THE PRIVILEDGE OF THE Saints on Earth BEYOND Those in HEAVEN In respect of Gifts and Graces exercised Duties and Services performed sufferings and Tryals undergone by them which the Glorified are not capable of BEING The Sum of a Discourse upon a part of Hezekiah Song of Thanksgiving after his Recovery from his Sickness To which is added A short Discourse of the Nature and 〈◊〉 of the Gospel-day reaching from the Destruction of the Old to the 〈…〉 of the New Jerusalem out of 〈…〉 By WILLIAM HOOKE Preacher of the Gospel LONDON Printed for John Wilkins and are to be sold at his Shop in Exchange-Alley next door to the Exchange-Coffee-House over against the Royal-Exchange 1673. Courteous Reader Thou art desired to correct with thy Pen these following Errata's PAge 9. Line 15. for imparted read imported P. 11. in the Margin r. Eph. 3. last P. 13. l. 6. f. hence r. here P. 16. l. 10. for Spiritual r. special P. 22. in the Margin r. Job 7. 2. P. 23. l. 10. for the r. this P. 35. l. 13. blot out yet P. 51. l. 28. r. bridled P. 53. in the Margin r. Luke 8. 48. Luke 7. 50. P. 65. l. 9. for the r. your P. 91. l. 23 24. for Argumentations r. Augmentations P. 92. l. 8. for for r. so P. 92. l. last for were not the r. were it not for the. P. 95. l. 20. f. from plain to Plain r. from Place to Place P. 101. l. 22 for lon r. long In the second Sermon in the Epistle for go r. therefore TO THE READER THe greatest and highest Honour of the reasonable Creature is to serve him who is the best Good and last End Herein do we communicate with Angels whose glory it is that they are Ministring Spirits always beholding the face of God our Father for this very purpose How diligent then should we be to lay hold on and to improve all opportunities of service seeing our time is so short our work so great and our salvation nearer than when we first believed The Son of God hath given us a glorious pattern herein I must work the work of him that hath sent me c. Christ Jesus our Master improved all opportunities went up and down doing good filling all places where he came with the favour of his Doctrine and Miracles because he knew his time was short and the recompence of reward at hand The serious thoughts hereof would exceedingly spur us to a holy diligence especially considering that Heaven is a place not of work but reward where the Saints will be divested of serving and honouring God in many of these ways wherein now through grace they are enabled to bring much glory to his Name Many Graces Duties Gifts have here their place while we are Viatores but shall have no room when we come to be Comprehensores And this is the design of the worthy Author in this little Tract viz. to set before thee the great opportunities thou hast of service to God while thou art on this side Heaven beyond what are to be enjoyed there Were this throughly weighed how would Holiness be promoted Saints thrive Families flourish Churches revive we should not so passionately desire death meerly to be rid of all sufferings but should prize life if with it Christ Jesus might be magnified It is glorious work that God calls his Saints to ' ere they get to Heaven Is not suffering for Christ glorious work is not the exercise of Faith Hope and Patience glorious work To do good and to communicate both to the bodily and spiritual necessities of Saints and others is not this glorious work In a word to propagate pure Religion undefiled to the generations to come is not this glorious work Why herein are the Saints on Earth priviledged beyond those in Heaven where there is no room for the exercise of these Graces and Duties Oh! who would not pray that he might live to do God service spin not out precious time unprofitably Pray that thou mayest be counted worthy of this calling which is indeed a high calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his Goodness and the work of Faith Hope and Patience with power that the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ Isaiah 38 18 19. For the Grave cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day The Father to the Children shall make known thy Truth THe words are a part of Hezekiah's thanksgiving for his recovery from his sickness beginning at the ninth verse This good King was not simply afraid of Death as appeareth ver 3d. But First He had then no Son to succeed him in the Kingdom for Manasseh was not then born and he was sollicitous for a Successour and the fulfilling of God's Promise to David which we have four times expressed viz. 2 Sam. 7. 12 13 16. 1 King 8. 25. Psal 89. 28 29. 132. 