it and there is no redemption for such the redemption of the soul is precious Psal 49.8 and it ceaseth for ever Luk. 16.26 Mat. 16.26 no one can get over that great gulph that lies between heaven and hell neither can any price be found out to redeem a lost soul here is no Writ of Error can be had for the prisoner is laid in by an unerring Judge that cannot be deceived there is no Appeal to be made to any other Court for this iâ— the Supream where the Causes tried in all other Courts are called over again and fully determined and the Judge of all the earth will there do justice here can no force hinder the execution and free thee out of prison for thou hast an omnipotent God to grapple with see now what a rock of ruine thou hast run thy self upon what a remediless condition thou art plunged into for if thou deny the Lord that bought thee thou wilt run upon swift destruction and all the friends thou hast cannot help it Well but though the pains be sharp yet if they be but short here is some comfort there is some hope that an end will come though it be long first but alas this comfort here is dasht These torments are eternal as is already proved and shall never end in the pangs of death 'T is true there is hopes for though they are sharp they are momentany yet some Tyrants have kept men many daies in a dying life or living death Tiberius Caesar being petitioned by one to hasten his punishment and give him a speedy dispatch made him this answer Nondum tecum in gratiam redii Stay Sir you and I are not yet friends Such an answer will God give to a damned soul if it desire God to put an end to his torments by death those lingring deaths either inflicted by God or man though they seem long to sence yet what are they to eternity the word for ever will be a Hell in the midst of Hell for when the soul cryes out in anguish and bitterness of spirit How long Lord how long the conscience answers again Ever ever while God is God and Heaven is Heaven and Hell is Hell the miscarrying soul must remain fuel to maintain this fire that shall never go out To this second death the first is but a flea-biting this is Mors sine morte finis sine fine this is that which is call'd Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord where the poor soul must be tormented sine intervallo without ease or end for when the years of a thousand Generations are whirl'd about thy torments will be as fresh as the first day thou wast cast into them and not one farthing of the ten thousand Talents paid off nor one moment of eternity taken off Oh Eternity eternity how amazing art thou how shall we conceive of thee how shall we cast thee up Oh my soul if thou substract from eternity an hundred thousand millions of years the remainder will not be the less 't is infinite still for two finites cannot make an infinite for what is infinite is indivisible it cannot be made less should a poor creature upon the rack under exquisite tortures have his life prolonged for twenty years together without any intermission of pain we might well account him the most miserable man alive and whose heart would not ake for him but what is this to eternal torments and yet who pities them that are like to endure them nay who pities himself that lies under the danger if a man under some raging pain as of the Cholick Stone or Gout lie upon a Featherbed for many years in tormenting pain though he have friends to visit him meat and drink to support him and what comfort Nature or Art could help him to yet we look upon him as a spectacle of misery and one that deserves pity Job 9.14 to him saith Job that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friends But what is this to hell or what is a few years to eternity for in hell is no comfort no ease no refreshment neither any friend to pity nay if all the torments that ever poor creatures indured upon earth whether inflicted by God himself by man or by the Devil could all light upon one man and should lye under them for hunderds of years yet would it fall short for this would neither reach the pain nor reach the duration for when the miscarrying soul hath lain in hell as many years as there are grass piles upon the earth drops of water in the Ocean sands upon the sea shoar hairs on all the mens heads in the world and Stars in Heaven yet the hundred thousandth part of Eternity is not over Oh eternity how shall finite apprehensions conceive of thee how shall we number thee or find out what thou art we that live in time and have but a little time given us here cannot conceive of thee but by a long space of time as we cannot of Infinity of Essence but by a vast quantity we know God doth not number Eternity as we do Time one day is with him as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day For in eternity we need not trouble our selves to count the fleeting hours neither daies nor years for there is no Sun Moon or Stars to be set for times and seasons or for daies or for years but in hell is horrid darkness blackness of darkness for ever And whose heart may not tremble at the apprehension of it should all the Arithmeticians in the world joyn heart and hand and head and all to cast up the greatest summe possible that each one severally could reach and when this is done should add all these together into one summe yet it would fall short nay should the circumference of Heaven be written about with Arithmetical figures from east to west from north to south and all brought into one summe it would yet fall short for what is infinite cannot be diminished or increased such a summe added to it would not increase it such a summe substracted from it would not diminish it Oh my soul what think'st thou of it wilt thou venture upon the pikes of danger wilt thou deny the Lord that bought thee and the God that made thee to preserve a miserable life a little longer Thou seest thy wages and knowest thy reward hadst rather chuse everlasting damnation than a little temporal pain and rather thrust soul and body into eternal flames and suffer the vengeance of eternal fire rather then the pangs of a temporal death Oh what madness hath bewitched thee what folly haunts thee how doth the Devil and the world delude thee Thou that wouldst cut off a limb or joint to preserve the body from greater torture wilt not be willing to endure a little to preserve both body and soul from eternal ruine Heaven and Earth and all wise men may stand amazed at thy folly If thou turn
Moses shall come and bring it into the Heavenly Canaan and though Death in it self be a Punishment yea a curse threatned upon the fall and remains so still to wicked men to whom it is an inlet into eternal misery yet to the godly the curse is taken away by the death of Christ who for us was made a Curse and dyed that cursed death upon the Cross to take away the Malignity of it who by his death disarmed Death and took away his weapons wherein he trusted yea took away his sting that now thou maist put the Serpent into thy bosom and now Death is so far from putting an end to Believers happiness that it puts an end to their sorrows and is the very Gate to eternal Life and at the very stroak of Death in that moment of time their Joyes commence and their sorrows end death to the Wicked is a Pursivant sent from Hell to fetch them thither to the Godly a Messenger sent from their Father to bring them home 't is to the body but a quiet sleep free from hurtful dreams or fearful Visions The Grave is but a Bed of Roses perfumed by the Body of Christ a resting Chamber a Repository where God lays up his Jewels wherein thy dust will be kept as in a Cabinet and not one grain of it shall be lost Rev. 20.13 but the Earth the Sea the Grave and Hell shall then give up their dead and then both Body and Soul shall be received into the City of Pearl where no dirty Dog shall trample upon the Pavement when that Death hath done his Office the Angels shall do theirs and carry the Soul into Abrahams bosom and lodge it for ever in the arms of Christ and at the Resurrection when the Soul and Body shall be reunited they shall both be glorified for ever and freed from all mutation and change and all things else that may be called Evil when Death hath broken the Cage the Bird will be at liberty and sing sweetly when the prison Walls are pull'd down the prisoner will be free and is this that which thou fearest how many thousand deaths would a miscarrying Soul endure for Heaven at last yea if Eternity were spent in the continual feeling the very pangs of Death it would be much easier for a damned Soul if it felt no more than now it is and art thou so nice that thou canst not endure it for one Hour for one moment upon the promise of Eternal life Death brings