evill conscience attends the one of which eats out their heart when we expect an harvest The other seizes upon the Soule in the time of sorrow and sinks it into the lowest hell And as Men of GOD and Sonnes of Wisdome to mount our thoughts and raise our spirits and bend our affections to things above which are as farre from diminution and decay as the Soule from death and can be no more corrupted or shaken than the Seat and Omnipotency of GOD surprised For besides that they infinitely surpasse in eminency of worth and sweetnesse of pleasure the comprehension of the largest heart and expression of any Angels tongue they also out-last the dayes of heaven and run parallell with the life of GOD and line of Eternity As we see the Fountaine of all materiall light to powre out his beames and shining abundantly every day upon the world without wearinesse emptinesse or end so and incomparably more doth joy and peace glory and blisse spring and plentifully flow every moment with fresh streames from the face of the Father of Lights upon all His holy ones in heaven and that everlastingly O blessed then shall we be upon our beds of death if following the counsell of our dearest LORD who shed the most precious and warmest bloud in His heart to bring our soules out of hell we treasure ap now in the meane time heavenly hoards which will ever happily hold out a stocke of grace which never shrinks in the wetting but abides the triall of the spirit and touch-stone of the Word in all times of danger and Day of the LORD even that accurate circumspect and precise walking pressed upon us by the Apostle Eph. 5. 15. Though pestilently persecuted and plagued by the enemies of GOD in all ages And that purity which Saint Iohn makes a property of every true-hearted Professour 1 Iohn 3. 3. So much opposed and bitterly opprest by the world and yet without which none of us shall ever see the face of GOD with comfort If while it is called To Day we make our peace with His heavenly Highnesse by an humble continued exercise of repentance by standing valiantly on His side by holding an holy acquaintance at His mercifull Throne with a mighty importunity of prayer and godly conversation above by ever offering up unto Him in the armes of our Faith when he is angry the bleeding Body of His owne crucified SONNE never giving Him over or any rest untill He bepleased to register and enroll the remission of our sinnes in the Booke of Life with the bloudy lines of CHRISTS Soule-saving sufferings and golden characters of His owne eternall love If now before we appeare at the dreadfull Tribunall of the euer-living GOD and little know we whose turne is next we make our friends in the Court of Heaven the blessed Angels in procuring their joy and love by a visible constancy in the fruits teares and truth of a sound conversion The Spirit of comfort by a ready and reverent entertainment of His holy Motions and inspirations of grace the Sonne and Heire of the King of glory the Foundation and Fountaine of all our Blisse in this world and the world to come from whose meritorious bloud shed and blessed mediation arise all those flouds of mercy and favour which refresh our Soules in this vale of teares and also those unknown bottomlesse seas of pleasure peace and all unspeakable delights which will superabound and overflow with new and fresh sweetnesse for ever and ever in the Paradise of GOD. Blessed are they that ever they were borne who have already got Him their Advocate at the right hand of His Father For besides many other glorious priviledges thereby in all their exigents and extremities they may be ever welcome to the Seat of mercy and be sure to speed If a man had a suit unto the King it were a comfortable and happy thing to find a friend in Court But if the Kings speciall and choisest Favourite nay His own only Son were his Intercessour how confident would he be to prevaile and prosper to conquer his opposites and crowne his desires Why then should any poore Christian be discomforted and cast downe nay why should he not be extraordinarily raised and ravished in spirit with much joyfull hope and sweet assurance when he throwes himselfe downe at the Throne of grace sith the dearest Sonne of the eternall GOD the Heire of heaven and earth the Mediator of the great Covenant of endlesse salvation is his Advocate at the hand of His All-mighty Father in the most high and glorious Court of Heaven Wherefore when an humbled soule and trembling spirit is sore troubled and almost turned backe from his purpose of prayer and prostration at the foot of heavenly Majesty by entertaining before hand a feeling apprehension of his owne abhorred vilenesse and the holy purity of GODS all-seeing and searching eye which cannot looke on iniquity let this consideration comfort and breed confidence that IESVS CHRIST the Son of GODS love doth sollicite and tender the suit who out of His owne sense and sympathy of such like troubles and temptations doth deale for us with a true a naturall and a sensible touch of compassionatenesse and mercy Shall that blessed Saviour of ours call and cry for a pardon to His Father for those which put Him to death who were so farre from seeking unto him that they sought and suckt his bloud and shall He shut His eares against the groanes of thy grieved spirit and heavy sighes of thy bleeding soule who values one drop of His bloud at an higher price than the worth of many worlds It cannot be Thus that saying of Salomon and this counsell of CHRIST makes good the truth of the Point which may further appeare by these Reasons 1. Taking this counsell betime and hoarding up heavenly things in this harvest time of grace mightily helps to asswage the smart mollifie the bitternesse and illighten the darknesse of the evill Day It is soveraigne and serves to take the venime sting and teeth out of any crosse calamity or distresse and so preserves the heart from that raging hopelesse sorrow which like a devouring Harpie dries up dissolves and destroyes the bloud spirits and life of all those who are destitute of such a divine Antidote What vast difference may we discerne betweene Iob and Iudas David and Achitophel in the daies of evill The two men of God being formerly enriched with his favour and familiarity so behaved themselves the one in the ship-wracke of his worldly happinesse the other in the hazard of his Kingdome as though they had not beene troubled at all The LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away saith Iob when all was gone blessed be the name of the LORD If I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD saith David He will bring me againe and shew me both it and His habitation But if He thus say I have no delight in thee behold here
earthly excellencies labours in this Chapter to abase and dishonour the pride and vanity of all humane greatnesse and to advance the neglected Mystery of his heavenly Doctrine and the glorious power of downe-right preaching which the great men amongst them esteemed foolishnesse yet indeed such as by which the LORD of Heaven and Earth saveth those that beleeve And he so farre acquaints them with the counsell of GOD in the point that he gives them to understand that upon the matter whereas the noble the mighty and wise after the flesh with all the bravery and selfe-confidence vanish and perish Meaner men of lower ranke and more contemptible are converted In the words I read unto you he appeales to their owne experience in the point and bids them look about and view well the worke of the Ministery amongst them survey and search throughly that goodly flourishing body of the Church which he had there created and collected by his eighteene months presence and paines And they shall find that not many wise after the flesh nor mighty nor noble gave their names unto CHRIST or became Professors of the Gospell But the foolish and weake things of the world carrie all away in matter of salvation and entertainement of CHRIST He renders two Reasons in the Verses following 1. That the wise men of the world may be confounded 2. And that GOD himselfe blessed for ever may have all the glory The words then being plaine Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called I build directly and naturally this point upon them Few great men goe to Heaven Or thus Great men are seldome good I here understand greatnesse according to the world In respect 1. Of excellent learning 2. Worldly wealth and height of place Both make mighty nay many times gold is the more powerfull commander 3. Worldly honour and nobility 4. Worldly wisedome Greatnesse in any of these kinds is rarely accompanied with goodnesse few such great men as these are called converted or ever come to heaven I say Few for I finde Divines both Ancient and Moderne upon this Text to make Not Many and Few equipollent Primasius and Anselme Calvin and Piscator For proofe of the point First by Scripture Looke upon such places as these 1. Matth. 11. 25 26. At that time IESVS answered and said I thanke thee O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight CHRIST who knew full well the bosome of his Father casting his eye seriously upon the condition of his followers and fruit of his Ministry and seeing the Scribes Pharisees and great ones of the world not onely not entertaine and countenance but out of their proud and prophane malice disdaine and contemne the glorious Gospell and divine Messages hee brought from Heaven and a company of poore fishermen and some few other neglected underlings with an holy violence lay hold upon his Kingdome He brake out into this thankefull acknowledgement and admiration I thanke thee O Father LORD of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes And then ascends to the well-head and first moover of all his Dealings with and differences amongst the Sons of men the sacred and unsearchable depth of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beneplacitum the good pleasure of his will Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight In an humble adoration of the inscrutable and immutable courses whereof we must finally and fully rest with infinite satisfaction silenced from any further search and carnall curiosities by that awefull checke and countermaund of Paul Nay but O Man who art thou that repliest against GOD Flesh and bloud hath it old ages grumbled and repin'd kickt and cavil'd about this point but ever at length by measuring this deepest Mysterie by the line of humane reason and labouring to fathome this bottomelesse sea by the pride of their owne wits they have become wretched opposers of the grace of GOD. We behold the Sun and enjoy the light as long as we looke towards it but tenderly and circumspectly We warme our selves safely while we stand neere the fire But if we seeke to outface the one or enter into the other we forthwith become blinde or burnt It is proportionably in the present point Heere by the way from our Sauiours words wee may extract a soveraigne Antidote against those temptations and discontented reasonings which are wont to arise in our hearts sometimes when we see those great ones of the world who looke so big and carrie their heads so high not onely to carrie all before them to wallow and tumble themselves with all bravery and applause in the glory wealth and pleasure of the world to swimme downe the current of the times with full saile and prosperous winde though many times against the secret murmure and counterblasts even of their own Consciences In a word in these worst times to have what they list and do what they will but also lay about them with the fist of wickednesse and scourge of tongues to trample if it were possible the lambes of CHRIST even into the dust with the feete of malice and pride by a plausible tyranny and aide of the times iniquity to keepe them downe still and still in disgrace hunting them continually with cruelty and hate like a Partridge in the mountaines as the Pharisees did CHRIST I say when we see this let us never be troubled and take offence let us never be grieved or grow discontent or out of heart But pitty them pray for them and possesse our owne soules in patience and peace And after the precedencie of our blessed Saviour goe in private and say I thanke thee O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast revealed the Mysteries of CHRIST and secrets of the saving way to me a poore wretch and worme troden under foot as an obiect of scorne and a contemptible outcast and hast hid them from the wise and the noble and the mighty from the boysterous Nimrods and proud Giants of the world Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight And there staying a while ever magnifie admire and adore with lowliest humblest and most thankefull thoughts that dearest and dreadfull Depth of GODS free and incomprehensible love which made thee to differ Which is as it were the first ring of that golden chaine Rom. 8. 29. 30. which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting and gives being life and motion to all the meanes that make us eternally blessed Out of the rich and boundlesse treasurie whereof came that inestimable Iewell IESVS CHRIST blessed for ever and by consequent all those heavenly happinesses which crowne the glorified Saints through alleternity For so GOD loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that
