with this flame and is it not pity that those who love so well should be parted since Christ hath placed his delight in them and they their happiness in him is it not pity but they should live together and rejoice together and be a comfort to one another The Lord Jesus hath abundantly manifested his love to them in this that let them be how they will and where they will he doth come and keep them company when any of them are in prisons he visits them there and puts songs into their mouths when some of them were in a fiery furnace he came to them and walked with them and was a shadow to them from that heat His sweet promise runs thus in Joh. 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you Whoever leaves you though friends and estate and all leave you I will not when you have no comforts I will bring you some And sure those who are such friends at a distance should come into a closer fellowship 3. They have been together in troubles these servants have again by way of grateful return exprest their love to their Master Afflictions tribulations persecutions death it self could not divide them and what shall they be divided at the last Certainly nothing shall separate them from the presence of Christ whom nothing could separate from the love of Christ. They have drunk of the cup which he drunk of and been baptized with the baptism which he was baptized with and therefore they shall enter into his joy and be with him in his Kingdom They have carried his Cross and they shall be with him upon his Throne They have sought his battels and been with him in his conflicts therefore they shall share in his Triumphs Peter thought he had done something when he said Mat. 19. 27. Behold we have for saken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore Sure he thought Christ was beholding to them for leaving a few old nets and leaking boats and pitiful houshold-stuff to follow him Our Saviour might have shewn him his error but observe his answer vers 28. Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel q d. Do not trouble your self Peter neither you nor any of my faithful Disciples shall be losers by me though you and they may be sufferers for me you forsake little things for me but you shall have great things from me You part with Nets and I will give you Thrones But here remember that the Saints losses and afflictions do not merit this happiness no read Rom. 8. 18. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Yet through the condescending love and rich grace of God that happiness shall attend and crown those troubles Rom. 8. 17. We are joint-heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together 4. The friends and servants of Christ cannot be happy upon other terms Being with Christ is the only thing that can afford rest and satisfaction to them all the world besides cannot do it Let the Saints have never so great a confluence of Creature-delights suppose them possest of Relations friends estate honour peace plenty what you will these are nothing if alone meer Cyphers unless the enjoyment of Christ put a significancy into them Without the presence of Christ and the manifestations of his love and favour all these things are in their esteem vanity and vexation of spirit The heart of poor tender Rachel was so let out to her children and her comforts so much bound up in them that when they were not she â—…efused to be comforted Now the heart of a true believer is as much set upon Christ and his comforts are as much bound up in Christ he knows that if he lose him he loseth all if he miss of him he is an undone man Hence it comes to pass that if Christ doth now hide and withdraw the manifestations of himself and suspend his influences the gracious Soul cannot sit still but up it gets and away it runs searching and enquiring with trembling and tears Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. 3. If during this state of desertion and darkness he repairs to the precious ordinances and there hears a Son of consolation whose lips drop as an Honey-comb and is entertained with the most sweet cordial promises the marrow and fatness of the Gospel yet he is not refreshed all is to him as a dry â—…chip as the white of an egg if he do not meet with Christ there the Lord Jesus is to him all in all he alone is all though there be nothing else but all things are nothing Heaven and Earth are nothing without Christ. Psal. 73. 25. Whom â—…ave I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Paul had doubtless a very considerable number of dear and loving friends upon earth as well as Enemies and he had a great deal of excellent work to do here yet notwithstanding all his friends and work he had good man a desire to depart andâ—… to be with Christ which he counted far better than what than any thing you can name in this world 5. Lastly There is a place in Heaven already taken up for them yea for all and every one of them by name as the house is built and richly furnished so the â—…ooms are disposed of Joh. 14. 2. In my Fathers house are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you tâ—… prepare it and that for you I will take it up for youâ—… and when he ascended into Glory he entered as in hiâ—… own person so in his people's names Heb. 9. 19 20 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both surâ—… and stedfast and which entred into that within the vail whither the forerunner even Jesus is for us entred Matâ—… that he is entred for us not only for our good thaâ—… he might there make intercession for us and preseâ—… our prayers to his Father and from thence convey Spiritual blessings to us but he is entred in our name Thâ—… high Priest under the Law was you know a Type oâ—… Christ and when he entred into the Holy of Holiâ—… he carried the names of all the Tribes with him upoâ—… his breast So did Christ our high Priest at his entrancâ—… into the most holy place Heaven he entred in thâ—… name of all his people which clearly shewed that they must follow him thither for otherwise this action oâ—… Christ was in vain and that is impossible nay upoâ—… this account Believers are said to sit in Heaven in Christ as they shall one day sit there with him so they do noâ—… sit there in him Eph. 2. 6. God who is rich in
