of wicked men shal be Thinke of this you Saint-haters you Sermon-despisers you wicked mockers and scoffers at goodnesse you that are the wretches prophesied of that should be brought forth and come into the world in the latter daies that should appear unholy and that should be haters of such as are good 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3. What is it that some of you would do to the conscionable imbracers of holiness were they in your power would you not imprison them famish them slay them shew much cruelty to them and would you not pluck down the pure preaching of Jesus Christ and obstruct the perfect and upright walking of Saints are not your hearts now against such men and such doings and do you not wish your hands at liberty to act some enterprises against what is holy good against that which you cal Sects and Factions and against such as you say bring all out of order that turn the world upside down I know not your thoughts within you are privy to what dwels in your own breast Paul was once as violent against goodnesse and goodmen as any of you and doubtlesse had he been then asked what Saul dost thou think wil become of thy soul dost thou think thou shalt go to heaven that thou shalt dwell with the ever-living God with holy Angels and blessed Saints he would have said he hoped he should go to heaven as soon any man living but had the Lord let him go on in his way not shewed him mercy what had he come of his soul Let this be disgested in your souls and know that glory and eternal happiness is provided for such that are washed for such that are sanctified for such that are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the spirit of our God and such must you be if ever brought to heaven You are by nature vile filthy and naked Nuda erat sponsa nec poterat ad regale caelestis regni palatium ita nuda introduci Ipse induit eam vestimentis salutis justitiae Juimicum erat sponsae genus caelesti patri sed ipse illud per acerbissimam passionem patri reconciliavit Cant. 5.21 Erit ibi praesentia omnâ—s mali erit aâ—â—â—tia omâ—â—boni you must be clothed as Saints with the robes of righteousnesse and garments of salvation if brought into the Palace of glory the dweling of the great God where he sits on his Throne and all his blessed Saints about him I have this comfort yet of such that are enemies to God and what is good That it is in the power of the Lord for to change them he can instruct them to repentance and call them to holinesse and reconcile them to himself but should not the Lord thus work upon you that are revilers slanderers persecutors and the like you shall not inherit the Kingdome of God but you would be cast away into utter darknesse into unspeakable torments to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels into such a place of suffering where you should have no mercy no good no comfort no ease no friend no pitty Miserable miserable beyond expression miserable shall they be in torments for ever that now torment the holy ones of the Lord and the blessed members of Christ by their evill speakings and evill doings such shall be punished with everlasting destruction 2 Thes 1.9 and be deprived of all mercy and comfort I speak not these things to trouble you but in pitty to admonish you and my prayer shall be thaâ— the Lion may lie down with the Lambe that from Comings in of truth into your soules you may be overcome of truth and so submit to it that you may sweetly accord and friendly agree with the children of truth and all that in truth professe truth That you may speak and act the same things and that there may be no divisions amongst you as you hope to dwell with the Prince of peace and with the Saints of peace now live peaceably follow after peace and what may make for quietnesse in the waies of God Seeing you are apt to say you have hopes to be saved do like them that shal be saved harme not but help such that are beloved of him that must save you if ever saved Consider of what hath been said the Lord give you aright understanding of al things that may make you holy gentle courteous peaceable in life and also honourable blessed happy and glorious for ever Vse 4 The life of Saints upon earth is a rare life an excellent holy and heavenly being a being that tends to the glory honour and praise of God to the exalting of his great mercy and goodnes and declaring his name and power 't is a life wherein men that are holy labour to improve themselves with all that is theirs in a way of duty to be serviceable to the God of holines As they have beginnings of the life of glory in the kingdome of grace so according to what is begun and the gift given do they act here in grace sutable to what is done in glory They are not perfect here they have their failings yet by the comings in of God they strive to be like God and according to the gifts of the Spirit are they spiritual exercis'd they are spiritual in their prayers spiritual in their preaching spiritual in their hearing spiritual in their conversation striving to walke after the Spirit endeavouring to give up their all to Christ that is all and in all All their wisedome all their might all their strength all their endowments all their places all of soule all of body all of liberty riches honour in a word all Christ hath done so much for them that they thinke they can never do enough for him they think they can never praise him enough nor extol him as they ought nor give the honour that is due to him They are alwaies complaining of deadnes and darknes and weaknes and inability to behold to admire to commend to advance the sweetnes goodnes mercy and comforts that Christ gives out to them they are longing for more abilities to serve the Lord Jesus Faine would they do as they in glory do and they wait daily earneastly exspecting to be brought to glory that they may enjoy that in fulnes which here they have in part and that fulnes being injoy'd employ it to the honour and praise of the giver Soules they are not common men that live the life of Saints neither is their life a common life Saints are jewels jewels are excellent things there is that in a jewel that is not in ordinary and common stones jewels have an excellency in them so have Saints and this excelency is useful to Christ and what Christ adviseth The Excellency in Saints is given into them from Christ and as is comes from Christ it is altogether for returning to Christ Christ in giving out his Excellency to Saints doth open his heaet to Saints
