Happiness at Hand OR A Plain and Practical DISCOURSE OF THE Joy of Just Mens Souls in the State of Separation from the Body For the Instruction of Weak Christians and for the Comfort of the Afflicted By J. B. Rector of Finchamsted in the County of Berks. Psal 63.3 Thy Loving Kindness is better than Life Qui cupit dissolvi esse cum Christo haud patienter moritur sed patienter vivit delectabiliter moritur Aug. LICENSED July 2. 1686. LONDON Printed by J. H. for L. Meredith at the King's Head at the West End of St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. THE Epistle Dedicatory To the Worshipfull and my most worthily honoured Friend Dr. Robert Woodward Chancellour of my Lord Bishop's Court at Sarum Worthy Sir AS I have adventured to make use of your Name in this way so I am perswaded 't is scarce more easie for uncharitable Minds to Blame me for it than for your Kindness and Courtesie to excuse it in some Measure And if Any should account me presumptuous in so doing I can truly tell them That I had a very great and almost Irresistible Temptation to it For Gentlemen of good Repute and Judgment do not seem to doubt but I might bear the Reflections of Ingratitude as well as Imprudence if having an opportunity I should not make some publick Acknowledgment of my Obligations to your Worship for those great Instances of your undeserved Friendship which Blessed be God I so happily received in those publick Circumstances that made me stand in need of so Good a Friend Accept therefore I beseech you Sir this plain Piece as a Pledge of the unfeigned Thanks that I must ever owe you And Sir I do the rather beg your Acceptance of it because the Doctrine defended is apparently owned by the Church of England and partly Because if it find in the Main that Honour and Favour I shall think my self sufficiently Armed against the Censures of the Profane Malignant World. The Father of Mercies follow you still with His Goodness Granting you many Happy Days here on Earth and when your Time is ended the Joys of Eternity and the Blessedness of Them that Dye in the Lord. So praying refteth Good Sir Your Worship 's most humble Servant and most effectually obliged John Brandon A Word to the READER CHristian Reader If thou askest why I publish this Discourse I can safely answer 'T is not to offend thee But possibly Thou mayst expect some further Account which take as followeth 1. The Subject here treated of is not so commonly handled as many other Points of Religion Among the Multitudes of Books abroad in the World which I have made some Enquiry about there is not so much as one Pocket-Volume that I can find written upon it purposely plainly and practically And Those that have spoken occasionally of it in larger Pieces containing various Subjects have said a great deal more than they have proved about it I could shew a prety many pages relating to it that afford not so much as one good Substantial Argument for the truth of it and yet it deserveth to be as well proved as most Doctrines that I know of and much better than some that have been sufficiently contended for 2. 'T is a Subject that seems to afford an Eminent Degree of Support and satisfaction to a Pious Soul. For though the Being for ever with the Lord be the Top of our Felicity whether we enjoy it sooner or later yet me thinks the Hope of being with Him in a little Time may be agreat Addition to a Christian's Joy. May it not be a Matter of Special yea strong Consolation to think and Believe on Scripture grounds that he shall be a Gainer by his Dissolution have his Soul with Christ and his Angels before his Body is with Worms and Dust and see the Eternal Light and Love as soon as Death has drawn the Vail of Flesh And that it may Assist thee Christian Reader in the chearfull Service of thy God which is the truest Heaven that Thou canst hope for here on Earth is so evident that it need not be proved Well may he serve his God with Gladness that hopeth so shortly to see his Salvation And I was the more encouraged to go on herein because I feared no Opposers For the Church of England teacheth its Friends to say in the Burial Service O God with whom the Souls of the Faithfull after they are delivered from the Flesh are in Joy and Felicity And if I am opposed by its Enemies it will be matter of small Regard with me yet if any man of what perswasion soever shall employ his Pen to Disprove the Main of what I have said on this Point He may be attended to if God grant Life and Leisure I can easily judge that a Work of this Nature were fitter to be managed by others than by Me yet that must not hinder me from doing it as I can And if my Imperfect Doing of it may Anger any man so far as to move him to do it Better I shall think I have written to very good purpose And now I have onely to Request of thee these few things 1. That thou wouldst reade over this Discourse when thou hast not a better at hand for which I need urge no other Motives than the Smallness of it and the Greatness of it's Subject 2. That thou reade it with a Charitable Eye and a Christian Aim receiving the Truth with all Readiness of mind not Rejecting any thing thou findest to be Sound for the Sake of