shall be as high as heaven and filled with God where no troubles can ever reach you nor no power be able to unrest you this is the true nature of death to Saints Christ having taken sin from them which is the sting of death so that in all this and exceedingly more may believing Saints glory in the very nature of death Secondly a Saint through Christ may glory over Death in the time of it though it be uncertain in the time of its comming yet that hinders not a Saints glory For a beleeving Saint knowes when ever death comes it shal be without a sting and this made the Apostle to glory in Phil. 1.21 For me to live is Christ and to dye is gaine If death stay longer before it comes yet I can glory in the length of time For to me to live is Christ and in the strength of Christ I can wait patiently all the dayes of my appointed time till in the wil of God my change shal come And if death be at hand and settle it selfe in my bosome the next moment yet herein I have glory For to die is gain A beleeving Saint can tell Death he hath his time as wel as his work appointed him you have both your time and your power given you by my Father and though to me it is a secret when your time shal be yet in the Spirit of God this is revealed to me when ever you come the love of God my Father comes with you and your work shal be to have me home that I may feed upon the bankets of love for ever Therefore sayes such a soule I feare not the time of your comming but wait patiently for it in the wil and Spirit of God yet in all that time thirst earnestly to be dissolved and to be with Christ The uncertain time of death may justly be sad and amazing to such as have their good things and their portion of good onely in this world and that by terme of life for here Death crops all in a moment and they are left empty though their barnes be full as the foole in the Gospel But to such a foule whose lise is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is its life shall appeare wee shall then appeare with him in glory Here the uncertain time of death can be no disadvantage because Christ to this soule is eternal life so that it lives certainly and eternally with Christ in God Gol. 2.3 4. it hath a certain life and therefore can glory in it and over the uncertain time of death 2 Cor. 5.1 For wee know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved wee have a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens Though we know not the time of dissolution to this earthly Tabernacle yet this we know when it shall be it will be a time of advantage for wee leave a tabernacle that may and must be dissolved to possesse a building of God an eternal Mansion house in heaven Therefore sayes a beleeving soule Death I can glory in thy time Christ hath made thee my friend by taking my sins which was thy sting away from thee and now I long and earnestly desire to see thy face O death my friend If I must waite yet a few dayes or yeares before the appointed time shall come for thee to lay my weary body asleep in the dust yet I doe see the beauty of my Fathers will in that but if thou beest at hand thou art truly welcome if the next moment bee thine for me it is a blessed moment the moment of my first entrance into the full fruition of blessednesse this thy time is the time of wiping all teares from my eyes and revealing all glory to my soule of putting an end to all misery and the beginning of joyes without end thy time is my triumphing my waited hoped longed for moment I did tell the World that scorned me that I was an heire of glory had mansions and a crowne prepared and waited for me in my Fathers glory and art thou now come O death to fetch me home to bring me to Christ my head with whom I shall for ever possesse that glorious inheritance which I have gloried in this is a blessed time and moment in which I be held thy face thou art not come before thou art welcome I have nothing to stay me here I have waited long for thee my God and Father is in Heaven so is Christ my beloved there perfection purity is onely there my treasure is there so is my heart also and art thou now come to set mee cleere of this corrupt empty perishing World that I may bee onely there and for ever there O blessed be the Lord that thou art come thy time is a welcome time a time of deliverance from sinning in the body and the body of sinne thy moment puts an end to all howers of temptation and though the men of the World may trample over my clay yet my soule shall tryumph in reall glory above this imaginary glory thus may a beleeving soule glory over death in the time of it Thirdly A beleeving Saint through Christ may glory over the feares of death What ever feares there be in death they are onely to Christlesse soules for soules in Christ may glory over them all because to them death hath no sting as first the grand feare in death is this that it may prove eternall the haling of soule and body out of the World to come before the righteous Judge of quicke and dead where it shall receive this sentence Goe you cursed into eternall fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels for ever This is more then a feare for it is really so to Christ lesse soules where death comes with his sting in him but when the sting is gone this feare is gone too and the beleeving soule in Christ may glory over death as it is bereaved of his sting and so over death in this great feare the Scripture tels us It is appointed for all men once to dye and after death to come to judgement That is to come before the righteous Judge but the description which the Word of Gâ—d giveth us of that day is that there shall be a right hand and a left to distinguish betweene the Sheepe and the Goates on his left hand Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels so to the Sheep on his right hand he will say Come you blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World 25. Mat. latter end The feare in death is a seare of judgement but the judgement day is a blessed day to all the members of Christ 't is that day when soule and body shall meet againe to be blessed for ever in inheriting of the kingdome prepared for them it is the day of the bodies full redemption and eternall nuptiall with the
it becomes a servant not only to God but to Saints also Death is through Christ a servant to all Saints to waite on them till they have finished their worke on Earth in the will of God and then layes them to rest in the dust It waits till all the worke be done and then doth its worke in the appointment of God resting the weary body from its labours cracking the clay walls that the thirsting soule may meete its Beloved in perfection of glory so meet as never to part more but to be for ever with the Lord to behold the love of God in glory and be for ever swallowed up in the glory of that love Death which in it selfe is grim and frightfull is through Christ to a Saint welcome and pleasing because it comes without a sting and hath no other businesse but to serve Gods end in freeing both soule and body sets the foule free from the body of death and the body from a weary and toilesome life Death is but a sleep in which the body lyes till at the glorious appearance of Christ it riseth incorruptible the nature of death is through Christ but to be our Fathers messenger to bring us home that we may see his reconciled face in glory and enjoy the mansions prepared for us that wee may tast the love of his heart know him in himselfe reape the full harvest of all our hopes possessing glory above the life of faith our feasting in heaven will be fruitions not a crown of glory in promise only but in possession the joyes the hopes the desires of a gracious soule in all his life is by death brought in at once the joy of this soule is that the day drawes nigh in which the body shall be dissolved and it shall be with Christ It hopes to meete its beloved in perfect glory and never part more it desires to be absent from the body and present with the Lord and in all this death is through Christ a servant to a Saints death hath all its poyson in its sting and Christ taking away the sting from death hath quite changed the nature of it Death with its sting kils where it conquers but Death without its sting only changes the body of Saints from wormes to cold clay So Job hee waited all the dayes of his appointed time till his change came by death Saints change their place but not their company whereas before they lived in God now they live with God Saints on earth have communion with God and Christ in the Spirit and Saints in heaven have the same company but in greater glory Death changes our place of communion but not those wee have communion with Saints on Earth live upon love tokens from God and Christ sent to them by the Spirit but in Heaven upon the originall and fulnesse of all that love here by the Spirit we read the love and kindnesse of God and Christ in a Covenant of free-grace and many gracious promises but in heaven we taste of love in the fountaine in the very bosome of God and Christ to all eternity here wee glory that glory waits for us in heaven there our glory is to be swallowed up into glory and to be made glorious in the fulnesse of that glory In this Saints glory over the nature of death it doth not kill them but change them from a cloudy to a more exceeding and eternall weight of glory And as for the bodies of Saints it may be said of them as Christ did of the Rulers daughter shee is not dead but sleepeth Death changes them in this their sleep is something longer then at other times yet they are not dead but sleepe for Christ is the life of Saints And because Christ lives they live also John 14.19 Their clay is colder in this sleepe then in others and by degrees crumbles into dust here is a change indeed and it is no more for this corruptible must put on incorruptible and this mortality must put on immortality and then it will fully appeare that death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 53 54. The nature of Death is changed