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
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
every action c. As though when that were done thou wert presently after to passe to judgement and to give up an exact account for it and whatsoever els done in the flesh 4. That the conceipt of the everlastingnesse of the torments when they are now already seiz'd upon the soule and hopelesnesse of ever coming out of hell wil be yet another hell If thou once come there and there most certainly must thou be this night if thou diest this day in thy naturall state and not new-borne I say then so terribly would the consideration of eternity torture thee that thou wouldest hold thy selfe a right happy man if thou mightest endure those horrible paines and extremest horrours no moe millions of yeares than there be sands on the sea-shore haires upon thine head starres in the firmament grasse piles upon the ground and creatures both in heaven and earth For thou wouldest still comfort thy selfe incredibly with this thought My misery will once have an end But alas This word Never will ever rent thine heart in peeces with much rage and hideous roaring and give still new life to those insufferable sorrowes which infinitely exceed all expression or imagination Let us suppose this great body of the earth upon which we tread to be turned into sand and mountaines of sand to be added still untill they reach unto the Empyrean Heaven so that this whole mighty creation were nothing but a sandy mountaine let us then further imagine a little wren to come but every hundred thousandth yeare and carie away but the tenth part of one graine of that immeasurable heape of sand what an innumerable number of yeares would be spent before that world of sand were all so fetcht away And yet woe and alas that ever thou wast borne When thou hast lien so many yeares in that fiery lake as all they would amount to thou art no nearer coming out than the very first houre thou enteredst in Now suppose thou shouldest lie but one night grievously afflicted with a raging fit of the stone collicke strangury tooth-ache pangs of travaile c. Though thou haddest to helpe and ease thee a soft bed to lie on friends about thee to comfort thee Physitians to cure thee all cordiall and comfortable things to asswage the paine yet how tedious and painfull how terrible and intolerable would that one night seeme unto thee How wouldest thou tosse and tumble and turne from one side to another counting the clock telling the houres esteeming every minute a moueth and thy present misery matchlesse and unsupportable What will it be then thinkest thou to lie in fire and brimstone kept in highest flame by the unquenchable wrath of GOD world without end Where thou shalt have nothing about thee but darknesse and horrour wailing and wringing of hands desperate yellings and gnashing of teeth thine old companions in vanity and sinne to ban and curse thee with much bitternesse and rage wicked Devils to insult over thee with hellish cruelty and scorne the never-dying worme to feed upon thy soule and flesh for ever and for ever O Eternity Eternity Eternity Sith it is thus then that upon the little ynch of time in this life depends the length and bredth the height and depth of immortality in the world to come even two eternities the one infinitely accursed the other infinitely comfortable losse of everlasting joyes and lying in eternall flames sith never ending pleasures or paines do unavoidably follow the well or mis-spending of this short moment upon earth with what unwearied care and watchfulnesse ought we to attend that One necâ—…ssary Thing all the dayes of our appointed time till our change shall come How ought we as strangers and pilgrims to abstaine from fleshly lusts What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse How thriftily and industriously to husband the poore remainder of our few and evill dayes for the making our Calling and Election sure In a word with what resolution and zeale to do or suffer any thing for IESVS CHRIST With what industry and dearenesse to ply this moment and prize that eternity Concerning the joyes of HEAVEN Let me tell you before hand that the excellency glory and sweetnesse thereof no mortall heart finite braine created understanding can possibly conceive and comprehend to the life For 1. Paul tâ—…ls us 1 Cor. 2. 9. That neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither heart of man conceived the incomprehensible sublimity and glorious mysteries of that heavenly wisdome and inexplicable divine sweetnesse revealed in the Gospell For I take that to be his naturall immediate meaning How transcendently then unutterable and unconceiveable is the complement perfection the reall actuall and full fruition of all those Evangelicall mysterious revelations accomplished to the height in the highest heavens thorow all eternity Where we shall enjoy the face and beatificall presence of the most glorious and all susticient GOD as an object wherein all the powers of our soules wil be satisfied with everlasting delight The eye of man hath seene admirable things Coasts of Pearle Crystall mountaines rocks of Diamond Golden mines Spicy Ilands c. so Travailers talke and Geographers write Mausolus Tombe Dianaes Temple the Egyptian Paramides and all the wonders of the world The eare hath heard the most delicious exquisite and ravishing melody Such as made even Alexander the Great transported with an irresistable pang of