Secondly Who are his Servants Thirdly What is that place where Christ is and what the Excellencies of it Fourthly What this being where Christ is doth import Fifthly Give you some reasons why Christs Servants shall be where he is Lastly Improve the Doctrine in a way of Application First then What or who is this Jesus Christ One might justly wonder that any in such a Congregation as this is any in such a City as London is where the Everlasting Gospel is so plentifully and powerfully preached should be grosly ignorant of Christ unless it be children lately weaned from the breast fools and mad-men or such as turn their backs on all Ordinances and live altogether as beasts in the world because without the practices of Religion But alas not withstanding those glorious beams of light and means of knowledg which God in his goodness hath so liberally vouchsafed I am afraid many among us are without the knowledg of the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Though to know them as we ought to know them be of great and everlasting concernment no less than life eternal Joh. 17. 3. whom therefore some of you do ignorantly talk of him do I thus declare unto you Jesus Christ is the second Person in the Sacred Trinity the only begotten and eternal Son of God who did in the fulness of time humble himself so far as to become man being conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary having a true body and a reasonable soul and so continueth to be very God and very man in one Person for ever He is Gods most beloved Son and mans most intire friend In a ready compliance with his Fathers will and out of the abundance of his love to those his poor people whom his Father had given him he to the wonder and astonishment both of Heaven and earth was pleased to assume our nature and so to become our Brother in order to his being our Redeemer And thereupon having not only an heart but likewise a right to the work he did engage thereunto notwithstanding all foreseen difficulties cost and sorrows and so gave himself a sacrifice and his life a ransome for them The chastisement of our peace was upon him that by his stripes we might be healed Isa. 53. 5. He was made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4. 4 5. He died that we might live he knew no sin and yet was he made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Upon him was the curse that upon us might be the blessing This Jesus hath taken upon himself all relations which speak affection in him and encourage confidence in his He hath undertaken all Offices that make for their advantage He is our Prophet to teach us our Priest to save us our King to rule and defend us Having humbled himself and become obedient unto death even the death of the Cross therefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name Phil. 2. 8 9. Him he hath set up as King upon his holy hill of Zion where his Throne is so sure that though the Heathen rage and the people imagine and the Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel together yet they cannot overturn it Psal. 45. 6. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the scepter of thy Kingdom is a right scepter His undoubted right it is to reign in every one of our hearts He doth reign in his Church and he shall continue so to do in spite of Rome and Hell Pope and Devil with all their abettors until all his enemies be made his footstool and then cometh the end when he shall deliver up the Kingdom to God even the Father 1 Cor. 15. 24. In short Jesus Christ is Emanuel God with us God in our nature I will report of him to you as the enamoured Spouse did to the inquisitive Daughters of Jerusalem Cant. 5. when they asked her what her beloved was more than another beloved she answered He is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand his mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely Totus totus desiderabilis all amiable all desirable there is nothing amiss in him nothing wanting in him This my Brethren this is our Beloved this is our Friend In the next place I am to shew who are his servants those I mean unto whom he doth here promise that they shall be where he is And here I might tell you that all true believers are Christs servants who having their chains knockt of their Prison-doors opened and being delivered from the bondage of Satan and corruption do serve the Lord in righteousness and holiness Again some are Christs servants as being appointed and called to act for 〈◊〉 and his interest in some particular place or function thus Paul calleth himself a servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. and he calls Epaphras and Tychicus his fellow-servants in the Lord Col. 1. 7. and Col. 4. 7. because they did together with him serve Christ in Preaching the Gospel and so every faithful Minister of the Word is called a servant of the Lord 2 Tim. 2. 24. The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient But I shall speak of Christs servants in general as comprehending all holy and gracious ones and shall give you a fourfold character of them by which they may be known 1. Those that are the servants of Christ are employed and taken up about the work of Christ. If we would know whose servant any man is we may observe and consider whose work it is that he doth He that doth the work of sin is the servant of sin Rom. 6. 16. His servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness He is the servant of the Devil that doth the work of the Devil tempting men to sin or accusing and troubling the Saints in and for that which is good 1 Joh. 3. 8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil And our Saviour told the wicked Jews Joh. 8. 44. That they were of their Father the Devil and he proved it by this because the works of their Father they would do in contemning the truth and opposing Christ this is the Devils work and it is dirty work and all those who are busie in it you may easily know to whom they do belong If you see the Devil in a mans life you may safely conclude him in his heart On the other side the servants of Christ will be employed about the work of Christ they will study his mind obey his commandments follow his orders and apply to that duty which he requires of them Ye are my friends saith he Job 15. 14. If ye do what soever I commanâ—… you Not pick and chuse quarrel