by Christs taking the sting away from being the King of terrours it becomes the messenger of glad tidings Death is now so free from terrours that it brings tidings of the greatest joy to Saints it tels the Spouse of Christ she shall goe and be for ever in her beloveds armes Your wildernesse days are accomplished in which you went many times to the Watchmen to enquire for your Beloved and you found them in the darke as well as your selfe but now you shall finde your Beloved and be filled with his love and live in the light of the Lord for ever Death tels the children of God hee is come to fetch them home to their Fathers house yea to their Fathers Kingdome in which they shall all reign with him They shall be as children under-age no longer they shall now possesse the mansions prepared from eternity to eternity not only have all teares wiped from their eyes but to live for ever in the beholding and enjoying perfection of glory Death brings glad tidings both to body and soule it tels the body head you shall ake no more stomacke you shall be sicke no more heart you shall tremble and be affraid no more flesh you shall bleed and smart no more I am come to put an end to all these feares and troubles God will looke you up in the cabinet of the earth that you may there sleep in peace till Christ raise you incorruptible and carry you into glory And to the soule sayes Death you shall have no more time for sinne and vanity perfect holinesse to eternity shall now swallow you up I come only to put an end to sinning dayes you shall now groane under sinne no more that body which held you and was subject to temptations shall now goe to sleepe in the dust till the tempter be chained up in eternall darkenesse in stead of mourning under sin you shall now for ever glory over sin your feares shall end so shall your faith for in stead of the evidence of things not seene you shall both see enjoy the heighths breadths depths and lengths of the love grace kindnesse faithfulnesse and glory of that God you have believed in Feare not me sayes Death I come from your Father so as you mâ—y be sure I have no commission to hurt you Christ your beloved Huâ—band Brother Head and Redeemer tooke care that I should not be able to hurt you for he tooke my sting from me before I should come unto you I am come without a sting to tell you God and Christ loves you but that is not all my errand they love you so well that they can suffer you no longer to be out of the full enjoyment of their love and I am sent to cracke the clay walls which is your prison that you may flye home and be at rest there your rest
now feare of death is no lesse then diffidence of that Redemption therefore Saints should be very watchful that they harbour no sad nor hard thoughts of death because in so doing wee dishonour a true friend nay Christ that made death thus to be our friend In the next place this cals upon Saints that when death comes to sit in our bosomes wee should bid him truly welcome and give him the entertainement of a friend that is be truly joyful to see him let him finde by the joy of our hearts that he is welcome to our besomes let his countenance be pleasing to us for though hee be pale death to our flesh yet that flesh shall be a gainer by its palenesse and finde nothing in death but a quiet rest til it shal put on incorruption But to the spirit death is a messenger from God and Christ of glad tydings and the feet of those which bring glad tidings should be beatiful to us let death when he comes finde he is a long looked for friend that he is not come before he is welcome but should have beene welcome if hee had come much sooner that thou takest him for so good and so real a friende that thou art heartily willing to goe with him and to leave all thy friends in the flesh that thou hast kept them company but til he comes and now art willing to leave them all to goe with him Saints may wel bid death welcome as a friende for Christ is in him and the love of Christ when Christ tooke sinne from Saints which was the sting of death he gave them love in the roome of sinne so as before we had sinne in all now we have love in all and though death to Saints have not the sting of sinne yet it hath the love of Christ and is worthy to bee bidd welcome and entertained with gladnesse when hee commeth But in the next place This calleth loude to Saints that they beleeve strongly in that love of Christ who hath taken away the sting of death which is sinne and thereby made death that was an original enemy to be a true and constant friend the Scripture teleth us 1 Cor. 15.26 The last enemie that shall be destroyed is death Now death as an enemy to Saints is destroyed in the death of Christ for his sting which is his enmity is taken away by Christ that I inferre is this Saints have much cause to beleeve strongly in that love the strength of which hath overcome all enemies for us Christ hath overcome death the last of enemies why should we ever then feare the fading of that love which hath left no enemies to make us afraide Saints feares are of their owne creating for what ever might have beene a true cause of feare hath beene under Christs destroying for he hath destroyed all enemies and where no enemy is there is no true ground of feare what remaines then Why nothing but a firme and lasting foundation of faith the love of Christ is a strong foundation for a Saint to beleeve strongly in what should we feare death is our friend the love of Christ hath made him so the breakings forth of this love is ground sufficient to banish all feares if death be no enemy then there is no enmity betweene death and us for death is the last destroyed enemy and the love of Christ hath destroyed that enmity Saints have many that hate them but none that can hurt them take this for proofe death is a Saints friend there can bee no greater testimony of love then the destroying of enemies for no man will destroy the enemies of him that he is an enemy to himselfe enmitie would make enemies it is onely love that destroyes them and this love is Christ to his people his love is so great that he will leave us no enemy that is no person persons or things shall ever be able to destroy a Saint then surely Saints may and ought to beleeve strongly in the love of Christ let worldlings know their nailes are too short to scratch out this love their strength too weake to shake this eternall foundation if they suck our bloods they may choak themselves but doe us no hurt for through the love of Christ Saints are conquerers over death Saints may believe strongly on the love of Christ for a worse enemy then the World shall never be able to destroy them even sinne for Christ hath destroyed sin and in that death for all that believe in him so as a Saint triumphs over death in the want of its sting is in the love of Christ which hath taken away sin and this is that love which the soules of Saints should believe in and rest strongly upon Saints need not fear they cannot lay more upon this love then Christ is able and willing to beare nay then he hath born already for he hath borne all the transgressions iniquities sinnes griefes sorrowes stripes and chastisements of his people Isâ— 53. So that hee hath redeemed his from the whole of sin and believing Saints may not feare to venture their soules in all upon the love of Christ nay doubtlesse it is the duty of Saints to live believing strongly in the love of Christ which hath put Death to death and overcome all enemies for them But in the fourth place Saints should make this improvement of these truths to waite upon God patiently in believing Death will assuredly come and deliver them from all their troubles in the flesh Faith made Job to waite patiently all the dayes of his appointed time till his change did come There is an appointed time in which the change shall come and beyond that time it shall not stay There can be no loss of faith in this thing for death waits upon our Fathers will and shall certainly come at his appointed time I confesse it is hard for Saints that are heires of heaven and know it willingly to stay longer out of heaven and their Fathers imbracings and in that time to be in a body of sin and a sinful world to beare the infirmities of the body with the scornes slanders persecutions of the World yet remember that this is the fulfilling of the will of our God and all this time death our friend is a comming every moment bringeth this longed for blessing nearer and nearer and we cannot tell but it may be at the doore that death may be in the next moment is the worlds feare let it be a Saints joy and serve to quench immoderate thirst here is this to answer all feares it will certainly come and cannot be farre off Christ longeth more for us then we doe or can doe for him and though we thinke him long yet he that shall come will come and will not tarry Remember the body is made of brittle earth it will be soone cracked or moulder away it cannot by its constitution last long the word of truth calleth him a foole that counted upon many yeares when