in the Harvest of thy hopes the fruit of thy Prayers the reward of thy pains and of all the losses and sufferings thou hast had for Christ God is now sending for thee to make thee a King and wilt thou now withdraw thy self like Saul and hide thy self as he did when they sought him to make him King here lyes the perfection and end of thy Faith and of thy Hope the Salvation of thy Soul for these Graces as well as others are imperfect here here is the only place where happiness is to be had the only soil where hearts-ease grows and yet must God needs whip thee home or thou wilt not matter it well if now thou refuse to come at his call when thou call'st he may give thee no answer and when thou knockest he may not open but sure some root of bitterness lyes at the bottom either thou dost not believe there is such a happiness or that it is not thine or hast placed thine affections elsewhere and canst not remove them and made some other choice which thou wilt not leave Didst thou stedfastly believe that there was a reward for the Righteous and that thou art one of those that shall receive it how can this be reconciled with thy fears would any wise man take a great deal of pains for an Inheritance and then lose it all for want of taking possession thou hast in thy life-time 't is very like suffered a hundred times as much pain as thou art like to do at thy death and shall this dismay thee more than all the rest the day of Death is not so gloomy as 't is thought to be Solomon when he was upon his Throne in the midst of his Jollity commends his Cosfin Better saith he is the day of Death than the day wherein a man is born Eccles 7.1 Many of the wiser Heathens were of the same mind they wept and mourned at the birth of their Children to consider the troubles they were like to meet with in this troublesome World when they feasted and rejoyced at the death of their friends because their troubles were over and their rest was come and surely Believers have better ground of rejoycing than they had a more sure foundation for Faith and Hope to build upon Oh Death how pleasant is thy face to those acquainted with thee thou art black but comely to those that know thee thou art indeed attended with a little pain but with endless bliss the one makes makes thee feared the other beloved Oh my Soul let us draw a little nearer and take a more exact view of Death and see what is the worst hurt he can do us the best good he will bring us and compare the one with the other and compute the odds and see whether we can make a savers bargain of it and if so how little cause of fear we have It may be thou thinkest thou must part with all thy carnal Joys and worldly delights thy sensual pleasures thy merry Company and bid farewell to all thy merry meetings and pleasant Jokes with all thy Recreations Pastimes and pleasant Sports and be Buried in silence and laid in the dust and must bid thy pleasures adieu and poor Soul is this thy trouble and the cause of thy fear hast thou not better in exchange for them are there not more and more lasting Joyes in the presence of God Psal 16.11 Rivers of pleasures without bank or bottom at the right hand of God for evermore unknown Pleasures unseen Delights which no eye hath seen nor ear hath heard of neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of such as no stranger shall ever meddle with Pro. 5.14 and will not those make thee amends Let the Epicures of the Age that choose pleasures for their portion plead this argument let the Drunkard howl when the new Wine faileth Joel 1.5 or when the Cup is snatched from his mouth Alas thou hast met with little Joyes and those mixed and the greatest part Wormwood and Gall a litttle Honey and many Stings a little bitter-sweet pleasure that ends in pain yea short and transitory in the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is Heaviness but what are those to the Joyes unspeakable and full of Glory that is in Heaven 'T is true there are some that are the Sons and Daughters of pleasure Psal 73.5 That are not in trouble as other men neither are
those Mansions of glory prepared for them from the foundation of the world and though we are not capable of understanding what Heavens glory is in reality yet we have a Pisgah sight a glimpse of it in the Scripture we find among other places some description of it Revel 21. yet must we not imagine it set out to the full for words cannot express it neither can we apprehend it as it is we may rather speak what it is not than what it is as no humane language can express what God is no more can it what Heaven is or what are the Joyes thereof for how can a little Vessel comprehend all the water in the Ocean but by what falls under our senfes we must be lead to higher conceptions and by those things which we most highly prize we may consider of those that are beyond our estimation For as 't is described Rev. 21.15 c. 't is most glorious yet we must imagine 't is far more glorious than 't is described because our understanding cannot conceive of it as it is we find the Angel measuring this holy City the New Jerusalem and the length and breadth and height thereof were equal for each way it was twelve thousand furlongs which according to our measure is a thousand and five hundred miles the length breadth and heighth equal now if all the buildings in the world were measured I suppose they would not reach to this extent nor amount unto such a magnitude But we must imagine that this is the exact measure of this heavenly Jerusalem this seat of the blessed the Holy Ghost here gives us a figurative description as of the materials so of the extent and brings it in here as a spacious specious and glorious City according to our capacity for our shallow capacities cannot reach what it really is and most spacious it must needs be when so many miriads of inhabitants have their mansions prepared for them For thousand thousands minister to him Dan. 7.10 and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him Yea all the Saints that ever did live do live or shall live shall there inhabit or if we make another guess how spacious this Heaven of Heavens may be let us consider this terrestrial Globe is imagined to be above twenty two thousand miles in the circumference and from hence to the starry Region or Orb of the fixed Stars as our Astronomers and those that have taken most pains in those matters imagine there is above seventy four millions of miles and the circumference of that Orb must be above six times as much and the Emperial Heaven includes all the lower Orbs as the Scales of an Onion that outermost includes all the rest this is that spacious place where God manifests his glory to Angels and men where they trumpet out his praises here Christ is and where he is his servants shall be also hither it is that he is ascended to his Father Joh. 12.26 20.17 Lu. 23.43 and our Father and here the believing thief is with him in glory methinks a departing soul should rejoice to think that within a few dayes or hours it should be one of this heavenly quire with holy Angels and glorified Saints chaunting out the praises of the ever blessed God viewing his face and beholding his glory and lying in the arms of Christ Here is the desired port which a believer bends all his sails to and hither it is all winds blow him this is the point that his Needle toucht with a divine Load-stone alwayes points to this is the mark that alwayes is in his eye the white he alwaies aims at this is his Journeyes end which he travails hard to come to here is the prize he runs for the Crown â—e fights for and the Reward he hopes for here or no where his soul finds satisfaction here is his purchased Inheritance here is the place where he is to receive his wages for his work the reward of all his sufferings for Christ here is the end of all his labour and all his painful duties there is no need now of any more Preaching Praying Fasting or humbling duties there Humility and Self-denial will be no difficult work here will be a constant Feast a perpetual Sabbath a continual Jubilee where the holy Angels and glorified Saints shall for ever chaunt out the Praises of the ever-living God without weariness or Satiety now is the Harvest over the Tares burnt the Corn secured the Labourers call'd home to receive their Wages and the godly put into the possession of their prepared Mansions which shall be as Glorious as Spacious but when we come there we may say as the Queen of Sheba of Solomons Court and Wisdom Much we have heard but the one half was not told us yea a thousandth part of Heavens glory is not revealed to us How glorious doth one Sun make the morning but what will ten thousand yea thousand thousands of