a pleasing rage as it were and delightfull dancing of his spirits that I may so speake Exilire è convivio c. Mans heart can imagine miraculous admirabilities rarest peeces worlds of comforts and strange felicities In conceipt it can convert all the stones upon earth into pearles every grasse pile into an unvaluable jewell the dust into silver the sea into liquid gold the aire into crystall It can clothe the earth with farre more beauty and sweetnesse than ever the Sun saw it It can make every Starre a Sun and all those Suns ten thousand times bigger and brighter than it is c. And yet the height and happinesse of Evangelicall wisdome doth farre surpasse the utmost which the eare eye or heart of man hath heard seene or can possibly apprehend And this so excellent light upon earth discovering the inestimable treasures of hidden wisdome in CHRIST is but as a graine to the richest golden mine a drop to the Ocean a little glimpse to the glory of the Sun in respect of that fulnesse of joy hereafter and everlasting pleasures above with what a vast disproportion then doth the inimaginable excellency of heavenly blisse surpasse and transcend the most enlarged created capacity Infinitely infinitely 2. Our gracious GOD in his holy unsearchable wisdome doth reserve and detaine from the eye of our understandings a full comprehension of that most glorious state above to exercise in the meane time our faith love obedience
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
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
causes natures beginnings of-springs and ends of all creatures and created things 2. We shall clearely see and comprehend the vanity and rottennesse of all Hereticall cavils Antichristian depths Popish imposture the very bottome of that most wicked and abhorred Mysterie the true full and sweet meaning of all GODS blessed Booke whether Iobs wife bid her husband blesse or curse GOD whether Iphtah sacrific'd his daughter or onely consecrated her to virginity whether Naaman was a true or unfound convert what is the meaning of that place 1 Corinth 11. 10. And that 1 Cor. 15. 29 c. 3. We shall with wonderfull ravishment of spirit and spirituall joy be admitted to the sight of those sacred secrets and glorious mysteries 1. Of the holy Trinity into which some Divines may audaciously dive but shall never be able to explicate 2. Of the Vnion of CHRISTS humanity to the divine nature and of the faithfull to CHRIST 3. Of the causes of GODS eternall counsell in Election and Reprobation 4. Of the Angels fall 5. Of the manner of the creation of the world c. 4. We shall know one another For 1. All comfortable knowledge shall be so farre from being abolished that it wil be inlarged increased and perfected But c. Therefore Our knowledge shal be perfected For We shall know as we are knowne 1 Cor. 13. 12. Which is set out by comparison of the lesse That our knowledge then shall differ from that now as the knowledge of a child from that of a perfect man by a glasse from seeing the thing it selfe that of a plaine speech from a riddle Why then should we doubt of knowing one another especially sith our Saviour CHRIST setteth forth the state of the blessed by the knowledge one of another Mat. 17. And as the knowledge is perfect so the memory In nothing must our knowledge be empair'd but better'd 2. We shall then enjoy every good thing and comfortable gift which may any way increase and inlarge our joy and felicity But meeting there knowing then and conversing for ever with our old deare Christian friends and all the glorious Inhabitants of those sacred Palaces will mightily please and refresh us with sweetest delight Therefore c. Society is not comfortable without familiar acquaintance Be assured then it shall not be wanting in the height and perfection of all glory blisse and joy Nay our minds being abundantly and beatifically illuminated with all wisdome and knowledge we shal be enabled to know not onely those of former holy acquaintance but also strangers and such as we never knew before even all the faithfull which ever were are or shall be We shall be able to say this was Father Abraham this King David this Saint Paul this was Luther Calvin Bradford c. this my Father this my Sonne this my Wife this my Pastour this the occasioner of my conversion c. as may be gathered by proportion out of GODS Booke 1. If Adam before the fall had that measure of illumination that he knew Eve and from whence she came at the first sight much more shall our knowledge in heaven and highest happinesse be enlarged in this kind 2. If the Apostles accompanying CHRIST in His transfiguration and vouchsafed but a taste and glimpse as it were of glorification were able thereby to know Moses and Elias whom they had never seene how much more shall we being fully illuminated and perfectly glorified in heaven know exactly all the blessed ones though never acquainted with them upon earth 3. CHRIST tels the Iewes Luke 13 28. That they shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the kingdome of GOD and therefore know them And Dives is said to know Abraham and Lazarus in so great a distance Luke 16. Whence I argue thus if the damned know those who are saved though they have never seene them much more shall the glorified Saints now plentifully endued with all knowledge and supernaturally illightened by the HOLY GHOST Many of the ancient Fathers are of the same mind Whose authority I never urge for necessity of proofe GODS