is a right noble and heroicall revenge which doth not onely deprive the body of temporall life but bring also the immortall soule to endlesse flames everlastingly 3. Desperate corrupt affection is strangely desperate to run headlong upon the damnation of hell for a little earthly delight if we should see a naked man in some furious moode as prodigall of his temporall life runne upon his owne sword or throw himselfe from some steep rocke or cast himselfe into some deep river and teare out his owne bowels we should censure it presently to be a very desperate part and ruefull spectacle what shall we say of him then who thorough the fury of his rebellious nature to the endlesse destruction of the life of his immortall soule doth desperatly throw himselfe upon the devouring edge of GODS fiercest indignation upon the sharpest points of all the plagues and curses in his Booke and into the very flames of everlasting fire It is a very fearefull thing to see a man bath and embrue his hands in the blood and butchery of his owne body and with his murderous blade to take away the life thereof but of how much more horrour and wofulnesse is that spectacle when a desperate wretch with the empoysoned edge of his owne enraged corruption doth cut the throat of his owne deare immortall soule so that a man may teach him all his life long by the blood thereof in the sinfull passages of his life untill at length it bee stark dead in sinnes and trespasses for how can a soule all purple red with willfull sheading its own blood looke for any part in that pretious blood of that spotles lambe Nay assuredly such bloody stubbornnes and selfe-murthering cruelty will be paid home at last by the severe revenger of such cursed desperatnesse Hee will judge such a man after the manner of them that shed their owne blood and give him the blood of wrath and of jealousie Lord it is prodigiously strange and lamentably fearefull that so noble and excellent a creature as man prince of all other earthly creatures by the priviledge of reason and enlightned with the glorious beame of understanding nature should be so furiously madded with its owne malice and bewitchedly blindfolded by the Prince which rules in the Aire as for the momentany enjoyment of some fewglorious miseries bitter-sweet pleasures heart-vexing riches or some other worldly vanity at the best desperatly and wilfully to abandon and cast himselfe from the unconceivable pleasures of its joyfull place where GOD dwels into an infinite world of everlasting woefulnesse For let a carnall man consider in a word his prodigious madnesse in this point He might not onely in this vale of teares bee possest with a peacefull heart which is an incomparable pretiousnesse surpassing all created understandings For I dare say this I know it to bee true One little glimpse of Heaven shed sometimes into the heart of a sanctified man by the saving illumination of the comforting spirit whereby he sees and feeles that in despight of the rage of divels malice of men let sin and death the grave and hell doe their worst his soule is most certainely bound by the hand of GOD in the bundle of the living and that hee shall hereafter everlastingly inhabite the joyes of eternity I say this one conceit being the immediate certificate of the spirit of truth doth infinitely more refresh his affections and affect his heart with more true sweetnesse and tastfull pleasure then all carnall delights and sensuall delicacies can possibly produce though they were as exquisite and numberlesse as nature art and pleasure it selfe could devise and to be enjoyed securely as long as the world lasts Besides this heaven upon earth and glorious happinesse even in this world he might hereafter go in arme with Angels sit downe by the side of the blessed Trinity amongst Saints and Angels and all the truly worthy men that ever lived with the highest perfection of blisse endlesse peace and blessed immortality all the joyes all the glory all the blisse which lies within the compasse of heaven should be powred upon him everlastingly and yet for all this he doth not onely in a spirituall phrensie desperately deprive himselfe and trample under foot this heaven upon earth and that joyfull rest in heaven world without end but also throwes himselfe into a hell of ill conscience here and hereafter into that hell of Devils which is a place of flames and perpetuall darknesse where there is torment without end and past imagination The day will come and the LORD knowes how soone when he will clearely see and acknowledge with horrible anguish of heart his strange and desperate madnesse See Wisd. 5. 2 c. For after the moment of a few miserable pleasures in this life be ended he is presently plunged into the fiery lake and ere he be aware the pit of destruction shutteth upon him everlastingly and if once he find himselfe in hell he knowes there is no redemption out of that infernall pit then would he think himselfe happy if he were to suffer those bitter and intolerable torments no mo thousands of yeares than there are sands on the sea shore haires on his head starres in heaven grasse piles on the ground and creatures both in heaven and earth for he would still comfort himselfe at least with this thought that once his misery would have an end but alas this word never doth ever burst his heart with unexpressible sorrow when he thinks upon it for after an hundred thousand of millions of yeares there suffered he hath as farre to suffer as he had at the first day of his entrance into those endlesse torments now let a man consider if he should lie in an extreme fit of the stone or a woman if she should be afflicted with the grievous torture of child-bed but one night though they lie upon the softest beds have their friends about them to comfort them Physitians to cure them all needfull things ministred unto them to asswage their paine yet how tedious painfull and wearisome would even one night seeme unto them how would they turne and tosse themselves from side to side telling the clocke counting every houre as it passeth which would seeme unto them a whole day What is it then think you to lie in fire and brimstone inflamed with the unquenchable wrath of GOD world without end Where they shall have nothing about them but darknesse and discomforts yellings and gnashings of teeth their companions in prophanenesse and vanity to ban and curse them the damned fiends of hell to scourge them and torment them despaire and the worme that never dies to feed upon them with everlasting horrour If carnall wretches be so desperate as wilfully to spill the bloud of their owne soules let us set light by the life of our bodies if the cruelty of the times call for it for the honour of the Saviour of our soules Let me give one instance of dangerous snares
And such is the Child as for its owne sake it will find good entertainment though the Father of it were unknowne Adistinct narration of the life and death of the Author you have truly and punctually as becommeth such a narration premised All his Workes do shew that he was full in what he undertooke so full as he leaves scarce any thing if any thing at all for another Author to add more than he hath done to what he hath done He had a very searching and diving gift whereby he was able to anatomize and lay open the severall parts and nerves of the points which he handled and to set out pertinent signes rules meanes and motives thereabout His expression of his mind by fit words and phrases was answerable to his invention Both very copious full of variety Take for instance this ensuing Treatise the maine scope whereof is to furnish a Christian against the evill day Therein you may observe how on the one side he discovers the false meanes which most use and how on the other side he revealeth the true meanes that are of singular use to the end intended yea and how he enforceth the same with reason upon reason the better to demonstrate the equity of the point how also he infers all sorts of Uses thereupon as Reprehension Exhortation Direction and Consolation and finally how he takes occasion from thence of an exceeding large discourse upon the foure last things which to use his owne words have beene ever holden very materiall and of speciall moment to make us by GODS blessing more humble un-worldly provident and prepared for the evill day Those foure Heads are DEATH IVDGEMENT HELL HEAVEN To add more to what he hath set out thereabouts were to powre water into the sea First read then judge and the LORD add his blessing W. G. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Mr. BOLTON THat one age may tell another that the memoriall of the just shall be ever blessed when the persons and names of those that are otherwise minded shall rot and vanish away It hath beene the pious custome of ancient and later times to commend to posterity the eminent graces of the Saints departed Famous are those Panegyricke Orations made at the tombes of the Martyrs in the Primitive times when as their persecuting Emperours priding themselves in their lamentable deaths have left no other noyse behind them than the loud and long continued cries of spilling innocent bloud Memorable also are the Funerall Orations of the two Gregories Nyssen and Nazianzen on Basill the great And in later times to give a few instances for the number in this kinde is infinite Melancthon and Camerarius wrote the life of Martyn Luther Iunius the life of Vrsine Beza the life of Calvin Antonius Faius the life of Beza Iosias Simler the life of Peter Martyr and Dr. Humphrey the life of our most renowned Iewell This manner of honouring the Saints is warranted by GODS owne example who for ought is revealed to us tooke order for Moses buriall digged his grave covered him with molds and made for him that excellent Funerall Sermon expressed in the first Chapter of Ioshuah And that all-wise GOD who sweetly disposeth all things thinkes it needfull thus to grace his owne people that he may hereby uphold their spirits amid those many pressures scornes reproaches cruell mockings and innumerable other miseries which they endure of the world meerely for his service be they otherwise never so wise just meeke peaceable and unrebukeable amongst men Witnesse those many terrible persecutions mentioned in Ecclesiasticall Stories against the Christians though harmlesse and innocent though they prayed for their Emperours and GOD did miracles in their armies by their prayers yet for this onely cause that they honoured CHRIST and called themselves Christians so odious was that precious name unto their adversaries they were put to the extremest tortures that the utmost inventions of cruelty and rage could devise against them as Iustine Martyr and Tertullian in their learned and eloquent Apologies for them do amply demonstrate this caused Adrian the Emperour to ordaine that thenceforth none of them should be appeached barely for that name unlesse they transgressed the Lawes According to these examples and for the very same causes I have adventured to publish to the world the life and death of this man of GOD the Authour of this Work now a Saint in heaven I confesse his worth and parts deserved rather an advancement by some such eloquent Orators as I mentioned before than a depression by my pen but yet a pearle may be shewed forth as well by a weake hand as by the arme of a gyant I shall do no more And let his owne worth and workes praise him in the gates I knew him from the beginning of my youth being my first Tutour in the Vniversitie of Oxford and my selfe one of his first Schollers and from that time to the day of his death being above seven and twenty yeares none knew him better or loved him more our familiarity was such that alluding to that betweene Paul and Timothy I may say I knew his doctrine manner of life faith charity patience and now will onely relate what I have heard and seene wherein I will not exceed the bounds of modesty or truth To begin with his birth I observe that throughout the sacred Bible and writings on the persons of holy men their places of birth are ever remembred GOD loves the very ground his servants tread on The LORD shall count sayes David when he numbreth up the people that this man was borne there whereas of other men there shall be no remembrance of them they shall have none to lament or bury them but shall be cast forth as dung on the face of the earth so that I may say of them as was said of Pope Boniface the eight famous for nothing but his wickednesse intravit vulpes regnavit leo exivit canis the Prophet David renders it thus in plaine English They spend their daies in mirth and suddenly go downe into hell He was borne at Blackborne a towne of good note in Lancashire on Whitsunday Anno Dom. 1572. His parents being not of any great meanes yet finding in him a great towardlinesse for learning destinated him to be a scholler and strugled with their estate to furnish him with necessaries in that kind apprehending the advantage of a singular Schoole-master that was then in the towne He plied his booke so well that in short time he became the best scholler in the schoole and no marvell for he had those sixe properties of a scholler noted by Isocrates and others which concurring in one thrust up learning to a very high elevation 1. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of excellent parts and abilities of mind and of a sound constitution of body 2. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a very strong memory I meane such a memory as was notably actuated