Saints and Angels shining more clear than the Sun make that day that shall never see night 'T is thought by some that were â—ll the Starres gathered and contracted into such Globes and set in the same Orb they would make three hundred Suns and should it be so yet would not the Glory of all these be like the splendor of Heaven Some have imagined that these celestial bodies dart their light upward as well as downward and so serve to beautify heaven it self as well as the earth but let 's leave this as uncertain or rather fabulous for the Scripture tells us There is no need of the Sun there for God himself is the light thereof Heaven will be glorious without them for there is no use for them nor need of them but we know not how better to conceive of Heavens glory than by such visible glory which falls under the sences for this City Jerusalem which is taken up into Heaven is further described to be made of the most glorious things the world affords as of Gold and Pearls and precious Stones not that 't is really made of such no this garbage of the Earth is too base materials for this Spiritual building but these things being most valued by man shadow out those glorious things which cannot be expressed or otherwise conceived of by man therefore the walls are said to be of Jasper and the City of pure Gold like unto Chrystal it had twelve Foundations of twelve Precious Stones the Gates thereof being twelve were twelve Pearls the Streets thereof were pure Gold Rev. 21.18 like to transparent Glass and there was no night there Oh how beautiful how amiable must this City needs be which yet as far transcends the description as the City here described doth our Country Villages the Holy Ghost descending as low as may be to our capacities when no word in humane language can fully express it and if it could no created understanding could reach it but seeing there is no earthly thing more glorious
that cannot be redeemed with the whole World 4 Direction The next thing I would advise you to which indeed is the chief of all is to get an Interest in Christ that so you may have a title to Glory for till this be had you cannot dye safely and till it be cleared up you cannot dye comfortably for who would leave a present Possession that hath no assurance of a future and when this is done Death will not be terrible But what can bear up the Soul against the pangs of Death if this be wanting Now the way to get an Interest in Christ is to espouse the Soul to him now there is nothing but Ignorance can stave off our affections from him ignotus nulla cupido The blind World can see no Excellency in him no need of him nor any use of him and therefore they have no love nor desire for him but all that know him will love him who prizeth a Physician that is not convinc'd of his skill and finds he hath a real need of him for who will take Physick before he be sick or minds a Plaister before he have a Sore But when the poor soul is convinced of her undone condition by Nature and that there is nothing in her or that can be done by her will serve turn for Salvation yea that help is not to be had in any Creature no not in the Angels themselves could she be Espoused to them for they cannot pay her debts nor secure the Soul in this desparing condition no wonder the Soul dreads death but when it knows withall that though there be an Emptiness in the Creature there is a Fulness in Christ and that he is fully able to make her eternally happy and that Christ doth make love to her and sends many Suitors in his behalf to woe for her affection and that he is the only suitable object in the world for her Affections and that he can make her happy when all the rest would leave her miserable I say under these convictions she begins to hearken to Christs proposals when she sees he is more useful than any other and will stand her in more stead both in Prosperity and Adversity in Health Sickness in Life and at Death when all other helps fail her While the world is lookt upon to be the best match Christ will not be valued till the cheat be found out for who will forsake the better to choose the worse but when they see Christ really better than the world they will then part with the world for him for who will stick at such a bargain when a man considers that the world can do him no good at Death or Judgment But Godliness hath the promise of this life 1 Tim. 4.8 and that to come and that it is profitable to all things Rom. 8.32 and that having Christ all shall be ours for if he spared not his own Son but freely delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things When the match is made up between Christ and the Soul all her Debts are made over to her Husband and he is touched also with the feeling of her Infirmities bears the heavier end of the Cross and in all her afflictions he is afflicted Isa 63.9 and he makes over all his riches to her his Merits his Righteousness his Spirit his Graces and his Glory Plal. 34.10 he hath promised she shall want nothing that is good and that he will never leave her nor forsake her Rom. 8.28 and that all things shall work together for her good Now whatever he hath promised he can make it good for he is both Omnipotent and Omniscient and he will make it good for he is Faithfull and the Experience of five thousand years prove it in all which time no man could stand forth and say This Promise God hath failed in the world yields us some little comfort if God give it a Commission but Christ is all and in all all the excellency that is in the Creature is but as a Vein to lead us to this Mine as a drop of this Ocean and as a ray of this Sun whatever our condition be he can help us if the Soul be sick he is her Physician and all others are Physicians of no value if wounded he hath a Plaister of his own Blood to cure her if she hunger here is food the Bread of life and the Water of life his flesh is meat indeed and his blood drink indeed If she be Poor and Blind and Miserable and Naked he can make supplies here is a Treasure to enrich her a Pearl of great price and spiritual Eye-salve to make her see if she have Enemies he is her Champion that can overcome the Devil and all his Instruments and none can hurt her but through his sides In a word she can want nothing when her Lord and Husband possesses all things the Cattle of a thousand hills are his yea all the beasts of the Forrest with his own Robes he arrayes her and with the Jewels of his Grace he adorns her with his Spirit he directs her and if heavy laden bears her burden if she be weary he is her resting place and hath promised never to leave her nor forsake her Heb. 13.5 and then no matter what others do These promises the Soul may press home by Prayer as Jacob did in a great danger Gen. 32.9 Lord thou saidst thou wouldst do me good and this was as good as present pay for God loves to be bound by his word and to be sued upon his own bond Prayer is a putting the Promises in Suit God can no more deny such Prayers than he can deny himself what need the Soul to fear when Gods Word is out upon it That all things shall work together for her good and if all things then Afflictions nay Sin it self Seneca Venenum aliquando pro remedio fuit saith a Heathen 'T is said that to drink of the Wine wherein a Viper hath been drowned cureth the Leprosie and the Scorpion healeth his own wound the flesh of the Viper cureth the biting of the Viper and so God sometimes cureth us by the wound Sin gives us we usually say The act increaseth the habit but 't is not so here for the believer is like a Sheep that by his fall into the mire is warned to take better heed Now look over all the World and see if you can find such a match for the Soul whether any Creature in Heaven or Earth hath deserved thy Affections better than he or hath done more or will do more than Jesus Christ that is a greater Benefactor than he and hath bestowed better Gifts whether any other can pay thy Debts or make preparation for the Eternal well-being of the Soul and if he prove the fittest Match stand not upon Terms with him think not to alter his Conditions or make him abate of his Price he expects
