spirit of faith and love and desire and longing in all those that have past through the new birth Attainments in many of them are little and low but in all of them desires are high And though these desires are exceeding good yet they are very painful as â—…arp hunger is to an almost starved creature How uneasie is a longing Woman it makes her sick at the very heart not seldom causeth a faintness and swoonings and puts her into a great discomposure throughout So do the desires of a longing Saint too too often he over-looks and pays not unto God due acknowledgments for nor doth he himself tast the sweetness and take the comfort of what he hath because he cannot as yet get what he wants Oh how much doth such an one hasten after a deliverance from sin How eagerly doth he thirst for increases of grace How doth he aspire to an holy fixation of mind free from those avocations and diversions which afflict him And as the hunted parched Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so doth his Soul pant after the Living God and an intimate unbroken Communion with him and it is even sick with love and longings because it finds not what it thus seeks It doth hardly enjoy it self because it hath not those enjoyments that it would But when once Death hath done its work upon him there is a rest from these things too not because the Souls love is in the least cool'd and abated for then it is perfected and raised up to the purest hottest and highest flame in which it shall everlastingly continue but because it hath plenary fruition of that which it loves of all which it loves While the gracious Soul is here in the body it hath its sallyings out its earnest reaches and lofty flights Oh that it were so and so Thus poor Iob as you have it in Iob 29 v. 2 c. O that I were as in months past as in the days when God preserved me when his Candle shined upon my head and when by his light I walked thorough darkness when the secret of God was upon my Tabernacle when the Almighty was yet with me So O that it were with me as sometimes I have found it O that it were with me as it is with such an one and such an God more and love him more and live him more But when the Soul comes to Heaven it takes the place appointed and prepared for it and there it sits down at ease because it is where it would be and as it would be There is no desire because a compleat satisfaction Psal. 17. ult As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness There desires are turned into and swallowed up of delights There is indeed in glorified Souls a natural desire of the resurrection of their bodies and a reunion to them but that desire is no impairing of their happiness not in the least afflictive because moderate and rightly tempered and sweetened with a full assurance that it shall be done at the time appointed by the Father And in the mean while they are abundantly pleas'd having a fulness of joy in the vision and fruition of God Father Son and Spirit who is to them infinitely better than the body can be Come we now to the next thing propounded viz. the properties of that rest into which the holy Soul doth enter after death or what kind of rest it is and that I shall endeavour to shew you in these three particulars First It is a compleat rest every way perfect there is not any thing wanting thereunto There is indeed a sweet and blessed rest which those have here in this life who come to Christ and make a believing closure upon the terms propounded in the Gospel though they have not the rest of the World yet they have a rest in the World and that in the midst of concussions and confusions when they are tumbled and toss'd up and down they have a rest out of their Enemies reach This our dear Lord and Saviour hath promised and he cannot but be as good as his word Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest not only a right to it but the possession of it that which they could not meet with before neither in themselves nor in the creature they meet with in him as the Dove that could find no place for the sole of its foot when it was abroad as the Raven could that would light and feed upon Carrion the dead carcasses floating upon the surface of the waters yet it found rest in the Ark upon its return to it Those that before were through the stingings of Conscience and the apprehensions of Divine wrath and impending Judgments as persons upon a Rack are through the sprinklings of the blood of the Covenant upon them and the sealings and witnessings of the Spirit within them as in a Bed of Down or Roses Those wounds that formerly smarted are graciously healed and their Agonies are over unless they cause new ones by their foolishness but for all this here aliquid deest something is wanting as well as something amiss Paul in 1 Thes. 3. 