Prophet in the first place doth furnish the people of GOD before hand with a strong counter comfort and cordiall against their faintings in the furnace of affliction we may thence be instructed that DOCT. It is an holy wisdome and happy thing to treasure up comfortable provision against the Day of calamity It is good counsell and a blessed course to store up comfort against the evill Day He that gathereth in Summer saith Salomon is a sonne of understanding But he that sleepeth in Harvest is a sonne of confusion Prov. 10. 5. If not by an immediate sense yet by a warrantable analogy and good consequent this Place will beare this Paraphrase That man which now in this faire and seasonable Sun-shine of his gracious visitation is lull'd asleepe with the Syren-songs of these sensuall times upon the lap of pleasure swims downe the temporizing torrent of these last and lewdest daies with full saile of prosperity and ease against the secret wasts and counter-blasts as it were of a reclaiming conscience as thousands do to their utter undoing for ever mis-spends his golden time and many goodly opportunities of gathering spirituall Manna in grasping gold gathering wealth growing great greatning his posterity clasping about the arme of flesh satisfying the appetite and serving himselfe In a word he that while it is called To day turnes not on Gods side and by forwardnesse and fruitfulnesse in His blessed waies treasures up comfort and grace against his ending houre shall most certainly upon his bed of death and illumination of conscience find nothing but horrible confusion and feare extremest horrour and insupportable heauinesse of heart his soule must presently downe into the kingdome of darknesse and bottome of the burning lake there to lie everlastingly in tempestuous and fiery torments the sting and strength whereof doth not onely surpasse the pens and tongues of Men and Angels but the very conceipt of those that suffer them which if a man knew he would not endure one houre for all the pleasures of ten thousand worlds His body the pleasing and pampering whereof hath plunged him into such a sea of calamity and woe must descend into the house of death an habitation of blacknesse and cruelty lie downe in a bed of dust and rottennesse covered with wormes guarded and kept full sure by the Prince and powers of darknesse unto the judgement of the great Day and then the whole man must become the woful object of the extremity and everlastingnesse of that fiercest and unquenchable wrath which like infinite rivers of brimstone will feed upon his soule and flesh without remedie ease or end But that happy man which in the short summers day of his miserable and mortall life gathers grace with an holy greedinesse plies the noble trade of Christianity with resolution and vndauntednesse of spirit against the boisterous current and corruptions of the times growes in godlinesse GODS favour and fruits of good life purchases and preserves though with the losse of all earthly delights peace of conscience one of the richest treasures and rarest jewels that euer illightened and made lightsome the heart of man in this world I say that man though never so contemptible in the eyes of the worldly wise though never so scornfully trod upon and overslowne by the tyranny and swelling pride of those ambitious selfe-flattering Giants who like mighty winds when they have blustered a while breathe out into naught shall most certainly upon his dying-bed meet with a glorious troupe of blessed Angels ready and rejoycing to guard and conduct his departing Soule into his Masters joy His body shal be preserved in the grave by the all-powerfull providence as in a Cabinet of rest and sweetest sleepe perfumed by the buriall of our blessed SAVIOVR untill the glorious appearing of the great GOD. And then after their joyfullest re-union they shall both be filled and shine thorow all eternity with such glory and blisse which in sweetnesse and excellency doth infinitely exceed the possibility of all humane or Angelicall conceipt Thus you see in short what a deale of confusion that miserable man heapes up for his precious Soule against the Day of wrath which spends the span of his transitory life after the waies of his owne heart and how truly he is a sonne of understanding who in the few and evill daies of short abode upon earth treasures up grace and spirituall riches against the dreadfull winter night of death For I would have you understand that by comfortable provision I meane not Lands livings or large possessions I meane not wealth or riches Alas These will not profit in the day of wrath Prov. 11. 4. They certainly make themselves wings and in our greatest need will flie away as an Eagle toward heaven Prov. 23. 5. I meane not silver or gold they shall not be able to deliver in the Day of the Lords wrath Zeph. 1. 18. Will he esteeme thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength Iob 36. 19. I meane not top of honour or height of Place this without religion serves onely to make the downfall more desperate and remarkable They are rais'd on hie saith the very Poet that their ruine may be more irrecoverable But what do I meddle with the Poet the Prophet is plaine and peremptory against the pride of ambition Thy terriblenesse hath deceived thee and the pride of thine heart O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rocke that holdest the height of the hill Though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee downe from thence saith the Lord Ier. 49. 16. I meane not the arme of flesh or Princely favours Assuredly that man which gratifies great Ones to the wounding of his conscience by the formall slavery of basenesse and insinuation or any ill offices of ambitious servitude in feates of irreligious policy in justice cruelty turning Turk and traitour to those that trusted him c. shall at last receive no other recompence of such abhorred villany when divine vengeance begins to take him in hand than that which justly fell upon Iudas in the extremity of his anguish and sorrow from the chiefe Priests and Elders Matth. 27. 4. If ever great men or earthly Potentates did take their slattering slaves out of the hands of GOD at that highest Tribunall or were able to free a guilty soule from eternall flames it were something to grow rich and rise by vile accommodations and serving their turne in the meane time But such a man sâ—…all certenly in the day of his last and greatest need be cast with horrible confusion of spirit and 〈◊〉 griefe of heart upon Wolsies rufull complaint and cry out when it is too late Had I beene as carefull 〈◊〉 serve the GOD of heaven as my great Master on earth he had neuer left me in my gray haires Favours of greatnesse may follow a man in faire weather and shine upon his face with goodly hopes and expectation of great
things but in shipwracks even of worldly things where all sinks but the sorrow to save them or especially upon the very first tempest of spirituall distresse they steere away before the Sea and Wind leaving him to sink or swim without all possibility of helpe or rescue even to the rage of a wounded conscience and gulfe many times of that desperate madnesse which the Prophet describes Isa. 8. 21 22. He shall fret himselfe and curse his King and his GOD and looke upward And he shall looke unto the earth and behold trouble and darknesse dimnesse of anguish and he shal be driven to darknesse By comfortable Provision therefore I meane treasures of a more high lasting and noble nature The blessings of a better life comforts of godlinesse graces of salvation favour and acceptation with the highest Majesty c. They are the riches of heaven onely which we should so hoard up and will ever hold out in the times of trouble and Day of the Lords wrath Amongst which a sound faith and a cleare conscience are the most peerlesse and unvaluable jewels able by their native puissance and infused vigour to pull the very heart as it were out of Hell and with confidence and conquest to looke even Death and the Devill in the face There is no darknesse so desolate no crosse so cutting but the splendor of these is able to illighten their sweetnesse to mollifie So that the blessed counsell of CHRIST Mat. 6. 19 20. doth concurre with and confirme this Point Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where theeves breake thorow and steale But lay vp for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeues do not breake thorow nor steale By moth and rust those two greedy and great devourers of gay clothes and glistering treasures two capitall vanities upon which worldlings dote and two greatest inchanters of mortall men are insinuated and signified unto us all those iron teeth and devouring instruments of mortality by which corruption eats into the heart of all earthly glory wasts insensibly the bowels of the greatest bravery and ever at length consumes into dust the strongest sinewes of the most Imperiall Soveraignty under the Sun Somtimes A day an houre a moment is enough to overturne the things that seemed to have been founded and rooted in Adamant The LORD of Heaven hath put a fraile and mortall nature a weake and dying disposition into all worldly things They spring and flourish and die Even the greatest and goodliest Politique Bodies that ever the earth bore though animated with the searching spirit of profoundest Policy strengthened with the resolution and valour of the most conquering commanders sighted with eagle eyes of largest depths fore-sights and comprehensions of state crowned with never so many warlike prosperities triumphs and victorious atchievements yet like the naturall Body of a man they had as it were their Infancy youthfull strength mans state old age and at last their grave We may see Dan. 2. 35. The glory and power of the mightiest Monarchies that ever the Sun saw shadowed by Nebuchadnezzars great Image sink into the dust and become like the chaffe of the Summers threshing floores upon a windy day Heare a wise and noble writer speaking to this purpose though for another purpose Who hath not observed what labour what practice perill bloud-shed and cruelty the Kings and Princes of the world have undergone exercised taken on them and committed to make themselves and their issues Masters of the world And yet hath Babylon Persia Egypt Syria Macedon Carthage Rome and the rest no fruit flower grasse or leafe springing upon the face of the earth of those seeds No their very roots and ruines do hardly remaine All that the hand of man can make is either over-turned by the hand of man or at length by standing and continuing consumed What trust then or true comfort in the arme of flesh humane greatnesse or earthly treasures What strength or stay in such broken staves of reed In the time of need the Worme of vanity will wast and wither them all like Ionahs gourd and leave our naked soules to the open rage of wind and weather to the scourges and Scorpions of guiltinesse and feare It transcends the Sphere of their activity as they say and passeth their power to satisfie an immortall soule to comfort thorow the length of eternity either to corrupt or conquer any spirituall adversaries For couldest thou purchase unto thy selfe a Monopoly of all the wealth in the world wert thou able to empty the Westerne parts of gold and the East of all her spices and precious things shouldest thou enclose the whole face of the earth from one end of heaven to another and fill this wide worlds circumference with golden heapes and hoards of pearle diddest thou in the meane time sit at the sterne and hold the reines in thine hand of all earthly kingdomes nay exalt thy selfe as the Eagle and set thy nest among the starres nay like the sun of the morning advance thy Throne even above the starres of God yet all these and whatsoever els thou canst imagine to make thy worldly happinesse compleate and matchlesse would not be worth a button unto thee upon thy bed of death nor do thee a halfe-penny-worth of good in the horrour of that dreadfull time Where did that man dwell or of what cloth was his coat made that was ever comforted by his goods greatnesse or great men in that last and sorest conflict In his wrastlings with the accusations of conscience terrours of death and oppositions of hell No no It is matter of a more heavenly metall treasures of an higher temper riches of a nobler nature that must hold out and helpe in the distresses of soule in the anguish of conscience in the houre of death against the stings of sinne wrath of GOD and last Tribunall Do you think that ever any glorified soule did gaze with delight upon the wedge of gold that tramples under foot the Sun and lookes All-mighty GOD in the face No no It is the society of holy Angels and blessed Saints the sweet Communion with its dearest Spouse that unapproachable light which crownes GODS sacred Throne the beauty and brightnesse of that most glorious Place the shining Body of the SONNE of GOD the beatificall fruition of the Deity it selfe the depth of Eternity and the like everlasting Fountaines of spirituall ravishment and joy which onely can feed and fill the restlesse and infinite appetite of that immortall Thing with fulnesse of contentment and fresh pleasures world without end Thrice blessed and sweet then is the advice of our Lord and Master IESVS CHRIST who would have us to turne the eye of our delight and eagernesse of affection from the fading glosse and painted glory of earthly treasures wherein naturally the worme of corruption and vanity ever breeds and many times the worme of an