12. In all which places we find this Promise to David that there should not fail a Man of his Seed to sit upon the Throne of Israel so that his Children took heed to their wayes to walk before the Lord in truth as David their Father had done Here was a Promise with a Condition And hence it is I suppose that Hezekiah in his Prayer vers 3d makes mention of his fulfilling that Condition viz. That David's Children must take heed to their way if they desired to sit upon his Throne that they walk before him as David had done For saith Hezekiah Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart have done that which is good in thy sight As much as to say Lord I hope thou wilt not cut me off and leave the Kingdom without an Heir of the Seed of David seeing thou did'st promise him that thou wouldest not provided that his Children took heed to their way that they walked before him as David did And through thy Grace I have so walked in my measure and therefore I hope thou wilt not take me away who have performed the Condition So that Hezekiah though a very good Man was afraid of Death yet not simply but lest the Kingdom should want an Heir of the Seed of David And this that I have said confirms the Opinion of those that say that Hezekiah was loth to dye because then he had no Heir though that was not all the reason For Secondly He was also loth to dye in God's displeasure so as a Child of God my do For God doth testifie his temporal displeasure many times against his own Children If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments Then will I
their lives in not answering the end of them They are meer Earth-cumberers and such who have lived only to themselves Thirdly But which is worse some have lived to wicked purposes having spent their days in sin and been offensive both to God and Men who as last will come to dye like Jehoram without being desired And such another was Hezekiah's Father even that King Ahaz who when he died was buried like Jehoram and not brought into the Sepulchres of the Kings of Israel And such another was that persecutor Jehoiakim for whom they lamented not saying Ah Lord or ah his glory Oh! these are to be exploded out of the Land of the living For Men shall clap their hands at them and hiss them out of the world he never did good work while he lived and he shall have never a good word when he dieth So much for Reprehension This Point instructs us in matter of Humiliation What hath been said should humble even the very best of God's people in that they have done no more service for Jesus Christ in their Generation You have possibly done something for him but you might have done more You might have praised him more declared the Truth more to your Children you might have projected and designed more for the glory of God and the good of Posterity you might have devised liberal things lived more exemplarily been more zealous of good works more edifying in your conversation you might have adventured more for Christ and whereas you have gained two Talents for him you might have gained five Truly for my part I might have done more and it humbleth me that I have done so little I remember it is said of Doctor Vsher in the Narrative of his Life and Death that when he was a dying he was humbled for his omissions And indeed they are great sins and the judgment of Christ at his appearing will pass much upon good works on the one side and omissions of them on the other And therefore we had need to sit in judgment upon our selves for our omissions before we dye For it is not enough to do good sometimes but we should be rich in good works and prepared unto every good work always abounding in the work of the Lord giving a portion to seven and also to eight going about as Christ did doing good And he that is thus exercised is fit to live and fit to dye But let us be humbled this day for our neglects For have not our hearts sometimes checked us upon reviews of the loss of our opportunities to do such or such a good work Saith a gracious and tender heart when he is come from such a person or such a place or such a company or occasion Alas what have I omitted I might have put in such a word for Jesus Christ I might have reproved such a sin or given such or such counsel or stopt such a vain discourse or given such an example or moved for such a good work c. Alas who knows the errors of his life this way and therefore this consideration calls for deep Humiliation and self-judging at this time 3. Exhorted We are here Exhorted and the Point affords Exhortation several ways To do all the good you are able during your abode here below seeing death will put an end to all your opportunities If God enable you to speak a good word to his honour and to the edification of others when you lye a dying you are never like to do so much good again to Eternity When you take your leave of the world you take your leave of doing good And therefore you had need bestir your selves while your Bodies and Souls abide here together Whatsoever therefore thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest And suppose you have done well hitherto like a good and faithful servant be not yet weary of well doing but up and be doing still and in due time you shall reap if you faint not What a deal of good had Hezekiah done before he fell into this sickness He destroyed the Monuments of Idolatry set up a notable Reformation brought back the Tribes of Israel to the Lord God of their Fathers And yet you see here he is willing to live longer to do more So Peter had done much good in his time you know he converted about three thousand Souls at the beginning of his Ministry he had a most happy hansel Acts 2d And yet he takes another opportunity and sped well And after this he passeth through all quarters and came at last to Lydda Saron and Joppa you know what good he did in the