any thing that thou thinkest to be weak 3. That thou wouldst beseech God of all Grace to give us such Grace as may be sufficient for us such as may fit us both in his due time for the Participation of that Felicity which this small Book is designed to Discover I add no more but to Subscribe my Self Thy Servant for the Sake of Jesus John Brandon Finchamsted Berks May 10th 1686. A Table of the Contents of this Discourse THE Introduction with some Presuppositions relating to the Point Viz. The Soul's Immortality and it's Capableness of being Happy out of the Body Page 1 SECTION I. The Happiness of good Mens Souls in their Separation from the Body asserted and the Probability of it discovered pag. 12 SECT II. The happy State of good Mens Souls after Death proved from Phil. 1.23 having a Desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better together with an Answer to a Socinian Exception pag. 17 SECT III. The Point proved from Luke 23.43 This day Thou shalt be with me in Paradise and Colos 1.20 To reconcile all things to himself whether Things on Earth or Things in Heaven with an Answer to some Exceptions pag. 26 SECT IV. The same proved from 2 Cor. 5.8 We are willing rather to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord and Heb. 12.23 The Spirits of Just Men made perfect pag. 31 SECT V. The same Doctrine proved
I find not that the contrary minded have made any exceptions against this proof that are worthy any serious consideration And for that of the Apostle Heb. 12.23 I take it to be no less convincing For what but the Souls of good Men can be supposed to be called the Spirits of just Men made perfect For it cannot be said of the Angels they being distinguished from them in the same verse nor can it be meant of the Persons of Men Bodies and Souls united for these are called Men and not Spirits much less the Spirits of just Men. Obj. But we find in Scripture the Angels that have a charge over the faithfull are called their Angels and why may they not be called their Spirits being Spirits indeed Ans The question in this matter is not whether they may not be so called in some sense or respect but whether in that Text they are so called and I say they are not for two Reasons 1. Because the Angels are mentioned just before as was intimated and they are never called the Spirits of Men or the Spirits of the Just in Scripture 2. Because these are spoken of as made perfect as the things that are imperfect are brought to perfection by degrees for so the original signifieth now the Holy Angels never were destitute of any perfection that their nature needeth Since therefore it must be only the Souls of the Just that there are called the Spirits of the Just it will be easie to conclude the point from it For 't is evident it cannot be meant of their Spirits or Souls while in the Body here on Earth for in this state they are not made perfect but have a great deal of sinfull imperfection in them not as though I were already perfect said St. Paul of himself And 't is said they are made perfect that is already perfect and therefore is not spoken of that perfection which they shall have hereafter at the Resurrection of their Bodies nor can the scope of the place or context favour the interpreting of it concerning their state on Earth and since it cannot be understood of their Souls in their Bodies on Earth nor at the Resurrection then it must be meant of their Souls in their separated state And if in that state they are they are more perfect than before they were they must certainly be more happy also SECT V. The same Doctrine proved from Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours c. HAving urged several Scriptures for my purpose I shall now only add this unto them And if any Person doubts whether this will prove the happy state of Just Mens Souls in separation from their Bodies he must be a Man of doubtfull Religion But for the business let us note in what manner the truth was manifested I heard said St. John a voice from Heaven saying to me write Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Note also that it is not spoken of Men as living on Earth or in Heaven but of them as dying in the Lord in his Faith and Fear Blessed are those Dead It is added from henceforth from the time of their dying And how can we think it would be said Blessed are those Dead if they did not obtain some blessed privilege by dying if death did not bring more good to their Souls than hurt to their Bodies then we have the Spirit asserting it yea saith the Spirit Together with one part or property of their blessedness they rest from their Labours from all their troubles whatsoever And this Rest must include a positive happiness in the Love and Peace of their gracious God For a meer Negative or Privative Rest consisting in a bare Freedom from Pain and Trouble is no more than the Beasts partake of when the Horse is dead there 's an end of his weariness as well as his work And I hope we may safely believe that a dead Christian that shewed himself such in his life is in a better state presently after Death than a dead Beast can be and he whose Religion is any thing stronger than his Atheism will account