heavenly Father will ever correct thee 1. Never before there be need and alwayes in 2. Wisdome 3. Measure 4. Love and tendernesse 5. For a moment onely 6. To trie thee what drosse of corruption and what sound metall of grace is in thee 7 To purge out sinne 8. To refine thee and make the vertues of CHRIST in thee more shining and illustrious 9. To stirre up quicken and increase all saving graces in thy soule Of which see my Exposition upon the 26 Chapter of Isa. Amongst all the rest Faith ever becomes most famous by afflictions Witnesse that cloud of witnesses Heb. 11 10. To make thee blessed 11. To save thee 12. And He wil be ever with thee in trouble 13. He will deliver thee 14. Nay and never was Gold-Smith more curious and precise to watch the very first season when his gold is thorowly refined and fitted for use that he may take it out of the fornace than our gracious GOD waits in such cases with an holy longing that He may have mercy upon thee and deliver thee But how soever or whatsoever befall thee in this life thou must upon necessity ere it be long lie gasping for breath upon thy dying bed and there graple hand to hand with the utmost and concurrent rage of all the powers of darknesse and that king of feare attended with his terrours and therefore let the whole course of thy life be a conscionable preparative to die comfortably Suppose every Day thy last and thereupon so behave thy selfe both in thy generall and particular calling as though thou shouldest be called to an exact account at night for all things done in the flesh before that last and highest Tribunall In all thy thoughts words actions and undertakings in any kind say thus unto thy selfe would I do thus and thus if I certenly knew the next houre to be my last In a word so live that upon good ground thou maist bring Davids undaunted boldnesse to thy bed of death Though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill Here upon this seasonable occasion give me leave to commend and tender unto you some speciall preparatives rules motives and meanes to furnish before hand and fortifie your spirits against all future evils and terrible things that are towards 1. Treasure up richly and abundantly before hand the precepts practice and experimentall sweetnesse of patience that most usefull and precious vertue which may serve when time serves as a soveraigne antidote to abate and abolish the sting and venime of all crosses afflictions and mortall miseries and as a comfortable cordiall to support and hold up thy heart in the bitternesse and extremity of the sorest Mighty and miraculous was the worke of this glorious grace in blessed Iob. By its heavenly and invincible influence upon his humble soule it did not onely utterly extinguish which was a very admirable and extraordinary thing all that desperate anguish and slavish griefe which such variety and extremity of greatest miseries that ever befell any mortall man would have naturally bred in the hopelesse hearts of impatient worldlings least of which is many times enough to drive them to despaire and selfe-destruction but also enabled him with the sweetest calmnesse of a well-composed and unshaken spirit even to blesse the LORD his GOD for taking from him these transitory things of which he was the true Proprietary and which in much undeserved mercy He had lent unto him so long The LORD gave said he and the LORD hath taken away blessed be the name of the LORD With what infinite implacable indignation and bloudy rage would Shemeis railing have rent in peeces the heart of many a gracelesse King And yet David by the helpe of this holy vertue passed on along patiently without wound or passion That heavy newes which was so horrible that it made both the eares of every one that heard it tingle brought by Samuel to Eli immediately from GODS owne mouth might have made many an earth-worme to have run mad with the very fore-thought of so much misery to come But good old patient Eli when he had heard it all sweetly ejaculates It is the LORD Let Him doe what seemeth him good The taking away of two sonnes at once by a sudden and violent death with visible vengeance from heaven and in the middest of a most horrible sinne is naturally matter of sorrow which cannot be exprest and extremest griefe yet Aaron in such a case having learned conformity of his owne will to the divine pleasure of the onely wise GOD when Moses told him that the LORD would be sanctified in them that come nigh Him and before all the people Hâ—… would be glorified He held his peace And Aaron held his peace So quieting his heart because GOD would have it so See further for this purpose 2 Sam. 3. 15. 26. Isa. 39 8. c. By these few precedents you may easily perceive what singular and soveraigne power patience hath to pull the sting and extract the poyson out of the most grievous calamities and greatest troubles But now on the contrary Impatiency and unpleasednesse with GODS providence in sending both good and ill yet ever in love and for our good For what sonne is he whom the Father chasteneth not doth more afflict us than all our afflictions The storme of GODS wrath breaks out sometimes upon the outward state of some greedy fretting mammonist and He justly sinites him for his wicked covetousnesse and dishonest gaine perhaps in the height and hot gleame of his prosperity and thriving by some sudden visible consumption or secret wasting curse He as such covetous wretches are wont takes on extremely farre beyond the rage of the maddest bedlam He stamps and stares as they say roares and raves gâ—…asneth his teeth teares his haire bites his nailes almost like a damned soule that hath new lost heaven untill at length the Devill lead him to lay violent hands upon himselfe Now are not these selfe-vexing tortures farre more rerrible than the taking away of his transitories Is not the cutting of his owne throat incomparably worse than the crosse A bird that is intangled amongst lime-twigs the more she stirres and struggles the more she is made sure and doubles her danger A repining reluctation and angry striving as it were to get out of GODS hands doth ever enveaime and exasperate the wound and makes us ten times worse and more miserable than if we fairely and patiently submitted to his omnipotent and most mercifull will Neither doth want of patience onely mightily enrage a crosse but it also embitters all our comforts The bare omission of a meere complement in Mordecai did not onely fill Hamans proud heart with many raging distempers of hatred malice revenge foolish indignation and much furious discontentment but also turned al the pleasure and kindly relish in his courtly pleasures riches
the discharge of it in every point and particular every company thou hast come into and all thy behaviour there every Sermon thou hast heard every Sabbath thou hast spent every motion of the Spirit which hath been made unto thy soule c. Let us then while it is called To Day call our selves to account examine search and trie thorowly our hearts lives and callings our thoughts words and deeds let us arraigne accuse judge cast and condemne our selves and prostrated before GODS Mercy-Seat with broken and bleeding affections lowlinesse of spirit and humblest adoration of His free grace upon the same ground with the Aramites 1 Kings 20. 31. We have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are mercifull Kings let us I pray thee put sack cloth on our loines and ropes on our heads and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy life Let us there give our mercifull GOD no rest untill we have sued out our pardon by the intercession of the LORD IESVS c. And then we shall find the reckoning made up to our hand and all matters fully answered before-hand And which is a Point of unconceiveable comfort He that was our Advocate upon earth and purchased the Pardon with His owne hearts bloud shall then be our Iudge 3. That all the beastly and impure abominatitions of thine heart all thy secret sinnes and closet-villanies that no eye ever looked upon but that which is ten thousand times brighter than the Sun shall all then be disclosed and laid open before Angels Men and Devils and thou shalt then and there be horribly universally and everlastingly ashamed Thou now acts perhaps securely some harefull and abhorred worke of darknesse and wickednesse not to be nam'd in thine owne heart or one way or other in secret which thou wouldst not for the whole world were knowne to the world or to any but thy selfe or one or two of thy cursed companions curbed by their obnoxiousnesse but be well assured in that Day at that great assize thou shalt in the face of heaven and earth be laid out in thy colours to thine eternall confusion Never therefore go about or encourage thy selfe to commit any sinne because it is mid-night or that the doores are lockt upon thee because thou art alone and no mortall eye seeth thee neither is it possible to be reveal'd And yet I must tell thee by the way secret villanies have and may be discovered 1. In sleepe 2. Out of horrour of conscience or in time of distraction For suppose it be concealed and lie hid in as great darknesse as it was committed untill that last and great Day yet then shall it out with a witnesse and be as legible in thy fore-head as if it were writ with the brightest starres or the most glittering Sun beame upon a wall of Crystall 4. In what a wofull case thy heavy heart will be and with what strange terrour trembling and desperate rage it must needs be possest and rent in peeces when thou shalt heare that dreadfull sentence of damnation to eternall torments and horrour pronounced over thine head Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his angels Every word breathes out nothing but fire and brimstone vengeance and woe bites deeper and terrifies more than ten thousand Scorpion stings To depart from that glorious presence were hell enough but thou must also go with a curse nor onely so but into fire and that must be everlasting fed continually with infinite rivers of brimstone and kept still in flame and fiercenesse by the unquenchable wrath of the most just GOD thorow all eternity And in that horrible dungeon and fiery lake thou shalt never have other company or comforters but wicked devils and they insulting over thee everlastingly with much hellish spite and stinging exprobrations for neglecting so great salvation all thy life long and losing heaven for some base lust and believing their lies If the drowning of the old world swallowing up of Korah and his complices burning up of Sodome with brimstone were attended with such terrours and hideous out cries How infinitely transcendent to all possibility of conceipt expression or beliefe will the confusions and tremblings of that Day be when so many millions of men shall be drag'd downe with all the Devils of hell to torments without end and past imagination There was horrible scryking when those five filthy cities first felt fire and brimstone drop downe upon their heads when those rebels saw the ground cleave asunder and themselves and all theirs go downe quicke into the pit when all the sonnes and daughters of Adam found the floud rising and ready to over-flow them all at once But the most horrid cry that ever was heard or ever shal be in heaven or earth in this world or the world to come will be then when all the forlorne condemned reprobates upon sentence given shal be violently and unresistably haled downe to hell and pulled presently from the presence not onely of the most glorious GOD the LORD IESVS Angels and all the blessed Ones but also of their Fathers Mothers Wives Husbands Children Sisters Brothers Lovers Friends Acquaintance who shall then justly and deservedly abandon them with all detestation and derision and forgetting all nearenesse and dearest obligations of nature neighbourhood alliance any thing rejoyce in the execution of divine justice in their everlasting condemnation So that no eye of GOD oâ—… man shall pitie them neither shall any teares prayers promises suits cries yellings calling upon rocks and mountains wishes never to have been or now to be made nothing c. be then heard or prevaâ—…e iâ—… their behalfe or any one in heaven or earth be found to mediate or speake for them to reverse or stay that fearefull doome of eternall woe but without mercy without stay without any farewell they shall be immediately and irrecoverably cast downe into the bottomlesse pit of easelesse endlesse and remedilesse torments which then shall finally shut her mouth upon them Oh! What then will be the guawings of the never dying worme what rage of guilty consciences what furious despaire what horrour of mind what distractions and feares what bitter looking backe upon their mis-spent time in this world what banning of their brethren in iniquity what cursing the day of their birth and even blaspheming of GOD Himselfe blessed for ever what tearing their haire and gnashing of teeth what wailing and wringing of hands what desperate roaring what hideous yellings filling heaven and earth and hell c. No tongue can tell no heart can thinke Be fore-warned then in a word To thirst long and labour infinitely more to have IESVS CHRIST in the meanetime say in the Ministry to thy truly humbled soule I am thy salvation than to be Possessour iâ—… it were possible of all the riches glory and pleasures of moe worlds than there are starres in