he was in clay the flower soon fadeth the grasse is soone withered the shadow soone gone and the Weavers shuttle passeth swift away this is the time of our flesh in Scripture account Consider againe the waiting is but a moment compared with the time of enjoying the next moment may end the one but the other is eternall without end and the first entrance into our Fathers glory will take quite away the remembrance of all sorrowes and sufferings here below nay the very beholding of Death-without his sting will make ful amends for all our waiting Now surely Saints have great reason to wait for Gods time patiently and believingly though wee be at present in the Wildernesse yet Canaan cannot be farre off and Christ will goe with us all the Wildernesse way till he bring us into Canaan he is faithfull which hath promised never to leave not forsake his people the waiting time shall not be wholly without him but when that time is accomplished then we shall be fully and for ever with him therefore our waiting should be in faith and patience on the will of God all the dayes of his appointed time for us And lastly The whole life of Saints should be a life of holy joy in God and a glorying through Christ over Sin Death and Grave believing Saints should live up those joyes which accompany Death without the sting of sin they should glory in the grace of God and the God of grace They should glory in the redemption of Gods free-grace and as the Apostle here makes a holy triumph over Death without its sting of sinne and over the grave which hath no victory but must give up those bodies which are sowen in corruption to be raised in incorruption wee should let the World know how kind a God we have that will not leave any sting in death or victory in the grave but puts an end to sin and thereby an end to all sorrow which makes death the worldlings feare to be our friend and the time of stripping us from the worlds dying beauty to be the time of filling us with his own glory Saints may well glory over Death that have God and Christ for their life Saints may safely question with Death about his sting when Christ hath taken it away for us wee may safely glory in the times of Deaths approach and the hour of his comming when as Christ hath taken away his sting from him we may truly say there is no God like our God no beloved like our beloved for none but such as have an interest in the love of God and redemption of Christ can glory over Death for to all others Death hath his sting and when ever hee commeth comes with his sting the feare of such hearts to see the face of death speakes very much of the glory of Gods eternall love in Christ to all that believe on him in taking away the sting out of Death by which meanes they can glory in and over death look death in the face with joy and rejoycing where death comes with his sting there is a thousand deaths in one but to a Saint death is no death onely a change or a dissolving to be with Christ then let us proclaim this to the world and so glory in our God that they may know their perishing idols are no wayes to be compared with our reall interest in God the day of death that is at hand will fully prove the truth of this therefore we may boldly say thus we shall make it good both living and dying The glory of a believing Saints death doth abundantly exceed the Worldings life nay indeed his own life for though to him it be Christ to live yet it is gaine to dye It is more Christ to dye then live In life Saints glory in Christ as he dyed for them but in death they glory in Christ as they live with him the first is the glory of purchase but the latter of possession In the first wee glory that the inheritance is given but in the latter that it is received which maketh up perfection of glory And to Saints this is the next step to death without its sting so that they may herein glory and triumph as the Apostle O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ FINIS
in it O Death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15 55 56 57. FINIS Jan. 25. 1648. I Have delightfully looked upon these Clusters of Canaans Grapes and have helped them to the Presse that they may be Wine for Common drinking I onely minde the Reader that these Grapes yeeld the New Wine of the Gospell Let him take heed hee puts it not into the Old Bottles of envy or of malice of prejudice or of contempt if he doe His Bottles will breake and though the Wine because 't is saving Wine cannot but be safe yet himselfe will be a looser yea in danger to be lost Whereas his profit and Salvation are I beleeve on this side the glory of God the highest end of the Author in this publication as they are of the Licenser Joseph Caryl A Cluster of Canaans GRAPES CHAP. I. Love to all Saints shews union with Christ JOHN 13.35 By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples if yee love one another THE fore-going verse holds out a Command from Christ that all his Disciples those which love and follow him should love oee another And to this command our Saviour holds forth his love as a pattern and incitation to us to love one another That you love one another saith Christ Verse 34 as I have loved you Our Saviour spake these words a little before bis death that they might be of the more force and make the more impression upon the soules of his Disciples as if he should say remember my dying love and let it live in your bosomes as a precept and example for you to love one another In this 35. verse our Saviour advances love holy spirituall love and makes it a Beacon of discovery This love it is the love of Christ within us for without him we can doe nothing Now Christ makes a double discovery by this love The first is he discovers God his Father and our Father and himselfe to us Secondly by this love he makes a discovery of Saintt to the world as they are in union and communion with him the latter of these is that which is held forth in this verse namely A Saint manifesting to the world his union with Christ by his love to every fellow-member as bearing Christs image The point that naturally flowes from these words is this That love to all Saints is a plain manifestation of our union and communion with Christ When I say all Saints I admit of no distinction but only Saintship living in the Spirit up to their interest as Disciples and followers of Christ Not Saints of such or such a judgement in point of worship nor Saints of a higher or lower growth nor Saints distinguished by their various formes of discipsine but as branches of the true Vine which in their union with Christ bring forth the fruits of the beauty of holinesse and the power of godlinesse Christ gives this as a generall command to all his Disciples to love one another Joh. 15.17 our Saviour tells us this As I am in the Father so are you in me and this is a good foundation of love therefore love one another as I have loved you Joh. 15.12 And in 1 John 4.21 And this Commandment have we from him that he who loves God loves his brother also as if the holy Ghost had said Those that truly love God will love his image where-ever they find it Our Saviour in John 17.20 21. prayes upon this principle he prayes for all that shall beleeve in him his love is not stinted onely unto Apostles or Disciples persons of greatest gifts and graces but it runnes as strongly to the weakest beleever So in the 10. verse of that 17. of John All mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them Christ by an eye of love beholds that union which the weakest beleever hath with him and beholds his glory in that union Here wee have Christ the purest founntain of love for our pattern his love runnes to all in union with him so should our distinguishing love extend to all that hold the head Christ Jesus and walk in the light and life of the Spirit This truth is so cleare from the first Text that it needs not any more to prove it though the Scripture be abundant in it 2 Thess 4.9 as that 1 John 4.19 20 21. and John 15.12 So take in 1 Thess 4.9 the Apostle makes it as it were a needlesse thing to write to them their duty in this to love their brethren in Christ For sayes he you your selves are taught of God to love one 〈◊〉 nother as if he had said you know nothing of God if you know not this duty if you know your union with Christ you will know that that love which made you one with him hath made you so with every of his members So in that 1 John 2.10 11. 1 Joh. 2.10 11. the holy Ghost there speakes the same thing with the first Text and makes love to the brethren to be a discovering Beame of Christ the Lord of Light and Glory in us The Text is plain Hee that loves not his brother abides not in the light but is in darknesse and walkes in darknesse not knowing whither be goes because he is without Christ the light of life who is the light of that soule hee lives in which soule loves Christ and all that is like him In all these Scriptures you may observe how the heart of Christ and all those that wrot from the Dictates of the holy Ghost is upon this very thing God calls himself the God of Love fils his children with his Divine nature by his Spirit and would have them beare his Name too that the world may know that the Father of Love hath begotten Children of Love in his own likenesse I am afraid we all live much below this eminent discovery of our interest in Christ by our love to all Saints in that latitude which Christ intends it therefore to stirre up and engage our hearts more in this glorious and heavenly duty and priviledge let us in the Spirit of Christ seriously weigh these Reasons and Considerations following First Reason or Consi ∣ deration 1 the Onenesse of all Elect beleevers in the originall love of God consider if we all have not one Fountaine of life and were not all in the first Adam involved into one death of transgression Was there any fallen soule lesse guilty in the fall of the first Adam then another Or was there any that God saw more worthinesse in then in another to move him to chuse such a soule Surely no For then that Word of eternall Truth could not stand in Ephes 2.8 For by grace are we saved not of our selves 't is the gift of God