house of Cornelius c. At length he becomes old then he writes to the Saints For saith he I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance First saith he I am aware of death approaching Secondly I will therefore do all the good I am able both with my Tongue and Pen. Thirdly I will endeavour that the good I do may live when I am dead that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance Even thus we should endeavour to live in this world after our departure Survive your Funerals and out-live your deaths For it is not enough that we shall then live in Heaven but we should endeavour to be doing of that good while we live that may make us live on Earth even when we are dead And in this way the memory of the Just shall be blessed and the Righteous had in everlasting remembrance It is the Saints happiness to have Glory and Honour and Immortality in Heaven but it is much to the glory and honour of God for the Saints to be immortalized on Earth and to live in their good Examples good Counsels good Names and good Works when their Souls are shining in Heaven Particularly 1. Dilate and diffuse the praises of God and make his Name glorious to the utmost of your power And let this be often sounding in your ears The living the living he shall praise thee Speak much and live much to his praise Let the high praises of God be in your mouthes Ainsworth and the Dutch Interpreters render it Let the exaltations of God be in your throat and it suits with the Original as also with the Translation of the 70. The Exaltations i. e. the lifting up of God in his Name Attributes Precept Promises Threatnings Providences c. let them be in your throats i. e. exalt your voices in exalting
instead of a Father to him that it went well with him and his Kingdom whiles he lived but miserably with both afterwards Many Children have lost themselves together with their Parents Consider what I say And then you that have such Ministers of Jesus Christ as labour in the Word and Doctrine and watch for your Souls prize them pray for them and improve them for you know not the consequences of their removal 5th Use of Exhortation Lastly Seeing there is more service to be done on Earth than in Heaven how should this exalt Christ Jesus in our hearts and enlarge them in love to him who as he wrought so much for us on Earth so still is he at work for us in Heaven He He is the great Worker in the highest World You know what he saith in his prayer to his Father I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Yea but we are to understand it of his Work upon Earth for his Work in Heaven is not as yet finished nor will before the end of the world Alas we can do little for Christ in Earth and less in Heaven Yet Jesus Christ whether in Earth or Heaven is still at work for us It is not with him as with us Heaven takes the work out of our hands but it puts it into his For thither is he gone to take and keep possession and to prepare places for us There he executeth his Mediatory-Office continually appears and makes intercession for us sheds abroad his Spirit gives Commission to the Angels and Gifts unto Men calleth and gathereth in his Elect ones enableth us to work on Earth governs the World upholds his Church and subdues their Enemies All the Work of Heaven lies upon Christ's hands and it is well it doth oâ— what would become of us on Earth And as this should raise our Esteem anâ— Love of Christ so should it quicken us the more to work for him on Earth seeing he is still at work for us in Heaven He wrought above thirty years for us here on Earth but in Heaven above sixteen hundred and thus he will continue his work to the end of the world To him therefore be glory and honour for ever and ever Amen A short Discourse OF THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE Gospel-Day Reaching from the Destruction of the OLD to the erection of the NEW JERUSALEM Zach. 14. 6 7. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Light shall not be clear nor dark But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord not day nor night but it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light By W. H. London Printed for John Wilkins and are to be sold at his shop in Exchange-Alley next door to the Exchange-Coffee-House over against the Royal-Exchange 1673. COURTEOUS READER THou hast added a brief Treatise of the nature of the Gospel-Day in its Rise Progress and Perfection The Morning of which Day beginning in the Apostles times had much darkness mingled with a little light You know what stiff and earnest contentions there were for the Jewish Rites and Ceremonies yea the very Articles of Faith called in question the Spirit of Anti-christ working even then in the Evangelical Churches which in after Ages grew to a greater height in the exaltation of the Man of Sin But still the Light and Purity of the Gospel prevailed though sometimes the darkness was such as to threaten an utter extirpation God raising up some faithful Witnesses in all Ages to hold forth and vindicate the Light against all that opposition made against it The Truth had its Champions even then when the whole World wondred after the Beast And from them to us it is continued by an