not dreadfully Besotted to go on in a course of Ungodliness Oh tell me or yourselves rather if the Flesh be not a deadly Enemy if the World be not a murtherous Traytor that for the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a season would make us to forfeit such fulness of unutterable Joyes at God's right hand for evermore What Man that is well in his Wits considering these things would delight in the Pleâ—sures of Death to losâ— for them the Paradise of God To live a life of sensual Pleasure or to win the World by works of Darâ—ness what is your Gain poor Mortals if you lose the Inheritance of Saints in light Remember Heaven is an holy place into which nothing that defiâ—eth or is unclean can ever enter Queen Elizabeth they say observing once in her Progress some Pictures of her self hung up that were much unlike her caused them to be pulled down and burnt Burning and everlasting Destruction in Hell must be the end of all those who strive not to become like God in Purity and Holiness Besure therefore that you be found changed into his Image Let every unrighteous way be shunned and let Religion be your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Business of your Lives would you ever escape Misery and be Crowned with Glory You must both begin and hold on in the Spirit would you ever come to the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect He that would have his Holiness carry his Soul to Heaven must be sure to carry it to the Grave with him Perseverance that is the Crowning Grace and yet few there be who do Crown their good Undertakings with Perseverance Albeit that those alone who continue in Well-doing to the end shall be Saved Yet small is the number of those who make not a full end of Well-doing before ever Salvation be obtained The hands of our Faith and Obedience like those of Moses are apt to grow weary and to hang down if the living Stone of an eternally glorious Reward be not put under them by a due Respect had thereunto That therefore our Hearts may never fail us nor our Hands grow weary in Well-doing the Lord allows us to have with Moses an Eye-fixed upon the Recompence of Life everlasting WHAT then remains but that we all give diligence to answer the Lord's Bounty with undaunted Perseverance in a way of Duty looking carefully to ourselves that we lose not the things which we have wrought but that having finished our Course with Joy we may receive a full Reward He that holâ—s the Mystery of the Faith in a pure Conscience shall be Saved but he that makes Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience shall be Damned Look to it Christians exchange not Canaan for Egypt exchange not Heaven for Hell Oh take heed that you make not Sale of a Crown of Life of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken for the Wages of Unrighteousness NOW may the Lord make this ensuing Discourse to you like a Golden Spur to extimulate and provoke to Diligence in the way to Sion May He cause it like so much divine Nepenthe to expel your worldly Sorrows and to fill your Souls with the Oyl of Gladness May he let you find it as a Pillar of Fire to guide you through this Wilderness to the Land of Promise May he change it whilst you shall meditate upon it into the Chariot of Amminidab that will carry your Hearts away into Heaven enabling you to lay up for yourselves a Treasure there So Prayeth Yours in the Faith Love and Service of the Everlasting Gospel for JESUS's Sake JOSEPH COOPER A PROSPECT OF Heavenly Glory For the Comfort of Sion's Mourners HEB. XI xxvi For he had Respect unto the Recompence of the Reward CHAP. I. The Con-Text Cleared the Text Divided and the Terms Explained with the Doctrine Observed from the Words SINCE first the Tree of Knowledge became an occasion of eternal Death to us the Tree of Life it self hath brought forth almost nothing else but Apples of Contention amongst us some Affirming That we are to Merit eternal Life by our Obedience and others denying the Lawfulness of having any respect at all to eternal Life in our Obedience though only by way of Incouragement and as the unmerited and gratuitous Reward which God hath freely promised to all that Diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 BUT as Christ himself the sole Author of eternal Life to all that obey him was Crucified betwixt Two Thieves so that which I take to be the Truth of God in this case as neither Derogating from the Freeness of his Grace nor yet Patronizing Disingenuity and a Mercenary Spirit in Man why it lyes inviolate betwixt these Two Extremes which are both of them Errors of no less dangerous Consequence than of manifest and palpaâ—â—e Repugnancy to the unerring Rule of Truth God's holy Word For though we may not have Respect to the purchasing of eternal Life by our Obedience yet we may lawfully have Respect to the Possession of it in our Obedience And though we must not make eterâ—al Life the sole Ground of Obeying the Lord yet we may lawfully with Moses to quicken us in our Obedience have Respect to the Recompence of Reward as I hope by Divine assistance having first given you the Dependance and genuine Sense of them to make good from the Words of my Text. FOR the Dependance of the Words we must know that if we look upon the general state of this Chapter wherein they have their place of residence we shall find it to be an Apostolical Abridgment of the Old Testament in that part thereof which is Historical containing a Narration of the Heroical Atchievements of those Famous Worthies of the Lord the excellency of whose Faith in the many eminent Fruits and invincible Operations of it is herein left upon everlasting Record as that which shall be found unto Praise and Honour and Glory at the blessed Appearance of Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. 