of almighty GOD with all terrible and torturing ingredients to make it most fierce and raging and a sit instrument for so great and mighty a GOD to torment everlastingly such impenitent reprobate rebels It is said to be prepared Matth. 2â—… 41. Isa. 30. 33. as if the all-powerfull wisdome did deliberate and as it were sit downe and devise most tormenting temper for that most formidable fire the one is blowne by an aiery breath the other by the angry breath of the great GOD which burnes farre hotter than ten thousand rivers of brimstone The pile thereof saith the Prophet is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it What soule doth not quake and melt with thought of this fire at which the very Devils tremble There is no proportion betweene the heat of our breath and the fire that it blowes What a fearefull fire then is that which is blowne by a breath dissolved into brimstone which a great torrent of burning brimstone doth ever mightily blow If it be metaphoricall as Austin seemes some where to intimate and some moderne Divines are of mind and as the gold pearles and precious stones of the wall streets and gates of the heavenly Ierusalem Rev. 21. were metaphoricall so likewise it should seeme that the fire of hell should also be figurative And if it be so it is yet something els that is much more terrible and intolerable For as the Spirit of GOD to shadow unto us the glory of heaven doth name the most pretious excellent and glorious things in this life which notwithstanding come infinitely short so doth He intimate unto us the inexplicable paiâ—…es of hell by things most terrible and tormenting in this world fire brimstone c. which yet are nothing to hâ—…llish tortures Whether therefore it be materiall or metaphoricall I purpose not here to dispute or go about to determine neither is it much materiall for my purpose For be it whether it will it is infinitely horrible and insâ—…fferable beyond all compasse of conceipt and above the reach either of humane or Angelicall thoughts It doth not onely exceed with an incomparable disproportion â—…ll possibility of patience and resistance but also even ability to beare it and yet notwithstanding it must upon necessity be borne so long as GOD is GOD. Take in a word all that I intend to tell you in the point at this time If the severall paines of all the diseases and maladies incident to our nature as of the stone gout colicke strangury or what other you can name most afflicting the body nay and add besides all the most exquisite and unheard of tortures and if you will even those of the Spanish Inquisition which ever were or shal be inflicted upon miserable men by the bloudiest executioners of the greatest tyrants as that of him in the brazen chaire mentioned before c. and collect them all into one extremest anguish and yet it were nothing to the torment which shall for ever possesse and plague the least part of a damned body And as for the soule let all the griefes horrours and despaires that ever rent in peeces any heavy heart and vexed conscience as of Iudas Spira c. And let them all be heaped together into one extremest horrour and yet it would come infinitely short of that desperate rage and restlesse anguish which shall eternally torture the least and lowest faculty of the soule What then do you think wil be the torment of the whole body What wil be the terrour of the whole soule Here both invention of words would faile the ablest Oratour upon earth or the highest Angell in heaven Ah then is it not a madnesse above admiration and which may justly amaze both heaven and earth and be a prodigious astonishment to all creatures that being reasonable creatures having understanding like the Angels of GOD eyes in your heads to fore-see the approaching wrath hearts in your bodies that can tremble for trouble of mind as the leaves of the forrest that are shaken with the wind consciences capable of unspeakable horrour bodies and soules that can burne for ever in hell and may by taking lesse paines in the right way than a drunkard worldling or other wicked men in the wayes of death and going to hell escape everlasting paines yet will sit here still in the face of the Ministry with dead countenances dull eares and hard hearts as senslesse and unmooved as the seates you sit on the pillars you leane to and the dead bodies you tread on and never be said as they say never warn'd untill the fire of that infernall lake flame about your eares O monstrous madnesse and mercilesse cruelty to your owne soules Let the Angels blush heaven and earth be amaz'd and all the creatures stand astonished at it 3. When sentence is once irrevocably past by that high and everlasting Iudge and the mouth of the bottomlesse pit hath shut it selfe upon thee with that infinite anguish and enraged indignation thou wilt take on teare thy haire bite thy nailes gnash the teeth dig furiously into the very fountaine of life and if it were possible spit out thy bowels because having by a miracle of mercy beene blessed all thy life long in this gloriously illightened Goshen with the fairest noone-tide of the Gospell that ever the Sun saw and either diddest or mightest have heard many and many a powerfull and searching Sermon any one passage wherof if thou haddest not wickedly and wilfully forsaken thine own mercy and suffered Satan in a base and beastly maner to blindfold and baâ—…le thee might have beene unto thee the beginning of the new-birth and everlasting blisse yet thou in that respect a most accursed wretch diddest passe over all that long day of thy gracious visitation like a sonne or daughter of confusion without any piercing or profit at all and passed by all those goodly offers and opportunities with an inexpiable neglect and horrible ingratitude and so now liest drown'd and damn'd in that dreadfull lake of brimstone and fire which thou mightest have so easily and often escaped This irksome and furious reflexion of thy soule upon its owne wilfull folly whereby it hath so unnecessarily and sottishly lost everlasting joy and must now live in endlesse woe will vexe and torture more than thou canst possibly imagine continually gnaw upon thy heart with remedilesse and unconceivable griefe and in a word even make an hell it selfe O then having yet a price in thine hand to get wisdome to go to heaven lay it out with all holy greedinesse while it is called To day for the spirituall and eternall good of thy soule Improve to the utmost for that purpose the most powerfull Ministry holiest company best bookes all motions of GODS Spirit all saving meanes c. Spend every day passe every Sabbath make every prayer heare every Sâ—…imon thinke every thought speake every word do
patience c. As a father shewes sometimes and represents to the eye of his child a glimpse and sparkle as it were of some rich orient jewell to make him love long pray and cry for a full sight of it and grasping of it in his owne hand So our heavenly Father in this case If celestiall excellencies and those surpassing joyes arising principally from the visible apprehension of the purity glory and beauty of GOD were clearely seene and fully knowne even by speculation it would be no strange thing or thanksworthy for the most horrible Beliall to become presently the holiest Saint the worlds greatest minion the most mortified man But in this vale of teares we must live by Faith 3. It is a fruit of our fall with Adam and the condition of this unglorified mortall state here upon earth to know but in part From which our knowledge above shall differ as the knowledge of a child from that of a perfect man as knowledge by a glasse from apprehension of the reall object as knowledge of a plaine speech from that which is a riddle It is not for us saith one in these earthly bodies to mount into the clouds to pierce this fulnesse of light to breake into this bottomlesse depth of glory or to dwell in that unapproachable brightnesse This is reserved to the last Day when CHRIST IESVS shall present us glorious and pure to His Father without spot or wrinkle 4. Our understandings upon necessity must be supernaturally irradiated and illightened with extraordinary enlargement and divinenesse before we can possibly comprehend the glorious brightnesse of heavenly joyes and full sweetnesse of eternall blisse It is as impossible in this life for any mortall braine to conceive them to the life as to compasse the heaven with a span or containe the mighty Ocean in a nut-shell The Philosopher could say that as the eyes of an Owle are to the light of the Sun so is the sharpest eye of the most pregnant wit to the mysteries of nature How strangely then would it be dazeled and struck starke blind with the excessive incomprehensible glory and greatnesse of celestiall secrets and immortall light But although we cannot comprehend the whole yet we may consider part Though we cannot take a full draught of that over-flowing fountaine of endlesse blisse above yet we may taste though we cannot yet enjoy the whole harvest yet we take a survey of the first fruits For the Scriptures to this end shadow unto us a glimpse by the most excellent precious and desireable things of this life Thus much premis'd let us for my present purpose about the joyes of Heaven consider 1. The Place where GOD and all His blessed ones inhabite eternally But how can an infinite GOD be said to dwell in a created heaven GOD from all eternity when there was nothing to which He might manifest and make knowne Himselfe is not said to dwell any where either to have been out of Himselfe or in any thing but onely in Himselfe He was therefore an heaven to Himselfe But when He pleased He created the world that in so large and goodly a Theater He might declare and conveigh His power goodnesse and bounty some way or other to all creatures Especially He prepared this glorious heaven we speake of not that it might enclose or enlarge His happinesse But that He might unspeakably beautifie and irradiate it with unconceiveable splendour of His Majesty and Glory and so communicate Himselfe beatifically to all the Elect Saints and Angels even for ever and ever I said not that it might enclose conclude and confine Him For He is as truly without the heavens as He is in them And He is where nothing is with Him He was when nothing was and then He was where nothing was beside Himselfe Before the Creation there was properly neither when nor where but onely an incomprehensible perfection of indivisible immensity and eternity which would still be the same though neither heaven nor earth nor any thing in them should any more be But we may not so place Him without the Heavens as to cloath Him with any imaginary space or give the checke to His immensity by any parallell distance locall He is said to be without the heavens in as much as His infinite Essence cannot be contained in them but necessarily containes them He is so without them or if you will beyond them that albeit a thousand moe worlds were heaped up by His all-powerfull hand each above other and all above this He should by vertue of His infinite Essence not by free choyce of will or mutation of place be as intimately coexistent to every part of them as He now is to any part of this heaven and earth we enjoy In a sober sense Bernard saith true Nusquam est ubique est He is no where because no place whether reall or imaginary can comprehend or containe Him He is every where because no body no space or spirituall substance can exclude His presence or avoid the penetration if I may so speake of His Essence This glorious Empyrean Heaven where nothing but light and blessed immortality no shadow of matter for teares discontentments griefes and uncomfortable passions to worke upon but all joy tranquillity and peace even for ever and ever doth dwell is seated above all the visible Orbs and Starry Firmament See Deut. 4. 39. 10. 14. Iosh. 2. 11. Pro. 25. 3. 1 King 8. 27. 30. 39. 43. 49. Luke 24. 51. Acts 1. 9. 7. 69. Eph. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 12. 2. where it is called the third heaven 1. The first is that whole space from the Earth to the Sphere of the Moone where the birds fly whence raine snow haile and other Meteors descend See Gen. 7. 11. Psal. 8. 8. Mat. 8. 20. Deut. 28. 12. Mat. 6. 26. where they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The second consists of all the visible Orbs. See Gen. 1. 14 15. where he cals the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expansion Firmament Heaven And in this He placeth the Sun Moone and other Starres Deut. 17. 3. Within this second Extension we comprehend three other Orbs represented to our knowledge by their motion Of which see Eustachius Table at pag. 94. 3. The third is that where GOD is said specially to dwell whither CHRIST ascended and where all the blessed Ones shall be for ever No naturall knowledge can possibly be had of this heaven neither any helpe by humane arts Geometry Arithmetike Opticks Hypotheses Philosophy c. To illighten us thereunto For it is neither aspectable nor moveable Hence it is that Aristotle the most eagle-eyed into the mysteries of nature of all Philosophers and whom they call Natures Secretary yet said that beyond the moveable Heavens there was neither body nor time nor place nor vacuum But GODS Booke assures us of this Heaven of happinesse and House of GOD above all the aspectable