uninterrupted succession being still of a growing and encreasing Nature like the path of the Just shining more unto the perfect day What cause have we to bless God that we see the Truth and Gospel going on conquering and to conquer all Errour and Opposition Well the night is far spent and the day is at hand and go let us cast off the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light and so much the more as we see the Day breaking when Shadows shall flee away Light shall overspread the face of the whole Earth Peace Truth Holiness and Comfort shall then abound In the mean time it is no wonder if Light and Darkness conflict together Light of Peace with Trouble of Truth with Errour and go let us not be secure God may soon bring a Cloud over our Peace and Liberty And let us also who are of the day be sober bearing with and forbearing one another forasmuch as yet we know but in part and see through a Glass darkly but when the Evening of this Gospel-Day cometh the Lord shall be one and his Name one Zech. 14. 7 9. one heart and one way Jer. 32. 39. In the Faith and Hope hereof Let all the Children of Zion rejoyce and endeavour to be a People prepared for the Lord. Reader I shall detain thee no longer from this useful and seasonable Discourse The blessing of God go with it and make it fruitful so prayes Jan. 18 th 1673-4 Thy Servant in the Gospel H. J. ZECH. 14. 6 7. And it shall come to pass in that day that the light shall not be clear nor dark But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord not day nor night but it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light THis Chapter begins with the revenge of God upon Judah and Jerusalem for their crucifying the Lord of glory Ch. 13. 7. of which vengeance Christ himself foretold and he calls them days of vengeance where he amply fieth what the Prophet here speaketh briefly Yet God threatneth to be avenged on the Nations that dealt thus with Jerusalem and the Jews They should have no thanks for this their service as minding only the fulfilling of their own wills and not Gods Ver. 3. But though Jerusalem should be overthrown and the Temple burnt and the Temple-Worship abolished yet the Lord would have a care of his Church and make way for the conversion of the Gentiles and expose the Truth and Way of his Worship to the open view of the Jews and Gentiles from East to West For the Truth and Way of God's Worship and of Salvation was pent up before Christ's coming in the narrow confines of Judea and obscured also and darkned with shadows and Ceremonies as Jerusalem the Seat of God's Worship was with Hills But now all should be laid open before all the world from East to West And this here is signified by an Allegory of the cleaving of Mount Olivet one famous Hill being put for the rest in the mid'st towards the East and towards the West whereby the City of God which is the Church should no longer be obscured but patent
his tryals and oppositions in an evil day and this and that was the Rule he walked by For he was a wise Man or she was a wise Woman and very consciencious and tender-hearted and sincere and active and stirring and zealous for Jesus Christ and fearful to give the least offence and ready to every good work and pitiful to the poor Saints his Heart and Purse and House were open for Jesus Christ And he was a just and peaceable Man and one that could govern his Spirit and Tongue and that could keep down his passions and one that was a mortified person dead to the world and the things thereof c. Now what a blessed example is this and what a glorious report what an edifying patern and for the glory of God and our Lord Jesus Christ Yea this example will preach your funeral Sermon you need no other to do it and it will keep you alive when you are dead and immortalize you upon Earth make you of blessed memory indeed and to be had with the righteous in everlasting remembrance when the names of others shall be written in the Earth which will soon be obliterated and quite blotted out and when it shall be said of them as of Hezekiah's Father by way of reproach This is that King Ahaz And such a good example many have left behind them and we are ever and anon speaking of such as these are whose names are as a precious Oyntment and which were embalmed when they dyed with the Graces Vertues and good Works of their Lives that still they send forth a sweet savour to surviving posterity And thus was that good Womans name embalmed who poured out a very precious Oyntment on the Head of Christ against his burial Verily saith Christ wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this Woman hath done be told for a memorial of her So that this good Woman is still alive in her memory and she 〈◊〉 thus lived these 1600 years and more and shall never dye so long as the world standeth And such another was Tabitha And the like I may say of many more whose names are recorded in holy Writ who obtained a good report and though they are now dead yet still they both speak and are spoken of Brethren will ye think upon these things And will ye now study endeavour to live exemplarily and to live lives for posterity and so to live converting lives and convincing and edifying lives