blessed Word is ever more than infinitely all-sufficient and super-abundant for any such purpose but onely either 1. Somtimes in some singular Points to shew consent or 2. In our controversies against the Antichristians Antinomists Neopelagians c. Or 3. When somehonest passage of sanctification or seasonable opposition to the corruption of the times is falsely charged with novelty singularity and too much precisenesse 1. There was a Widow in Austins time who craved very importunately both by word and writing some consolations from him to support her under that incomparable crosse of her husbands losse and widow-hood and as it may seeme she desired to know whether she should know him in the second life For the first he hits upon the sweetest mightiest and most soveraigne comfort which could possibly be imagined You can by no meanes saith he thinke your selfe desolate who enjoyes the presence and possession of IESVS CHRIST in the inmost closet of your heart by faith About the other he answers peremptorily This thy husband by whose decease thou art called a widow shal be most knowne unto thee And tels her further that there shall be no stranger in heaven c. 2. In the Elect saith another there is somthing more admirable because they do not onely acknowledge those whom they knew in this world but also as men seene and knowne they know the good whom they never saw 3. There saith Anselm All men shal be knowne of every severall man and every severall man shal be knowne of all Againe Conceive if thou canst how comfortable that knowledge wil be by which as thou of all others so all others shal be knowne of thee in that life Yet let me tell you before I passe out of the Point that this for the most part is the curious Quaere of carnall people who feeding falsly their presumptuous conceipts with golden dreames and vaine hopes of many future imaginary felicities in the world to come whereas in the meane time they have no care at all use no meanes take no paines to enter into the holy path which leades unto that blessed place It is even as if one should busie himselfe much and boast what he will do in New-England when he comes thither and yet poore man he hath neither ship nor money nor meanes nor knowledge of the way nor provision before hand for his comfortable planting there To coole and confront such lazie idle and vaine curiosities take notice that we shall not know our old acquaintance by former stature feature favour so vast a distance and difference will there be betweene a mortall and glorified body neither in a worldly manner In which respect saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 16. Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have knowne CHRIST after the flesh yet now henceforth know we Him no
malice hath Satan bestirred himselfe What a deale of deare and innocent bloud did that red Dragon drinke up in Queene Maries time For five yeares space the fire of persecution did flame in this land and the sacred bodies of our glorious blessed Martyrs were sacrificed amids the mercilesse fury thereof Afterward what a blacke and bloudy catalogue of most hatefull and prodigious conspiracies did run parallell with that golden time of Queene ELIZABETHS life that now glorious Saint of dearest memory But in all this hellish rage the Devill never played the Devill indeed untill he came to the gun-powder-plot that was such a piece of service against the light of the Gospell as the Sun never saw before the sons of men never heard of hel it self never hatcht Since Satan fel from heaven and a Church was first planted upon yâ— earth there was never any thing in that kind which made the Devils Malice more famous GODS mercies more glorious that Priest of Rome and his bloudy superstition more odious or that cast such a shame and obloquy upon the innocency of Christian Religion And all this was the Devils doing of pure spite and malice against the glory of the Gospell the power of the Word and the Saints of GOD. I say he was the arch-plotter and first moover of all these mischiefes The Pope and Iesuites and their cursed confederates were indeed his instruments executioners and agents as we well know and some of the Priests themselves confesse See Quodl 7. Act. 8. pag. 199. Scarce was that blessed Queene and incomparable Lady warme in her Princely Throne but Satan sets on the Pope Pius Quintus he sends from Rome two Popish Priests Morton and Webbe with a Bull of excommunication whereby the subjects and people of the Kingdome were in a Popish sense discharg'd and assoil'd from their allegiance loyaltie and obedience to her Majestie They sollicit the two traiterous Earles of the North Northumberland and Westmerland to be the executioners of this bloudy Bull which indeed was the fountaine and foundation of all the succeeding horrible plots and barbarous treacheries See Bells Anatomy of Popish tyrannie in his Epist. Dedic a little booke called The executioner of justice in England c. I pray GOD now at length turne these Popish murderous hearts from whetting any moe swords to shed the bloud of the LORDS annointed or returne the sharpe swords from the point with a cutting edge on both sides even up to the very hilts into their owne hearts bloud O LORD let the King flourish with a crowne of glory upon his head and a Scepter of triumph in his hand and still wash his Princely feet in the bloud of his enemies 3. This spitefull rage and furious oposition of Satan against the power of the word appears also by daily experience in those towns parishes where by the mercies of GOD a conscionable Ministry is planted before while Satan ruled and raigned amongst them by his wicked deputies ignorance prophanenes Popish superstitions sinful vanities lewd sports prophanation of the Saboth filthines drunkennes and such other accursed Pursevants for Hell Why then all was well all was in quiet and in peace O then that was a merry world and as good a Towne for good-fellowship as was in all the Country And no marvaile when a strong armed man keepeth his Pallace the things that he possesseth are in peace Luke 11. 