this Text an evidence of it And this shall suffice for Confirmation of the point and I doubt not but it may be some satisfaction to those that seek the truth in Love and humbly implore the guidance of God's Holy Spirit In the next place I am to make good my method and so to vindicate this truth from exceptions and defend it from that violence which some have offered unto it SECT VI. The Happiness of Just Mens Souls in the state of separation vindicated AS to contend for the truth is no unlawfull strife by clearing and confirming it so to maintain it against objections is not unnecessary And I know not whether some may not expect it But before I answer Mens Cavils against this comfortable Doctrine it may not be amiss to say something to those that would dissuade us from medling with matters of this nature For to what purpose say they should we trouble our selves about it For if we believe the Servants of God shall have an Eternity of Happiness after the Resurrection is not that sufficient for us whether our Souls can be happy in their separation or not Whether it is kindness or crosness Religion or Sin that moves men to talk after this rate I shall not now enquire Sure I am It is our Duty to search the Scriptures and blessed be God for the liberty of doing so And certainly 't is not below us to search them for this purpose if perhaps we may find satisfaction about it which that we may I trust will be acknowledged by the unprejudiced Reader Things revealed do belong to us and that this is revealed may easily be perceived by what has been insisted on about it And he that grants it a truth will never deny it to be a comfortable one whatsoever also Christians may undervalue methinks they should not despise the Consolations of the Scripture which will hold when other comforts fail And though it be not very delightfull to deal with the confident cavils of deceived Sinners yet to prevent their mischief I am willing to bestow a few lines upon them As for Scripture that they use to oppose this truth by 't is especially that of the Psalmist Ps 6.5 In death there is no Remembrance of thee and in the Grave who shall give thee Thanks But must not they be very quick-sighted that can find in the place of Darkness an Argument against this encouraging Doctrine But how little this Text maketh against it a few words will shew For. 1. The Psalmist doth not say there is no Remembrance of God after Death but thus In Death there is no Remembrance of thee viz. In that which is in Death or under Death's power even the Body Or then there is no such Remembrance of God as in the time of Life for the
Christians I think fit to add that this privilege of being with Christ after Death is not peculiar to St. Paul but belongs also to all that are truly Godly Death as well as Life is yours said he to the believing Corinthians and in them to all other faithfull Christians and certainly he meant t' was theirs in a comfortable sense for their good and leading to their happiness 1 Cor. 3.22 And if all things work for good to them that love God Death shall also and do them a kindness as well as the Apostle Rom. 8.28 nor doth the Apostle make any comparison between himself and the rest of the faithfull in this case or set himself above them in any respect as also in other places he declares them to have the same interest in him and Acceptance for his sake Christ who is our Life Colos 34. He made us accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his Riches in Glory through Christ Jesus Yea He is made unto us Wisedom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 And that the Souls of other Christians are capable of happiness after death as well as S. Paul's I will undertake to prove when I can think worth while so to doe SECT III. The point proved from Luke 23.43 This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise and Colos 1.20 To reconcile all things to himself whether things on Earth or things in Heaven with an Answer to some exceptions AMong the many Scriptures that confirm this comfortable Doctrine these are very considerable In the former our Saviour tells the dying Penitent the joyfull News This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise but he was not so in respect of his Body therefore in respect of his Soul. Whether his Soul was to be that day in Heaven or only tending to it I shall not here enquire 'T is enough for my purpose that it was to be in Paradise for that can signifie no less than a place and state of happiness And we doubt not but Christ's favourable presence could make any place a Paradise for delight and more delightfull than the Earthly Paradise ever was This Text is so strong on our side that our greatest opposers can hardly tell what to say to it any otherwise than by espousing that wretched evasion of the foresaid Racovian Doctor Val. Smalcius viz. Changing the Sentence by misplacing the Comma and reading the words thus Verily I say to thee this day Thou shalt be with me in Paradise namely some time or other as if this day were meant of Christ's speaking and not of the Penitent's enjoying Modus loquendi Hebraicus c. It is says he a speaking after the manner of the Hebrews