can do The Pharisees could fast Mat. 6.1 2. and pray and give Alms and what dost thou more The Apostle tells believers that to them it is given not only to believe on Christ Phil. 1.29 but to suffer for his sake and how wilt thou prove thy self a Believer if thou refuse to suffer Wouldst thou receive a Souldiers wages and not do his work wilt thou list thy self and indent with thy Captain that thou wilt not fight are all thy graces counterfeit if not why are they not reduced into act will the Sword in the scabbard secure thee why dost not finish thy course with joy that a Crown of life may be laid up for thee must God save thee whether thou wilt or no and pluck thee hence by violence to receive thy Reward or if he will not he may keep Heaven to himself for thee Doth thy faith and thy other graces now stand thee in no stead hast thou no Oyl when the Bridegroom comes or if thou hast dost thou refuse to enter to what end then serves thy Lamp what mattereth it for a Wedding-garment if when thou art invited to the Feast thou refusest to come Hast thou no Armour on when thou art cal'd to fight and thy enemy is in the field or wilt thou cowardly turn thy back and fly or suffer thy self to be captivated and inslaved hast thou no Armour to defend thy heart is no Cordial to keep thee from fainting to be found in God no promise in his Word which may be a foundation of comfort what then is the difference between thee and the Epicure nay his condition is much better he hath something that he calls Pleasure to solace himself with Are these anxious thoughts and fears suitable to a Christian to a Minister to one that hath made Forty years profession of Religion hast thou in all this time made no increase of thy Grace no improvement of thy Talent hast not yet learnt self-denyall which is the first lesson in the School of Christ and is it not yet taken out hast not yet attained the lowest measure of true grace to hate Father and Mother Wife and Children and thy own Life for him without which thou canst not be his disciple Is it suitable for a child of God to turn his back upon his Father when he calls him and like guilty Adam hide himself is it suitable for the Spouse of Christ to deny to come when her Husband sends for her Art thou yet unresolved whether Christ or Life be the sweeter whether Heaven or Earth be the better or whether the Creature or the Creator be to be chosen If so never call thy self a Christian more never dishonour Christ more by thy profession Was ever Heir afraid of receiving his Inheritance yet this is thy condition thou rather choosest a miserable life attended with eares and fears with griefs and sorrows rather than to dye and come to Christ Thou hast devoted thy self to him as a Spouse to her husband and hast formerly gloried in thy choice and art now afraid of the time when the marriage shall be consummate and thou shalt be lodg'd in his bosom if so 't is no wonder if he give thee a bill of Divorce and put thee away and what Condition art thou then in where wilt thou find such another Match nay there is no other in Heaven or Earth that can boot thy needs pay thy debts and save thy soul the Angels themselves cannot do it Esth 1.10 c. If Vasti the Queen were put away for refusing to come at her Husbands call much more dost thou deserve a Divorce if thou refuse to come at Christs call If thou go to him thou leavest a vain sinful miserable and treacherous world which hath laid many a snare in thy way and more will do if thou live in it longer and dost grieve at parting and put it upon the debate whether it be best to go or no and art ready to pass sentence in the Negative art afraid of being put above all fear and dread and wilt not go to Heaven because the way is not strewed with roses or because 't is a little up the hill thou hast but one stile to thy Fathers house if thy Breakfast be bad thy Dinner will make amends Are the suares which the Devil the world and the flesh have laid for thee so strong and thy Faith so weak that thou art now leaving God and choosing something else for thy portion and that thou art detained in this Harlots arms when thine own husband calls thee Art thou willing to lose all the pains thou hast taken in Heavens way rather than go one step more hast ascended all the steps of Jacobs ladder but one till thy head be in Heaven and art now returning down again because 't is a little more difficult than the rest wilt thou now take up with these things for thy portion and art busily seeking after content in them in which thou couldst never find satisfaction in thy life hast exercised so much self-denial for Christ hast thou forsaken Father and Mother Wife and Children Brothers and Sisters yea thy Estate in the world and exposed thy self to want and penury to labour and travel to scoffs and scorns yea to persecutions and trials and now wilt break with Christ for a trifle and lose the reward of what thou hast done wilt thou now prefer thy life before him that is Life it self hast thou bid so much for Christ and now dost stick at the price if thou now forsake him all is lost that thou hast paid But what cause hath God given to forsake him hath he ever failed of his word hath he imposed upon thee or foisted in any condition in the Covenant that was not mutually agreed upon if not what makes thee boggle at it if Religion were not good why didst thou profess it if it be why dost leave it if Heaven be not worth what thou must pay for it why didst not consider of it before and if it be why dost stick at the rates or dost thou think that God will amend thy bargain and let thee have it at Cheaper rates If these be thy thoughts thou art much mistaken Mat. 13.45 if thou wilt have the Pearl thou must sell all to purchase it 't is thy self and all thou hast that is the price he sets upon Christ and Heaven and Glory If thou think him not worth it thou maist let him alone and no harm done but assure thy self there is no indenting with Christ This I will do and that I will not this sin I will leave but not that thou must not like Naaman the Assyrian expect a toleration in any sin or in the neglect of any duty Well whatever thy thoughts be God will not abate one farthing Gal. 6.7.8 If thou sowest to the flesh thou wilt of the flesh reap corruption if thou sowest to the Spirit thou wilt of the Spirit reap life
Jonah out of the Whales Belly or Joseph or Jeremy or Paul or Silas or Peter to come out of Prison when the time of deliverance came was ever fick man afraid of Health or Lame man of being restored to his Limbs or a Blind man of being recovered to his sight was ever Hungry man afraid of his meat or thirsty man unwilling to drink or weary man unwilling to rest or was ever Turkish Slave unwilling to leave his Oars or enjoy his freedom yet have none of these so much cause to rejoyce in their freedom as the poor Soul hath in the freedom purchased by Christ and to be enjoyed at death Doth not the Husbandman long for the Harvest when he shall receive the fruits of the Field the reward of his labour doth not the Souldier long for the Victory when he shall receive the Crown doth not the Traveller desire his Journeys end and the Mariner his wished Port and the Labourer for the Sun-setting when his work is done and his wages is due and wilt thou only be afraid of the time when thy misery shall end and thy Joyes commence and all because there is a little dirty though not dangerous way to pass though there be an eternal reward for a temporal yea momentany Pain yea a thousand weight of pleasure for an ounce of grief Oh foolish Soul hast thou fought the fight and won the day and is it but stooping down and take up the Crown and wilt not be at so much pains Is there but one stile more to thy Fathers house and wilt thou sit down here and go no further but one hour between thee and Glory and hast thou spent so many years in reference to it and now wilt not add that hour to the rest hast thou almost run the race and shall one Lake in the way make thee to retire when the end is in sight hast subdued all the Enemies but one and is he disarmed also and lyes prostrate at thy feet and yet faintest and forsakest the Field dost thou fly from the Serpent when the sting is out hast thou vanquished the Flesh the World and the Devil and yet fearest Death which is a reconciled Friend hast thou overcome him that hath the power of Death and fearest thou Death it self Hast thou overcome the substance and dost quake at the shadow many thousand lose their Lives upon lower ends and venture them for a lower reward than here is propounded some for vain glory others for a corruptible Crown and wilt not venture thy life for Eternal glory and to secure thy Soul some venture Life and Soul and all in a Whores Quarrel or a Drunkards fray and wilt thou not in the cause of God and vindication of the truth and that when thy Captain stands by thee are the Gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem open and wilt not enter wilt lose all rather than strike one stroak more O my God let not the Flesh the World nor the Devil deceive me let me not faint under the burden nor ever turn my back upon thee Lord strengthen me and I will suffer for thee MEDITAT VI. What hurt can Death do a Believer OH my Soul what makes thee yet draw back are not all