1.7 AMONGST these Famous Worthies of whom both Men and Women our Apostle gives a particular Catalogue as of Persons made Glorious by the unblastable Fruits of a lively Faith some have Renowned themselves as Servants actively by their doing and living to God and others have approved themselves as Soldiers passively by their Magnanimous Suffering and Dying for God But now Moses of whom my Text is spoken stands fully interested in both Conditions as having given sufficient Testimony of his Faith not only by what he did but also by what he suffered not only by laying forth his Life in the ways of God but also by his readiness to lay down both Riches and Honours and Pleasures yea and Life it self for the Cause of God For whereas whilst yet in his Non-age he had the Honour to be called the Son of Pharoah's Daughter yet no sooner did he come to Age and arrive at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of true Wisdom but he voluntarily renounced that Priviledge
a fiery Chariot Thus Holy Meditation it would carry us above the Clouds it would give us Possession of Heaven before we come there and set us in the midst of all the Glory and Royalties of Eternal Life as if they were already present Heavenly thoughts are as so many steps towards our Eternal Rest When by these therefore we Travel every day to the City of God and delightfully walk therein when every day we take as it were a turn or two in Paradise seriously Meditating Heaven together with the glory that shall shortly be revealed in us then we have Respect indeed to the Recompence of the Reward 4. EARNESTLY to desire and long for it When we see so much of the Excellency Worth and Glory of the World to come that we groan within ourselves desiring with all our hearts to get out of these Houses of Clay and to be cloathed upon with our House which is from Heaven then we have respect to the Recompence of the Reward 2. Cor. 5.2 When Paul had once been wrapt up into the Third Heaven and seen the Paradise of God his Note was ever after I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Thus the Soul that hath a respect to the Recompence of the Reward he hath been in the Heavenly Paradise he hath tasted some Clusters of Canaan and therefore he cannot but long for more he can never be soon enough with Christ he can never soon enough get above the World and Sin and Temptations he can never be soon enough with God in Glory Oh! when shall it be They that have the first Fruits of the Spirit cannot chuse but have their eyes always fixed upon the Recompence of the Reward earnestly desiring the time of Harvest when they shall Reap a full Crop of Eternal Happiness and Glory in the Heavenly Canaan AS Noah's Dove was restless finding no place whereupon to set the sole of her foot till she came into the Ark so Christians if your eyes are rightly fixed upon the Recompence of the Reward you will find your selves carried out after Heaven and Glory in a restless manner and will never sit down satisfyed till you come to rest in the Bosome of God's Eternal Love Never Christians did Rachel more long for Children nor David for the Waters of Bethlehem nor Absalom to see the King's Face than your Souls will long for the glorious Liberty of the Children of God to be drinking the Waters of Life in the Heavenly Paradise and to come to the Beatifical Vision of God in Glory where you shall see him Face to Face in case you have an eye rightly fixed upon the Recompence of the Reward THE Language of every Soul whose eye is rightly fixed upon Heaven and Glory it is like unto that of Job speaking forth his desires after God Oh that I knew where to find him that I might come even to his seat Job 23.3 Such a Soul is impregnated with holy desires and longings after God in Glory and with these the Soul travels all the day long crying out with the Church in the Revelations as in pain to be delivered from under the bondage of Sin and Corruption into Heavenly Glory GIVE the Soul Riches give it Honours give it all the Pleasures that can be thought of to ravish the heart of a Carnal Man yet having an eye rightly fixed upon the Recompence of Reward in vain shall you seek by these to bribe it out of its holy desires and longings after God in Glory For scorning and trampling upon them all as unworthy to come in competition with God it even breaketh through desire after him and can truly say of God with holy David Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 'T IS just with the Soul as with some Women in the time of their Impregnature who if they see any thing when they are with Child that they have a mind to they must have it or else they will long and dye for it Thus the Soul that by Faith hath got a sight of Heavenly Enjoyments now the heart of such a Soul it is set upon Heaven and he must have Heaven upon a Crown of Life and he must have a Crown of Life upon God and Christ and Eternal Glory and he must have them all together or else give him what you can he will long and die unsatisfied THERE is so much of the Beauty Loveliness and Glory of Christ revealed to the Soul in looking upon the Recompence of Reward that now it grows impatient of living any longer without him crying out as she did in another case Why are his Chariots so long in coming and Why tarry the wheels of his Chariots When will my beloved make haste and be like a young Roe upon the Mountains of Spices When will the day break and the shadows fly away that I may see my beloved in his Glory When will he come to put an end to these days of Sin and Sorrow that I may rest for ever in the Bosome of his Eternal Love When will he take me by the hand and lead me out of the Wilderness of this World into the