who use to express themselves so when they would tell us matters of special remark as Deut. 30.18 If ye Worship other Gods and serve them I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish But if they gain the cause at such a rate Luk. 23.43 cleared let them take all and set up their own Heresie for sacred and saying truths For 't is easie to turn â—â—â—th into errour and sense into non-â—â—â—se by mis-pointing any places of Scripture or any other Books and when Men make so bold with the words of our Lord we may fitly call them to account for it and censure their presumption and perverseness which in this case seems very plain For first they shew us no good reason why it should be read I say unto thee this day nor was there need that Christ should tell him that he said so in that day nor do we find him use such an expression in any place or on any great occasions For when he would tell us the necessity of Conversion he says not I say unto you this day but Verily I say unto you except ye be converted ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and the like of his being owned by the Angels Verily Verily I say unto you hereafter ye shall see Heaven open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man Joh 1.51 Vain enough therefore is that Author's suggestion that it was so spoken for the weightiness of the matter And though in the Old Testament there were such phrases used I say to thee this day yet it was in matters of threat or of command but not in matters of promise or comfort Our Lord also hath it Verily I say c. now as there was no need at all of such a solemn Asseveration to tell the Penitent Thief when it was he spake unto him his own Ears being sufficient so it was very proper to be used in telling him of the happy change that he should make so speedily and tended much to satisfie him in it So that of the Apostle Colos 1.20 to reconcile all things to himself whether things on Earth or things in Heaven Here what can we suppose meant by things in Heaven reconciled Piscator expoundeth tam fideles c. as well the faithfull received to Heaven as those still on Earth If this be the sense of it 't is full enough to prove the faithfull Christians Soul to be happy after death and if it be not I almost despair of knowing it As to the Holy Angels it seems very improper to interpret it of them for how are they Things reconciled that never offended their God and so needed not any reconciliation And there is in that Chapter no discourse of Enoch and Elias or any thing to enforce it to be meant of them and whether the expressing it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things not all Persons he may not have a special respect to the Souls of the faithfull departed I leave to others to consider of SECT IV. The same proved from 2 Cor. 5.8 we are willing rather to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord and Heb. 12.23 The Spirits of just Men made perfect IF other places should not satisfie Men as to this particular yet these one would think could not fail of so doing In the former St. Paul speaks nothing that was peculiar to himself but joyneth the rest of the faithfull in the very same privilege with himself We says he are willing to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore it must needs be granted that the Apostle did believe that when they were as he calls it absent from the Body they should be present with the Lord not only in a general sense as all things are but in a gracious and spiritual manner and such as containeth more comfortable Communion with him than any they could have in this mortal Life and that their being thus present with them when absent from the Body is to be understood in respect of their Souls is that which needeth not to be proved to any that make use of sober reason and are willing to understand the plainest words and
that God accepteth the Will for the Deed in such a case This I say is a sad mistake and one of the most wretched delusions that ever Satan deceived any Sinner with for God doth absolutely require Men and chiefly Christian Professors to live well and will never dispence with it for the sake of any good desires nor are our desires truly good any further than they make us truly and in the main followers of that which is good Nor can any desires be accepted with God which a Man may have while his heart is in love with any way of Wickedness If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66.18 These things are so plain that there may seem little need to say any thing to clear or confirm them yet because 't is the saddest thing imaginable for Men to be deceived to destruction by false Apprehensions of their own goodness here on Earth I shall add a few words more about it Consider therefore that as the Scripture in some places describes the just by their good desires for 't is little of good for any to doe what is good against their Wills so in other places and more usually it describes them by good Conversation and upright doings When the question is put Who shall dwell in God's Holy Hill Psal 15.2 't is answered He that walketh uprightly and worketh Righteousness Not he that faintly wisheth