it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Now Heaven is a very good place to be in Earth in its greatest beauty is a dunghil if compared to it Take briefly some account of it First Heaven is an high place Gods promise runs thus Psal. 91. 14. I will set him on high because he hath known my name And when he brings his people to Heaven this Promise hath its full accomplishment Hell is an horrible pit those miserable â—…ouls that for supine neglect and God-daring provocations are condemned thither go down indeed into the deep yea into the depths of sorrow They are cast so low that they are quite out of the reach of comfort The Divine hand will not reach them any succour or relief and none other can But Heaven is a lofty place they that go thither are upon the rising hand It is mans preferment and advance Christ is set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Nay he is said to be far above all Heavens that is far above those Heavens which are visible and within our present view He is above the Airy Heaven and above the Starry Heaven in the highest the Heaven of Heavens where is the Throne and the most Glorious Presence of God which is invisible to us in this lower world Oh that you who are high-minded would be heavenly minded you do debase your selves and act unworthy of your extract and original till you soar this pitch that is the highest place there is the highest Glory All things else are sordid and base dung and dogs-meat if compared with Heaven and the blessed enjoyments there Secondly Heaven is a spacious and large place Earth is narrow and scanty men have not room enough in it nor comforts enough they can hardly â—…ive one by another their vast desires and shortcommons cause great discontents and very frequently mad work hence proceeds such shouldering and scrambling and quarreling as we too often see But in Heaven there is room enough and Crowns enough happiness and glory enough There is indeed but one God and there needs no more because he is alsufficient The glorified Spirits there do altogether as fully enjoy God and as intirely as if but one enjoyed him He will be as much thine as if he were solely thine One God is so the happiness and satisfaction of all the Saints as that all God an whole God is the portion of every Saint So that in Heaven there is perfect peace among the co-heirs no mutual enviâ—…s and animosities no disturbances created to one another Do but make out your title and labour for a meetness and then you shall find both entrance and entertainment get but an heart in a due frame fit for the company glory and business there and you need not fear admission None shall be excluded from thence because Heaven is not capable of receiving them but because they are not in a fit case to be received they want their oil and their wedding-garment and such as these would as ill beseem that holy hill as filthy swine would a Princes Court Indeed the glory there would as ill become them for Honour is not seemly for a fool Our Saviour hath told us That in his Fathers house are many Mansions Joh. 1. 4. 2. Locus est pluribus umbris Calvin observes he doth not say Varias dispares he doth not tell us of disparity that is in them but the multitude of them pluribus sufficient sufficient for the company as many mansions as there are to be inhabitants In youâ—… Fathers house O Saints there is bread and lodginâ—… enough and to spare you shall there dwell at easâ—… In that bottomless boundless ocean of happiness yoâ—… shall bathe and sport your selves with unspeakablâ—… and eternal delight Thirdly Heaven is a secure and safe place therâ—… you shall be out of gun shot upon this account it iâ—… far better and more desirable than this world Bâ—… your estate here never so large your advancemenâ—… never so high your comforts never so many they arâ—… uâ—…certain at the best Asaph was offended at thâ—… prosperity of wicked men whom pride compasseth 〈◊〉 a châ—…in and violence covereth as a garment but hâ—… saith they are set in slippery places from whence they may soon tumble Nay not only bad men but the besâ—… are liable to assaults and troubles and both afflictinâ—… and amazing alterations Job had his changes Daviâ—… his castings down as well as his liftings up No placâ—… is to be found here in which a man may be perfectly free from the fear of evil Here are dangers froâ—… within the corruption and sin which dwelleth in usâ—… dangers from without wicked ungodly and unreaâ—… reasonable men who are desperate enemies to thâ—… power of godliness and to the exercises of that Religion which is pure and undefiled before God and the Father and do encompass the little flock 〈◊〉 Christ like a company of ravenous wolves Anâ—… there is danger from beneath Satan the Prince oâ—… Darkness a politick potent and unwearied adversary who will send forth his messengers to buffet and cast his fiery darts to wound and use his wileâ—… to deceive and intrap He hath his variety of engines â—…nd methods and it is well if we be not ignorant of â—…hem We are not safe in our assemblies nor in our â—…amilies no nor in our closets and greatest retireâ—…ents when we have sequestred our selves from all â—…ompany we shall have a treacherous heart within â—…o hinder and at our right hand a Devil to resist us â—…ut in Heaven there is nothing to affright nor to ofâ—…end There is no possibility of sinning against God â—…o fear of losing our happiness no danger of falling â—…rom that height of holiness and glory unto which we shall be advanced There will be no sin within to defile no Devil without to seduce no enemy nor wicked men to Inform persecute or disturb Lastly Heaven is a most sweet and pleasant place â—…here is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore that is the mountain of spices where there is absence and scarcity of nothing that would afford contentment and highest satisfaction to the most raised enamoured and enlarged soul. Christ called it Paradise when he told the converted Thief This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise He meant Heaven The earthly Paradise was a lovely and delicious place a garden of pleasure that was a type of Heaven but that Terrestrial Paradise did fall as far short of Heaven as the brazen Serpent did of Christ the Lord of glory It is most certain were Heaven no other kind of thing than what besotted wretches and vain worldlings in their idle dreams fancy to themselves it would be a pitiful contemptible thing no better than the Heathen Poets Elysian fields uncapable of filling up the capacity of the immortal high-born soul and unspeakably short of the hopes and expectations of the followers of the Lamb who now cheerfully wade through so many