Heavenly Canaan When will he rebuke the Winds and the Seas that will give me no rest in this Troublesome World and set me safe on the Shoar of Eternal Happiness When will he deliver me from this Body of Death and gather my Soul to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect When will he take from me these Rags of Mortality and cause me to be cloathed upon with an House not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens When will he make me return and come to Sion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon my head When will he cause me to obtain fulness of Joy and Gladness with him in Eternal Mansions of Glory that Sorrow and Sin and Sighing being done away I may be with the Lord for ever Oh when shall I once see that blessed day NOW What is it I beseech you after which your hearts do thus strongly breathe thus insatiably thirst thus impatiently long If Riches will not satisfy but you must have a Treasure in Heaven if Worldly Honour will not satisfy but you must have a Crown of Righteousness from Christ himself if Carnal Pleasures will not satisfy but you must have that fulness of Joy which is in God's Presence and those Pleasures which are at his Right Hand for evermore if in a word the Life that now is will not satisfy but you must though you dye for it go live for ever with Christ in Glory why then there is no doubt Christians but with Moses you have an eye to the Recompence of Reward For then our eye is rightly fixed upon the Recompence of Reward when our Souls are carried out in strong desires after God and Christ and Eternal Glory as our only Happiness 5. TO be by the consideration of it exceedingly encouraged to diligence and
Cordials he might the more Cheerfully go through with the great work of our Redemption which the Father had given him to finish Isa 53.10 Hence we find God the Father in that Federal Transaction that was betwixt Him and God the Son from all Eternity concerning the Redemption of Lost Man Indenting with the Lord Jesus Christ and promising him in case he would undertake the Work both a blessed Success therein and also to Crown him afterward with an everlastingly Glorious Reward In case he would make his Soul an Offering for Sin then the Lord promises That he shall see his Seed and prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He shall not Labour in vain nor spend his Strength for naught and in vain but shall be so gloriously successful in the discharge of his Mediatory Function that we shall obtain thereby an everlasting Kingdom and find his Sufferings like a fruitful womb bringing forth many Sons and Daughters unto God In case he would bear the Iniquities of the People then the Lord promises that he shall see of the Travail of his Soul and be satisfied and shall be abundantly well pleased with all his Sufferings and all his bitter Agonies they shall turn to most sweet Satisfaction when the Lord being reconciled to lost Sinners and their Souls everlastingly Saved he himself shall sit down on the right hand of God in glory In case to be short he shall pour out his Soul unto Death and make Intercession for Transgressors then the Lord promises to divide him a portion with the great and that he will cause him to divide the Spoil with the Strong Christ shall not always be held a Captive of Death but having satisfied divine Justice he had the Promise for his incouragement of a glorious Victory and of an everlasting joyful Triumph over all his Enemies So that that which made the Lord Jesus Christ Psal 110. drink so cheerfully of the Brook in the way was the Assurance he had to lift up his Head with everlasting Rejoycing That which made him so cheerfully humble himself and become of no Reputation amongst men Phil. 2.7 was the Assurance which he had that God at length would most highly exalt him and give him a name above every name That in a word which made him so cheerfully Suffer induring the Cross and despising the Shame was the Assurance which he had that having once suffered in the Flesh he should enter into Heaven and there sit down upon a Throne of Glory Luke 24.26 And shall we then that are the Members of his Body be afraid to imitate Christ our Head thinking it unlawful to have Respect in our Obedience to Heaven and Glory when the Lord Jesus himself that indeficient Pattern of all Righteousness hath done the same before us leaving us an Example that we should follow his Steps 1. Pet. 2.22 Sancta Christi vita est perfectissima virtutum idea omnis Christi actio est etiam nostra institutio Gerha Med. 30. Jesus Christ is the Rule according to which we must Walk He is the Copy according to which we are to Write He is the grand Pattern according to which we must indeavour to Live God's People they must never be followed without a Quatenus any further than they follow Christ But now Christ must be followed without any such Proviso we may follow him ad caecam obedientiam and yet never miscarry so long as we walk as He walked we are still taking Steps towards Heaven and Glory The best of God's People they are like the Pillar of Cloud that went along with the Israelites in which there was a dark side and a light side the light side of the Cloud we may follow but not the dark side But now Christ is a Sun of Righteousness always shining with such spotless and unblemishable Splendor that walking in his Light we need never be afraid of enveloping ourselves in the darkness of any Sin The Works of Christ are our Rule as well as his Word his Actions were a living Decalogue clearly Paraphrasing upon the whole Mind of God therein his Life was a constant Exercitation of the Power of Godliness and all his Performances they were nothing else but Religion exemplified and adorned in her own native