21. While Sathan sits in their hearts and rules in their Consciences he suffers them to have their swings in their furious vanities and wicked pleasures without any great disturbance or contradiction And commonly he never sets prophane people together by the eares and at odds but when his owne kingdome may be more strengthened and their soules more endanger'd by dissention than by their partaking in prophanenesse and brotherhood in iniquity Let it not seeme strange then when townes and parishes where conscionable meanes are wanting live merrily and pleasantly for they walke together in the knot of good-fellowship through the broad way they follow the course of their owne corruptions and swing of their corrupt affection and swim downe the current of the times and are at Satans beck to do him any desperate and notorious service at all assaies in all passages of prophanenesse and offices of impiety and rebellion but bring amongst such a powerfull Ministerie which takes a right course for the plantation of grace and salvation of their soules and then marke how spitefully and furiously Satan begins to bestirre himselfe besides his owne malice and machinations he presently sets on foot and on fire too all that belong unto him in his instigation They band and combine themselves with great rage and indignation against the power of the Word and the faithfull messengers of GOD. They fret and fume picke unnecessary quarrels raile slander and indeed foame out filthily their owne shame in disgracing the truth of GOD without all truth or conscience and il Satan spies any poore soule amongst them to be pulled out of his clutches and kingdome of darknesse by the preaching of the Word he presently sets all the rest upon him as so many dogged curres or rather furious wolves for so our blessed Saviour makes the comparison upon a harmelesse lambe he whets like sharpe razors all the lying and lewd tongues in the towne and tips them with the very fire of hell so that they plead for prophanenesse prophaning the Sabbath and many sinfull fooleries and vanities in all places where they come He makes those who have a little more wit his close factors and under-hand-dealers for that stands not with Satans policy and the reputation of the worldly-wise that themselves should be open actors in childish vanities and profes'd enemies to the Law of GOD they do him sufficient service by being secret patrons and protectors of impiety counsellers and countenancers of the works of darknesse he fils the mouthes of the ignorant with slanderous complaints and cries that there was neuer good world since there was so much knowledge that there was never more preaching but never lesse working whereas poore soules they never yet knew what grace or good work meant or scarce good word but their naughty tongues and hatred to be reformed are true causes why both the world and places where they live are farre worse Those that are desperately and notoriously naught he inforces and inrages like mad dogs so that they impudently and openly barke at and with their impoysoned fangs furiously snatch at that hurtlesse hand which would heale and bind up their bleeding soules they are like dogs barking at the moone for GODS Ministers are starres in the right hand of CHRIST Revel 1. 16. If they would do them any deadly harme they must plucke them thence but let them take heed how they be bold and busie that way lest at last they take a beare by the tooth and awake a sleeping lion Thus you see what a stirre the Devill keepes when he is like to
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
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
a net full of the fury of the LORD And in the morning they shall say would GOD it were even and at even they shall say would GOD it were morning for the feare of their heart wherewith they shall feare and for the sight of their eyes which they shall sâ—…e Then though too late will they lamentably cry out and complaine What hath pride profited us Or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us All those things are passed away like a shadow and as a Poste that hastâ—…th by And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water and when it is gone by the trace thereof cannot be found neither the path-way of the keele in the waves Or as when a bird hath flowne thorow the aire there is no token of her way to be found but the light aire being beaten with the stroke of her wings and parted with the violent noise and motion of them is passed â—…horow and therein afterwards no signe where she went is to be found Or like as when an arrow is shot at a marke it parteth the aire which immediately commeth together againe so that a man cannot know where it went thorow Even so we in like manner assoone as we were borne began to draw to our end and had no signe of vertue to shew but we consumed in our owne