make it their whole work and continual study how they may keep thee and others from enjoying of these blessed Priviledges that have been thus obtain'd for Sinners by this sweet Jesus He labours I say First To keep thee ignorant of thy state by Nature Secondly To harden thy Heart against the ways of God Thirdly To inflame thy Heart with love to sin and the ways of darkness And fourthly To get thee to continue herein For that is the way he knows to get thee to be a partaker with him of the flaming Hell-fire even the same that he himself is fallen into together with the rest of the wicked World by reason of sin Look to it therefore But now in the next place a word of incouragement to you that are the Saints of the Lord. 1. Consider what an happy state thou art in that hast gotten the Faith of the Lord Jesus into thy Soul But be sure thou have it I say how safe how sure how happy art thou For when others go to Hell thou must go to Heaven when others go to the Devil thou must go to God when as others go to Prison thou must be set at Liberty at Ease and at Freedom when others must roar for sorrow of heart then thou shalt also sing for the joy of heart Secondly consider thou must have all thy well spent Life to follow thee instead of all thy sins and the glorious blessings of the Gospel instead of the dreadful Curses and Condemnations of the Law The blessing of the Father instead of a fiery Sentence from the Judge Thirdly Let dissolution come when it will it can do thee no harm for it will be but onely a passage out of a Prison into a Palace out of a Sea of Troubles into an Haven of Rest out of a Croud of Enemies to an innumerable Company of true loving and faithful Friends out of shame Reproach and Contempt into exceeding great and Eternal Glory For Death shall not hurt thee with his sting nor bite thee with his Soul-murmuring Teeth but shall be a welcome Guest to thee even to thy Soul in that it is sent to free thee from thy Troubles which thou art in whiles here in this World dwelling in the Tabernacle of Clay Fourthly consider however it goes with Friends and Relations yet it will go well with thee Eccl. 8. 12. However it goes with the Wicked yet I know Mark yet I know saith he that it shall go well with them that fear the Lord that fear before him And therefore let this in the first place cause thee chearfully to exercise thy patience under all the Calamities Crosses Troubles and Afflictions that may come upon thee and by patient continuance in well-doing to commit both thy self and thine Affairs and Actions into the Hands of God through Jesus Christ as to a faithful Creator who is true in his Word and loveth to give unto thee whatsoever he hath promised to thee And therefore to incourage thee while thou art here with comfort to hold on for all thy Crosses in this thy Journey be much in considering the place that thou must go into so soon as dissolution comes It must be into Heaven to God the Judge of all to an innumerable Company of Angels to the Spirits of just men made perfect to the General Assembly and Church of the first-born whose Names are written in Heaven and to Jesus too the Redeemer who is the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Bloud of sprinkling that speaks better Things for thee than Abels did for Cain Heb. 12 22 23 24. 3. Consider That when the time of the dead that they shall be raised is come then shall thy body be raised out of the grave and be glorified and be made like to Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 21. O excellent condition 4. When Jesus Christ shall sit on the throne of his glory you also shall sit with him even when he shall sit on the throne of his glory O will not this be glorious that when thousands and thousands of thousands shall be arraigned before the Judgment-seat of Christ then for them to sit with him upon the throne together with him to pass the sentence upon the ungodly 1 Cor. 6. 2. 3. Will it not be glorious to enjoy those things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive Will it not be glorious to have this sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the Foundation of the World Will it not be glorious to enter then with the Angels and Saints into that glorious Kingdome Will it not be glorious for thee to be in glory with them while others are in unuâ—terable torments O then how will it comfort thee to sea thou hast not lost that glory to think that the devil hath not got thy soul that thy soul should be saved and that not from a little but from an exceeding danger not with a little but a great salvation O therefore let the Saints be joyful in glory let them triumph over all their enemies Let them begin to sing heaven upon earth triumph before they come to glory salvation even when they are in the midst of their Enemies For this honour shall all his Saints have Psal. 149. 6 7 8 9. Ver. 29. Abraham said unto him they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them IN the Verses foregoing you see there is a discovery of the lamentable state of the poor soul that dyes out of Christ and the special favour of God And also how little the glorious God of Heaven doth regard and take notice of their most miserable condition Now in this verse he doth magnify the word which was spoken to the People by the Prophets and Apostles They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them As if he should say thou askest me that I should send Lazarus back again into the World to Preach to them that live there that they might escape that doleful place that thou art in what needs that have they not Moses and the Prophets have they not had my Ministers and Servants sent unto them and coming as from me I sent Enoch and Noah Moses and Samuel I sent David Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel Hosea and the rest of the Prophets together with Peter Paul John Matthew James Jude with the rest Let them hear them What they have spoken by Divine inspiration I will own whether it be for the damnation of those that reject or the saving of them that receive their Doctrine And therefore what need have they that one should be sent unto them in another way They have Moses and the Prophets Let them hear them let them receive their word close in with the Doctrine declared by them I shall not at this time speak any thing to that word Abraham having touched upon it already but shall tell you what is to be understood by these words They