mooving Orbs. 2 Cor. 3. 2. Eph. 4. 10. 1 Kin. 8. 27. 30. 39. 43. 49. And it is the biggest and most beautifull Body of the whole creation incorruptible unmooveable unalterable wholly shining with the most exquisite glory and brightnesse of purest light wherein as in a confluence of all possible felicities Iehovah GOD blessed for ever doth familiarly and freely communicate Himselfe to be beatifically seene and fully enjoyed face to face of all the elect humane and Angelicall spirits for ever Where the glorified Body of IESVS CHRIST shines with unconceiveable splendour above the brightnesse of the Sun c. This place most excellent replenished with those unknowne pleasures which attend everlasting happinesse where GOD blessed for ever is seene face to face is made admirable and illustrious by its bignesse and beauty Guesse the immeasurable magnitude and beautifull signes of it 1. By its description Rev. 21. It is called Ver. 10. by an excellency That great City c. Which if it be immediately meant as many learned and holy Divines would have it of the glory of the Church here on earth when both Iewes and Gentiles shal be happily united into one Christian Body and Brother-hood before CHRISTS second comming it is no lesse pregnant to proove that the Heaven of Heavens is a place most glorious above all comparison and conceipt For if there be such goodlinesse amplitude beauty and majesty in this Militant Church how infinitely will this beauty be yet more beautified and all this glory glorified with incredible additions in the Church Triumphant If there be such excellency upon earth what may we expect in the Heaven of Heavens 2. By those many Mansions prepared for many thousand thousands of glorified Bodies after the last Day Ioh. 14. 2. Besides the numberlesse numbers of blessed Angels the present inhabitants of those heavenly Palaces 3. By the incredible distance from the earth to the Starry Firmament If I should here tell you the severall computations of Astronomers in this kind the summes would seeme to exceed all possibility of beliefe And yet besides the late learnedst of them place above the eight Sphere wherein all those glorious lamps shine so bright three mooving Orbs more Now the Empyrean Heaven comprehends all these how incomprehensible then must its compasse and greatnesse necessarily be 4. By considering what a large Expansion and immensity the mighty LORD of heaven and earth is like to chuse for revealing His glory in the highest and most transcendent manner to all His noblest creatures infinitely endear'd unto Him by the bloudy death of His dearest Son even the Son of His love thorow all eternity Who doth all things like Himselfe if He love it is with a frâ—…e infinite and eternall love if He worke He makes a world If He go out with our Hosts the Sun shall stand still if need be and the Starres must fight if He come against a people He will make His sword devoure flesh and His arrowes drinke bloud if He be angry with the world He brings a sloud over the whole face of the earth If He set His affection upon a mortall worme that trembles at His Word and is weary of sinne He will make him a King give him a Paradise crowne him with eternity if He builds a house for all His holy Ones it must needs be a None-such most magnificent stately and glorious farre above the reach of the thoughts of men 5. What a spacious and specious inheritance what a rich super-eminent and sumptuous Purchase and Palace do you thinke was the precious bloud of the Son of GOD by its inestimable price and merit able to procure at the hands of His Father for His Redeemed Let us here also lay hold upon some considerations whereby we may behold at least some little glimpses of the admirable glory of its light 1. To say nothing of that glorious projection and transfusion of Aethereall light both of the Sun and of the Starres of the six magnitudes which by Astrologicall computation constitute three hundred Suns at the least whence ariseth a masse of shining beauty upward into the Empyrean Heaven which Patricius endeavours industriously to proove I say to passe it by as a groundlesse conceipt let us take a scantling as it were and estimate of the incomparable brightnesse and splendour of the highest heaven by that which Orthodoxe Divines soberly tell from Rev. 21. and other places to wit that it is verus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly light not like the Starry Firmament bespangl'd here and there with glittering spots but all as it were one great Sun From every Point powring out abundantly whole rivers as it were of purest heavenly light c. Hence with allusion to brightest things below it is said to have a wall of Iasper building of gold a foundation of precious stones and gates of pearles Being cleare as Cristall shining like unto glasse transparent in brightnesse as a molten looking glasse It may be those places may also in latitude of sense intimate and include this glorious visible light I speake of Coloss. 1. 12. Psal. 36. 9. 1 Tim. 6. 16. Ancient Divines also apprehended this glorious beauty and brightnesse in the blessed heaven The eternall City saith Austin is incomparably bright and beautifull where there is victory verity dignity sanctity life eternity If those which be condemned saith Basill be cast into utter darknesse it is evident that those which walked worthy of GOD have their rest in supercelestiall light 2. Besides the superexcellency of its native lustre that I may so speak this blessed heaven wil yet be made infinitely more illustrious and resplendent by all the most admirable and amiable shining glory of that dearest ravishing object to a glorified eye the glorified Body of IESVS CHRIST In respect of the beauty and brightnesse whereof all sydereall light is but a darksome mote and blackest mid-night See Mat. 17. 2. 3. Adde hereunto the incredible and unspeakble splendour of many millions of glorified Saints whose bodies also will out-shine the Sun See Mat. 13. 43. Phil. 3. 21. Dan. 12. 3. Who are said to shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament as the Stars Dan. 12. 3. As the Sun Mat. 13. 43. To be like CHRIST Himselfe Iohn 3. 2. And to appeare with Him in glory Col. 3. 4. Now what a mighty and immeasurable masse of most glorious light will result and arise from that most admirable illustrious concurrence and mutuall shining reflexions of the Empyrean Heaven more bright and beautifull than the Sun in his strength the Sun of that sacred Pallace and all the blessed Inhabitants All which every glorified eye shal be supernaturally inlarged enabled and ennobl'd to behold and enjoy in a kindly and comfortable manner with ineffable delight and everlastingnesse 4. If the porch and first entry be so stately and glorious garnished and bespangl'd with so many bright shining Lights and beautifull Starres What workmanship
and rare peeces what majesty and incomprehensible excellencies may we expect in the Palace of the great King and the heavenly habitations of the Saints and Angels * How full of beauty and glory are the chiefe roomes and Presence-Chamber of the great and royall Monarch of Heaven and Earth O with what infinite sweetest delight may every truly gracious soule bathe it selfe before-hand even in this vale of teares in the delicious and ravishing contemplation of this most glorious Place wherein he hath an eternall blisfull mansion most certainly purchased and prepared for him already by the bloud of IESVS CHRIST Let us therefore as an holy Divine would have us spend many thoughts upon it Let us enter into deepe meditations of the inestimable glory of it Let us long untill we come to the fingering and possession of it even as the heire longeth for his inheritance Let us strive and straine to get into this golden Citie where streets walls and gates and all is gold all is pearle nay where pearle is but as mire and dirt and nothing worth O what fooles are they who deprive themselves willingly of this endlesse glory for a few stinking lusts O what mad men are they who bereave themselves of a roome in this Citie of Pearle for a few carnall pleasures O what bedlams and humane beasts are they who shut themselves out of these everlasting habitations for a little transitory pelfe O what intolerable sots and senselesse wretches are all such who wilfully barre themselves out of this Palace of infinite pleasure for the short fruition of worldly trash and trifles 2. In a second place let us take notice of some names titles and epithetes attributed to heavenly joyes eternall glory which may yet further represent to our relish their incomparable sweetnesse and excellency They are called 1. A Kingdome Mat. 25. 34. Luke 12. 32. Now a Kingly Throne is holden the top and crowne of all earthly happinesses the highest aime of the most eager and restlesse aspirations and ambitions of men A confluence it is of riches pleasures glory all royall bravery or what mans heart can wish for outward welfare and felicity What stirres and stratagems what murders and mischiefes what mining and counter-mining what mysterious plots and machivillian depths what strange adventures and effusions sometimes even of bloudy seas to catch a Crowne Witnesse Lancaster and Yorke nay all habitable parts of the earth which from time to time have become bloudy cock-pits in this kind 2. An Heavenly Kingdome Mat. 7. 21. And 18. 3. to intimate that it surpasseth in glory and excellency all earthly kingdomes as farre as heaven transcendeth earth and unconceiveably more 3. The Kingdome of GOD Acts 14. 23. A Kingdome of GODS owne making beautifying and blessing who doth all things like Himselfe as I said before replenished and shining with Majesty pleasures and ineffable felicities beseeming the glorious Residence of the King of Kings 4. An Inheritance Acts 20. 32. Not a tenement at will to be possessed or left at the landlords pleasure but an inheritance setled upon us and sealed unto us by the dearest and highest price that ever was payed which wil be as orient precious and acceptable after as many millions of yeares as you can think as it was the very first day it was powred out and payed 5. A rich and glorious inheritance Eph. 1. 18. Fit for the Majesty and mercy of Almighty GOD to bestow the un-valuable bloud of His Son to purchase and the dearely Beloved of His Soule to enjoy 6. An Inheritance of the Saints in light Coloss. 1. 12. Every word sounds a world of sweetnesse 7. An Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 4. There can never possibly be the least diminution much lesse any abolishment of the least glimpse of heavenly glory But all blisse above wil be as fresh and full innumerable yeares hence as at our first entrance and so thorow all eternity 8. A Crowne of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4. 8. Fairly come by and full dearely bought A crowne of life Iaâ—… 1. 12. A Crowne of glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. Glory it selfe Rom. 9. 23. Nay an exceeding exceeding eternall waight of glory 2 Corinth 4. 17. Which Crownes Kingdomes Pearles Iewels Feasts c. do but weakely shadow out unto us A superlative transcendent Phrase saith one such as is not to be found in all the Rhetoricke of the Heathens because they never wrote of such a theme nor with such a spirit 9. Fulnesse of joy everlasting pleasures Psal. 16. 11. A swift flowing river and torrent of pleasures Psal. 36. 8. The very joy of our LORD and Master Mat. 25. 21. 3. In a third place let us consider the beauty and blessednesse of glorified Bodies I do not here curiously enquire with the Schoole-men whether the glory of the body doth spring originally out of the blessednesse and beautifull excellency of the soule and so redounds upon the body by a continued constant influence as Aquinas thinks Or which I rather follow that those excellent endowments and heavenly splendours are originally and dispositively implanted by GODS hand in the reformed body onely perfected and actuated as it were by the glorious soule as Bonaventure supposeth Sure I am in generall they shal be made like the glorious Body of CHRIST Philip. 3. 21. And that is happinesse and honour enough inexplicable supereminent Besides their freedome from all defects and imperfections diseases and distempers infirmities and deformities maimednesse and monstrous shapes infancy or decrepitnesse of stature c. From want of meate drinke mariage for we shal be like the Angels of GOD in heaven Matth. 22. 30. We shall hunger no more neither thirst any more Rev. 7. 16. of sleepe for there shal be no wearying of the body or tyring the spirits for we shall live by the all-sufficient Spirit of GOD which never needs refreshing of physicke for we shall enjoy perpetuall impregnable health a glorified body cannot possibly be distempered either by inward contrariety of elementary qualities or any outward contagion or hurtfull impression of aire to coole our heat or keepe us from stifling of clothes for we shal be clothed with long white robes of immortality Rev. 7. 9. which can never be worne out but shall be so beautifull and glorious that like the Sun we shall be best adorned when we have no other covering but our owne resplendent Majesticall brightnesse of Sun for the glory of GOD shall illighten that heavenly city and the Lambe shal be the light thereof Rev. 21. 23. Of any thing for GOD shal be unto us All in All 1 Cor. 15. 28. I say besides an everlasting exemption and priviledge from all ils paines miseries our bodies shal be gloriously crowned with many positive prerogatives marvellous excellencies high and heavenly endowments 1. Immortality 1 Cor. 15. 54. Glorified bodies can never possibly die They shall last as long as GOD Himselfe and run parallell with