mercâ—… hath raised us up together and made us sit together iâ—… heavenly places in Christ Jesus If now after all this you ask me when that blesseâ—… day shall come in which the Servants of Christ shalâ—… be with him I answer in a few words when they havâ—… finished their course and compleated that work whicâ—… God hath given them to do according to what our Saviour said Joh. 17. 4 5. I have glorified thee on thâ—… Earth and finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own selfâ—… And so that of Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a gooâ—… fight I have finished my course I have kept the faithâ—… henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me at that day When Death gives its fatal stroak and breaks that union which had been between their souls and their bodies then do their enlarged and nimble souls post immediatly to Heaven making no stay by the way in â—…ome imaginary Paradise or feigned Purgatory nor do they forget themselves and continue in an idle and unprofitable sleep till the Arch-Angel's Trump awaken them but they take their direct and speedy flight â—…o the Mansions above the Palace of the Great King And then at the last day when the morning the joyâ—…ul morning of the Resurrection shall dawn their sleepâ—…ng bodies having been calcin'd and purified in the grave as in a refining-pot shall be awakened and raised out of their beds of dust and being fitted to accompany their souls in their most sublime and noble imployments shall be reunited to them and together with them made partakers of all that happiness and invested with all that beauty glory and perfection which they are capable of I have finished the Doctrinal part and shall now make some improvement of it in a way of Use. Use 1. From what hath been said wicked men may â—…ee cause to fear and tremble if the rule of contraries hold true they may from hence learn what will become of them and where their lines will fall you that have to this day lived in a state of estrangement from Christ and emnity to him you that do grieve and alway resist the Holy Ghost you that slight and reject the â—…enders of Christ that despise his grace that refuse to â—…ake his yoke upon you and submit to his government but break his bands asunder and cast away his cords â—…rom you you that hate his image instamped upon his Saints and cannot endure the power of godliness buâ—… are the servants of Sin that delight to drudg for the Devil and gratifie your base lusts whither are you going what will be the end of these things where shall you take up your everlasting abode unless you face about and steer another course doubtless with the Master whom you have chosen the Devil you will serve and to the Devil you shall go read your doom pronounced by the mouth of a despised Saviour and righteous Judg Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed intâ—… everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And this I will confidently tell you whatever pleasure and delight you do now find in the Devils work you shall find none in his company nor condition at the last Some of you are Desperado's stark mad and wish God to damn you know you do more than a Devil daâ—…e do and you need not do it for your damnation sleepeth not Use 2. I would exhort you all one and other to enter into Christâ—… Family and become his faithful Servants Now Now O Sinners change your Master Why should you slave for a lust why should you take pains to ruine and undo your selves what profit caâ—… you have of those things which will cause shame and sorrow and death Look to the issue of things and judge them by that He is a wise man that is so at his latter end and he is an happy man that will be so to all eternity Not he that swears and curses drinks and whores is merry and mad while he lives but he thâ—… hath hope a well-grounded hope in his death My Friends If Baal be God follow him if Sin and Satan can bestow you holding lasting everlasting happpiness cleave to them but if they cheat you and will ruine you forsake them and for certain they will do it for the wages of sin is death And I beseech you act like wise and considerate men what satisfactory reason can you give why you should not give up your selves to Christ His government is sweet his yoke is easie and his burden light His Law is the Royal Law of Liberty and his Commandments holy just and good he hath indeed a Rod of Iron but that is only for his obstinate and implacable enemies whom he will dash in pieces like a Potters Vessel as for his Subjects he rules them with a golden Scepter of righteousness and grace Come come put your hand to his plow my Soul for yours you will never repent of it he will help you at your work and comfort you in it and crown you after it Be you wise therefore before it be too late chuse him for your Prince who will be your Saviour the strength and comfort of your hearts here and your portion for ever Use 3. But I shall now direct my discourse to you that are the Servants of Christ and have given up your names and your hearts to him some things I have to desire of you and oh that I may prevail with you I am perswaded that I shall Suffer then a four-fold word of exhortation 1. While you are upon earth be industrious do as much as you can lose no time bury no talent always abound in the work of the Lord remembring that you shall not be always here nay you shall be but a little while here you must go to the place where Christ is 2. Pet. I. the Apostle tells the Saints to whom he wrote That he would not be negligent to put them in remembrance but as long as he was in this Tabernacle he would stir them up by putting them in remembrance i. e. he would be exceeding industrious And why so He gives the Reason vers 14. Knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle How soon you may have your Summons and remove none of you can tell your breath is in your Nostrils and may be stopt in a moment you see God doth sometimes give very short and makes a quick dispatch Oh! therefore gird up the loins of your minds ply your business and follow it close let no duty be neglected no day lost no golden season and opportunity slipt or trifled away fill up your time places and relations that so your works may be found perfect before God and when you go hence you may neither mourn nor blush but hear your Master telling you That you have been faithful in your little 2.