wickednesse For the hope of the ungodly is like dust that is blowne away with the wind like a thin froth that is driven away with the storme like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest and passeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarieth but a day If a Minister who labours industriously all his life long to worke upon such as sit under him every Sabbath Of which some all the while preferre some base lust before the LORD IESVS others will not out of their formality to the forwardnesse of the Saints do what he can or presse he them never so punctually and upon purpose I say if it were possible that he might talke with any of them some two houres after they had been in hell Oh! How should he find the case altered with them How would they then roare because they had dis-regarded his Ministry What would they not give to have a grant from GOD to trie them in hearing but one Sermon more How would they teare their haire gnash the teeth and bite their nailes that they had not listened more seriously and taken more sensibly to heart those many heavenly instructions spirituall discoveries secret but well understood intimations that their state to GOD-ward was starke naught by which he sought with much earnestnesse and zeale even to the wasting of his bloud and life to save the bloud of their soules And yet for all this you will not be warned in time charme the charmers never so wisely But some of you sit here before us from day to day as senslesse of those things which most deeply and dearely concerne the eternall ruine or welfare of your precious soules as the seaâ—…es upon which you sit the pillars you leane unto nay the dead bodies you tread upon others looking towards heaven afarre off and professing a little sit before us as though they were right and truly religious and they heare our words but they will not do them For with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse And loe we are unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument For they heare our words but they do them not They are friends to the better side may go farre and even suffer somtimes in good causes c. But let us once touch them in point of commodity about their enclosures immoderate plungings into worldly affaires detaining Church-dues usury and other dishonest gaine and base niggardise If out of griefe of heart for their shaming Religion exposing the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST to blasphemy and â—…dening others against Profession we meddle with their fashions their pride their worldly-mindednesse and conforming to the world almost in every thing save onely some religious formes If we presse them more particularly upon danger of damnation to more holy strictnesse precisenesse and zeale knowing too well by long observation and acquaintance that they never yet passed the perfections of formall Professours and foolish Virgins Alas We then find by too much wofull experience if they politikely bite it not in that this faithfull dealing doth marvellously discontent them and these precious Balmes do break their heads with a witnesse and make the bloud run about their eares whereupon they are wont to fall upon us more foule such true Pharisees are they than would either the drunkard or good-fellow the Publicans and harlots do in such cases they presently swelling with much passionate heat proud indignation disdaine and impatiency to be reform'd have recourse to such weake and carnall cavils contradictions exceptions excuses and raving that in nothing more do they discover to every judicious man of GOD or any who doth not flatter them or whom they do not blinde with their entertainments and bounty or delude with painted pretences and art of seeming their formality and false-heartednesse And yet as they are characteriz'd Isa. 57. 2. They seeke the LORD daily and delight to know his waies as a nation that did righteousnesse and forsooke not the ordinance of their GOD they aske of Him the ordinances of justice they take delight in approaching to GOD They may have divine Ordinances on foot in their families entertaine GODS people at their Tables fast and afflict their soules upon dayes of humiliation as appeares in the fore-cited Chapter Verse 3. Heare the word gladly with Heroâ—… and with much respect and acceptation observe the messenger c. But they will not stirre an inch further from the World or nearer to GOD say what he will let him preach out his heart as they say They will not abate one jot of their over-eager pursuit after the things of this life or wagg one foot out of the un-zealous plodding course of formall Christianity no not for the Sermons perhaps of twenty yeares and that from him who hath all the while laboured faithfully so farre to illighten them as that they might not depart this life with hope of heaven and then with the foolish Virgins fall utterly against all expectation both of themselves and others into the bottomlesse pit of hell O quà m multi cum hac spead aeternos labores bella descendunt How many saith one go to hell with a vaine hope of heaven whose chiefest cause of damnation is their false perswasion and groundlesse presumption of salvation Well be it either the one or the other the besotted sensualist or selfe-deluding formalist could we speake with them upon their beds of death their consciences awaked or the day after they were damned in hell we should find them then though in the meane