10. speaks of something that was lacking in their Faith and truly the same may be affirmed of the best improved and most grown Saints on this side of Heaven that there is something lacking in their Faith yea and in their Love and in their Humility and Meekness and Patience and in all the graces that have been by the blessed Spirit of God wrought in them And we may be sure of this that as long as there is something lacking in the grace there will be something not be arrived at a perfect state But after death all these wants will be supplied and all these defects made up there will be no vacancy in the Soul nothing lacking then that which is perfect will be come and so that which is imperfect shall be done away and hereupon that rest which the Soul shall have when it comes to Heaven will be greater and fuller than that which it had when it first came to Christ or all the while that it lived a sojourner in the World there will be perfect holiness and by consequence there will be a perfect happiness God will not in any thing be behind hand with his people or wanting to them there they are continually before the Throne of God always in his presence and David tells us Psal. 16. 11. That in his presence there is fulness of joy and a fulness of joy doth necessarily imply and carry along with it a fulness of rest and that which followeth hereupon Secondly It is an undisturbed rest Here our peace is oftentimes broken and our rest is gone It is said of Ahasuerus that he could not sleep his sleep fled away from him he did all that in him lay to compose himself he would gladly have slept
first I do earnestly desire you all to be without any further unreasonable delays upon your return unto God Look where you arâ—… sinners in a state of sin and wrath and is it good to be so Look whitheâ—… you are going is it not to Hell and do you think it will be good to bâ—… there Do not go on but stand sinner I do in the name of the great God bâ—… thee stand and come back too remember from whence you are fallen aâ—… from whom you have departed and come back The expressions that our Lorâ—… Iesus used to the Church his Spouse come into my mind Cant. 6. 13. Hâ—… bespeaks her thus Return return O Shulamite return return that wâ—… may look upon thee What will ye see in the Shulamite as it were tâ—… company of two Armies Let me speak to you in the same manner onlâ—… let me first propound to you this one serious and weighty Question Hoâ—… do you find matters are within you Is there such a sight as this to be seen I mean to be seen in your Souls Do you feel strugglings in you as Râ—… bekah once did in her womb Is there the company of two Armies Oâ—… that there were in some of you it would be welcom news to me I shoulâ—… be glad â—…t heart and with my Soul bless God for it I know there is onâ—… Army in the very worst of men the greatest Debauchees and vilest Monsteâ—… trenched and fortified themselves and fight against God and War against the Soul and it is not improbable but that there may be a Legion of Devils too which side with them and yet all this while there is no noise no disturbance of the sinners rest but he goeth on in his way and enjoys himself for as our Saviour hath told us while the strong man armed keeps the house his goods are in peace there is a sinful quietness though indeed that is a dismal and woful one But what say you is there the Company of two Armies in you Is there a Law in your minds warring against that Law of Sin and Death which is in your members Is there a Spirit within you lusting against the flesh is there a contest and combating within you And that not only between one faculty and another but between the same faculty and itself So that you cannot sin with that freedom and plenary consent that you were wont to do but you find a reluctancy and opposition in your selves Oh that it were so with you that you were able to say you hate what you do though you cannot do what you would And to you I do now call return return O sinners return return That we may look upon you and love to look that your Ministers and Relations and Friends your Parents that have travailed in birth to see Christ formed in you your dear Yoakfellows who love you and longed for your Spiritual and Eternal welfare and have looked upon you with sad hearts Sighing Shaking their Heads wringing their hands and shedding Rivers of tears may now look upon you with comfort and rejoycing and count you their blessings That when they look upon you they may see your faces Sion ward and Heaven ward and your feet directed into the ways of peace and that when God who looks from Heaven upon all the Children of men doth look upon you and into you also he may see your hearts are toward himself really set for his Service and honour and the enjoyment of him You that are Elder and are yet in your sins walking on in the vanity of your minds suffer the word of exhortation do you return and that presently for you have nothing to shew why you should not you have taken your swing and rambled far enough and lived without God long enough a man would think you have had your belly full of wind and ashes and husks that you have had enough of base sins and what is worse than childish vanities and are guilty of such egregious and ruining follies that you have reason to be weary of them I beseech you learn to be wise it is indeed it is high time if you will not be wise now when will you You that are