off But God said unto him Thou Fool thou troublest thy self about Things of this Life thou puttest off the Thoughts of departing this World when this Night thy Soul shall be taken from thee Oâ— this Night they that is the Devil will fetch away thy Soul from thee And here it comes to pass mens not being exercised with the Thoughts of departing this Life that they are so unexpected to themselves and their Neighbours taken away from the pleasures and profits yea all the Enjoyments they busie themselves withall while they live in this World And hence it is again that you have some in your Towns and Cities that are so suddainly taken away some from haunting the Ale-house others from haunting the Where-houses others from playing and gaming others from the cares and covetous desires after this World unlooked for as by themselves or their Companions Hence it is also that men do so wonder at such Tidings as this There is such an one dead such an one is departed it is because they do so little consider both the transitoriness of themselves and their Neighbours for had they but their Thoughts well exercised about the shortness of this Life and the danger that will befal such as do miss of the Lord Jesus Christ it would make them more wary and sober and spend more time in the service of God and be more delighted and diligent in enquiring after the Lord Jesus who is the Deliverer from wrath to come 1 Thes. 1. 10. For as I said before it is evident that they who live after the flesh in the Lusts thereof do not really and seriously think on Death and the Judgment that doth follow after neither do they indeed endeavour so to do for did they it would make them say with Holy Job All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my Change come Job 14. 14. And as I said before that not onely the Wicked but also the Godly have their time to depart this Life And the Beggar died The Saints of the Lord they must be deprived of this Life also they must yield up the Ghost into the hands of the Lord their God they must also be separated from their Wives Children Husbands Friends Goods and all that they have in the World For God hath decreed it It is appointed namely by the Lord for men once to die and we must appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ. As it is 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. But it may be objected if the godly do die as well as the wicked and if the Saints must appear before the Judgment Seat as well as the sinners then what advantage have the godly more then the ungodly and how can the Saints be in a better condition then the wicked Answ. Read the 22th Verse over again and you shall find a marvellous difference between them as much as is between Heaven and Hell everlasting joy and everlasting torment for you find that when the beggar died which represents the godly He was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosom or into everlasting joy Psal. 1. but the ungodly are not so but are hurried by the Devils into the bottomless pit drawn away in their wickedness Prov. 14. 32. for he saith And in Hell he lift up his eyes When the ungodly do die their misery beginneth for then appear the Devils like so many Lions waiting every moment till the Soul depart from the Body Sometimes they are very visible to the dying party but sometimes more invisible but always this is certain they never miss of the Soul if it do die out of the Lord Jesus Christ but do hale it away to the prison as I said before there to be tormented and reserved until that great and general day of Judgment at which day they must Body and Soul receive a finall sentence from the Righteous Judge and from that time be shut out from the presence of God into everlasting woe and distress But the godly when the time of their departure is at hand then also are the Angels of the Lord at hand yea they are ready waiting upon the Soul to conduct it safely into Abrahams Bosom I do not say but the Devils are oft times very busie doubtless and attending the Saints in their sickness I and no question but they would willingly deprive the Soul of Glory But here is the comfort as the Devils come from Hell to devour the Soul if it be possible at its departure so the Angels of the Lord come from Heaven to watch over and conduct the Soul in spite of the Devil safe into Abrahams Bosome David had the comfort of this and speaks it forth for the comfort of his Brethren Psal 34. 7. saying The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Mark the Angel of the Lord encampeth round about his Children to deliver them From what From their enemies of which the Devil is not the least This is an excellent comfort at any time to have the holy Angels of God to attend a poor man or woman but especially it is comfortable in the time of distress at the time of death when the Devils beset the Soul with all the power that Hell can afford them But now it may be that the glorious Angels of God do not appear at the first to the view of the Soul nay rather Hell stands before it and the Devils ready as if they would carry it thither But this is the comfort the Angels â—o always appear at the last and will not faâ—l the Soul but will carry it safe into Abrahams Bosom Ah Friendâ— consider here is an ungodly manupon his death-bed and he hath none to speak for him none to speak comfort unto him but it is not so with the Children of God for they have the Spirit to comfort them Here is the ungodly and they have no Christ to pray for their safe conduct to glory but the Saints have an Intercessor John 17. 9. Here is the World when they die they have none of the Angels of God to attend upon them but the Saints have their company In a word the unconverted person when he dieth he sinks into the bottomless pit But the Saints when they die do ascend with and by the Angels into Abrahams Bosom or into unto unspeakable glory Luke 23. 43. Again it is said that the rich man when he died was buried or put into the Earth but when the beggar died he was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosome The one is a very excellent stile where he saith he was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosome it denotes he excellent condition of the Saints of God as I said before and not onely so but also the preciousness of the death of the Saints in the eyes of the Lord Psal. 116. 15. that after Generations may see how precious in the sight of the Lord the death of his Saints is when he saith they are carried by the Angels