honours offices extraordinary advancements and royall favours into gall and wormewood And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queene did let no man come in with the King unto the Banquet that she had prepared but my selfe and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the King Yet all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate Whereas now David a King as I told you before by the benefit of this blessed grace did not suffer his Princely spirit to be un-calmed at all no not by the traiterous and most intolerable reviling of a dead dog and his baseft vassall 2. Keepe off thy heart from the world in the greatest affluence of wealth and worldly prosperity Earthly-mindednesse ever sharpeneth and keenes the sting in all distresses It gives teeth to the crosse to eat out the very heart of the afflicted Had not Iob beene able to have professed that in the height of his happinesse he was thus affected If I have made gold my hope or have said to the â—…ine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much Here say Divines somthing is understood as dispeream then let me perish or the like If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moone walking in brightnesse And my heart hath beene secretly entised or my mouth hath kissed my hand Then should I have denied the GOD that is above If I grew proud puft up or pleased my selfe with the glistering brightnesse of my earthly abundance let it be so and so with me I say except Iobs heart had beene thus wained from the world when as yet he wallowed in wealth he had never been able to hold out in the evill day and to have borne so bravely the ruine of so rich a state without repining But now churlish Nabal whose affections were notoriously nail'd to the earth though perhaps once or twice a yeare he made a joviall and frolicke feast as other cunning worldlings are wont to their good-fellow-companions upon purpose to procure and preserve a Pharisaicall reputation of bounty with some flattering dependants and for a cloke to colour their covetousnesse and cruelty yet he was of a â—…linty bosome in respect of doggednesse and extreme niggardise especially towards GODS people and his heart by excessive rooting there was turned wholly into earth and therefore in the evill day it died within him and he became as a stone To keepe off the world in a fit distance that it do thee no deadly hurt and undoe thee quite keepe still fresh and strong in thy thoughts a true estimate and right conceipt of the mutability of all things here below and thine owne mortality In their best condition and highest confluence they are but 1. Vanity We shall never â—…ind in them any solidity or that good or comfort which we still with much eager pursuit and thirst expect and labour in vaine to extract from them but upon triall and trust in them they will ever proove empty clouds broken staves of reed Appâ—…s of Sodom Wells without water And when we graspe them most greedily we embrace nothing but smoke which wrings teares from our eyes and vanisheth into nothing 2 Vexation of spirit Besides the emptinesse and absence of that imaginary felicity which we hunt after in them there is also the presence and plenty of much 〈◊〉 and hearts griese which the slaves of pleasure and lovers of the world little looke for when they at first resolve to sell their soules for such transitory trash Divitias invenisti saith one Requiem perdidisti Hast thou found riches Thou hast lost thy rest A man that will be rich takes no more rest than one upon a racke or bed of thornes like Anacreon with his five Talents still distracted with worldly thoughts and continually prickt with cares and feares 3. They cannot satisfie the soule Gold can no more fill the spirit of a man than grace his purse Betweene heaven and earth spirits and bodies soules and silver there is no proportion And therefore no earthly excellencies no carnall pleasures no worldly treasures are fit matter or a full object for such an immateriall immortall and heavenly borne-being to feed upon with any proper delight true comfort or sound contentment Not all this great materiall world or greatest masse of gold can possibly fill the mighty capacity and immeasurable appetite of this little sparke of heaven breath'd into us by the infinite power of an Almighty hand A man may as well fill a bag with wisedome as the soule with the world a chest with vertues as the mind with wealth 4. They cannot helpe in the evill day Their bloud saith the Prophet shal be powred out as dust and their flesh as the dung neither their silver nor their gold shal be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS wrath Put a man into a pang of any painefull maladie and bodily torture as into a fit of the Stone Strangury deepe Melancholy Gout Cholicke or the like let some incurable devouring Ulcer Canker Elephantiasis the Wolfe the Plica c. take hold upon any part of his Body and let him tell me then what account he would make of all the Imperiall Crownes upon earth attended with the height and utmost of humane felicities Or what comfort could he take in the riches glory and pleasures of the whole world Or what ease and refreshing can large possessions sumptuous buildings pleasant walks princely favours dainty fare choisest delights or any thing under the Sun afford in such a case The very pricke of a needle or paine of a tooth for the time will take away the taste of all carnall contentments and pleasure of the worlds Monarchy If the LORD should let loose