colours Since then Christ is thus the fixed Center of all Righteousness the Abstract of all Virtue a full though compendious Praxis of Divinity and the only unerring Rule of an Holy Life why should we scruple to Walk as he Walk or think we Forfeit our Ingenuity in looking for our Incouragement to all holy and upright walking before God at Heaven and Glory as he also did Tota vita Christi in terris per hominem quem gessit disciplina morum fuit Aust de vera Religione The whole Life of Christ was and is a perfect Pattern of Holiness to all Christians So that we shall be so far from sinning in following Christ that we never sin more dangerously than when we cease to follow him not labouring to Transcribe his Actions into our Lives and Conversations Incassum laborat in acquisitione virtutum qui eas alibi quam in Christo quaerit Bern. There is no way in the World for us to attain unto any Goodness but only through Christ Nor to learn any true Virtue but only from the Example of Christ in his holy Conversation which we stand obliged to follow INDEED we are to know That though all those things which are recorded of Christ were written for our Instruction yet they were not all of them written for our Imitation For some Acts of Christ were Instances of divine Sovereignty and Prerogative as his sending for the Colt without asking the Owner's leave Mat. 21.2 Some were Acts of divine Power and Omnipotency as his turning Water into Wine John 2.7 Walking upon the Sea Luk. 7.21 dispossessing of Devils and raising the Dead to Life these were miraculous Works which are the Legible but unimitable Characters of a Deity so that though men can best read them yet they can worst write after them Some were Works of Merit and Mediation done by him as Prophet Priest and King of his Church John 10.22 Acts 20.28 such were his giving of the Spirit redeeming his Church with his own Blood 1 John 2.1 and interceeding for his People at the Right Hand of God in Glory which whatever the Church of Rome Blasphemously dogmatize to the contrary is no less incommunicable than the work of our Redemption since none may take up the Censer to offer Incense who have not a right at the Altar to offer Sacrifice Some in a word of Christ's Acts were Moral Mat. 11.29 and ordinary pertaining to the common nature of Holiness which they had written upon them to the Lord in capital Letters as being nothing but a visible Commentary upon the whole Law of God The Three first are for our Instruction But the last comprizing the acts of Christ's ordinary Obedience
to Skreen your Souls from the scorchings of unquenchable Fire and to make you appear with comfort before God's Tribunal it must be sealed with the precious Blood of Christ himself Betwixt Heaven and Mankind there is a great Gulf fixed which nothing but the Torrent of Christ's own Blood streaming down with an unresistible power could unfix and carry away Our first Parents in the Garden of Eden had no sooner sinned but God drove them forth thence setting an Angel to stand Centinel and to keep them out of Paradise with a flaming Sword but the Blood of Christ hath opened that passage at once blunting the Sword and quenching the flame that so his Elect might have a free entrance into Life and Glory No sooner did Christ give up the Ghost but the Veil which parted the holy place from the Holy of Holies was rent asunder the Lord thereby willing to let us know thus much that the Death of Christ had removed all obstructions that might interpose betwixt Believers and their eternal salvation in the Kingdom of Heaven As there fell a mighty storm upon the Red Sea whereby the passage was opened For Israel to go out of Egypt into Canaan So Jesus Christ was to undergo the most dreadful storm of a cursed Death that there might be a passage for us to eternal Glory through that sea of wrath which was betwixt our Egypt and our Canaan our Sins and the everlasting salvation of our immortal Souls Like Isaac upon the Altar we were all of us fast bound in the cords of our own iniquities and so ready to be offered up in Sacrifice to Divine Justice but so strong was the Love of Christ that immaculate Lamb of God that he comes in our stead interposeth betwixt us and the stroke of God's heavy displeasure suffering it to fall directly upon himself he takes the chastisement of our peace upon him and so offers up himself a Sacrifice unto God Bleeding groaning and dying for our sins †John 3.15 that we through faith in his Blood might not perish but have eternal life This is that I confess which the Socinian would fain evade and by all means labours as a Man made up of antipathies against the truth to contradict telling us that Christ died Bono nostro but not vice nostra for our good but not in our Room and stead but we have this truth confirmed with such a cloud of Witnesses and attested by so many Scripture evidences that one would wonder that ever Men should so far indulge the petulancy of their own carnal reason as to make the â—â—st oppositioâ—â— * Isa 53.6 The Lord saith the Prophet speaking of the Messias hath layed upon him the iniquities of us all Not the sins themselves not the fault of them nor the stain and pollution in them but the guilt and penalty belonging to us for them this was that which the Lord layed or more agreeably to the Original caused to meet upon Christ †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incurrere fecit in eum Buxtorf Dan. 9.26 even as many debts do all meet together upon one common Surety who is forced to pay them all in their stead for whom he stood bound The Messias shall be cut off saith another Prophet but not for himself or nothing to him as the Hebrew will bear it clearly implying that what ever the Lord Jesus suffered it was