younger do ye apply your hearts to true wisdom come ye Children hearken to me come ye young-men and maidens come in to God who desires you who calls you who stands with his arms ready and stretched out to receive you come to him in whom you will find rest to your Souls and have such joys as will be great and cheap and never end in sorrow It is much more easy for you to return than it is for old sinners who have grown grey in their rebellion and obstinacy for you are not gone so far from God as they have done and you have not so many Chains and Fetters as Satan and lust and a continued conceive how exceeding welcom you shall be how glad Heaven will be of you Oh how doth God Father Son and Spirit embrace the young converts how ready will the blessed Angels be to watch over you to encamp about you to minister to you and to do you acts of kindness What huggs and kisses did the affectionate Father bestow upon his repenting and returning Prodigal He ran to meet him and that while he was a great way off he could not sit still when he saw him coming but must get up himself and while the good old mans feet did run I doubt not but his heart leap'd within him Use Second Under this I shall direct my discourse to you who already are converted and have hearkened to the voice and calls of God in the Gospel and come in to him And you I advise to improve all your experiences to the utmost for the drawing of your hearts more out to God and bringing you into a closer Communion with him Thou hast been my help said David Psal. 63 7. What then my Soul followeth after thee ver 8. Because thou hast been my help in work in trouble hast assisted me in such and in such a case yea in every case therefore my Soul now doth and still shall follow hard after thee that I may have more of thy help as I need it and more and more of thy self too so as you have heard in the Text return unto thy rest O my Soul unto that God who is thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Consider and call to mind what sights have you had of Gods power and glory in the Sanctuary What tasts of his sweetness in the banquetting house of Ordinances what tokens of love sent in in various ways what Messages of peace by his holy and blessed Spirit what returns of prayer by the hand of gracious providences how great things hath God done for you consuting your fears and exceeding your expectations how good and gracious hath he been to you compassing you about with his favour as with a Shield and daily loading you with his
to God at the time and in the work of Conversion when there is a sanctifying change wrought in a person when he is of a Sinner made a Saint and of an Enemy a Friend of God This is evident from that speech of our Saviour to Saul Acts 26. 17 18. I do now senâ—… thee to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God from ignorance to knowledge from Idolatry and wickedness to the owning acknowledging worshipping anâ—… serving of God Converting Grace is the begetting of a Soul to God thâ—… bringing of the Prodigal Son to his Father the reducting of the lost anâ—… wandering Sheep home to its fold and this is the first return this is thâ—… first step until this be taken the Soul is not only far from God but whicâ—… is both its sin and misery it is going further and further from him Foâ—… every act of sin is a step from God and a continued course of sin is a constant departure from him As men sin against God more and more so they do revolt from God more and more while they add to sin they add tâ—… backslide But in Conversion there is a returning to him this sets facâ—… and heart God-ward and now the feet are guided into the way of peace Thrice happy you that have thus returned this is the beginning of youâ—… life As the Father said with joy concerning his returning Prodigal This mâ—… Son was dead but he is alive and this is the beginning of your blessedness Therefore Peter Preaching to the Jews told them Acts 3 26. That unto theâ—… first God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless them in turninâ—… away every one of them from their iniquities Yea my Friends whatsoeveâ—… cheats are put upon you by the Father of Lies and your own self-deceivinâ—… hearts you will never be a blessed people till you are turned from youâ—… iniquities till then you are under guilt and wrath and a curse but a turnâ—… ing from iniquity is a returning unto God The turning you from sin iâ—… the breaking down of that middle wall of partition which did before staâ—… between God and you Let me therefore speak to you O sinners in thâ—… same words that Pâ—…ter used Acts 3. 