these foregoing considerations enough to satisfie thee but yet the thoughts of Death do appale thee and the thoughts of the Grave make thee to shiver heretofore thou hast even courted Death and solaced thy self with the Meditation of the Grave and the forethought of the time when Sin and Sorrow should be no more and now dost quake at the apprehension of it and art frighted at his grim countenance Consider a little what he is whence he comes and what message he brings and then see if he be so formidable as he seems he is but a Messenger and comes not upon his own errand neither runs he before he be sent he comes not from an Enemy but a friend yea from one that loves thee yea from that friend that sent Jesus Christ to dye for thee and the same love is exercised in the one as in the other he sent first to purchase an Inheritance for thee and now sends to thee to receive it He comes to tell thee the Great King of Heaven and Earth Greets thee and invites thee to the Marriage Feast to the Wedding Supper to drink Wine with Christ in his Fathers Court he comes to tell thee thou hast fought the good fight thou hast finisht thy course and from henceforth is laid up for thee a Crown of righteousness which Christ the Righteous Judge shall give thee at the last day that thou hast been faithfull over a few things and shalt be Ruler over many things and shalt enter into thy Masters Joy He comes to tell thee thou art at Age and must receive thine Inheritance that thou hast been long enough tossed to and fro upon the Waves of trouble and now must enter into the desired Port that thou hast long enough fed upon husks and now must come to thy Fathers house where there is bread enough and to spare he comes to tell thee thy Warfare is accomplished the race is run the prize is won and from henceforth the Crown of Glory is thine own and what hurt is in all this or why is such a Messenger to be feared he comes not as haply thou mayst suppose to break thy peace with thy God no but to make an everlasting peace which shall never be broken to assure thee God and thy departing Soul are at peace and all controversies are ended and that thou shalt never more see one frown in the face of God nor one wrinkle in his forehead he comes not for thy hurt but thy good not to hinder thy promotion but to promote it not to destroy thy body but only sow it in the Earth that it may spring forth a glorious body that corruption may put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15.55 and the mortal may put on immortality that Death may be swallowed up of Victory He comes not to make thee miserable Rev. 14.13 but happy Blâ—ssed are the Dead which dye in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their works follow them He comes not to separate thee from God this he cannot do For neither Death Rom. 8.28.29 nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. No Death brings us into a nearer Union and more close Communion 'T is not come to make void the Covenant with God but to make it good for God hath promised in the Covenant to give Christ and Heaven and Glory to thee and how can this be made good till Death and though the body lye for a season in the Grave as Israel did in Egypt after Gods Covenant with Abraham yet shortly Death like
bestowed upon wicked men will off also If thy Name be written in the Book of Life it matters not much if it be blotted out of the world if God remember thee it matters not much though the world forget thee What though the Habitation wherein thou livest know thee no more if thou art acquainted in Heaven it matters not much though haply the place may be recorded for thy sake Psal 87.4 5 6. For of Zion it shall be said this or that man was born in her and the Highest himself shall establish her the Lord shall count when he writeth up his people that this man was born there What matter is it to thee where thou wast born if now thou hast a better habitation thou hast never had any abiding place since thou wast born but posted from one place to another by an over-ruling Providence and never in any long settled Habitation having above twenty times changed thy dwelling many times against thy will and most times by an unexpected Providence And sometimes when thou hast pitcht thy Tent and said Surely I shall dye here Numb 10.12 the Cloud hath removed and thou hast been forced to march some Providence or other gave a check to thy conceits and if thou live longer thy future condition is not like to be more settled thou hast been a wayfaring man all thy dayes even from the Morning of thy Life and so thou art like to be till thy Sun be set And for some season thy own house would not own thee thy own doors were shut against thee and thy nearest Relations durst not entertain thee though no flagitious crime was charged upon thee Many a place that did know thee is now strange to thee and thou art a stranger to it and if this become strange also 't is no great matter If thou art of a Peasant made a Prince and from a Countrey Cottage brought into the possession of a Kingdom never complain what wrong death hath done thee Or is it thy work thou art so unwilling to leave or art thou ready to say Alas what will become of these poor Sheep in the Wilderness 1 Sam. 17.28 if the Shepherd be smitten they will be scattered 't is well if there be so much care of them Paul indeed having the care of all the Churches upon him was driven into a streight whether to choose Life or Death yet to dye he knew was best for him but to live for them but I fear there are few like-minded that naturally care for the Church for all seek their own not one anothers welfare but the argument may be retorted If thou which hast been a Shepherd fly when thou seest the Wolf coming how shall the Sheep stand if thou turn thy back upon Christ and rather deny him than suffer for him what woful work will this make among the Sheep if thou refuse to seal thy Doctrine with thy blood what encouragement shall they have to own their profession to the Death when the Captains run what havock will the enemy make among the Souldiers but what will thy Life add to any mans happiness or thy Death diminish from thy own If the chief Husbandman take thee out of the Vineyard 't is but to make room for other Labourers for his work shall not stand if he stop thy mouth he will open the mouths of others his work shall be done whether thou live or dye Thou art almost laid aside as a broken Vessel and if he break thee quite the matter is not much there will be little loss And if thou live thou art in a capacity of doing little good but if thy Sun set at Noon God will not diminish thy wages Luk. 9.62 if he take the Plough out of thy hand he will not blame thee for looking back those that workt but one hour in the Vineyard had their penny but thy Sun is almost set the shadows of the Evening are stretched out Jer. 6.4 and Nature it self will shortly end thy dayes and cut off the thred of thy life if thou shouldst spin it to the utmost extent and yet art so loth to have it broke off a little before the time if thou hast imployed thy Talent well God will not chide thee that thou hadst it no longer he doth not require so much use for the half-year as for the whole nor so much work to be done in the half as in the whole day in the Vineyard If he call thee hence to serve him elsewhere he expects thou shouldst obey for thy praises in Heaven are as pleasant to him as thy Preaching upon Earth and for the Church of God take no care he that hath made provision for it this five thousand years he will not leave it now and can do his work without thee and if God take away thy life he will take away thy work and lay thy burden upon others shoulders The same stroak that lets out thy life le ts out thy sin and sin being gone the consequents fruits and effects of it cease also which are labour and sorrow Job 3.17 18. and in the grave the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary are at rest Death may be sweet to those to whom Life hath been bitter and though death may destroy thy Body yet shall it have no dominion over thy Soul Eccles 12.7 the Spirit returns to God that gave it The body is but a crazie Pitcher and no wonder if it break nay 't is a wonder it hath run through so many dangers and is not yet broken and when it is broken 't is but of the same Clay to make a better by the same Potter Thy life is precious indeed and should not be sold but not so precious as to be bought at such a rate as the loss of the Soul What wise man will sell the Jewel to redeem the Box Christ lost his life for thy Souls redemption and wilt thou not lose thine for its preservation Temporal death is the only in-let to Eternal Life but to seek to save thy Life when Christ and his Cause require it is the ready way to eternal death to lose it in this case is to save it and the way to get the greatest gain and to prevent the everlasting separation of soul and body from God which is the second Death But Death of it self cannot seperate from God Rom. 8.28 29. and however it may make the body loathsom in the eyes of men and undesirable to near Relations yet it cannot make it unlovely in Gods eyes or move him to forsake it and though it do fall into the earth and rot there 't is but as seed sown into the ground to spring up with more advantage it is a part of Christs Purchase and shall not be lost 1 Cor. 6.19 't is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and though it be ruined 't is but to be rebuilt and not one pin of it shall be wanting for the Grave