During your abode here maintain and keep up a most close and intimate communion with Jesus Christ make fellowship with him the work of your days and you shall find it the comfort of your lives Enoch walked with God Dâ—…vids eyes were ever toward the Lord Asaph was continually with him and this hath been the practice of all the Saints in their Generations The Doctrine we are handling doth oblige you to it You shall hereafter be where Christ is therefore love to be where he is now much in ordinances frequent in holy duties Let not Christ come into your Families and Closets and find you absent at the hours of Prayer or his work thrust out by the world Let not him come into the Assemblies of his people and find your places empty in the time of publick worship let not the King of Saints come to his Table and want any of his guests but be you there too and let your Spikenard send forth its smell He walks in the midst of Golden Candlesticks walk you there too and not with vain persons nor in any path of the destroyer Oh! Love the habitation of his House the place where his â—…onour dwelleth Count Sabbaths your delight look upon Prayer not as your task but priviledg Often caâ—… to mind and meditate upon that of David Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to be hold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Oh! that the same frame of Spirit might be in every one of us 3. Acquaint your selves with Heaven before-hand one day you shall come thither that is your home here you are Pilgrims and Strangers as all your Fathers were that is your own Country there you shall take up your everlasting abode be there now as much as you can lay aside those weights that press down and the sins which do so easily beset you get upon the wing soar a-loft and let your conversations be in Heaven as the Apostles and primitive Christians were Phil. 3. 20. Well may miserable worldlings like blind Moles dig and bury themselves in the earth alas their treasure is there there portion lies wholly in the things of this life And it is no wonder at all to see their minds and hearts where their portion is But as for you my Brethren who cannot rest in this World because it is polluted and would be of all men most miserable if you had hope only in this life you whose Head and Happiness and Inheritance is above should be of more sublime spirits and thoughts and affections Be not you choakt with worldly cares nor disquieted with worldly fears nor drowned in sensual worldly delights When there is nothing but disorder and confusion in the world where you sojourn there is a perfect calm and serenity in the Country to which you are travelling And when you have peace and pleasure here sip and look up remembring there is something above infinitely better Lastly Be so wise such good Husbands as to make the best improvement you can of your godly Pastors Friends and Relations while you enjoy them You see by daily experience they do not they must not live for ever in this world yet a little while you see them and yet a little while and you shall not see them It is expedient for them that they go away Their dear Lord whom they serve loves them too well to be always without them He must have them with him He loves them too well to suffer them always to toil and labour among a disingenuous and ungrateful people always to contend with and suffer by a wicked and malicious world He must and will have them home to himself Therefore know your duty and your advantages while they are afforded you let there be wisdom in your hearts as well as a price in your hands and get as much good by them as you can Hear their wisdom attend to their counsels inquire after their experiences observe their carriages let your converses be spiritual your discourses heavenly that they may be profitable and minister to you both grace and comfort Use. Let me now in the last place speak something to you by way of Consolation Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith our God Some of you are mourners and I would not dismiss you without a Cordial especially now there is one at hand This consideration That Christs S rvants shall be where he is may comfort you 1. Against all the uncertainties and troubles of this world they are many and great In the world ye shall have tribulation said our dear Master who dealt faithfully with his followers and hath told them the very worst that they may not be offended No Saints must expect to go from one Heaven to another A Wilderness lyeth in your way to Canaan Gods Ministers especially must expect to meet with hard usage here many a frown and frump and abuse contrary to the Laws of Princes Embassadors But the King of Saints who commissioned and sent them had far worse entertainment and the servant must not expect to be above his Lord. Welâ—… let things be how they will and the present day is so very dark that for a time they are like to be worse than they are yet let not your hearts fail but hold up your heads for they will be better one day If you do not see what you desire in this world you shall in the next There will be no cause of complaint when you arrive at that place where your Lord is the joys of Heaven will make you a plenary amends for all your sorrows and afflictions upon Earth 2. You may from hence â—…e relieved as to the shortness of the present life Though some have their line of life drawn out to a very great length so that they see those days in which they have no pleasure but they awake at the voice of the bird and the Grashopper is a burden yet others are taken off in the midst of their days when their bones are full of marrow and their breasts of milk others presently after their Meridian before the shadows of the evening are upon them as was your late beloved Pastor However it be an eternal life with Christ in Heaven will make you a full amends for a short life on earth What you want here you shall have there Here you have but few days and those full of trouble there you shall have but one day yet that one knows no clouds no night no end and it is full of joy and glory Though we are but little with you and our friends but little with us it matters not much so long as they and we shall be ever with the Lord. 3. From this cordial truth we may fetch comfort against death it self It is indeed a King of â—…errours but upon this account a messenger of Peace Christ by