wholly upon our account and in our stead What else mean those many emphatical expressions in holy Writ where Christ is said to have â—â—â—â—red died and shed his Blood for us He * 1 Pet. 2.21 1 Pet. 3.18 suffâ—â—â—â—â—â— us saith the Apostle Peter in one place and in 〈◊〉 Christ also hath once suffered for sins the juâ—â— for the unjust But more emphatically our Blessâ—d Lord himself makes this to be the great end of his coming into the world (a) Mat. 20.28 Mark 10.45 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Particula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoties personis applicatur significat alterum successisse in alterius locum Grotius de satisfact Christi that he might give his Life a ransom for many Where the particle for in the Original is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may some times signify no more than the final cause implying that which is only done for the good and profit of another but its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth always signify a commutation and Subrogation an exchanging of one for another and a substituting of one in the place of another clearly implying that Christ gave his Life a ransom in our Room and stead The same thing doth St. Paul assure us of (b) 1 Tim. 2.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat propriè pretium quo redimuntur Captavi eamque commutationem quâ capite caput vita redimitur vitâ Hiperius in Loc. where he tells us that Christ gave himself a ransom for all meaning all not universally for then all should be saved but indefinitely of what rank or degree soever The word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of special Emphasis not barely signifying the price of Redemption as some have rendred it but a Counterprice when one doth or undergoes in the Room of another that which he should have undergone in his own Person in which sense Jesus Christ was our Counterprise giving his own Life for the saving of ours (c) Fatemur nos Christum bono nostro mortuum esse nos bono fratrum nostrorum mori si id necessitas requirat debere at verò modus quo hoc praestitum à Christo modus quo praestatur à nobis longe diversissimus est neque enim nos hoc praestamus reatum in nos fratrum derivando aut pro ipso irae Dei satisfaciendo quod Christus fecit Maccov Loc. Com. cap. 63. pag. 587. And truly the Peculiarity of Christ's Death and Sufferings doth sufficiently evince them to have been not only for our good as the Socinian would have it but also in our Room and stead Christ died so for us as no Man no Prophet no Apostle no Martyr ever did or can do T was not barely for the confirmation of our Faith and for the encouragement of us in our sufferings in which sense (d) 2 Tim. 2.10 Paul testifieth of himself that he endured all things for the Elects sake and many thousand Martyrs have died for us but it was by way of Substitution as our Surety Christ willingly suffering in our stead and redeeming our Life with his own Death in which sense Paul disclaims the arrogating of any such thing to himself with the greatest abhorrency and indignation where reproving the factiousness of the Corinthians he asketh them (e) 1 Cor. 1.13 was Paul crucified for you This Blessed Apostle St. Paul with all the holy Martyrs of Christ they suffered no doubt for our good that we seeing them seal the Doctrine of Christianity with their dearest Blood might believe it to the
enough we have Heaven in our eye and a Crown of Life lies before us What though you have but little in hand yet so long as you have Heaven in hope and a clear prospect of Eternal Glory in your eye why should you not be content and sit down satisfied Whatever Christians your conditions be in this present Life yet you may say with holy David considering that glorious recompence of Reward which God allows you to have an eye to in Heaven's way the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly Inheritance If as Solomon saith it be such a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the Sun and that which would give them content if with any thing they could be satisfied how much more should you count it pleasant to behold by the Eye of Faith the Sun of Righteousness to behold an eternal Reward of Glory giving diligence to sit down satisfied with so blessed a sight The poor weather beaten Sea-man how well satisfied is he though yet tossed with Storms and impetuous Tempests when once he discovers Land and comes within â—en of the Harbour And will not you Christians labour to be content when whatever Troubles abide you whatever pelting Storms you are tossed with upon the boysterous Sea of this ungrateful World yet still you may discover the Land of Promise and are always within ken of Heaven that wished Harbour of eternally blessed and glorious Rest That which learned St. Paul the great mystery of contentation enabling him to sit down as well satisfied in every condition was his stedfast fixed beholding of eternal Glory Paul though sadly troubled and perplexed and always delivered unto Death for Jesus sake yet he murmures not but is well content with all this as having fixed the Eye of his Faith not upon Earth but Heaven * 2 Cor. 4.17 not upon things that are seen but upon an eternal weight of unseen Glory And why is it that we having the same Reward set before us and the same Crown of eternal Glory to fix our eyes upon cannot learn of that blessed Man in every condition therewith to be content Oh take heed Christians that you murmure no longer against Heaven but strive that having stedfastly fixed your eye upon heavenly Glory you may well be satisfied in every condition not only when God gives but also when he taketh not only when we receive good from the Hand of the Lord but also when