or parted God every tittle of revealed truth which is Christ written out by the Spirit it is all God and Christ in one and this Spirit that reveales Christ to the world in the word and to the believer in his soule this Spirit is God too that so all within the soule is God all about the soule is God and all comes from the soule is God and this is the freedome the believer in his conscience hath from the law in the letter it is not destroyed but established It is taken out of the hand of Moses the servant and put into the hand of Christ the Sonne it is not made void but fulfilled for us and in us who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Now behold the Law in its glory changed from law to Gospel from letter to spirit from Moses to Christ from death to life from an angry God to a loving Father as it is Gospel so it is Spirit 't is Christ yea it is God himselfe On the glory of that Law which is God not only declaring the mind will of God but in the spirit of love filling the soule with strength to obey from whence we find Christ in the Gospel calling upon those that love him to keepe his Commandements God Christ and the Spirit being in the Law it becomes the law of life when the law had in it but a naked demonstration what a Creator might justly require of a fallen creature but gave no strength it is held forth under the termes of the law of sinne and death by which it had not that glory to invite a poore soule to looke on it because the soule could see nothing but its death in it but as Christ being made under the law to redeem them that were under the law hath satisfied his and our Father fully in it for us so hee hath turned this law into his law of love into Gospel into Spirit into himselfe and his Father Now this law hath that beauty which allures and takes every beleeving soule nature turned into grace it is now meate and drinke to a believer to doe the will of God in the Spirit First This will let us truly to understand who they be that be Antinomians Those that deny the Law if I may judge I should say it is those that would keepe it in the hand of the servant out of the Sonne what can be a greater denying of it then to keepe it in the Letter out of the Spirit to rob it of that glory which is God and Christ in the Spirit What soule dare put it selfe under the Law out of Christ when in so doing it makes it selfe a debter to the whole law And as the Apostle in Gal. 3.10 11. sayes So many as are under the workes of the law are under the curse of the law and under that law which can never justifie before God Now to keepe the law in such a state as this is will make every soule shun it not daring to come under it as seeing nothing but death in it Sathan is the soules greatest enemy in darkning it with legall principles that it sees not Christ so are those the greatest enemies to the holy just and good law of God that would pul that nature of Christ in his Spirit from it and leave it still the law of the letter in the hand of Moses when God and Christ hath made it Gospel-law the law of love in the Spirit The law may here complain as the Spouse did of those watch-men that rent her vaile those that rend Christ from the law rend the beautifull vaile the glory of the law from it These holds forth the law dead like Lazarus in the grave stinking and those that follow it weeping Or as Pharoah to the children of Isael doubling the tale of bricks and giving no straw what glory is there in this But those that hold out the Law in the Spirit holds it not only forth as a law that lives but a law that gives life so farre from requiring the tale of bricke to be doubled and give no straw that in every duty it brings Christ in whence we are able to doe all things This makes it plainely appeare who they be which deny the law and may justly be distinguished by the name of Antinomians Againe this exhorts Saints that seeing it is part of the redemption of the blood of Christ That no law but the law of love the spirit of life in Christ should rule or reigne in the conscience of a believer To take the counsell of the Apostle in Gal. 5.1 Stand fast therefore in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled againe with the yoake of bondage God hath not given nor Saints received the spirit of bondage againe to feare but the pirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father This is the life of our lives to live in the spirit It is the great promise of the Gospel to give the Spirit This would I know when doth the soule feast but when God spreads tables of love and in the Spirit bids us eate my beloved eate abundantly and be satisfied Nature teaches the outward man to stand for liberty oh then what should grace doe how should this stirre us up to stand for that liberty which is our life loose this and loose all your spirituall life in a moment doe but once looke on the law out of Christ and it will be with us as those in 2 Cor. 3.15 But even to this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their hearts This vaile will be a vaile of darknesse that the soule shall not see Christ in propriety in any of his offices benefits or merits If any or all these be deare oh then stand fast in this liberty wherewith Christ bath made us free This is that freedome the Sonne hath made which is freedome indeed But if the Sonne make us not free then are we bond men to eternity If thy heart be hard looke on him whom you have piereed and then shall it be evangelically melted If sinne sting thy conscience looke on him that is is lifted up which the brazen Serpent typified this is our freedome and Christs prerogative the governement is on his shoulders he is that King and his Spirit that Law which is only to reigne in the conscience of his people Why should not our soules count deare of that which is so deare to Christ and all his people This is that glory Christ will not give to another therefore this is that glory wee should only give to Christ Oh then admire and extoll for ever this glory of the riches of the free-grace of God in Christ that hath freely given this state of grace this glorious state to us that were by nature the children of wrath as well as others It doth not yet appear what we shall be so that more glory shall be then is yet revealed but our soules must confesse that
in the Margin things to gird about them and here they rest content they saw their nakednesse a great advantage truly but having girded themselves with fig-leaves they knew no want of God for in verse 8. when they heard the voyce of God and that in the coole of the day they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the garden and when God came so neere to them as they were falne to confesse the reason why they fled from his presence they acknowledged they were afraid verse 10. Compare these first appearances of nature in our first parents after their fall with the experiences of our owne naturall hearts and others and it will appeare in all that is miserable what exact Images we are by nature of these our first parents They were naked so are all by nature of any righteousnesse to stand in the sight of God they knew they were naked so doth many a desperate finner whose conscience fâ—ies in his face but the remedy they sought was only an apron or girdle of fig-leaves So doth our naturall hearts licke their woundes whole and cover their nakednesse by legall and formall duties and performances girding our loines strengthening our hearts in them and covering our nakednesse so as the eye of man cannot discerne it and in this posture as our first Parents hid themselves amongst the trees of the garden from the presence of the Lord so we shrowd our selves under publick externall Ordinances after the fashion of the world and resting in beggerly rudiments to defend us from the presence of an angry God and yet not withstanding all this when God comes close to the soule though it hath girt it selfe about with fig-leaves it s owne righteousness yet it is not established but doth confesse in all the actions under such a state it was afraid because of its nakednesse and this feare doth inflame the misery of it and causeth it to fly and hide it self from the presence of God here is the first buddings of nature and truly it is an exact miserable condition for it is wholely in selfe and wholely out of God the reliefe this soule findes is in flying from and being out of the presence of God now sure I am every Saint experienced of Gods love will call this state a state compleatly miserable knowing that all its life happinesse lies in a close communion with the bosom of God a continual beholding of his face in Christ yet this state thus compleatly miserable is not Adams alone but all his seede in him of which by nature is all the world as is fully expressed in verse 23. of this 3. Chap. of the Romans For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God The misery of this state of nature may be farther amplified in coÌ„fidering thar Antipathy that is in all to that holy just and good law of God and that impossibility which is in man to performe it one place saith speaking of the law it is that which neither we nor our fore-fathers could beare we could not stand under it to justifie our selves by it The Apostle in Rom. 3.9 to vers 19. speaks plainly this generall evill state by nature and the fruits of it in many particulats in oppolition to all the laws of a holy God And in vers 19. speaks plainly that the Law makes all the world guilty and so makes his inference in the 20th verse that none can be justified by the deeds of the law and then he gives his reason for it which is this For sayes hee by the law is knowledge of sinne Gods pure nature discovers the impure nature of fallen man so in the following verses speaks of a blessed and a justified state for a poor soul under another head But all this speakes the miserable irrecoverable lost state of a naturall man in himselfe the fruits of this tree of nature we may see in that 2d of Ephes the three first verses Though it be a dead tree yet at beates fruit but it is the fruit of death trespasses and sins walking in them according to the course of this world and the power of the Prince of the Aire that spirit which workes in the children of disobedience who are by nature the children of wrath Any of these particulars rightly understood and set home upon the spirit of a man will make it crye out as the Apostle O wretched man that I am and in me that is in my flesh is no good But certainly if ever we come to see that sinke and masse of sin and corruption that is in us by nature and that wages of sinne which is death wee shall then acknowledge if ever God discover his thoughts of eternall love to us that it is all free-grace The second demonstration of the point is To consider a Saint under a state of grace in Christ the second Adam To