19. Repent ye and be converted thâ—… your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from tâ—… presence of the Lord. Secondly There is a further return unto God in the actings exercisâ—… and increases of grace for though there be a turning to God in the firâ—… Conversion yet we must not stop there returning to him ought to be thâ—… â—…earer to morrow and â—…o nearer and nearer every day Now as every â—…ct of sin is a step from God so every act of grace is a step to God Faith â—…aiseth the Soul above the things that are seen and mounts it up as upon â—…he wings of an Eagle Love carrieth the Soul up as in a fiery Chariot a pure and holy flame so that it dwelleth in God and God in it Ardent and importunate desires are the feet upon which the Soul runs out to God and followeth hard after him and the more the Soul tramples upon the things that are below and by acts of self-denial goeth out of it self the more doth it find it self in God And so it is with reference to the happy additions which it makes to the grace it hath the more it grows in grace the more doth it grow up unto God All the improvements it makes in grace are blessed progressâ—…s in its way to God that is indeed going from strength to strength till it appear before God in Sion Psal. 84. Oh who is there that considers this that would be retrograde in his motions and languishing and decaying in spirituals who would be content to stand at a â—…ay who would not be possessed with and acted by a spirit of holy covetousness always receiving out of the â—…lness of Christ and yet always begging and while he draws up one Bucket-full letting down another for more Remember it O Christians the more you are as by the Spirit of the Lord changed from grace to grace the more considerable advances you make from lower to higher degrees of holiness the more will you be transformed in the spirit of your mind and changed from glory to glory the more will you have in you of a Divine Nature and the more of the Divine Image upon you In a word by this means you will come to have a greater conformity and likeness unto God and so a sweeter communion and intimacy with him So then this is a further return unto God this is a getting nearer and nearer to him and truly this should be the work of every day This is that which we should have in our designs and aims in all the holy duties that we perform and in all the precious Ordinances upon which we do attend that by every one of them we may have a lift given us and he brought more over and more close to God than we as yet are Thirdly There is a return to God at death So the Royal Preacher tells us Eccles. 12. 7. The dust shall return to the Earth as it was of that it was made and into that it shall be resolved When once the Soul leaves it the body drops into the grave and there first it putrifies and at length it crumbles but the Spirit shall return unto God that gave it All the Souls of Men and Women one and other both the good and the bad shall at death be upon their return whether with their will or against it this must be done They did at first come from God when they were formed he created them he infused them he united them to the body and when that union shall be dissolved when Death shall uâ—…ie the knot and snap the hand asunder then doth the spirit return to God The polluted and regenerate Souls of wicked men shall in all their guilt filth and deformity â—…eturn to God that they may from him receive their final and irreversible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malefactors carried into a dungeon of darkness the bottomless Pit where there is unquenchable fire to torment them but not the least beam of ligâ—… to comfort and refresh them and so they shall be punished with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes. 1. And the Souls of Saints which have been washed from theâ—… filthiness in the blood of the Lamb and had their nature changed theâ—… principles made holy and their beauty perfect through Christs comelineâ—… put upon them shall also then return unto God as their reconciled Friend and everlasting Father to be by him received gratiously heartily welcom'd and put into those glorious Mansionâ—… which have been designed and prepared for them in which they shall enjoy
God and in him a perfect happiness without danger or fear of losing either him or it Our blessed Lord Jesus made way for this return of the Soul to God by his most precious blood which is pacifying to God and purifying to man by it he made peace such a peace as cannot be broken and so clear'd the passage that all the Devils iâ—… Hell cannot shut it up again The blessed and Divine Spirit whom our Saviour promised to send doth make it his work and business to bring Souâ—… back to God by his quickening renewing and sanctifying grace and tâ—… carry them on further and further by fresh influences assistances and supplies And then when they come to be duly qualified ready and meet to be made partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light so that they may be presented before the presence of the Divine glory with exceeding joy the holy Angels who are now appointed to be ministring Spirits unto them who arâ—… the Heirs of Salvation are sent forth by their tender and ever-loving Father as his Messengers to fetch them home and as a powerful Guard to convey them safe through the Regions of the Air and Legions of Devils into the seat of the blessed those celestial and sure resting places which their Lord and Head purchased and hath taken possession of in their names and now keeps for them And this is that return which I shall discourse to you abouâ—… as that which is most proper because most pertinent and suitable to the present occasion This is that return which the holy Soul should have much upon its thoughts and which it ought to desire with longings and when thâ—… time is come call upon it self to make with all chearful readiness and wâ—… have a very good reason for it in the Text before us because it is a returning to our rest There is a sweet and desirable rest which Death brings along with it to the People of God A rest to the body that it lays to sleep in thâ—… chamber of the grave in the bed of dust Isa. 57. 