we receive evil not only when you abound with Blessings but with Crosses too not only when you enjoy all things but when you are stript of all Oh Christians how welcome should every thing be where nothing is deserved If we look at our own deserts we may wonder rather at what we have than repine against God for what we want If we want something 't is a Mercy that we want not all If we lie in a Prison 't is a favour that we are not shut up in Hell amongst damned Spirits If we have not so much in hand as many yet here is a miracle of Mercy to satisfie us that we have as much in hope as heart can wish This consideration then Christians like Hagar's Well may make us refrain our weeping and sit down content when our Bottles are empty Though here we should be stript naked yet hereafter we shall be cloathed with the Garments of Salvation Though here we should wander up and down in hunger seeking our Bread from desolate Places yet hereafter we shall feed with delight upon the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God Though here we sit in Darkness and have no Light yet this should make us content in every such disconsolate condition that hereafter we shall partake of the Inheritance of Saints in Light where we shall have a bright Sun-shine of eternal Glory 4 Walk humbly acknowledging your own unworthiness that ever God should give you the encouragement of so glorious a reward When the Lord for your better encouragement to all holy Self-denying and upright walking before himself allows you to look up to Heaven you have then cause if ever to walk humbly and be abased as low as Earth Where the guilt is great and the receiver as in this case altogether unworthy the most sutable return that can be is Humility and self-abasement God's People should never lie lower in Humility than when he raiseth them highest in their Hopes and full assurance of Eternal Glory (a) 2 Sam. 7.18 Thus holy David when God had spoken of establishing his Throne and Kingdom for ever he now as admiring the wonderful condescention of God in his preferment confesseth his own unworthiness saying who am I oh Lord God and what is my House that thou hast brought me hitherto Well! The Lord hath spoken to us of an everlasting Kingdom assuring us of that in the end as the reward of all our labours and shall not this teach us all humility causing every one to acknowledg his own unworthiness of so great Mercy (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. Praecept Coning The Moon doth never shine less than in her nearest approaches to the Sun from whom she borrows her light Thus Christians we should never think our selves to shine less than when God causeth us to approach nearest to himself in the tenders of Heaven and Glory which his Goodness affords us They that know not these Treasures of Love and Sweetness may admire themselves and have big-swelling thoughts of their own Worthiness But let those amongst you that are come to have a prospect of Heavenly Glory fixing their Eye upon an object of the first magnitude be vile in their own apprehensions losing themselves in the fulness of God's free Grace and remunerative Goodness There is nothing that should more humble us than to think how highly the great God is about to exalt us Nor any thing that should more debase us than to consider how Glorious the Lord promises at length to make us We should see our own Poverty in the Riches of God's Bounty to us And be ashamed of our own drop when he makes us thus lanch forth in the fathomless Ocean of his own remunerative Goodness The Stars vanish when the Sun appears and so the small Candle of our own worth should presently disappear and be put out under an everlasting extinguisher when once the Glory of Heaven ariseth in our thoughts (c) 1 King 19.13 Elijah wrapt his face in a Mantle when the Glory of the Lord passed before him Thus when God gives us a prospect of Heaven causing all his Glory for our better encouragement in a way of Duty to pass before us 't is time that we should now wrap our selves in the Mantle of true Humility The greatness of God's Mercy in giving us a sight of Heavenly Glory should make us if any thing can to be little in our own Eyes 'T is then most easy to see our own pollution and vileness when God takes us up
continued to render them capable of everlasting Destruction from the Presence of God and from the Glory of his Power They have a being but it 's only to fit them for an eternal Misery they have a Life but such that they would (h) Vellet damnatus potiùs non esse quà m talis esse qui miseriâ intensisimâ cáque aeternò duraturâ urgerentur Barl. Exercit. 1. conclus 3. pag. 7. give ten thousand Worlds to be eased of that heavy Burden as being made thereby obnoxious to the stroak of eternal Death So that whatever be the Goodness of a Physical Being which the Damned have yet sure it doth not preponderate the Vengeance of eternal Fire conjunct with it But still you may look upon Hell would you conceive aright thereof as a place of Torment wherein they shall never have the least ease as a place of Sorrow wherein they must never expect the least Joy as a place of Destruction from the blisful Presence of God wherein they may never tast the smallest of his Mercies nor expect one comfortable Smile from his Face to all Eternity And oh what Tophet is not a Paradise what Flames are not a Bed of Down to the loss of all our Comforts but especially to the loss of the God of our Comforts That which is privative taking away from the Sinner all Good is worse (i) Omnia vâ—ro Gehennae supplicia superabit Deum non videre bonis carere quaeâ—in potestate habuisset obtinere Bern de inter Dom. cap. 38. than that which is Positive in Damnation though hereby be brought in an