to walk uprightly and in the mean time liveth wickedly but he that so desires it as to doe it in some measure and in his ordinary course So the Servant in the parable that is stiled good and faithfull is intimated to have done well and not only to have spoken well or to have wished his Masters work well done without any more concern about it Thus also Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 are commended for Righteous Persons not for having some good thoughts of God's ways or some uneffectual good wishes about them but for walking in them vers 6 They were Righteous before God walking in the Commandments of the Lord. The Righteous that are noted to be mercifull also are spoken of as walking in their uprightness Esay 57.1 2. Briefly 't is well doing and not well wishing without it where Ability and Opportunity is afforded that shall end well at last and come off with Credit at the great day of Revelation They that have done good shall come forth to the Resurrection of Life Joh. 5.29 And the great reason why Men shall be judged according to their ways may be supposed to be this because these are the truest discoveries of their desires and dispositions as the stream discovereth the nature of the Fountain whence it floweth and the matter is clear in any other case If for instance one that hath took up Arms against his King should consider what it is that he doth how evil how dangerous how scandalous it is and so should resolve and accordingly desire to cease his Rebellion and become a true Subject yet if he does not so indeed and actually lay down his Arms it being a thing that lyeth in his power he is certainly no better than a Rebel still and must not think that his King will accept those good desires and Resolutions that made him never a whit the better Man. 5. A Man may doe some good deeds and yet not be in the number of the just Possibly his goodness may be as the Morning Dew when his Wickedness is more constant and prevailing His common course may be Earthly and Sensual yea Devilish too though he sometimes make a shift to step out of Satan's path into some good action for his credit sake or the like ends As we have the Scribes and Pharisees for examples of it though they were the greatest enemies our Saviour had It was said of Amaziah he did what was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect or upright heart 2 Chron. 25.2 Thus some will doe works of Justice towards Men and yet live in a wilfull and common neglect of the duties of Prayer and publick Worship and Service toward God and what is such Mens Righteousness worth while 't is so void of Religion towards the God of Righteousness Some again will doe works of mercy towards the Poor yet allow themselves to rail at the Rich and spight at any that are above them in the World and what is such Mens mercy worth Are these just Men indeed that are so injurious to their God and dishonour him more in some ways than they honour him in others We think that Man more an Enemy than a Friend that knowingly and usually does us more hurt than good And our Religion we know engages us to mind in its place every part of God's revealed Will to keep a good Conscience towards God as well as Men and towards one as well as another Acts. 24.16 Phil. 2.15 In short to live Godly Righteously and Soberly in this present World Tit. 2.12 Having seen what good a Man may have and yet not be a good or just Man I think it will be no inexcusable digression to consider what evil one may have and yet be such indeed 1. A Person may have variety of troubles yea such as the most and the worst do seldom meet with and yet be a just Person Righteous and accepted in the sight of God the straits of time may be Tempestuous to those to whom the Ocean of Eternity shall be calm enough Many are the troubles of the Righteous Ps 37. and we know the troubles of Job that upright Man were such as few or none ever suffered the like 2. Inward and Spiritual Afflictions are not at all inconsistent with the State of the just in this World. One may be full of doubts of his Salvation and fears of Hell yea he may be under the extremity of these evils and be swallowed up as it were in these depths of sorrow and yet be an Heir of Heavens joy The Psalmist shews us He had suffered God's Terrours from his Youth Psal 88.15 Job complained that the Terrours of God had set themselves in array against him 6.4 Terrours are turned upon me they pursue my Soul Chap. 30.15 adding v. 17. My Bones are pierced in the night season and my Sinews take no Rest 3. A Christian may be followed with great Temptations yea with horrid and unheard-of ones and yet may be a just Man. For it was so with our Lord himself He was tempted to fall down and worship the unclean Spirit and to cast himself down from the Pinnacle of the Temple Mat. 4.6.9 And if these things befell the Son of God the vilest Temptations may be managed against the Servants of God. They that have grace in their hearts and favour in Heaven may have their Heads filled with horrible thoughts of God Christ Scripture c. And these thoughts being hated increase not their guilt but their grief only and Satan the suggester of them shall answer for