the Sea and Hell must give up their dead and though worms may feed upon thy body yet thou shalt neither feel nor fear them Psal 22.6 and why shouldst thou disdain thy fellow-creatures seeing man in Scripture account is but a Worm Job 25.6 those cannot devour the body so as to hide it from God neither can they make it loathsom to God When a house is pull'd down it seems a ruinous heap but many times 't is in order to rebuilding and then 't is more glorious But if it be the pain of dying that doth affright thee and I know not what else it can be consider there is very little cause for it for we may daily see that many die and depart the world without any shew of sensible pain and depart in peace nay as in a sleep sometimes in a swoun without motion or appearance of pain and art afraid of that which even sucking Children undergoe and which all the world have or must endure and were it painfull wouldst thou grutch to bear an hours pain for Eternal Glory who usually sufferest as much pain for a meaner reward If thy dinner be sharp thy Supper will be sweet Thou wilt take pains for profit and suffer much for ease Oh my God did my dear Redeemer suffer such a shameful death for me to make me happy and shall I lose this happiness rather than go to enjoy it God forbid Lord give me in requisite qualifications and then call for me when and how thou pleasest yet Lord let me not dye unprepared and lose both my Life and Soul together MEDITAT VII Martyrdom not hurtful to a Christian OH my Soul what is it that thou dost boggle at Death thou hearest can do thee no hurt why then dost thou fear it O! but 't is a violent death thou fearest were it but a natural death thou couldst submit to it but to fall into the hands of the uncircumcised into the hand of bloody and deceitful men whose loving kindness is cruelty this thou canst not willingly bear all Death offers violence to nature and to be willing to dye by thy Enemies hand thou art not prest to use all unlawful means to escape but no means but what is lawful thou must be willing to submit to God and when he manifests this to be his will thou must chearfully suffer it but I fear this is but a Fig-leaf to cover a little Faith well let us argue the case To dye thou seemest willing but thou must choose thy death and God must have no hand in the business thou wouldst go to him but he must not send for thee especially by such a messenger thou likest not of This is Childrens play they would do any thing but what they are bid do go any whither but to School learn in any Book but their own But dost really think that thou art fitter to determine the circumstances of thy Death than God the time when the place where and the manner how or will God accept of thee for a Councellor in this case and what difference is there between the one and the other one stops thy breath and so will the other one sets an end to thy temporal being and so doth the other the consequences are the same and the pains of the natural death may be as great or greater than the other wouldst thou choose some violent distemper some raging disease some violent pain to end thy life Nay this thou likest not neither hadst thou the Stone the Strangury the Collick the Gout c. this might make thee live a dying life and make thee weary of thy life and with Job choose strangling rather than life and hadst rather endure this than a few minutes pain from the hands of man I fear this excuse is but to prolong thy time but buy not time at so dear a rate thou seemest careful not to come to Heaven too soon nor honour God too much by thy Death but take heed of wringing thy life out of his hands dye thou wilt thou sayest but it must be when thou caust live no longer and then no thanks to thee patience perforce is a Medicine for a mad Dog doth not Death whether by a Disease by the Sword or at the Stake signifie much the same thing as to the consequents of Death only the latter if it be in the cause of Christ speaks thee more a Christian and entitles thee to a Crown of Martyrdom and will encrease thy happiness Death at which door soever it comes in separates between the Body and the Soul but happily thou maist live a little longer by refusing to dye for Christ but will not a years enjoyment of God in Glory be as delightful to thee as a year longer spent upon the Earth and perhaps if the one be sooner than the other it may be with as little pain But suppose God should give thee thy choice either to dye a natural Death the next year or to dye by an enemies hand seven year after which wouldst thou choose I suppose thou wouldst seal to the longer Lease If so 't is not a violent death thou fearest so much as a short life but if this be thy fear to dye too soon God may send thee a languishing life and make thee long for death Job 3.21 22. and dig for it as for Silver and rejoyce exceedingly when thou canst find the grave But then 't is no thanks to thee to dye when thou canst live no longer or only desire death to be rid of thy pain and sometimes God punisheth an immoderate desire of life by imbittering their life to them and so makes them say as Job Troublesome nights are appointed to me If thou wilt willingly resign thy Life to God and leave it to his dispose thou wilt not make a losers bargain haply he may rescue it out of the Enemies hand however he will not be long in thy debt but for a temporal Life will give thee that which is Eternal which will be a thousand fold better Ignatius knew it when he said Burning hanging tearing my flesh in pieces with wild horses tantummodo ut Jesum nanciscar only let me enjoy Christ and was afraid left his friends should prevent his Martyrdom by their Prayers Seeing thy body must be reduced to dust 't is no matter whether it rot above ground or in it no matter whether thou be burnt to ashes or moulder to dust God will not lose one grain of thy dust Kill me they may saith the Martyr hurt me they cannot the worst they can do is but to send me to my Fathers house the sooner The love of Christ in the Martyrs was hotter than the Flames they burnt in and much allayed the heat of the Fire that some of them felt little or no pain O ye Papists saith one ye look for a miracle behold a miracle for in this fire I feel no pain it is to me as a bed of Roses They went as readily to
of good Christians have suffered death under this pretence For a good work said the Jewes we stone thee not but for blasphemy This sect is every where spoken against And after the way which men call heresie saith the Apostle so worship I the God of my Fathers There 's none that persecute the Saints as Saints but as Offenders no man will put an innocent man to death under that notion the Devil hath taught them their lesson better than so Job is not punisht as a righteous man but a hypocrite that served God for gain and if God restrained his wages he would curse God to his face Daniel must be cast into the Lions den and the three children into the fiery furnace for breaking the Kings Laws and the Jews put all to death in Hamans time being against the Kings profit He that would kill a dog saith the proverb must say he was mad But these aspersions are not inconsistent with eternal salvation 'T is true thou art a great offender against God and so deservest death but thou art not like to suffer upon this account greater offenders escape safe but thy fault is that thou wilt not betray the Truth thou wilt not worship God according to mens Inventions thou wilt not bow down to their Idols who set up their Dagon by the Ark these things are most like to lay thee open to sufferings rather than Atheism debauchery or open prophaness But if it be thus thou art not the first innocent person that hath been oppressed in judgment neither art thou like to be the last Eccle. 