take this in the beginning as it stands in the word let us turne backe to that 3d of Gen. 15. where Christ is promised in the seed of the woman and what to doe to breake the head of the Serpent that is to kill and overcome him The Apostle in 1 Cor. 15.21 sayes be must reigne till he hath put all his enemies under his feete And in this conquest over his owne and his peoples enemies hee doth the will of his Father we have his owne word for it John 4.30 This doth exceedingly set forth the free grace of God that when he found all man-kinnde in a state of rebellion so soone as ever he had enquired into the fault hee makes a promise of the Lord Christ in whom the state of a poore soule is better then in innocency As if the Lord had said Adam though thou didst run from me was affraid because thou wert naked yet now establish thy heart in beholding my fulness which is thy cloathing cast from thee the workes of thy owne hands that fig-leave righteousness thou hast begirt thy selfe with and lay hold on the workings forth of my eternal love in this promise of Christ The Serpent hath been too hard for thee when he found thee in thy own strength but I will give out Christ that great gift of my love and he shall as he is one with me from eternity in my everlasting power and fulnesse make warre with the Serpent and in that warfare though the Serpent shall bruise his heele wound his flesh yet he shall breake the head of the Serpent and overcome him This must needs be free-grace to make such a promise to fallen Adam and his posterity that ranne from the presence of God and were content with fig leaves for a covering of their nakednesse You may see in nature there is as little desire of Christ and his righteousnesse as there can be of discerning for here is a flying from the presence of God and a satisfying it selfe with its owne righteousnesse and certainly this righteousnesse is nothing but menstruous rags that
being on earth for it is God in the Creature now this is the wil of man swallowed up in the will of God put forth in the soule and life of man And this is the soule that speakes to God truly in the spirit Not my will but thy will bee done O Father Fifthly and lastly When our wils are melted into the wil of God it puts the soule and spirit into a quiet peaceable restfull and serene condition and it must needs be so upon this consideration For what can make it otherwise when all things worke according to the desires of that soule every thing distinct and all things together perfects the end that this soule drives at and the soule knowes it therefore must needs be at rest the property of this soule is it hath its will in God and desires the fulfilling and accomplishment of no others wil but the wil of God Now tell me what can disturb the peace of this soule Nothing but what is able to frustrate God of his wil and that can be no created being because God that made it can when he pleases make it return to its first nothing that soule hath its peace above disturbance which hath in it the fulfilling of the will of God For all the working in Heaven and Earth doe but fulfill the wil of God and make up the peace and rest of that soule which is bound up in the wil of God And upon this consideration our Saviour tels his people That their joy shall no man take from them because their joy and rest is in God above the reach of man or men and this is the main reason of that vaste difference that is in the spirits that live in him and the men of the World that live in the World in regard of the rest and peace that is in the bosomes of the one and the perplexing distractions that are in the hearts of the other Sayes the Soule that hath given up his wil to God I am at rest for I know in all the workings in the world he is perfecting his own will and setting up his owne glory and his wil it my wil if Gods will be done I have all done that my soule desires therefore nothing can disturb my rest But now ask the worldling how is it with him in point of rest O sayes he never worse the world is so unquiet so full of trouble hazards and change that a man cannot tell where he is safe nor when hee is wel nor doe we know when it will be better when some hopes of rest appeare then new troubles nip that in the bud so that I am hopelesse of any rest in the world That is very true sayes the the gracious soule for the earth that must be shaken and is ever shaking was never made for a place of rest but did you enjoy God and live in the fulnesse of that love which soules live in that have given themselves up to God your mournings would be turned into joyes and your sad complainings into high admirings of the power and wisdome of God that makes all things perfects his ends and lifts up his glory Truly sayes this soule I remember the time when it was with me as with David my heart repined to see the wicked fat and flourish but since my wil hath been moulded into the will of God I can repine at nothing because now I know all things shall fulfill the wil of God I have knowne the time when my spirit hath been disturbed if God should seeme to set me aside and use others in my place to doe his work but truly no such thing disturbs me now my wil is in Gods wil for it is the wil and work of God to be done that I mind not the instrument that doth it nay Gods wil in altering of his instruments satisfies me as much as any other part of his will for it is the doing of his will that I rest in and this makes me alwayes at rest because God is alwayes accomplishing his own will therefore sayes the Psalmist in the 45 Psalme I will not feare nor be disquieted though the earth be removed and the mountaines carried into the midst of the Sea though the waters thereof roare and bee troubled though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof No why not What is the reason of it Why The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge This is the reason He lived in the power love and faithfulnesse of God and so could not be moved that which could move the earth and carry away the mountaines the great men powers of it could not disquiet him because not remove him from his God Our Saviour intimates thus much unto his Disciples John 14. Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in God beleeve also in me i. Beleeve in God live in God and rest on God through me and your hearts will be at rest When the wil of Man centres in the wil of God the peace of God centres in the bosome of that man When God makes any soule to sit down in his wil he doth also make that soule to be at rest in his wil and his love till he take it up for ever into the fulnesse of his glory This is an unparallel'd benefit which that soule enjoyes that hath given up his will to the will of God Wee have an example of this in David 2 Sam. 12.16 whilst the child was sicke he besought the Lord for it but when he knew the childe was dead He arose from the earth washed and anointed himself worshipped God and went to his own house are bread and refreshed himselfe 19 20. And in the 22 23. verses he tels us the reason of it While the child was living he besought God for it he could not tel but it might be his will that the child should live but when God had declared his will in the death of his child that satisfied David so that we see clearly it was the will of God hee looked after and that being revealed the heart is at rest and it s only a heart that is thus bound up in God and his will that can be at rest Gods will is either the rest or the trouble of every soule where it is the rest that soule must needs be at rest because his wil shal alwayes be done but where it is the trouble that soule must ever bee in trouble because his will is ever fulfilling Now it cannot but bee the rest of that soule which hath its will in God and disquietments of such wils as are out of and contrary to God that soul must needs be at rest which hath his wil in Gods because let God strip it of what he pleaseth yet it finds more in God then it can lose for God more love more life more joy more riches more honours and more pleasures then it must needs follow more peace and quiet in such spirits The onely
this was not Gods wil Haman hee designes according to his will but it being without God observe the fulnesse of his disappointment and the Justice of God returned into his own bosome In Esther 6. Esther 7. and vers 10. of Chap. 6. The King asketh Haman what should be done to the man the King would honour Doubtlesse Haman thought the King meant himselfe and therefore makes him this answer in verse 8. Let the royall apparrel be brought which the King useth to weare and the horse that the King rideth upon and the Crowne royall which is set upon his head and let his apparell horse be delivered to the hands of one of the Kings most noble Princes that they may array the man withall whom the King delights to honour and bring him on horse-backe through the streets of the City and proclaim before him thus shall be done to the man whom the King will honour It appeares cleare by this counsell that selfe was in his heart but observe in vers 10. the miserable disappointment of this proud selfish man Then the King said unto Haman make hast take the Apparell and the Horse as thou hast said and doe even so to Mordecai the Jew that sitteth at the Kings gate let nothing faile of all that thou hast spoken First Haman is disappointed in that he is not the man Secondly To aggravate his misery Mordecai whom he hated he is the man for whom hee had beene inventing death and dishonour God makes him the instrument to invent honours and to compleat this miserable disappointment Haman himselfe must be the Kings servant to honour Mordecai whom hee hated we see by Hamans answers to the King what proud and selfish men seeke after but their wils being out of God the higher they clime the lower they fall and the greater their expectations be the fuller of misery is their disappointment Yet the justice of God left not this proud cruel man but brought him to be hanged upon the Gallowes