this and stick at that but comply with all my wills and do whatever I bid This David knew full well and therefore said Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respecâ—… to all thy commandments Whereas half-obedience wilâ—… certainly cause blushing and confusion at the last To follow the Lord fully was Caleb's commendation 2. Those that are Christs servants have chosen him for their Lord and Master There are a great many in the world who do some of Christs work after a fashion and would be upon that score reckoned among Christians and of the houshold of Faith who yet never made Christ their choice Nay they rise up in most desperate opposition to him and to his government both in their hearts and in the world We reaâ—… Luk. 19. 14. of some that say We will not have thiâ—… man reign over us No no any one rather than him But now every true servant of Christ chuseth him anâ—… doth most freely give up himself to him and is noâ—… only willing but also earnestly desirous that Chrisâ—… should bore his ear in token of his everlasting Dominion over him Alas poor soul he finds a comfortable alteration he hath served others and knowâ—… what a vast difference there is between Christ anâ—… them he hath now better work and kinder usage and greater hopes and more noble expectations anâ—… so is fully of the Churches mind Isa. 26. 13. O Lorâ—… our God other Lords beside thee have had dominioâ—… over us but by thee only will we make mention of thâ—… name We will own no other none to Christ none to Christ. Thirdly Those that are the servants of Christ have their hearts engaged in his work and not only their hands or their outward man Such indeed are spoken of Isa. 29. 13. Who drew near unto God with their mouths and with their lips did honour him but they had removed their hearts far from him and their fear toward him was taught by the precepts of men Those mens services God doth not accept and their persons he will not own Though they claim a relation to him and cry Lord Lord and can tell stories of their prophecying in his name and casting out Devils and doing many wondrous works yet he will profess unto them that he never knew them and command them to depart and be gone from him And what is the reason of this because he knew them to be a company of base hypocrites who were a meer complement and gave him no more than the shell and outside If you be Christs servants you rest in nothing external you will not take up in any thing unto which an hypocrite can attain Your hearts are sound in Gods statutes and do accompany all your acts of duty When you profess his name and keep his Sabbaths and seek his face and hear his Word and sit down at his Table and plead his cause your hearts are in all when you confess sin it is with a mourning heart when you beg his grace it is with a longing heart when you speak his praise it is with an enlarged heart Psal. 84. 2. My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God Lastly Those that are Christs servants do in all their work and duties sincerely aim at the honour and glory of Christ as the word and will of Christ is their only rule so the honour of Christ is their great and principal design and so that be accomplished they are well pleased however other things go The Apostle Paul in Rom. 16. 17 18. speaks of those which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel He doth not there speak against all that are offended and do divide for in some cases that is a duty and according to the Doctrine which we have received Our Reformers did no more than what they ought to do when they were offended at the Idolatries and Superstitions of Rome and divided from them And though they make a great clamour and noise about Schisms they themselves are the greatest and most notorious Schismaticks but he speaks there against those that cause divisions and offences and he commands the Romans and in them all Christians to mark them and avoid them And he gives this reason for it they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly that which they aimed at was their private gain and advantage that they might grow rich and live splendidly and fare deliciously Now these men do not serve Christ if the belly be a mans end Christ is not his Master the same holy Apostle assures us Phil. 3. 18 19. They are enemies to the cross of Christ and if to his Cross then to his Crown whose god is their belly and who mind earthly things A real servant of Christ then is one that makes Christ his end He serves the interest of Christ and he seeks the glory of Christ and makes it his great desire study and endeavour to exalt the name and enlarge the Kingdom of Christ in the world this spirit acted Paul this was it he aimed at Phil. 1. 21. To me to live is Christ. He had his life from him and he improved and laid out his life for him And the same we find in John Baptist witness those passages of his Joh. 3. 29 30. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom but the friend of the bridegroom which standeâ—…h and heareth him rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegrooms voice This my joy therefore is fulfilled he must increase but I must decrease Now let us put all these things together He is a true servant of our dear Lord Jesus who hath chosen him for his Lord and Master doth make Christs work the business of his life and applieth to it with his whole heart sincerely aiming at his glory Having thus seen who is the Servant our next work will be to enquire concerning his preferment and in order to our better understanding of that we must consider what place that is where Christ doth reside I shall tell you in a word it is Heaven the habitation of Gods Holiness the place where his Honour dwelleth thither he took his joyful flight when he left this world which lieth in wickedness Act. 1. 11. This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven And there he now is in Glory and Majesty 1 Pet. 3. 22. Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him And there he is to continue Act. 3. 21. Whom the Heavens must receive until the times of the restitution of all things And it is from thence his people do joyfully expect him Phil. 3. 20. Our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that