universal Deluge of all Evil a whole Iliad of Miseries at once The Pain of Loss doth infinitely preponderate the Pain of Sense So that (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil de Ascenc cap. 2. the Reflexion of a Sinner upon the loss of God and Christ and eternal Glory will be the Sting of all his Sorrows the Head of that envenomed Arrow which will drink up his Spirits like Poyson for ever and this is that Worm of Conscience which never dies the furious gnawings whereof will be far more dreadful and intollerable than the Vengeance of eternal Fire it self If the departure of God from his own People though Partial and only for a Time be so dreadful that they usually cry out as Men undone thinking no Rhetorick sufficient to express it in but Sighs no Tongue but Shreeks and Groans no Ink but mournful Tears no Paper but that of a wounded and broken Heart oh then how unsufferable will the loss of God be to all the Damned in Hell who must be Punished with a full and everlasting Destruction from God and from the Glory of his Power Do they mourn so bitterly when for a small moment he forsakes them though with great Mercy he gathers them when in a little Wrath he hides his Face from them though with everlasting Kindness he will have Mercy upon them Oh then how bitterly wilt thou Mourn and with what heart-rending furious Reflexions wilt thou look back upon thy own prodigeous Folly when the Lord shall forsake thy Soul to all Eternity when he shall hide his Face from thee for ever commanding thee to depart from his Presence Accursed into eternal Fire Should you imagine ten thousand Hells (l) Si mille aliquis ponat Gehennas nihil tale dicturus est quale à beatae illius gloriae repelli honore Summa mors animae est alienatio à Dei vita in aeternitate supplicii Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 6. yet all this were not so much as to lose the beatifical Presence of God in Glory The full Enjoyment of God that is the Crown and the Glory of Heaven And so the total loss of God that is the greatest Emphasis of Hell and eternal Damnation Oh that is the Sting which enters into the Bowels that is the Worm of hellish Horror which will feed upon them for ever that is the heavy Milstone of God's sorest Wrath which will inevitably sink and drown them in eternal Perdition A Man who enjoyeth God can never want Comfort But whoever loseth God he loseth all his Comforts together with him How woful is then the Condition of all the Damned in Hell who must neither enjoy God nor the least Mercy from God to all Eternity Here possibly you have Riches and Honours many Friends and carnal Pleasures But losing God thou must leave them all behind thee nor shall any of them be able to bring thee Tidings of Comfort when shut up in Hell You (m) Luke 16.24 know how it fares with Rich Dives he denied the Crums to poor Lazarus and in Hell though he seek it with Tears of Blood yet the Comfort of one drop of Water to cool his Tongue when tormented with infernal Flames will not be granted him For that 's a Place of Judgment without Mercy there the Eye sees no Comfort the Tongue tasteth no Comfort the Ear heareth no Comfort But Punishment without Pity Sorrow without Succour Torment without Ease and the loss of God over all Blessed for ever is the Portion of all the Damned And what Sinner hast thou any Lust any Sin any Dalilah whose Love will be able to compensate the loss of God of his Kingdom and Glory for ever Can'st thou dwell Sinner in Misery without Mercy in continual Mourning without Mirth in Heart-killing-sorrow without any Solace in the Valley of the shadow of Death without the Favour and loving Kindness of God which is better than Life Why what reason hast thou poor Self-destroying-soul by thy careless neglect of Heaven and eternal Glory thus to run the hazard of being Punished for ever from the Presence of God of his Grace of his Mercy and Goodness in hellish Flames where are all things to fill with Terrour but nothing to excite Desire or to Minister the least Comfort Oh this this is the grand Aggravation of the Damned's Misery and that which makes it saddest of all that in Hell they must not only lose their Riches Honours and Relations which were all in themselves Good but the Presence of God himself who is best of all 2 CONSIDER the Society you are like to have in Hell-torments which is none other than that of Devils and that of damned Spirits whose Names were not Written in the Book of Life As in Heaven there are none but Saints and glorious Angels So in Hell there are none but Sinners and snaky Devils and these are they that for ever must be your cursed Associates in Wrath and Misery The Tares and the Wheat in this Life they grow both together But when Christ who is our Life shall appear having gathered home the Wheat into his own Garner he will bind up the Tares in Bundles and burn them together Here the (n) Mat. 25.4 32. Sheep and the Goats the Foolish and the wise Virgins are promiscuously mingled together being oftentimes not only of the same Nation but of the same