yea and to live the lives of such as must be the world's Judges And will it not be greatly to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and to your Eternal Consolation to hear of your lives and examples in that great day of Christ's appearance when your examples shall have their resurrection as well as your bodies when Christ shall produce your paterns before all the world and convince and judge the ungodly world by them As if he should say to those on his left hand who lived in your dayes and saw your examples Loe do you see these Men and Women on my right hand who lived thus and thus in your sight and gave you a blesse◠example which either you censured or were unwilling to follow they lived and conversed in direct opposition to you they lived so and so when you did thus and thus Therefore they shall be your Judges Methinks I cannot speak enough of this Subject which is of very great moment viz. the transmission and recommendation of paterns to posterity as one grieved that I can see no more of it but rather such a common and ordinary kind of walking as hath little or nothing of singularity in it Alas How few that profess the fear of God this day are writing of Copies for posterity to walk by And where is singularity of life to be seen Yea how many are there among the Professors of the Gospel by whose failings we may learn more than by their Vertues and this I speak to my grief Oh let your light so shine before Men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Jesus Christ there speaks of the light of good works and good examples which are visible to standers-by and such as do occasion them to glorifie our Heavenly Father And know thus much also That Men live much by example either on the one side or other And where good examples are given God expecteth that others should follow them and that not only the examples of the living but of the dead also For what saith the Apostle Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their conversation The Apostle there speaketh of such as had been their Guides but were now dead for the words in the Original are not remember them that have the rule over you but remember your Rulers i. e. Ministers of the Gospel who are now with the Lord. And he exhorts the Hebrews not to forget their Faith and holy lives who had no other end in their conversations and good examples but God's Glory and the Salvation of them that beheld them But I must pass from this Particular though somewhat loth to leave it and should much rejoyce if what I have said of it may take place in all your hearts and lives Live exemplarily that your paterns may outlive you and edifie others when you are dead And this is a work which cannot be done in Heaven And take heed of scandals and visible infirmities which edifie beholders to ruine For there is a sinful mischievous edification of which the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 8. 10. For if any Man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the Idols Temple Shall not the Conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to Idols The word rendred Emboldened is Edified in the Original You may so live in your Examples that you may edifie and teach beholders to sin in following them as Jeroboam the son of Nebat did who made Israel to sin And many that profess to the Gospel do so live and walk the Consideration whereof is very sad and miserable O beware of giving such examples for they will diminish your glory in Heaven if you shall be so happy at least as to arrive there But so much for this 3d Particular Embrace and improve all opportunities of appearing and speaking for Christ another service peculiar to the Saints on Earth who cannot speak a word for Christ in Heaven And many such seasons are providentially administred to us viz. sometimes of reproving sin both in such as fear God and such as fear him not In the Scriptures you find the Saints reproving one another Moses reproveth Aaron and Nathan David and Hanani Asa his son Jehu Jehoshaphat and Paul Peter and one private
you not with him turn your faces to the wall and weep sore And yet I tell you Hezekiah had done a great deal of Work for God during the time of his Reign unto this sickness He lost no time but fell hard to the Work of Reformation in the first moneth of the first year of his Reign And he did a great deal during his fourteen years before his sickness and he did it also in Truth and with a perfect heart But still what have you done if you were now as near the gates of the grave as here he was And to these Gates you must come at last and pass through them also to the highest Tribunal to answer to this Question What hast thou done How hast thou improved time occupied with thy Talent filled up thy Relations maintained good Works for necessary uses been active for the highest end Peradventure you will plead your small capacity and that you are but of mean degree an obscure person and ezercised in Low Employments and of weak parts c. Yea but still what saith Hezekiah The living the living he shall praise thee And are not you living Are you not alive For any Man or Woman living may praise the Lord or else Hezekiah saith not well But it is true what he saith