troubles and difficulties and take joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing that they have a better and more enduring substance such as hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive of It is such a place as doth surpass the most sublimated thoughts of the most enobled souls Should one come from thence he could not fully describe it but would rather invite you to come and see It is such a place as shall express and to the life set forth the greatness and goodness and glory of that God which framed it Give me leave to set before you something of its amiable beauties and excellency in these four Particulars 1. Heaven is full of light If it be a pleasant thing to behold the Sun what is it to behold the Sun of Righteousness darting forth his brightest beams of love and glory with which he shall not dazle but delight the glorified eye that will be strengthened and enabled without weariness to fix and dwell upon such an object God and Christ are the Temple of that City so that it hath no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21. 22 23. And where there is such full and glorious light there can be no cloud nor darkness No there is no ignorance no error not the smallest mistake no half notions or imperfect apprehensions of things Here we seek and cannot find propound many questions but receive no satisfactory answers we follow on to know yet are deficient in our knowledg But there all Truths are plainly reveal'd all Mysteries are clearly and fully opened the most abstruse Providences are interpreted the most difficult Questions are resolved and not one â—…not left untied The meanest Saint in Heaven if there be any differences and degrees of glory there knows God and himself and all things better than the best read and most learned Doctor upon earth what was puzling here is plain there for they see as they are seen and know as they are known The Lambs there do most delightfully wade through those deeps in which the admired and lofty Elephants here are swallowed up 2. Heaven is full of grace and holiness It is called the holy hill and the habitation of Gods holiness It is a glorious place and God and holiness are the glory of it Holiness here is in its infancy there in its strength and glory Saints when arrived there have attained to their highest perfection because they do fully enjoy God and are compleatly conformed to him Now alâ—… the groans of a longing soul are these Oh! I have not apprehended I have not yet attâ—…ined neither am I already perfect And therefore he reacheth forth to that which is before and presseth on to the mark The children of God here meet with many troubles from without but that which must breaks their rest and above all things imbitters their condition to them is sin and souâ—…-wants under this he complains There is a great deal of corruption sâ—…ll much dross after all my refiâ—…ings and much chaff afâ—…er all my winnowings O wretched mâ—…n that I am who shall deliver me from this body of deâ—…th And there is but a little grace a dim eye and a feeble hand and a short breath how doth faith stagger and hope faint and patience tire Ah my leanness my leanness I say it is under these things that the renewed and truly gracious soul doth more groan and lament than under all the pressures of the world Were these wants supplied these burdens removed he would carry others comfortably and laugh at the frown of a creature and the shaking of the spear Now in Heaven there is no sin and all grace all fairness and no spot nor wrinkle not the least blemish David in Psal. 17. 14. had been speaking of the flourishing estate of the men of this world who have abundance for themselves and enough to spare for their babes though this is a cutting and killing consideration that what they have now is all the comfort they are like to have They have their portion in this life Well now observe every one as they like saith he vers 15. As for me I will behold thy facâ—… in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Here they complain that they are so unlike to God that while they call him Father and bear his name they have no more of his nature and image it is the design of the Gospel and work of the Spirit to change them into that image from glory to glory but in Heaven there shall be a perfect change such as will issue in their satisfaction 1 Joh. 3. 2. Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yeâ—… appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as â—…e is When once you come to Heaven there will be an heaven in you God will make all grace to abound but especially and above all Love shall shine forth with the greatest luster and burn with the most vehement flame There God will magnifie his love upon you and there shall you abound in your love to God Here it is your great grief that you can love God no more and you may pick matter of comfort and joy out of that very grief It is a sign thou lovest God dearly if thou dost indeed mourn because thou canst love him no more And in this also rejoice that in Heaven your love to God will be perfected There you shall love him as much as he requires though to all eternity you shall not love him so much as he deserves He shall have your all though that all falls short It being utterly impossible that a created love should be commensurate with Divine Perfections 3. Heaven is full of excellent company It is no lonesome solitary place In this world wheresoever we come we find but a few alas too few that do in sincerity fear God Atheists and Papists and Hypocrites and Formalists and profane ones overspread the earth and like ill weeds come up apace the flowers appear only here and there We have indeed many Professors a power of people that call themselves Christians and he that will may believe them such but how few be there that are experimentally acquâ—…inted with the power of godliness and have Christ formed in their hearts But in Heaven there is great store of them and none else In a clear frosty night if you do look up you will see the Sky full of Stars but there are inconceivably more on the other side There is already an innumerable company of Angels and spirits of just men made perfect what do you think then will there be when all shall meet together in the morning of the Resurrection 〈◊〉 what a noble glorious huge Assembly will that be Without doubt you will find company enough and that so