corruption and the like here is much of mercy and goodnes in all this but the crown and perfection of all is the bringing seating crowning of souls in glory How beautiful are souls in that day how glorious how lifted up how exalted how honour'd when they shal not alone see Christ but they shal live with him Not alone behold him in a Throne at the right-hand of the maiesty on high but they shal be seated in Thrones with him Rejoyce O souls in the meditation of this let the consideration hereof be sweet and pleasant to you for you shal be ever with Christ the Lord Ibi summa certa securitas secura tranquillitas tranquilla jucunditas jucunda felicitas felix aeternitas aeterna beatitas Gaudium erit sine tristitia quod continet aeternam laetitiam salus erit sine dolore vita sine labore lux sine tenebris amor nunquam tepescet gaudium nunquam decrescet gemitus non audietur neque dolor sentietur triste nihil videbitur lâ—â—iâ—â—a semper habebitur c. with Christ the glorious there shal you be safe there shal you have delight there shal you have happines and that eternal happines and everlasting blessednes all good all the excellent enjoyments of heaven shal be endlesse light endlesse joy endlesse pleasure endlesse friendship endlesse and as endlesse so pure without mixture there shal in Christs Armes in Christs presents be joy without sorrow health without grief life without labour light without darknesse continual fresh and flourishing love abounding joy mourning shal not be there neither shal there be any grief sorrow or sadnes or any such thing I desire to speak more clearely of these things but I cannot utter them as they deserve you that have had any refreshing from Christ here can best judge and discerne what it is to possesse him wholly and live with him altogether 4. Christians in glory you shal have much happines arise to you from the sweet communion and blessed fellowship you shal have with Saints you know some Saints now and you take some delight in their company you are glad when you can meet with them to converse and talke with them and to joyne in ordinances your joy in these things shal be much more abundant for you shal know all the blessed Saints in glory they that were taken up thither before you and they that shal come thither after you shal be known of you and you known of them All Saints shal be known of every particular Saint and every particular Saint shal be known of all in coelo nullus erit alienus there shal be no stranger in heaven a Saint there shal have as much acquaintance as all the Saints in glory may afford as many friends as there are Saints You that now desire communion with holy souls shal have your fill of familarity you that joy to see and meet with Saints now shal have your joy increas'd Christians on earth complain of the strangnes of other Christians but in heaven there shal be no cause of such complaints as we shal be joyned one to another and all to the Lord Nemo ibi laediiur irascitur nemo invidet nemo cupiditas nulla exardescit c. so shal we love one another in the Lord. In glory none shal hurt other none shal envy other none shal desire others good for every one shal have enough even his fil of good and shal rejoyce to see one another happy consider I pray what love to Saints now what delight in their company what refreshment to see the faces of Saints and enjoy the fellowship of sanctified soules if it be right if truely spiritual and what it should be It wil heareafter satisfie you to the ful when you shal have the perfect knowledge of al Saints Let this comfort you against worldly mens slightings yea and good mens shiness as for worldlings slightings care not they are such that shal be shut out from the presence of God and fellowship of Saints And for any Saints shiness be not grieved it wil not long continue in heaven there is no such thing there all Saints shal be kind each to other shal know each other perfectly and love each other sincerely and truly Happy are they that have some beginings of sanctified love and communion with the holy and beloved ones of Jesus Christ now it shal encrease and be more abundant as they growe up in Jesus Rejoyce in this Christians you shal see know have fellowship dwel with for ever all blessed Saints such as Abraham Mat. 8.11 Jsaac Jacob Noah David Daniel Paul Sarah Rebeccah the Virgin Mary c. you shal know their persons names natures Excellencies delight in them and they in you I shal speak no more of this Use Vse 3 Thirdly Si in hac vita non gustes aeternae felicitatis initium nunquam plenum percipies complementum let me give out somewhat by way of reproofe to such men that thinke they shal goe to heaven and hope they shal dwel in glory hereafter yet despise nothing more then what is heavenly and what tends to help them thither let such be assured that they that have not some taste and rellish of heavenly things now and delight in them wil never have their ful sotiety in glory Doe you thinke to goe to heaven that now hate holines and speak evil of the wayes of the Lord That abhorre Saints as bad as the sight of Toads what wil you doe in heaven you cannot abide praises hallelujahs and the glorious exercises of Saints you cannot endure the fellowship of holy men and women you abhor them now yet they are not so pure as they shal be and then doubtless you wil loath them more Do not some of you abhorre being in places and amongst people where Godlines is in exercise do you not delight to be where you may drink and swel sing and roare card and dice hunt and hawk mock and jeere scoffe and deride goodnes and good-men nay if it were in your power would you not kil slay the Saints do you not defie their waies courses and behaviour yea and that because holy pure sincere upright and such as are becoming the Gospel of the blessed God Consider I pray your selves whether you are not such that God himself reproves Ps 50.17 for hating instruction and casting his holy and heavenly councel behind your backs and for letting your mouth be open to speak evil yea and that against the righteous Do you thinke that God wil set such with himself in glory hereafter that now cast aside his councel that wil not be instructed by him honour such with his Saints that now despise them place such in the kingdome of glory that now abhor the heirs of glory No no he hath a place for such naughty wretches to put them by themselves Psal 9.17 Aeternis addicti suppliciis they shal be turned into hel there the being