1 2. The righteous perish anâ—… merciful men are taken away if you ask from what he tells you it is froâ—… the evil to come if again you ask what becomes of them he tells youâ—… they go or enter into peace and shall rest in their beds and that out of the reacâ—… of them who would discompose them as Iob spake when he was discontenâ—… because Death was so slow-paced and came no sooner for him for if it hâ—… saith he Ioâ—… 3. 17. then I should have been where the wicked cease from 〈◊〉 â—…ear not the voice of the â—…ressor But that which is far more and better than that when Death knocks at the door of a godly man it brings along with it a rest unto his Soul Or that I may speak more properly it brings the Soul to iâ—… rest to the best rest it can have or desire viz. a rest in its God a rest in the Centre a rest in the arms and bosom of him who is the supreme object of its love and pleasant for delights That rest can want nothing to compleat it which is a rest in Heaven a rest in God But in order to the commending to you this return unto God by Death we will briefly shew these two things 1. What those things are from which the Soul doth after Death rest 2. What are the properties of that rest which the holy Soul shall then be put into the possession of First then What are those things which the holy Soul doth after Death rest from Unto this I shall answer in these four things First There will be a rest from all Conflicts for then it enters into peace and is encompast about with it The life of a Christian here is thoroughout a combating life there is not any that flees to Christ as a Saviour but must if he would find him so submit to him as a Lord and list himself under him as a Captain Therefore we are expresly commanded to put on the whole Armour of God and to fight the good fight of Faith and to endure hardship as the good Souldiers of Jesus Christ. You must not think to live here wholly at ease and in quiet Christianity is a warfare No sooner are you reconciled and made the Friends of God but others will be enraged and become desperate yea implacable Enemies unto you Great Enemies there are potent cruel and a great many of them Intestine Enemies those of our own house yea nearer yet those of our own hearts and because they are so very near therefore they are exceeding dangerous A Legion of lusts which war against the Soul who indeed can tell the number of them There is flâ—…sh which lusteth against the spirit sin against grace fears and doubts and jealousies of God against Faith sensual and self-love against the love of God and there are forreign Enemies too Satan and the World the World one while undermines the Soul by its flattering promises and another while batters it with its terrible menaces Now it fawns with Delilah anon it frowns like a fury and then the Devil who will never be quiet at one time he comes forth against the Soul in a disguise like to an Angel of Light that he may so deceive and surprize it at another time he will appear in his own shape as ugly and deformed as it is for Devils do not know how to blush I say he comes as a Prince of darkness to carry it captive and fright it into his Net sometimes the Saints find him hissing as a Serpent and nibbling at their heels at other times roaring like a Lion and coming upon them with open mouth as if he would swallow them at once so that what with the one and the other the sin that dwelleth within and the Enemies that beset and lay close siege without the poor Christian is oftentimes weary of his life but when Death comes it puts an end to all this it takes the Christian and carries him out of the field and of Salvation having come off with honour and obtain'd the Victory yea been more than a Conquerour shall maintain an everlasting Triumph with their Robes of Glory and Palms in their hands When once Death lays them asleep in their graves the last stroke is struck as to them they shall not learn nor prosecute this holy War any more Secondly There will be a rest from trouble and sorrow As there will be no fightings so no mournings as no dangers so no fighs This World is a place of trouble it is full of it Man is born to trouble and as it meets him at his birth so it will accompany him to his grave When our first Father Adam had once transgressed the Law of his Creation there was immediately introduc'd a dismal and astonishing change the face of the Earth was covered with Briars and Thorns and who is there among all the Children of men that