of fifty cubits high which he had in his wil appointed for Mordecay This is the fruit of having our wils out of Gods wil So Jonah his wil was the gourd should continue but that was not Gods wil therefore dye it must now how doth this disquiet the man even so much that he seemes to justifie his anger there was no cause of his discontent but that his wil was not in Gods wil. Secondly This doth informe us whence this rest and quiet that is in the bosomes of Gods people doth arise namely in this that their wils are in Gods wil therefore when God declares his wil under any dispensation in the World they are at rest for the appearance of his wil makes their rest all things besides this brings disquietments upon the spirit but when the wil of God appeares it silences all disputes and quiets all thoughts in the heart of him that hath given up his wil to Gods wil this soule doth not quarrel with but kisseth the feete of God when the wil of God lays it there it is in spirit at rest upon a sicke bed because of the wil of God there Disappointments in the outward man do not cease upon this man to disturbance because the wil of God is in them and that is his rest he is best at rest in that wherein he seeth most of Gods wil discovered to him what ever it be in its owne nature this soule can say with David when Gods wil appeares in it It is good for me I have beene afflicted and makes this the discovery of the good and evil of all he meddles with namely the wil of God If Gods wil appeare in it he acknowledgeth it to be good but if he see not that he cannot own it as his good or any thing for him to rest in for he rests only in God and it is nothing but the appearance of Gods wil that makes his Spirit at rest under every dispensation of God and from thence this soule hath a quiet being But againe This truth doth informe us as Saints of our duty to enquire after Gods will in all we doe or require others to doe The will of Christ was that the will of God should be done so is the wil of Saints in conformity to the wil of Christ their head and if to be done then surely to be known Nay Saints ought to doe nothing before they know the wil of God in it If this rule were observed there would not be so much doing and undoing as this uncertaine age affords If God led men into what they doe hee would so owne them that they should not be ashamed of it this is the true reason why men doe and ondoe because in what they doe they seeke their owne wils not Gods wil but hee that hath given up his wil to Gods wil before hee works he will see Gods wil this is the true reason why the men of this World with all their power and policy cannot make Saints worship as they doe the unknowne God or at least wise in such a manner as they know not whether it be the wil of God or no. I say this is the reason because they are bound up in the wil of God so that they cannot worship any unknowne God nor the God they know in any manner but what he makes known to them to be his wil that they should worship him in If men be truly zealous for the worship of God it can goe no farther then this That such as know him and his wil should worship him according to his wil made knowne to them for any thing else cannot be the true worship of the true God Now such as know God and his wil in truth the spirit of truth they are a willing people to worship God according to his wil made known to them by his Spirit in which they worship him If this were seriously considered in the Spirit of God it would appear to be the beauty of Saints not to act before light to know Gods wil and so to doe it therefore Saints should be teaching one another in the Spirit but not to force any where the Spirit hath not taught then there is no neede of forcing for the Spirit of God that teacheth doth also leade his people into obeying of his truths and wil. The Saints in truth speak thus in the spirit of truth to God Not my will nor the will of any man or men but thy will be done Therefore Lord shew me thy wil and it sufficeth he that rules should enquire after the will of God to rule by and he that is ruled for the will of God to be the rule of his obedience Oh that our Rulers did enquire after and finde out this rule to rule by Then would righteousnesse flourish in the Land as a greene Bay-tree and the branches of it would cover the Land with that much desired peace It is the want of this which makes the want of peace did
is now tell me how thou wilt answer God in going beyond thy received power especially when the same hand that gave the power gave thee also a rule to bound that power by That thou shouldst not be a terror to good workes but to evill Therefore hee that doth good should not be afraid of the power For the end of power is from God to protect and defend those that doe good and walke praise-worthy Now that proud heart which puts forth the power that is in its hands beyond these bounds will have a sad appearance before God at the day of account His pride that over-acted his power will not then excuse him but condemne him and it will then be his chains of misery to consider how his pride hath in his power out-run the bounds that God hath set him and exceeded the latitude of that commission which he had received But this is the effect of power when it is in the hands of a proud heart Fifthly and lastly A proud heare is proud of it selfe of what it is amd what it hath of its gifts ornaments and qualifications you shall finde some proud of beauty that at most is but skinne deep and some so wicked as to paint their skinnes to make a subject for their pride Such as have their beauty by nature without art must know this that they have received it if in that they differ from others and that one storme of sicknesse can blast it which their flesh is capable of and as subject to as any others and that there is a certaintie of time for pale and grim death to take up its habitations in those faces so that they have little reason to be puffed up with perishing beauty that which must as certainly fade as the flower in the field You shall see another proud of his honorable Titles as he calls them and truly this is the emptiest of all bubbles it is but a breath it coste him but little that gives it hee wil spend as much breath upon the lowest subject that affords him matter of discourse these Titles are indeed the pleasing dreams of deluded fancies if put in one equall ballance and held by a steady hand Sir will weigh as heavy as your Honour But if honour be given where honour it due according to Gods rule in his word their honour is more then a title I but there it will be no subject of pride but humility for such as are honorable in spending and being spent for God and other true honour I know none such I say doe well know they have received all from his fulnesse which maketh them to differ from others and therefore their businesse is to lift up God and not themselves and if to glory to glory in the originall of their honour which is God himselfe Another it may be is proud of his wealth which he hath as he thinkes in his own hands more glittering clay then his poor neighbours have and therefore he thinkes himselfe great Lord of all and to be served and observed by all he forgets that it is uncertain riches which make themselves wings and flye away he remembers not the case of Job that was stript of all his great possessions in a few moments Sure I am such as are proud upon this account did never spiritually understand and consider the Apostles questions in this Scripture Who maketh thee to differ And what hast thou that thou hast not received Another man he is proud of his wit good language learning and good education I confesse these are very good when sanctified to such as attain them but exceedingly abused when they are made the subjects of pride thou canst not deny but these are received gifts and qualifications where then is the ground for pride why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received them Thy wit thus abused may justly be called home again and thou left a foole for thy paines Hee that is proud of his wit forfeits his wisdom is no better then a witty Foole in the eye of a humble wise man who justly counts him a Foole that is proud of his wit and parts because he that is truly wise is humbled by what he receives and not made proud by it This root of pride hath a numberlesse number of branches but this one Scripture cuts them all off and tells the proud man plainly You have nothing to be proud of whatever you have you have received and if you differ from others it is because you have received more then they It is reported of the Popish Religion that they hold ignorance to be the mother of Devotion I may truly say because I can make it good that ignorance is the mother of pride For whosoever is proud must needs be ignorant That what they have it is received Were this truth spiritually understood it would pluck the wings of pride and make the peacockes plume to fall to consider that he stands upon anothers legges sees with anothers eyes acts by anothers strength and is nothing but what he receives from a fountain which he cannot command and that is God who makes of all clay what he pleaseth and gives to all according to his own good pleasure The proud man is proud of his sinne for he hath nothing else of his own that which he pretends to he is debter for Having thus farre looked into the principles and summe of the practises of pride it will become wise Christians to improve what God discovers to us And first Me thinkes this should put an odious visage upon pride in the eyes of every understanding Christian and make the sinne to be abhorred where ever it is found and most of all in our own bosomes and practices For pride makes a man a foole what ever he thinkes himselfe in it he boasts of that which is not his own as though it were his owne and so no truly wise man will doe The folly of a proud man is to set up and advance himselfe when himselfe is nothing but an empty vessell to be full or empty as it pleaseth God I know no greater folly under Heaven then this The confused Chaos at the creation might have pretended to as good a title of glory in it selfe as proud man can doe if God withdraw himselfe and his gifts from man I know not what title to give that which is left but a scrap or peecemeale of the first Chaos and hath no more right to glory then the lump or heap of Confusion which it came from Pride in the heart doth not onely make a man to be a foolish man but it also makes him a wicked man if hee can but get power to shew himselfe in his owne colours this man will not stick to crucifie the lives liberties consciences and all that is indeed deare to others to make a Sacrifice for his lust of pride though he hath no power but what he hath received yet he hath so much cruelty as to make use