7.15 't is no strange thing to see a righteous man perish in his righteousness but thy innocent blood if shed will like the blood of Abel cry from the earth for revenge and do them more hurâ— thau the stroak of death can do to thee and thy cause will be cal'd over again and tryed at another Barr and if maintaining the Truth and keeping a good conscience and standing close to thâ— cause of Christ be the cause of thâ— sufferings fear not thou shalt hereater be acquitted when thine enemies shall be condemned and Heresie then will be otherwise defined than now they do Oh my God I see death cannot hurt me my enemies cannot hinder my happiness if my own deceitful heart do not deceive me Lord leave me not to my self for then I shall miscarry Lord through thy strength I shall be strong and if thou leave I can do nothing Lord qualifie me fit for suffering and death and then command what thou wilt MEDITAT VIII The Miseries Death frees us from OH my Soul what saist thou yet wilt thou submit to God even to the death and leave it to Gods dispose what death thou shalt dye whether a natural death or a violent thou seest neither can hurt thee if thou be prepared either will undo thee if thou be not and therefore thou needst not to fear it nay it will do thee much good and therefore thou maist desire it with submission to thy Makers will thou maist sing with Paul that Swan-like song Cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all There are three things especially which make thy life uncomfortable to thee and that is Sin Sorrow and Temptations and from those or either of those thou canst never be freed by any but death sin is the cause of misery and temptations the cause of sin while thou art in the world thou art under the tyranny of sin and while sin lives sorrow never dies for afflictions follow sin as the shadow doth the substance or the effect the cause and while there is a Devil in hell and thou be on earth thou canst never be free from his assaults 'T is true in the Creation the soul was made innocent and the body spotless but by the Devils instigations Man lost his integrity sinned against God and so lost his Image and in the room of Original righteousness stamped upon his soul he hath Original sin so that thy whole man soul and body is polluted and that in all the powers and faculties of the soul and the body is become the instrument to act the sâ—â—s the soul conceives thou broughtest a poysonful Nature with thee into the world which thou canst not be stript of while thou art in the world yea before thou couldst sin thou wast sinful and before thou couldst act reason thou wast guilty of Treason against thy God thou broughtest the spawn of all sin with thee as a Wolf brings his wolvish nature into the world or a Toad or Serpent a noxious quality though when young they cannot reduce it into act Corruption hath naturally a seat in the soul from within come murders adulteries c. It possesseth the noblest powers and faculties of it Now a Swine in the Garden is not seemly much less in the Parlour or the Bed-chamber it takes up its residence in the heart which is the room wherein Christ himself should lodge This original corruption with which thou art tainted is virtually every sin for it is the Spawn of it there is no sin acted but the seed of it lyes here and hence it is thou art so disposed to evil and so averse from good there is no sin so bad but thou hast an inclination to it if this seed be watered with a temptation if the restraining or Sanctifying grace of God prevent not and no duty so good but this sets thy heart against it the very Praising of God that Angelical duty is opposed by this original sin This sin of Nature this original corruption is universal and that makes it much worse universal in respect of Time even from the fall to the end of the world no day free from this sin some sin reigns most in some Ages this in every Age. Also in respect of Persons no meer man was ever free since the fall no son of Adam or daughter of Eve other sins some persons may be and are little infected with but this all stand infected with And in respect of Parts 't is universal also no power of the soul no member of the body free from it and 't is continual and perpetual without any Intermission thou canst not leave it behind in one duty 'T is said that some Serpents when they go to drink lay by their poyson as also when they go to generate This I know not but this I am sure of thou canst not lay aside thy sinful nature yea when thou makest thy Addresses to God himself thou mayst haply lay aside the acting of sin but not being sinful for couldst thou leave thy sin behind thee thou mightest have more sweet communion with thy God in one Duty than now thou canst have in all thy duties for 't is sin that stains all thy duties and makes them signifie little to thee and wert thou not in Christ God would hate them and throw them back into thy face with disdain 't is
in riches sometimes in one thing sometimes in another as may most suit with thy inclinations sometimes the world smiles upon thee and so seeks to ensnare thee by her Syren song Sometimes she frowns upon thee to make thee despond and sometimes threatens thee to drive thee from thy duty and thy own heart is the most treacherous enemy ready to open and to let them in Now in this desperate danger who is it can live delightfully who is it can delight in such a Neighbourhood when the most righteous is a thorn and the most upright is as a thorny hedge Can any wise man delight to live among such mortal enemies whom nothing will satisfy but the souls ruine canst contentedly suffer atheistical thoughts darted into thy soul concerning God under-valuing thoughts of Christ of Scripture of divine Providence c. If thou give them no entertainment they must needs be thy trouble but the danger is if the Devil find thee unarmed and so thou close with his temptations Is it not much better for thee to be where the Devil the world and the flesh cannot reach thee and shall never more molest thee now this is in Heaven for he is cast out thence and his place is no more found thou maist bid them defiance for they cannot reach thee now when death comes thy victory is won the battel is over and the Crown is thine and the enemy will quit the field Now thy life is tormenting by reason of sin and the consequent of sin and 't is no small mercy to be delivered from the danger which while thou art on this side Heaven thou canst not be and then there shall be no corruption within and so no danger of temptation without the Devil himself as well as sin is there cast out and his place is found no more there here he is alwaies casting floods out of his mouth to drown the woman and though he cannot drown the Church he may affright her Christ that Man-child was not free from his temptations though he was well able to resist them but he layes many a stumbling-block in thy way and many times thou hast stumbled at them and much ado thou hast had to keep on in that path which is called holy that narrow path that leadeth unto life many times thou treadest beside it sometimes on the right hand and sometimes on the left and 't is well if at last thou thred the narrow and strait gate which thou art not like to do if thou deny Christ to save thy life thou canst not open thy eyes but the Devil presents some object or other to divert thy mind he fits his baits according to mens dispositions he baits his hooks to take the wanton with a beautiful harlot he hath a Bathshebah for David a wedge of Gold for Achan a Companion for the Drunkard one vanity or other draws away the heart from God as the Indians are inticed with Feathers and Shells and other Gewgaws to part with their more rich Merchandize Job 31.1 Well may Job make a covenant with his eyes not to look upon a maid for by looking many times comes lusting and if thou open thy ears thou let'st in some sin or sorrow to the heart for either thou wilt hear something that may excite some lust or other pride passion covetousness uncleanness c. or thou wilt hear swearing ribald talking lying slandering or such like which may provoke thee to indignation or sorrow and thy other senses also are Floodgates to let in sin or sorrow yea 't is much adoe to use lawful things lawfully thy table thy meat and thy drink the cloaths thou wearest the house thou livest in the means thou enjoyest all become snares and every sense becomes a caterer for the flesh latet anguis in herbas danger lies in all these and poyson is mixt with all our dainties and hadst thou more the danger would be more for the Devil will use his utmost endeavour to make it all to be Fuel for pride or lust or some other filthy vice he can bait his hooks and that to purpose with any thing lawful or unlawful licitis perimus omnes for if he can perswade us either to use unlawful