interest in this Glorious Reward than a dead Man is capable of being made the Monarch of the whole Universe The Tree must first take root and be filled with sap before any precious Fruit can grow upon it So you must first have the Root of the matter within you and be filled with the Sap of Sanctifying Grace before ever you can be Trees of Righteousness bearing Fruit to Eternal Life A Man must first be born into the World before he can have any Dignities Honour on Preferment conferred upon him in the World Thus a Man also must first be born again from Heaven by the Holy Ghost before ever he can be preferred to the full enjoyment of Life and Eternal Glory in the Kingdom of God (c) John 3.3 For except a Man be born again from above saith Christ he cannot see the Kingdom of God d A Man must first be a Member of the Church militant on Earth by Sanctification before he can possibly be made a Member of the Church triumphant in Heaven by eternal glorification (e) Rom. 5.21 The Grace of God in Christ Jesus is that alone which must Crown us with Glory if ever we have it And yet know you must that the Grace of God itself will never reign but through Righteousness unto Eternal Life The grand Reward of a Christian is the beatifical Vision of God in Glory But because he is an infinitely pure and holy God (f) Heb. 12.14 why therefore without Holiness you must never look to see him as your Happiness and Reward What should they do with an Holy God who are not themselves sanctified Or how can they behold with Comfort the Holy one of Israel who have not a pure Eye but are all over polluted and stained with Sin Never think to be a Vessel of Glory if first thou be not seasoned throughout in Body Soul and Spirit with renewing Grace But oh how long shall these things be Paradoxes and hidden Mysteries amongst you Where is the Man in our Congregations that knows by his (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. own experience what it is to be made a new Creature to be born of the Spirit from above to have his Heart washed in the Laver of Regeneration from all uncleaness and in a Word to be â—aised by the Almighty irresistable power of God from the Death of Sin to the Life of Grace Are not most Men pleasing themselves with external performances making their Prayers their Alms their good Works a fufficient Qualification for Heaven whilst they never think of getting sanctified Hearts and renewed Natures (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar Hom. 30. Oh that all such amongst you would now consider how impossible it is for any Man to obtain the Reward of Eternal Glory not being first born again from above and made a new Creature Poor self destroying Sinners if here you become not Men of a pure Heart you must never see the Face of God in the Kingdom of Heaven but the Furnace of Hell is heating for you and a Night of Eternal Darkness abides you in the World to come And is it nothing do you think to be shut out of Heaven and to fall into Hell irrecoverably Is it nothing to miss of Eternal Life and for ever to lose the Reward of Eternal Glory that you can live and die so well satisfied in a carnal unregenerate Condition True it is while we are in this World living by sense little do we conceive what it is to be saved to sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God what it is to have full and Everlasting Communion with God in Glory nor can we so prize these things now as we ought to do Oh but we shall come to breath out our Souls into Eternity and must stand trembling at God's Tribunal to receive our everlasting doom then to be sure Life Happiness and Eternal Glory will be in request Oh then that in such a Day when all the World cannot comfort you Life may be yours and Salvation yours and the full enjoyment â—f God in Heaven yours give diligence now to have the Truth and Life of Grace in your inward Parts endeavouring to find a through sanctifying Change wrought upon you Remember if you die in a carnal Condition you are undone for ever damned for ever But if sanctified through the Spirit and made new Creatures the Reward of Eternal Glory shall be your Portion 4 Lay hold upon Jesus Christ by a lively Faith above all things labouring to get an interest in him Christ hath purchased by his own Death the reward of Eternal Life But it s not for all promiscuously whether good or bad but only for those that by Faith receive him making him their Saviour Though Christ were as universal a cause of Salvation as the Arminians dogmatize Yet till by Faith you embrace him as willing to receive him in all his Offices as a Prophet to instruct and teach you as a Priest to intercede and die for you as a King to command sanctifie and govern you to be sure he will never profit you to Life and Salvation * John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life but he that hath not the Son hath no Life Both the Life of Grace and the Life of Glory come in by Christ he alone is the Tree from whence you may gather this Fruit of Paradise And therefore of necessity you must close with Christ would you either have the Life of Grace to make you holy or the Life of eternal Glory to make you happy Salvation for lost Sinners could no otherwise be purchased but by the precious Blood of the Lord Jesus And though now the purchase be thus made yet the Blood of Christ cannot save you unless you receive him to dwell in your Hearts by Faith Communion is never to be found but where first some kind of union went before to usher it in So that though Christ came into the World to repair our lost condition to cleanse us from all unrighteousness to deliver our Souls from the Wrath to come and to make us meet by â—his Spirit working in us for the full enjoyment of God in Glory Yet if first we be not united to Christ we can never have the Happiness of Communion with him in these and the like glorious Priviledges but notwithstanding the Blood the Death the Sufferings of Christ must for ever fall short of Eternal Glory How dreadful then is the condition of every Christless Sinner There is an All-sufficiency of Merit in Christ but it shall never procure their Pardon There is a redundancy of Grace in Christ But it shall never sanctify nor make them holy There is a Soveraignity in the Blood of Christ but it shall never cleanse their Souls from Sin a There is an indeficient Fountain of Life in Christ But refusing him they must inevitably die the Death and suffer the