wil also glory through the free-grace of God in this that Christ is made his Righteousnesse and Justification so that hee stands compleate before God in him Free-grace made Christ sinne for me sayes this soule that I might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. last Jesus Christ in the designe of Gods free-grace hath borne sinne death hel law and curse for me that I am for ever acquitted from the condemning reigning or devouring power of any or of all these Now sayes this soule tel me you that understand Is nor this God of free-grace the only subject of a Saints glory Nay I wil tel you more God himselfe is the fulnesse of his peoples glory to all eternity hee lets the Worldlings for a little time to glut themselves with the World but himselfe is the free the full and eternal glory of his people in the Ages to come even to all eternity hee is filling his people with the exceeding riches of his grace and kindnesse in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.7 God doth to all eternity set open his bosom and not give to such as are heirs of himselfe flagons but oceans of love and glory It must needs be glory if it be Gods love Now this I and more then this more then eternity can tel is the free-grace of God therefore let him that glorieth glory in the Lord for he is God the only fountaine and fulnesse of free-grace But if any should object and say if grace be thus free in God to elect call justifie sanctifie and glorifie his people meerely of his free-grace why then did Christ take flesh and in the flesh satisfie the utmost of Gods justice for the sinnes of his people It seemes to appeare that God was satisfied in his justice he had the debt paid how then doe you make it grace To this I answer that in its proper place I shal make use of this argument to clear up the glory of God in the exactnesse of his justice but it doth no ways diminish the freeness of his grace to us for it is free-grace that made Christ to be the satisfaction of divine justice for our sinnes and that God satisfies his owne justice in himselfe doth no more make his grace not to be free then the making his Covenant in himselfe could keepe that from being free that justice is satisfied makes it ful redemption to us but that God doth it in Christ which is wholly out of our selves keeps it very exactly to bee the redemption of free-grace Wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Rom. 3.24 That God doth satisfie his justice in Christ it is that through him we might be made partake is of the redemption of his grace it is grace redeemes and just fies by Christ but Christ the gift of Gods grace cannot diminish his grace that which God gives his people through Christ though he satisfies his justice in the way yet he magnifies the freenesse of his grace in the work A third particular is this The riches of Gods mercy The Apostle Paul glories in God upon this very consideration in Ephes 2.4 But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith hee loved us and so forwards God to manifest his great love wherewith he loved his people bestowes on them the riches of his mercy namely his eternal love his free-grace his beloved Sonne and in him election calling justification sanctification and glorification and his holy spirit in these now this will be acknowledged to be rich mercy many doe pretend to be givers though they have nothing but what they first receive but none I am sure but blasphemers can pretend to be givers of such rich mercies as these God is the onely fountaine and giver of these more exceeding and eternall weights of glory Nay that which Worldlings make their God namely the World it was created by him and for him and though it be a curse to them that know no other God yet every piece and parcell of it sanctified is a blessing and a rich mercy of God to his chosen people love makes all conditions to be rich mercy of God to them It was a rich mercy to a darke world to say let there be light and it was so but then how rich is God in mercy when he makes known his eternall love and shines through the wounds of Christ by his owne spirit into a darke soule and bids the soule be of good cheere its sinnes are forgiven It stands compleat in Christ and is an heire of God a joynt-heire with Christ however men may slight the riches of these spiritual mercies whilst they are glutting their soules with the World yet let them remember the time is not farre off when death shall close their eyes and their soules sit upod their trembling lips and then a glimpse of a reconciled God in Christ will be found a rich mercy The Apostle cals the love of God heights and breadths depths and lengths of love Hee takes in all that hee could reckon up to shew the exceeding riches of it God is the fulnesse of glory and the fountaine of mercy therefore his mercies must needs be rich and full of glory So then as riches of mercy is a subject of glory let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. In the next place Consider the faithfulnesse of God in making good of his promises God is a free God in all his promises he onely ingages himselfe no soule can ingage God for to receive all from God and yet to oblige God is a contradiction the first is a truth of God what the latter is I leave the Reader to judge But as God is free in all his promises the whole workings of God in the world is an ample testimony to this truth and faithfulnesse of God but yet for more particular proofe take two or three Scriptures First Gods promises at the fault of the first Adam to give the Lord Jesus Christ the second Adam in Gen. 3.15 That the Seed of the Woman namely Christ should bruise the Serpents head This Serpent is the Devill Now to the making good of this promise the whole word of God and the salvation of his people is a full testimony For another great promise take that of Gods giving his Spirit to his people to teach them and to lead them into all truth and by which he doth write his Law in the hearts and inward parts of his people Jer. 31.33 John 14.26 Now how God doth make good this promise such as be truly spirituall can give in their testimony and I doubt not but God hath many thousand such witnesses in the world though such as know him not doe blaspheme and scoff at him in scoffing at his Spirit in his people yet Saints in truth will tell you that they in themselves are darknesse and God is onely light and it is the Spirit of God in them that is their light that they know
soule this day is so farre from administring feare in death to soules in Christ that it is the comfort in which those earthly tabernacles goe to the dust beleeving That what is sowne in corruption shall bee raised in incorruption what is sowne in dishonour shall be raised in glory and what in weaknesse shall be raised in power and though it be sowne a noturall body yet it shall bee raised a spirituall body 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. So that the feare of eternall death and judgement is wholy taken away from this naturall death where Christ hath taken away away the sting But secondly The men of the World will tell you they are afraid of death because it cuts them off from their Worldly delights they can finde no other fault with the World but that it perisheth coold they injoy it for ever though there be many bryers in this Wildernesse yet they could make their Canaan in it so that they might never be stripped of it but they know when death shall once close their eyes they must bid adue to all their Worldly delights never to see or enjoy them more and upon this consideration as well as the former death is the King of feares and 〈…〉 unto them But it is quite contrary with the soule in Christ he concludes if his hopes and comfort were onely in the World he were of all men most miserable hee blesseth God for every wildernesse mercy but he lives onely in God himselfe it is his joy to looke upon the World as perishing and his body a decaying for the top of his glory and the expectation of his soule is to be dissolved and to be with Christ he counts the worldlings choyce of mercy to be the greatest misery To be ever in the World would bee worse then ten thousand thousands of deaths to his body his pantings are to be absent from the body that he might be fully present with the Lord he doth acknowledge God to be glorious in his footstoole but as an heire of God he thirsts to be in the glory of his throne if you tell him of pleasure and delights in the World his answer is that communion with God is full of pleasure and delight where ever it be but sayes he the World cloudeth these joyes and eclipseth this communion therefore O that I were stript of this dying flesh that I might have full communion and fellowship with God in the spirit that I might drinke freely of the waters of life in the fountaine this soule reckons all the delights and pleasures of the world to be amongst the wise mans vanities and having tasted Christ the bread of life in his Fathers house and in him the love of his Fathers heart can neither feede upon nor delight in the empty buskes of this perishing World if any ambitious worldling telleth him it is very good to be honourable I sayes he If you meane that honour which