things or lawful things in an unlawful way he hath his desire and we are taken in his snares but when thou comest to Heaven thou art freed from all these Temptations Well may he bark at thee as a Dog barks at the Moon but cannot reach thee or pull thee out of thy Orb he may shake his Chain but he can neither hurt thee nor fright thee And thus thou seest Death cannot hurt but will much advantage thee it will free thee from thy sin and from thy sorrow and put thee out of the reach of all thine Enemies for neither the Devil nor his Instruments can then do thee hurt thou art set out of the reach of wicked men as Lazarus was out of the reach of Dives What sayest thou wilt yield to go when God calls thee and welcome the Messenger that is sent for thee O my God let me not make a foolish choyce let me not undo my self I am too apt to indulge the Flesh and too apt to venture the Soul upon the Pikes of danger I am too apt to live by Sense and not by Faith my reason tells me I should go when thou callest my Faith tells me I shall lose nothing by it Lord the Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak I live among many Enemies and those perswade me to favour my self but I know those that are Friends to my sin are Enemies to my Soul Lord I have devoted my life and all that mine is and pass'd away mine Interest in it for Christ Lord take what thine is and dispose of me and mine as thou seest fit only Lord give me in suitable Qualifications for what I have to do or Suffer and then command what thou wilt prepare me for Heaven and then send for me when and by whom thou pleasest MEDITAT IX Of Hell Torments the Reward of denying Christ OH my Soul art thou yet at a stand and knowest not yet whether 't is best to lose Christ or to lose thy Life to go to Heaven or to stay upon the earth to forsake the Creator or the Creature stand still a little and let us better consider it whether is it better lose the Soul or the Body the Jewel or the Box the Wine or the Cask but lose the body thou wilt not but only lay it to sleep a little the sooner but consider also what will be the reward of the one and of the other of dying for Christ and of denying him and as thou likest thewages make choice of the work If thou put thy hand to the Plow and look back assure thy self God will take no pleasure in thee if thou beginnest in the Spirit and endest in the Flesh of the Flesh thou wilt reap corruption but if thou sow to the Spirit
the folly of men thus to fear a temporal death and not to matter death eternal to fear the wrath of man and not the anger of Almighty God to fear the death of the Body and despise the death of the Soul to fear the creature more than the Creator that feareth the rage of man and not the wrath of Almighty God Gregory In hell there is death without death and end without end because death ever liveth and the end ever beginneth for death will never dye Oh how sweet would death be there accounted if it would take away life and not compell those to live that would fain dye Oh the stupidity of men when a small loss will wring tears from their eyes and an infinite and irrecoverable loss is not regarded yea the speech of it they can digest with laughter Many quake and tremble to come before an earthly Judge and when they are going before the eternal Judge can sport themselves in the way they fear to lanch forth into the Sea and not to lanch forth into this infinite Ocean of Eternity for hell torments are not only easeless but endless and remediless While there is life there is hope but where the breath is gone the hope is past while the door is open there is entrance but when 't is once shut though thou knock it will not be opened When the soul is separated from the body of a wicked man God will be separated from the soul and an uniting time will never come Christ stands now to receive repenting Sinners but his Spirit will not alwayes strive with them the door will be shut and only those that are ready will go in to the marriage This is the time when the Father will receive a repenting returning prodigal but it will not last long God will put an end to the day of grace the night comes when no man can work the Sun will set that shall never rise and the day end that shall never dawn again and then all hopes of wicked men will be dasht for as the tree falleth whether to the north or south east or west there it shall lye That tree that falls hellward there it will lye for ever For after this life is no redemption for ever let the Pope say what he will to the contrary their feigned Purgatory will prove a delusion the fire thereof was only kindled to make the Popes Kitchin warm but hell fire is of another nature for all their Masses Dirges and Prayers cannot deliver one soul from thence But if the sentence of condemnation be once past and damned souls delivered up to their tormentors there is no help all conclude this decree is irrevocable and hell torments remediless Here the worm saith Christ dyeth not Mark 9.44 and the fire never goeth out Mat. 25.41 46. Rev. 20.10 15. and Christ calls hell torments everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels yea he calls it everlasting punishment the Devil that deceived the world shall then be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever into which lake of fire whosoever is not found written in the book of life shall be cast and many the like expressions we may find in Scripture which plainly tells us the perpetuity of hell torments where 't is called Everlasting darkness Jude 13. 2 Thes 1.7.8 eternal fire everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power How little foundation is there then for Origens opinion that after a time the Devils and the damned should be refined by this fire and should be delivered but what Scripture speaks thus and if the Scripture be silent nay speak point blank contrary where is the foundation of this fancy Micah 6.7 it is not with thousand of rams nor with ten thousand rivers of oyl that they can be redeemed the first born of their bodies will not be taken as satisfaction for the sin of their souls Mat. 16.26 and what saith Christ shall a man give in exchange for his soul The rich glutton with all his wealth Luk. 16. with all his prayers and intreaties could not purchase one dram of water to cool his tongue and this was far short of ransoming his soul Prayers and tears then will not serve turn they are good preventing physick Though as one saith we should wear our tongues to the stump Shepard Sincere convert and weep more tears than there is water in the sea it will do no good It was not with corruptible things as silver and gold thou wast redeemed from thy vain conversation received by tradition from thy Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot but if we now neglect this great Salvation and despise the offers of mercy in the daies of our life what remains for us but a fearful looking for of judgment and if the earth were turned into a globe of Gold or an heap of Diamonds and all offered for the redemption of a lost soul it would be rejected for this is not the blood of Christ nay this blood it self though more precious than the world would not serve in this case neither for it was never shed to this end to redeem souls out of hell though it was shed to keep them from hell and is of infinite value to this end nay if damned souls should obtain the prayers of all the Saints yea Angels in heaven it would do them no good Prayer here if pointed by faith may pierce heaven and prevail for a blessing Jam. 5.15 The Prayer of faith may save the sick and if he have committed sins they may be forgiven but prayers for the damned are out of season there is a time when God will be found and a time when he will not be found When the door is once shut it is not knocking then will open it yea the Angels and glorified Saints will then rejoyce in their damnation that God is glorified by it and those Ministers that now weep over their people and pity them will then pity them no more for ever yea to speak with reverence God himself cannot then help them not that he wants power for he could turn Heaven and Hell and all into nothing but he is infinite in justice and truth as well as power and this would intrench upon his Justice and Truth his word is out to the contrary and he may as well deny himself as his word yea he will be so far from an inclination this way Pro. 1.24 that he will laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear cometh in a word there is no ransome for a miserable soul the blood of Christ was of sufficient price to have saved the world had it been applyed for the end it was shed for but lost souls and damned Spirits have no interest in