for any Man living may do his his generation-work Is your capacity than such that you cannot praise the Lord what saith the Psalmist Praise ye the Lord who Kings of the Earth Yea they are in a capacity indeed Such as Hezekiah may do much that way they are great Men and have great opportunities But what followeth Kings of the Earth and all people Princes and all Judges of the Earth Both young Men and Maidens and old Men and Children Let them praise the Name of the Lord. Men and Maids old and young all may and all must attend the service none excepted And therefore plead not your mean capacity but serve your age according to your Talent For he that had but one Talent doth not say Lord I had but one and what can a Man do with one My fellow-servants had one five Talents the other two and they might well employ and improve them No he saith not thus He was convinced that one Talent might be improved to advantage as well as five and that every one is bound to be Trading for God with what he hath given him for saith the Text He gave to every Man according to his several ability So that all of them had an ability though several â— One had a five-fold ability another a two-fold another a single And he that had but a single capacity was called to an account for his unprofitableness and cast into outer darkness The meanest therefore among you hath some ability and woe be to him if he doth not improve it A young Man a Servant a poor Man a mean Man may do many things in tendency to God's Glory and the good of others whil'st he is living and the living the living he shall praise thee You that are stricken in years you have much to account for For you have lived lon and perhaps are now grown old but have you been old Traders Yes as to a worldly account Yea but there is another and a better Trade what have you done therein God will call you to a reckoning for your worldly Trade and especially for your Spiritual You have gained thus much in the world he will say but what redounds to my share of all that you have done This is the great Question Think ye Oh how many opportunities have you out-lived which will never have their Resurrection If therefore you should say as John Baptist's hearers what shall we do then I answer First Be humbled for your former neglects and mispence of time who in doing much have hitherto done nothing and judge your selves for your omissions before your Lord and Master calleth you to account For if you judge your selves you shall not be judged Bring forth fruit meeâ— for Repentance For though it is as impossiibe that your former individual opportunities should return as that you should grow young again yet God may please to minister new occasions to you upon your repentance whereby to bring forth fruit in old age It seems that Nicodemus was an old Man when he came to Christ by night For saith he Can a Man be born when he is old As much as to say As I am But when he is converted he thrives apace and comes to Christ at noon and owns him in the place of publick Judicature and is a mean to dissolve the Session And afterward he owns Christ crucified and is at much cost to embalm him when his Disciples deserted him The Old Man got the start of them all and of many others that set out before him So it is sometimes The first are last and the last first Now therefore bestir your selves and redeem lost time by improving what remaineth to the utmost and see what you can do with a little remnant of life and whether you cannot grow as fast as Old Nicodemus did Project improvments of life which is a kind of Saveall now that your light is near extinguishing Make up in affection what may be wanting in action If you cannot do much yet love much and you have cause enough to do so in that God hath given you to live so long who have done so little If our Servants should work no better for us than many have done for God we should soon turn them out of doors And therefore love the Lord the more and that will also provoke you to do the more Stir up others to work for God that what you cannot do by your own hands you may do by others For you shall have a share in their good actions who work by your incitement What good was done by the hands of thousands in the dayes of the reforming Kings of Judah is still imputed to the Reformers that set them on work as you may see in the Reign of Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah and Josiah And though the persons imployed might act from Principles of Hypocrisie as some at least did in Josiah's Reformation Yet the works were done in sincerity as to the Reformers They were done in Hypocricy as to the Instruments in sincerity as to the principal Agent Your time therefore is but short and you cannot do much with your own hands see what you cad do by others as by your Wife Husband Children Relations Friends Neighbours and it shall be imputed unto them if they do it sincerely but to you howsoever if you did set them on work in the uprightness of your heart Pray for death-bed Grace Faith Hope Patience Peace of Conscience composedness of Spirit such a frame as is fit to glorifie God and edifie others at your last farewel to friends This is that which we should all pray for and it is