floweth from being precious in the sight of God and having an interest in his love 43 Isay 4. He gives this one answer to the worldling in all his proposals of pleasure and beauty in this life sayes he God is the beauty of the whole creation as the originall fulnesse of it so that it wholy depends upon his will and that which is our glory is God himselfe who is the glory of Heaven and earth though the World withers yet he is for ever glorious and he is his peoples glory therefore the worldlings feare in death upon this account is not a Saints feare for his glory is out of the World even in God and his delight and affections are in things above not in things on the earth and that because He is risen with Christ his affections are risen before his body is dead the delight of his heart is in Heaven though the flesh of it be in his body 3 Col. 1 2. this soule is crucified with Christ to the World and the World to him 6 Gal. 14. so that neither his joyes nor his feares are with the worldling if death can onely strip him of the World he hath no cause to feare death nay death commeth too late in that for hee through Christ is dead to the World whilst he liveth and is above all the feares of death because his life is hid with Christ in God I but sayes the worldling I am afraid of death because it takes me from all my sweet relations here on earth I must dye to them and they to me it is true indeed but herein the beleeving soule is no looser he leaveth the drops of corrupted creatures love to be swallowed up into the Ocean of Gods power and eternall love he leaveth those broken Cisterns of love which in a little time would leave him and is taken up into the Father and fountaine of love in the glory of love and free grace for ever he now comes to taste love in the originall and readeth it as it was in the heart of God to him from eternity and shall be to eternity in the fulnesse of Gods love so full that there will not be the want of any sweet or relation for all will be made up in God there is no complaining in the streets of the new Jerusalem no want of relations God will be a Father Christ will be a husband Saints glorified our brethren Sisters and asociates to all eternity we shall want no relations in Heaven nor shall any relations there want perfection for all there shall be compleat in Christ and filled with the fulnesse of God we leave a World of wants and it is to possesse a Heaven of fulnesse and glory I but sayes a tender hearted Father or Mother will not my Children my little babes want me Truly no for your worke in the decree of Heaven is done before God suffers death to cut your thread of life and t is our unbeliefe that telleth us it were better either for us or ours that we had more work in the World then God hath appointed us had we more dayes we could not in them make a haire black or white we could not in our selves add that little to our little ones Our Fathers kindnesse will bee our Childrens comfort and hee liveth when wee are dead to them and alive with him the presence of God with our children will be their blessed portion though we be absent to beleeve in this his love and faithfulnesse will be a blessed rest to us and ours we shall leave them well in leaving them with God and need not feare the leaving them when we are going to God death in taking us from our children to carry us home to our Father will advantage us and not disadvantage ours for though he filleth us with all fulnesse of love and glory in Heaven yet he is neverthelesse full but can also fill our children on earth and such as taste of his love and grace have no cause to doubt of the freenesse and fulnesse thereof I but
sayes the flesh it may be of a Saint I am afraid of the paines of death in dying truly this is a feare of our owne creating for how many thousands goe out of the World when standers by can scarce tell whether they sleepe or dye but grant it that the paines of death be strong upon thy flesh yet take this with thee it is all the paines that ever thy flesh shall beare men to live a dying life are oftentimes content to have their limes cut from their bodies which I beleeve is far more paine to the body then when death cracks it to let out the soule but the gaine farre exceedeth thus is soule and body at ease both when the body is but the dying of one limbe a little before the rest of the body it is but the deferring of death and it may be many deaths assaults the body in that time this is but a bugbeare in the fancie to fright children not worth the nameing among Saints let God breake what he will when he will and how he will he makes all good againe to his people in himselfe it was Christs end in taking the sting from death not to leave any ground of feare for his people so that beleeving Saints through Christ may truly glory in and over death in all the feares of it Fourthly Believing Saints through Christ may glory over death in the manner of it Whether it be according to the termes we use for distinction either naturall or violent death yet to a Saint through Christ it is in both but death without a sting and that which our flesh cals the worst of these the violent death God hath and doth make to be the portion of many of his deare Saints the Prophets Apostles and those glorious primitive Christians did many if not most of them drinke of this cup and did it with so much joy in God that the Tyrants of those times were more unable to invent cruel deaths then they were to undergoe them and the reason is visible for though these deaths had the cruelty of man in them yet there was also the kindnesse of God in them Christ had taken away the sting of death which was sin and though men might adde to their cruelty yet they could put no sting into death The Martyrs of late times as Histories tels us have gone leaping and rejoycing to the stake being joyfull in the embracing of flames and as one said to his fellow Martyr Be of good cheere though our break-fast be sowre yet our supper will be sweete in Heaven As if hee had said though these flames brings smarts with them yet they will put an end to all smâ—rts this is all the sting that is in death and it will soon have an end we shall sup with our beloved Jesus and abide in that love for ever it is sin in death that makes it bitter what ever the manner be but if finne be taken away there is no sting in death let the manner be what it wil it is all one to a Saint where he meets with Death whether in the field or at home in his bed whether it takes him in his greatest streÌ„gth with his bones ful of marow in his dâ—câ—ying state when his eyes grow dimme and his other faculties faile he mindes not the manner of dying but the matter of death death is without a sting so that where when or how death comes into his bosome that is of little value with him he on 〈◊〉 this to find death a friend without its sting and then through Christ he glories in and over both matter and manner of death Fifthly A believing Saint through Christ may glory over death in the ends of it There is two maine ends in Death which is proper to Saints The first is to put an end to a dying life to finish that worke which begins so soone as wee begin to live in these bodies of clay man begins to dye so soon as he beginâ— to livâ— because the whole life is but a progresse of death or a dying life all the time we live we dye invisible and when we dye indeed it is but vâ—sible death that which we carry about with us in the world then appeares to carry us out of the world that which sleepes with us many a short sleepe now casteth us into one â—â—ng sleep this is properly the end of death in Saints to put an end to all dying for it is a reall truth though a mistery to the world that Saints dye whilst they live and live when they dye So that this end of death is a Saints glory not his griefe not what he feares but what he hopes for counting himselfe most miserable of all men if Deaths end were not to put an end to his dying life The other maine end in death is To plucke up the flowers of heaven that growes in the earth by the rootes that they may be planted in their owne kingdome and flourish there for ever I meane those precious souâ—es of Saints which are here enclosed in those earthly mâ—ulds of our bodies by which the beauty of those heavenly flâ—wers are exceedingly short of that glory they shall have with Christ above and doe many times taste and savour of the earth they grow in Christ is the proper roote of those branches and Heaven the only place for them to grow and flourish in Now death comes only to transplant them from Earth to Heaven to crrumble that clay into dust which holds these flowers of heaven so fast that they cannot get home into their owne kingdome Now a Saint may well glory over this end of Death for Death is herein the soules servant to have it home to glory and to unprison it from all the bonds it lyes under But lastly A believing Saint through Christ may glory over Death in its victory My meaning is the victory which Saints have over death death in the wil of God lays Saints to sleep in their corruptible bodies But Saints through their union with Christ rise againe that in incorruption though it goe to the dust corrupt and noisome clay in dishonour and in weaknesse like a natural body yet Christ will raise it againe a spirituall body full of power and glory There is no losse to Saints in dying no not to their corruptible flesh for that hath an interest in Christ and Christ having conquered death for his people though their bodies shal by death be sown in incorruption yet they shall not lye there for ever the grave shall have no vâ—ctory but shall give up its dead and such as rise in Christ shall rise as Christ spirituall bodyes though the Earth shall have leave to roote the corruption of the body of Saints yet Christ will preserve his interest and raise it as the fruit of his redemption resurrection even a spirituall body Death hath its office and the grave its proper worke but Christ hath the command of both when death