was imputed that all believers may be reputed before God by vertue of Christs righteousnesse holy and perfect as righteousnesse it selfe Thus you see how souls may be said to be sinners take them as in themselves and in the flesh so sinners take them as reconcil'd to God as having Christs righteousnesse imputed to them and beheld of God in that so without sin without guile no sinners but holy pure undefiled beloved of God blessed Saints 3. They are precious souls precious in this filthy ungodly sinful wicked world that from grace coming in act in wayes of grace and holines without that let the inhabitants of the world be wicked follow their Prince the Devil yet they wil walke in holines following the Lord Jesus Christ the Prince of peace and King of righteousnesse God in all ages hath some to witnesse to his glorious truths so in this age some that are taught of the Spirit led of the Spirit that minde the things of the Spirit that have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and by the power of that Spirit in dwelling doe mortifie the deeds of the body and are raised up and quickned by the Spirit of God within to walke in righteousness true holines to serve God and own his cause though the world with them that dwel therein oppose they are excellent souls that appear for God in bad times in the worst of times yea when 't is not alone a hazarding their names to disgrace and shame but their bodies to be torne in pieces to be burnt to ashes You that are acquainted with scripture and history may see every age every yeare bring forth some such gallant spirits that were ready to lay down their lives to undergoe any cruel vile shameful death for the name of Christ and the testimony of Jesus 4. They are precious for they that are faithful and chosen that are such as Christ is continue good let all the world be bad A precious soule is an excellent Theophilus and wil appeare so let others be never so bad let them be enemies to God fighters against God Times are bad now and like for a while to be worse yet there are pretious Christans so some there wil be as long as the world continues that shal shine out as lights in the world Phil. 2.15 that wil be without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverss nation that wil run right on towards glory let whose wil run crosse that wil keep their garments white though others be soyl'd I commend such to you souls for precious Christians for precious Saints that abstaine from all appearance of evil that in heart and soul and life clear to and follow after what is good Vse 3 Love those precious souls that Christ esteemes precious nay that Christ hath made precious that are before God precious that are the dearely belov'd of his soul that are honourable ones that are borne of the wil of God that are attended on by Angels that are for a short time plac'd in the world and shal ere long be received into glory let your delight be plac'd on those excellent ones let your eyes be on them that Gods eyes are on your heart towards those that Gods heart is towards good children are apt to respect those they see their parents love if you be true children rightly descended of the Royal line of heaven you wil eye the outgoings of your fathers love and as Bees settle where the Queen settles so wil you where God upon what family or soul the Lord hangs his love you wil hang yours where God delights to be you wil delight to be all so Consider I pray who you love what sort of people it is you most affect whether it be carnal worldly unregenerate men or holy heavenly regenerate Saints Do you now desire to know Gods jewels Vse 4 to be able to discern of these precious ones to say such are Gods children such are the friends of Christ like Christ you must have the life spirit wisdome knowledge of Christ you must be taught of God to know who are Gods like God Paul persecuted the precious Saints of Christ and was a deadly foe and enemy to them til such time as he was endued with wisdome from on high til God shone upon him yea into him and then knowing Saints he associated himself with them and was no longer hurtful but helpful Many a soul is a sore and grievous enemy to the people of God I am perswaded much of their enmity ariseth from this because they know not Saints they are ignorant what glorious ones they are in what a high esteem they are with God how God wil punish them that wrong them Ignorance of Saints makes them slighted reviled defam'd accounted as the filth of the world and the off scouring of all things T is want of knowing the worth of a Jewel that makes it not prized so of a Saint that is a member of Christ a child of God The God of wisdome give you wisdome to know such that are holy that are Princes of the bloud-Royal of heaven and to give them such respect that is due and reverence as belongs to them This none can do but such as have the spirit this you wil do if the Lord give out the spirit of truth to guide you in all truth if heavenly light shine into you that light shining in wil discover and manifest to you the children of light and whosoever you can find walking heaven-ward you wil be glad of their company Ignorance had a hand in killing Christ and it hath some hand in all the wrong is done to Saints the Lord free you all from it least ye should through ignorance harme the darlings of God and bring swift damnation on your selves God hath grievous threatnings in Scripture against Saint-wrongers and there are recorded some heavy punishments that have been inflicted on them that harme the righteous God keep you from the sin and so from the suffering I might ad how beneficial 't is for you to know who are Saints and how much for your souls advantage to be acquainted with them but I omit it Happy are you that are of the number of these jewels of God of these preciout Vse 5 ones I do not know what your condition is in respect of outward things and creature-enjoyments but I can safely say you are a happy people if precious if such as Christ you shal all be laid up in glory shortly God wil not lose one of his jewels for a world Heaven and earth shal perish but no Saint never a precious soul not a jewel that belongs to the crown Royal of glory These rare souls these souls to whom Angels do service that are carried in the armes in the bosome in the heart of God that are singular souls chosen out from among thousands by royal favour sâ—ch in whom the eye of God can see nothing amisse no defect no excesse no presence of sinne no