the longest line of eternity In which respect also our condition is a thousand times more happy and glorious than if we had stood still with Adam in his innocency and felicity If so he could but have conveighed unto us bodies immortall potentiâ non moriendi ex Hypothesi as they say that is endowed onely with power of not dying if so and so but now they shall be immortall impotentiâ moriendi that is shine for ever in the highest heavens with impossibility of ever perishing 2. Incorruptiblenesse 1 Corinth 15. 42. 54. For every glorified body shall for ever be utterly impassible and un-impressionable with any corruptive quality action or alteration Whether 1. By the power of some peculiar glorifying endowment implanted in the body or redounding from the soule upon the body for that purpose Or 2. From an exquisite temper and harmony of the Elementary qualities freed everlastingly from all possibility of any angry contrariety and combate Or 3. Which seemeth most probable and approoved by the learned'st Schoole-men from an exact subjection of the body to the soule as of the soule to GOD I say whether so or so I doe not here enquire or contend but leave all alterations in this kinde to the curious disquisitions of such idle and ill-exercis'd Divines The testimony of GODS never-erring Spirit in the cited place is more than infinitely sufficient to assure every Christian heart that our raised bodies reformed by the All-mighty glorious hand of GOD shall never more be exposed to violence or hurt from any externall agent or obnoxious to the least disposition towards any inward decay putrefaction or dissolution 3. Potency 1 Corinth 15. 43. Our soules are in nature substance and immateriality like the Angels of GOD One of which killed in one night an hundred fourescore and five thousand 2 Kings 19. 35. And therefore little know we though the edges excellency and executions may be dul'd and drown'd in our heavy fraile sinfull bodies of what might and power they may be originally But then when to the soules native strength there is an addition of glorifying vigour and GODS mighty Spirits more plentifull inhabitation and it shall also put on a body which brings with it besides its owne peculiar inherent power an exact serviceablenesse and sufficiency apted and apportion'd to the soules highest abilities and executions how incredibly powerfull and mighty may we suppose a Saint in heaven shal be 4. Spiritualnesse 1 Cor. 15. 44. Not that our bodies shall be turned into spirits but imployed spiritually Or more fully thus 1. Because they shal be fully possessed with the Spirit which dwelling primarily and above measure in CHRIST our head is communicated from Him to us His members so that then we shall no more live by our animall faculty nor need for preservation of life meat drinke sleepe clothing physicke or the former naturall helpes In which respect they cease to be naturall bodies being freed from those animall faculties of nourishing increasing and multiplying by generation They shall no more live by vertue of food and nourishment thrice concocted first in the stomach c. but shal be spirituall and heavenly living without all these helpes as the Angels in heaven do 2. Because they shall in all things become subject to the Spirit of GOD and be wholly perfectly and willingly guided by Him with a spirituall Angelicall most absolute and free obedience As the spirit serving the flesh may not unfitly be called carnall so the body obedient to the soule saith Austin is rightly termed spirituall 3. By reason of their activenesse nimblenesse agility whereby they shal be able to moove from place to place with incredible swiftnesse and speed not being at all hindered by their weight An heavy lumpe of lead that sinkes now to the bottome being wire-drawne as it were by the workman into the forme of a boat will swimme saith Austin And shall not GOD give that ability to our bodies which the Artificer doth to the lead c. Here some of the Schoolemen moove an idle unnecessary question to wit Whether glorified Bodies moove from place to place in an instant For they may well know out of the Principles in Philosophy and Rules of sound reason that it is utterly impossible and implies contradiction That a body should in an instant be in many places at once But if a glorified body moove from place to place in an instant it will necessarily follow that the same body is in an instant In termino à quo locis intermedijs termino ad quem simul in the beginning middle and end of the space thorow which it passeth at once which is more than utterly impossible and quite destroyes the nature of a true Body I would rather interpret those words of Austin Certè ubi volet spiritus ibi protinus â—…rit corpus the body will presently be there where the soule would have it of extraordinary speed and incredibly short time Aquinas cals it imperceptible So that I doubt not but that a glorified Saint desiring to be in such or such a place a thousand miles off after the very first bent of his will that way would be there in an incredibly lesse time than thou wouldest imagine 5. Glory 1 Corinth 15. 43. The bodies of the Saints in heaven shal be passingly beautifull shining and amiable Two things according to Austin concurre to the constitution of beauty 1. A due and comely proportion an apt and congruent symmetry and mutuall correspondency of all the parts of the body or in a word well-favourednesse 2. Amiablenesse of colour a pleasing mixture of those two lively colours of white and red I add a third 3. A cheerfull lively light some aspect When the two former materials as it were are pleasantly enliv'd and actuated by a lively quicknesse and modest merrinesse of countenance Whereupon saith the Moralist it is not the red and white which giveth the life and perfection of beauty but certaine sparkling notes and touches of amiable cheerefulnesse accompanying the same In beauty saith another that of favour is more than that of colour and that of decent pleasing motion more than that of favour That is the best part of beauty which a picture cannot expresse c. All these concurre in eminency and excellency in glorified bodies 1. An exquisite feature and stature beautified by GODS owne blessed all-mighty hand with the utmost of created comlinesse and matchlesse proportion 2. Not onely sweetest mixture of liveliest colours but also a bright shining splendour of celestiall glory 3. And both these actuated to the life preserved in perpetuall freshnesse and oriency and quickened still with new supply of heavenly activenesse and amiablenesse by a more glorious soule for if the brightnesse of the body shall match the light of the Sun what do you thinke will be the glory of the soule and by an infinitely more glorious spirit which shall plentifully
dwell in them both for ever Amplifie the glory of our bodies in heaven from such places as these Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 13. 45. Phil. 3. 20 21. Col. 3. 4. From which the ancient Fathers also thus collect and affirme If we should compare saith Chrysostome our future bodies even with the most glistering beames of the Sun we shall yet say nothing to the expression of the excellency of their shining glory The beauty of the just in the other life saith Anselme shal be equall to the glory of the Sun though sevenfold brighter than now it is The brightnesse of a glorified body doth as farre excell the Sun as the Sun our mortall body Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Not saith Chrysostome because they shall not surpasse the brightnesse of the Sun but because that being the most glittering thing in the world he takes a resemblance thence towards the expressing of their incomparable glory But how can there be so much beauty and delightfull amiable aspect in such intensive and extraordinary brightnesse Or what pleasure can we take in beholding such extremely bright and shining bodies Sith we find by experience that there is farre more content and delight in looking upon a well-proportioned object beautified with a pleasant mixture of colours than in seeing the Sun though it should not so dazle and offend the eyes For satisfaction herein we must know that the glorified eye shall become impassible elevated farre above all mortall possibility and fortified by an heavenly vigour to apprehend and enjoy all celestiall light and glory with much ravishing contentment and inexplicable delight Secondly that omnipotent mercifull hand of GOD which will raise our bodies out of the dust and reforme them anew can cause light and colour to concurre and consist in excellency in glorified bodies Those things which according to nature can consist together the one or both being in gradu remisso as they say abated of their height can by divine power consist together in gradu intensissimo suae speciei in their excellency but it is so with light and colour according to nature ergo c. as Durandus one of the acutest Schoolemen makes good by arguments Whether shall colour or light be seene Why not both in a most delicious admirable mixture Here the Schoolemen according to their wont do curiously inquire discusse and determine the manner of the acts exercise and objects of all the senses They say not only 1. That the eye shall delightfully contemplate CHRISTS glorious body the shining bodies of the Saints the beauty of the Empyrean Heaven c. 2. The eare drinke up with infinite delight the vocall harmony of Hailelu-jahs c. But also audaciously undertake to define without any good ground or found warrant many particulars about the other senses not without much absurdity and unspiritualnesse But let it be sufficient for us without searching beyond the bonds of sobriety to know for a certaine that every sense shal be filled with its severall singularity and excellency of all possible pleasure and perfection 4. In a fourth place let us take a glance of the unutterable happinesse of the Soule I should be infinite and endlesse if I did undertake to pursue the severall glories felicities and excellencies of every faculty of the soule and when I had done ended with the utmost of all both Angelicall and humane understanding and eloquence come infinitely short of expressing them to the life I will at this time but give you a taste onely in the understanding Part And that shal be extraordinarily and supernaturally enlarged and irradiated with the highest illuminations largest comprehensions and utmost extent of all possible comfortable knowledge of which such a creature is capable 1. Humane knowledge of Arts Nature created things is delicious and much desired Witnesse 1. The wisest Heathens and best Philosophers who were so ravished but even with a dimme glimpse of this knowledge that in comparison thereof they have contemned all the riches pleasures and preferments of the world 2. That wise saying A learned man doth as farre excell an illiterate as a reasonable creature a brute 3. The extraordinarily exulting and triumphant cry of the famous Mathematician hitting after long and laborious disquisition upon some abstruse excellency of his Art I have found it I have found it 4. That passage in an Epistle of Aeneas Silvius to Sigism D. of Austria If the face of humane learning could be seene it is fairer and more beautifull than the Morning and Evening Starre 5. For the pleasure and delight of knowledge and learning saith another it farre surpasseth all other in nature for shall the pleasures of the affections so exceed the senses as much as the obtaining of desire and victory exceedeth a song or dinner And must not of consequence the pleasures of the intellect or understanding exceed the pleasures of the affections We see in all other pleasures there is a saetiety and after they be used their verdour departeth which sheweth well they be but deceipts of pleasure and not pleasures and that it was the novelty which pleased and not the quality And therefore we see that voluptuous men turne Friers and ambitious Princes turne melancholy But of knowledge there is no satiety But satisfaction and appetite are perpetually interchangeable and therefore appeareth to be good in it selfe simply without fallacy or accident Now this learning shall then be fully perfected and raised to the highest pitch so that the least and lowest of the Saints in heaven shall farre surpasse in cleare contemplation of the causes of all naturall things and conclusions of Art the deepest Philosophers greatest Artists and learnedst Linguists that ever lived upon earth There are many difficulties and doubts in all kinds of humane learning which have from time to time exercised the bravest wits but by reason of the native dimnesse of our understanding never received cleare resolution and infallible assent As Whether the Elementary formes be in mixt Bodies 1. Corrupted 2. Remitted only 3. Or Entire Whether the celestiall Orbs be moved by Angels or internall formes Whether there be three distinct soules in a man 1. Vegetative 2. Sensitive 3. Rationall Or one onely in substance containing vertually the other two How all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appearances in the Aethereall Heaven may be truliest and with least exception maintained whether by Excentricks and Epicycles or onely by Concentricks or the Earths motion or the motion of the Starres in the heavens as fish move in the sea and birds in the aire c. So the best wits are inextricably pusl'd also about the Sympathy and Antipathy of things Alchymie cause of Criticall daies The mysts about these and many things moe shal be dispel'd out of our minds by a cleare sunne of a new and excellent knowledge so that we shal be exactly acquainted with the