so freely profered to thee a little ground a few Oxen a Farm a Wife a two penny matter a Play nay the fear of a mock a scoff or a jeer is of greater weight to draw thee back than the Salvation of thy Soul to draw thee forward 7. And thou hast heard that Whosoever will be a friend of the World is the enemy of God Jam. 4. 4. But thou regardest not these things but contrariwise rather then thou wilt be out of the friendship and favour of this world thou wilt sin against thine own Conscience and get thy self inâ—o favour by fawning and flattering of the world Yea rather then thou wilt go without it thou wilt dissemble lye backbite thy Neighbour and an hundred other tricks thou wilt have 8. You have heard that the day of Judgement is near in which you and I all of us must appear before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ and there be made to give an account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead even of all that ever we did yea of all our sins in thought word and deed and shall certainly be damned for them too if we close not in with our Lord Jesus Christ and what he hath done and suffered for eternal life and that not notionally or traditionally but really and savingly in the power and by the operation of the spirit through faith Eccles. 11. 9. 12. 14. Heb. 9. 27. Acts 10. 42 Acts 17. 30 31. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rev. 20. 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the Books There is the Book of the Creatures the Book of Conscience the Book of the Lords Remembrance the Book of the Law the Book of the Gospel Rom. 1. 20. compared with Rom. 2. 12. 15. Rev. 6. ver 19. Joh. 12. 48. Then shall he separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left Mat. 25. 30 31 32. And shall say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed vers 34. But to the other go or depart ye cursed ver 41. Yet notwithstanding the Scriptures do so plainly plentifully speak of these things alas who is there that is weaned from the world and from their siâ—s and pleasures to fly from the wrath to come Mat. 3. 7. notwithstanding the Scripture saith also That Heaven and Earth shall pass away rather than one jot or one tittle of the word shall shall fail till all be fulfilled they are so certain Luke 21. 37. But leaving the threatnings let us come to the promises and speak somewhat of them and you may see how light men make of them and how little they set by them notwithstanding the mouth of the Lord hath spoken them As first Turn ye fools ye scorners ye simple ones at my reproof and behâ—ld I will pour out my spirit unto you Prov. 1. 24. And yet persons had rather be in their foolishness and scorning still and had rather imbrace some filthy lust then the holy undesiled and blessed Spirit of Christ thorow the promise though by it as many as receive it are sealed unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30. And although he that lives and dies without it is none of Christs Rom. 8. 9. 2. God hath said If thou do but come to him in Christ though your sins be as red as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow and he will by no meanes cast thee away compare Isa. 1. 18. with Joh. 6. â—7 yet poor souls will not come to Christ that they might have life Joh. 5. 41. but rather after their hardness and impenitent heart treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2. 4 5 6. 3. Christ Jesus hath said in the word of truth That if any man will serve and follow him Where he is there shall also his servant be Joh. 12. 26. but yet poor souls choose rather to follow sin Satan and the world though their companions be the devils and damned souls for ever Mat. 25. 41. 4. He hath also said Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added But let who so will seek after the Kingdom of Heaven first for them For they will take the first time while time serves to get the things of this life And if it be so that they must needs seek after Heaven or else be damned they will stay till they have more leisure or till they can better attend to it or till they have other things handsome about them or till they are older when they have little else to do or when they come to be sick and to die Then Lord have mercy upon them though it be ten thousand to one but they perish for ever For commonly the Lord hath this way to deal with such sinners who put him off when he is striâ—â—â—â— with them either to laugh at their calamity and mâ—â—k when their fear cometh Prov. 1. 26. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 send them to the gods they have served which are the devils Judg. 10. 13. 14. Go to the gods you have served and let them deliver you saith he compare this with Joh. 8. 44. 5. He hath said There is no man that forsaketh Father or Mother Wife or Children or Lands for his sake and the Gospels but shall have an hundred fâ—lâ— in this world with persecution and in the world to come life everlasting Mark 10. 29 30. But men for the most part are so far off from believing the certainty of this that they will scarce lose the earning of a penny to hear the word of God the Gospel of salvation Nay they will neither go themselves nor suffer others to go if they can help it without threatning to do them a mischief if it lie in their way Nay further many are so far from parting from any worldly gun for Christs sake and the Gospels that they are still striving by hook and by crook as we say by swearing lying cousening stealing covetousness extortion oppression forgery bribery flâ—ttery or any other way to get more though they get together with these death wrath damnation hell the devil and all the plagues that God can pour upon them And if any do not run with them to the same excess of riot but rather for all their threats will be so bold and careless as they call it as to follow the wayes of God if they can do no more yet they will whet their tongues like a Sword to wound them and do them the greatest mischief they can both in speaking against them to neighbours to Wives to Husbands to Landlords and raising false Reports of them But let such take heed lost they be in such a state and woful condition as he was in who said