his death hath conquer'd it and pull'd out its sting and by the purchase of this blessed priviledg hath put sweetness into it So that though it hath a pale ghastly and frightful countenance yet it comes upon a good errand to believers and doth them a most remarkable kindness It is a dark passage to a glorious palace It closeth the eye that it may see no more trouble and when that eye is again opened it shall behold matchless glory It separates between nearest and dearest relations the Husband and Wife Parents and Children Pastor and People Soul and Body it breaks up families and turns the Body into putrefaction and a stink but it sends the Soul to Heaven Snatcheth it from friends on earth that it may go to a God above turns it out of a crazie cottage that it may dwell in a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. In a word it strips it of flesh that it may be clothed with Immortality And then in the last place 4. This may comfort us under the departure I do not call it loss of our dearest Friends and Relations and in particular under this late dispensation which hath so much of wormwood and gall in it upon the account thereof many of you are pained and grieved at the very heart There is indeed a great and dismal breach made upon you and give me leave to say he that is not affected and afflicted is too too stupid and I would wish him when he is at home seriously to consider and examine what kind of spirit he is of But as for you whose hearts do even bleed within you my advice is that you would set your Pastors gain against your own loss And let this set just bounds to your sorrow that where Christ is there is his Servant also fully satisfied with his love and likeness IT may now be rationally expected that I should expatiate in the Commendations of your deceased Pastor but I shall be short and sparing not because there is want of matter for the subject is copious but because of my Relation to him which will render me in the thoughts of some an incompetent Judge and his Encomiums in my mouth suspected And the truth is I am no great friend to Panegyricks or Funeral Orations They do not deserve to have flowers strowed upon them whose names will stink and rot when their friends havâ—… done their best and they do not need them whosâ—… Works praise them in the Gate and will do so when their Adversaries have done their worst What therefore I shall say you may take thus in short He was as I am verily perswaded a truly godly man I do not say a perfect man omnibus numeris absolutus one free from spot mistake or failing Light up candles walk thorough the world search narrowly and find me out such a person if you can But after Thirty-five years knowledge of him I dare say he was an Israelite indeed He did not mock God nor in his profession cheat man he did not personate the Saint but was one He was excellently furnished for the work of the Ministry having choice natural parts and great acquired abilities God had given him both the head and tongue of the learned He was well stored and having a door of utterance could readily bring out of his treasury good things both new and old He was a Workman that needed not to be ashamed Wheresoever he came and laboured solid and judicious Christians rejoyced in his light He was industrious and diligent in his Masters business not a loiterer but a labourer in the Vineyard one that would dig for knowledge and then sweat in scattering spiritual riches He did not think much to spend and be spent for God and his People He had so large a soul that he once craz'd his head and if he had had two bodies it would have worn them out through an earnest desire of getting and doing good He was really set for the spiritual advantage and eternal salvation of precious souls He sought the advancement of Gods Honour the enlargment of Christs Kingdom the deliverance of captivated Sinners out of the Devils clutches it was his joy to see any subjected to the Truth and walking in it His work is now finished and his race run He will Pray for you no more Preach to you no more Administer Sacraments among you no more he will advise instruct exhort reprove you no more he will mourn over you be troubled for you and grieved by you no more he will delight and rejoyce in you no more unless it be at the last day when those that were wrought upon by his Ministry shall be his joy and glory and crown of rejoycing He is now at perfect rest where Christ iâ—… and where he finds his labour was not in và in Whatever unkindnesses he met with in this world he meets with nothing but love and loveliness in that world I shall have done when I have made three Requests to you whom he hath left behind 1. Live the Sermons he preached among you let not what he preached be lost now he is dead he hath sown precious seed Oh let it root in your hearts and bring forth much fruit in your conversations It is not the Gospel heard but the Gospel believ'd and liv'd that will save you 2. Beware of all unbrotherly breaches and divisions let this breach which God hath made upon you prosper to the healing of all other breaches Keep together and walk in love and manage all things according to Scripture-rule 3. Look out for a supply Seek earnestly to God and advise with good men Labour for one sound in the faith of a gracious prudent spirit and of an exemplary life one that may happily build upon the foundation already laid and be an instrument in the hand of God to make you meet for an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ. FINIS