and rebellious people which was fruitlesly and vainly spilt as water upon the ground or lost upon the hardest slint many a piercing and powerfull Sermon had he spent amongst them to the wasting of his strength and spirits which yet was to them as an idle and empty breath vanishing into nothing and scatter'd in the aire The LORD as He saies Himselfe made His mouth as a sharpe sword and Himselfe as a chosen shaft and yet that two-edged sword was full often blunted upon their hardest hearts and his keene arrowes discharged by a skilfull hand rebounded from their flinty bosomes as shafts shot against a stone wall And that made that Seraphicall Oratour the unmatched Paragon of sacred eloquence thus to complaine Isa. 47. 4. I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength in vaine and for nothing A course of extraordinary severity and terrour was taken with Pharaoh he was not onely chastised with rods but even scourged with Scorpions and yet all the plagues of Egypt were so farre from piercing and softening his hard heart as that every particular plague added a severall iron sinew and more slintinesse to his already stony heart And as the heart is naturally thus hardened towards godlinesse so also hollow towards the godly See Sauls cariage towards David No materiall waight can more crush the heart of man than braying in a morter and yet saith Salomon Prov. 27. 22. Though thou shouldest bray a foole a desperate sinner a rebellious wretch in a morter amongst wheat brayed with a pestill yet will not his foolishnesse his sinfulnesse which is the greatest depart from him no more than the skin from the Blacke-moore or the spots from the Leopard by washing him Shame an old obstinate beaten sinner with his horrible ingratitude show him the ugly face of his hainous sinnes tell him of the losse of the happinesse of heaven affright him with the feare of hell and damnation in all this he is like a Smiths anvill that growes harder and harder for all his hammering Lastly a damned spirit though he lie in the lowest dungeon of utter darknesse laden with that burden of sinne which prest downe a glorious Angell of light and all his followers from the top of heaven into that lowest pit with the full weight of the unquenchable and everlasting wrath of GOD with all the heavy chaines of that infernall lake and with that which me thinkes is farre worse and more cutting than many hels than ten thousand damnations even with despaire of ever having ease end or remedy of those most bitter everlasting intolerable hellish torments I say though a damned soule be thus laden and thus heavily prest downe with all this cursed waight and hainousnesse of hell yet he is still as hard as a stone So certaine it is that no curse or created power not the softest eloquence or severest course not the waight of the whole world or the heavines of hell if all were prest and laid upon the heart of a man could possibly breake that stubbornesse or tame that rebellion This is onely the worke of the blessed Spirit with the hammer of the Word This hardnesse of heart had attained a strange height even in the worlds infancy into what a prodigious rocke is that growne now then by length of time in so many ages sith every generation since by invention of new sinnes and addition of hainousnesse unto the old have every one added thereunto a severall iron sinew and a further degree of flintinesse What a heart was got into Cains breast who was first cut out of the stony rocke of corrupt man-kind remorse of shedding the guiltlesse bloud of his murthered brother which was able to have melted an adarnant into bloudy teares moved him never a whit Nay the presence of Almighty GOD at which the earth trembles the hills melt like waxe which turneth the rocke into water-pooles and the stint into a fountaine of water as David speakes yet made his stony heart relent never a whit Nay yet further GODS mighty voice immediately from His owne mouth which breakes the cedars and shakes the wildernesse which was able with one word even in a moment to turne the whole world into nothing and the sonnes of men as though they had never beene yet I say this powerfull and mighty voice did not at all amaze or mollifie the un-relenting stubbornenesse of this bloudy wretch but in a strange dogged fashion he answers GOD Almighty even to His face For when GOD mildly and fairely asked him what was become of his brother Abel he answered I cannot tell Nay further as though he had bid GOD go looke he faith Am I my brothers keeper Where take this note by the way Let not Christians thinke much to receive dogged answers and disdainfull speeches from prophane men you see how doggedly this fellow answers even GOD Almighty The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord It is enough for the Disciple to be as the Master and the servant as his Lord if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of his houshold Mat. 10. 24 25. What a strange stony heart lodged in the breast of the tyrant Pharaoh When the Prophet 1 Kin. 13. cried to the altar of Ieroboam O altar altar the altar clave presently asunder at the Word of GOD in the mouth of the Prophet but this mighty hammer of the Word Ier. 23. 29. with ten miracles gave ten mighty strokes at Pharaohs heart and yet could find no entrance could not pierce it but rebounded backe as an arrow shot against a stone wall Let no man then thinke it strange to see many stubborne and rebellious wretches run on in their courses and rage against the waies of GOD though they have both the Ministry of the Word of GOD to reclaime them and be many times singled out particularly by the hand of GOD with some speciall judgement for the abatement of their fury For the rebelliousnesse of mans nature can never possibly be tamed corrupt affection can never be conquered untill the heart wherein it sits inthron'd be crusht and broke in peeces and this hardnesse of heart can never be mortified no created power can possibly pierce it untill the Almighty Spirit take the hammer of the Word into His owne hand that by His speciall unresistable power He may first breake and bruise it and after by sprinkling it with the bloud of CHRIST dissolve it into teares of true repentance that so it may be softened sanctified and sav'd And let no man marvell that the powerfullest Ministry doth produce by accident the most pestilent scorners cruellest persecutors and men of most raging cariage against the meanes of their salvation for these reasons 1. From the nature of the glorious Gospell of IESVS CHRIST the sunn of righteousnesse which shining upon one that hath spirituall life will more reuiue and quicken him but in one dead in
majestas est DEI luxque illa Deitasipsius quam inhabitare DEVS dicitur Ea omnibus est inaccessa corporeis oculis invisibilis Ab hac majesta te verò pro bene placito voluntatis DEI lumen creatum proficiscitur quo tota urbs splendet quo electis etiam communicato efficit DEVS ut ipsum plenè quas facie ad faciem cognoscant Zanch. De Coelo beato Cap 4. b Coelum Beatorum est imprimis lucidisâ—…imum eóque verus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc est totum omni ex parte luminosum ac splendidum Non enim est sicut firmamentum varijs ornatum â—…ellis eóque alibi lucidum alibi verò non it a lucidum sed totum est pellucidum Est enim perindè atque si totum sit quidem Sol maximus omnia suo ambitu complectens Neque lux illa est similis luci stellarum neque etiam ejusdem generis Sed est lux verè divina licèt creata idcircò quià lux est alterius generis lux est gloriae non penetrat huc ad nos usque oculis tamen corporeis futuro saeculo à nobis videbitur Ideâ—… Ibid. * Incomparabilitèr clara est civitas eterna ubi victoria ubi veritas ubi dignitas ubi sanctitas ubi vita ubi aeternitas De vitâ aeternd Oh how brave how beautifull how glorious how glittering how gorgeous how admirable a City is this For if the gates be of pearle and the streets of gâ—…ld then what are the inner roomes What are the dining chambers And what are the lodging roomes O how unspeakable is the glory of this city that Kings shall throw downe their Crownes and Scepters before it counting all their pompe and glory but as dust in respect of it And the magnificence and pompe of all the Potentates of the earth shall here be laid downe And albeit none of the Kings and Nobles of the Gentiles might be admitted into the old Ierusalem yet all the Gentiles that believe shal be admitted into this new Ierusalem and made free Denisons thereof for ever Dent upon the Rev. I might tell you here of many other probable singularities about this celestiall palace and that from the hand of some godly and learned Divines To wit That this third Heaven is not penetrable by any creature whereas the other two are passable by the grossest Bodies so that it is said to open to the very Angels Ioh. 1. 51. Who though they be able to penetrate all things under it yet are they no more able to enter that Body than they are to passe into one anothers natures Hence it comes to passe that the third Heaven gives way to Angels soules and bodies of men to enter in by miracle GOD making way by His power where nature yeelds no passage For it is without pores and cannot possibly extend or contract it selfe into a large or straiter compasse That Tertium hoc summum coelum in medio non est corpus solidum sed inest aura aliquis coelestis quae supplet defectum aeris corporibus glorificatis In qua etsi pori non sunt in nobis tamen porierunt in quibus erit haec natura coelestior quâ—… etiam aeris vicem supplebit ad sermonem In coelo enim usuri sumus Hebrâ—…â linguâ 1. Nam natura ibi redibit quae primitùs hanc linguam tenuit 2. Confusio linguarum maledictior fuit And this aura coelestis say they shall maintaine life eternally and be answerable to our constitution even as this atre is c. But as I would my selfe by no means confidently entertaine so will I never ebtrude upon others any thing in this or any other divine point but that onely which iâ—… grounded either directly and immediately or by good and sound consequence upon GODs sure Word * Who hath not observed what labour practice perill bloud shed cruelty the Kings and Princes of the world have undergone exercised taken on them and committed to make themselves and their issues Masters of the world S. W Rawleigh * Restat ergò ut suam recipiat quisque mensuram quam vel habuit in juventute â—…msi senex est mortuusâ—… vel fuerat habiturus si antè est defunctus Aug. de Civit. DEI. Lib. 22 Cap 15. Circa triginta annos desinierunt esse etiam saeculi hujus doctissimi homines juventutem Idem Ibid. Resurgent omnes tà m magni corpore quà m vel erant vel futuri erant in juvenili aetate Idem Ibid. Cap. 16. Quibus omnibus pro nostro modulo consideratis tractatis haec summa conficitur ut in resurrectione carnis in aeternum eas mensuras habeat corporum magnitudo quas habebat perficiendae sive perfectae cujuscunque indita corpori ratio juventutis in membrorum quoque omnium modulis congruo decore servatur Ibid Cap 20. All the bodieâ—… of the Elect shall arise in that perfection of nature whereunto they should have attained by their naturall temper and constitution if no impediment had hindered and in that vigour of age that a perfect man is at about three and thirty yeares old each in their proper sexe So saith some worthy Divine whose name I forgot to note when I tooke his Saying * A ssruere licet sanitatem vitae futurae ità vigere immutabilem ac inviolabilem fore ut inessabili quadam dulcedine suavitatis totum hominem repleat omne quod alicujus in se vicissitudinis mutabilitatis aut laesionis suspicionem praetendere queat procul arâ—…at atque repellat Anselm de simililitud Cap. 54. * Immortalitas sumitur quadrifariam Pro 1. Impotentia moriendi absoluta natura Sic solus DEVS immortalitatem habet 1 Tim. 6. 16. 2. Impotentia moriendi ex gratia creationis sic Angeli animae humanae sunt immortales 3. Impotentia moriendi ex gratia doni sic coelum novum terra nova corpora beatorum immortalitatem habebunt 4. Potentia non moriendi ex aliqua Hypothesi licet in se sit mortale Sic homo ante peccatum erat immortalis corpore ex Hypothesi unionis cum anima originaliter perfecta immortali * In futuro igitur ut jam praelibavimus sie justus ortus erit ut etiam si velit terram commovere possit Anselm de similitud Cap. 52. Verùm praestabunt viribus quicunque supernis viribus associantur civibus in tantum ut nullatenus illis quisquam obsâ—…stere valeat vel si movendo quid aut evertendo voluerit a suo statu quin illicò cedat Nec in eo quod dicimus majori laborabunt conatu quà m nos modò in oculorum nostrorum motu Ne quaeso similitudo illa Angelorum nostro excidat ab animo quam adepturi sumus in futuro quatenus si in hac forticudine aut in his quae dictuâ—…i sumus ad exemplum non occurrit vel ipsa per quam Angelis