the cord of thy conscience and set His just and deserved wrath a worke to enkindle flames of horrour in thy heart what helpe couldest thou have in heapes of gold or hoards of wealth Remember Spira They would be so â—…rre from healing the wound or allaying the smart that they would yet more horribly afflict thy already enraged spirit and turne them even into fiery Scorpions for thy further torment Let thy last sicknesse seize upon thee and then say for the houre of death as they say is the houre of truth whether all the gold and goods in the world can any more deliver thee from the Arrest of that inexorable Serjeant than can an handfull of dust Nay whether then the extremity of thy spirituall affliction and anguish of soule will not be answerable to the former excesse of thine inordinate affection to earthly things and delights of sense Or suppose thou shouldest be
surprized by that last and great day which the LORD in mercy hasten how wilt thou then rescue thy free-hold when the whole frame of the world is on fire 5. They cannot possibly lead us beyond this life or extend to eternity If we see a servant follow two gentlemen we know not whose man he is but their parting will discover to whether he belongs When death shall sever the owner from the world then will riches and revenewes offices and honours stately buildings and all outward bravery cleave to the world and leave him to the world to come as poore a worme and wretch as when he first came into this world and therefore they are all the worlds Heireloomes and none of his Even as Absaloms mule went away when his head was fast in the great Oake and so left him hanging betweene heaven and earth as a wofull spectacle of misery and shame to all beholders So will all their wealth and worldly felicities deale with their most greedy ingrossers and dearest minions upon their dying-beds They will then most certenly as Salomon â—…aith make themselves wings and flie away as an Eagle toward heaven And leave their now forlorne former favourites to the fury of a guilty conscience for their cursed forsaking the Fountaine of living waters all their life long and hewing them out such cisternes broken cisternes that could hold no water nor help in the evill Day We all stand at the doore of eternity if death but once open it naturally or violently or by any of his thousand thousand waies we are presently stript of all and immediately enter upon it either that of everlasting pleasures or the other of everlasting pains And therfore it wil be our wisdome in the mean time to value worldly vanities at no more than their own price and industriously to ply all meanes which may enrich us with heavenly treasures of that divine stampe and lasting temper which may attend us thorow all eternity And as all these things here below are thus mutable and fugitive so thy selfe art mortall and fraile A creature as it were but of one daies lasting like that Flower and Bird which as naturalists report receive their being and birth in the morning but wither and die at night Thy abode upon earth is like a vanishing vision of the night a flying dreame the very dreame of a shadow c. This swift tide of mans life after it once turneth and declineth ever runneth with a perpetuall ebbe and falling streame but never floweth againe Our leafe once fallen springeth no more neither doth the Sun or the Summer beautifie us againe with the garments of new leaves and flowers or ever after revive or renew us with freshnesse of youth and former strength Not onely Salomon Eccles. 1. makes us in this respect more miserable than the Sun and other soule-lesse creatures but even the Poet also by the light of naturall reason whom I urge onely to make Christians mindlesse of their owne mortality athamed who have thoughts of heaven and earth as though eternity were upon earth and time onely in heaven tels us that Soles occidere redire possunt Thus in English The Sun may set and rise But we contrariwise Sleepe after one short light An everlasting night Which we must onely understand of returning any more to life and light in this world Nay in a word lay thy selfe loaden with the utmost of all earthly excellencies and felicities in the one scale of the ballance and vanity in the other and vanity will weigh thee downe Take heed therefore of trusting to the world in the meane time lest it torture thee extremely in the time of trouble 3. Take heed of weakening in the meane time and unnecessarily over-wearying thy spirit 1. By carking fore-thought of future evils which forty to one may never fall out Many men I am perswaded such is the naturall vanity of our minds do more vexe themselves with feare and fore-conceipt of imaginary evils which never befall then they have just cause to take on and trouble their hearts for all other true reall actuall troubles which fall upon them Thus many times do men torture themselves vainly with immoderate feare of forreine invasion home-bred confusion change of religion the fiery triall burning at a stake distraction of mind surprize by the Plague Small Poxe Purples Spotted Fever distresse and going backward in their outward state losse of some child they love best destruction of their goods by fire robbery ship-wracke the frownes of greatnesse hurt and revenge from those that hate them hardnesse of heart failing of their faith spirituall desertion overthrow by temptation despaire of GODS mercies sudden death discomfortable cariage in their last sicknesse the king of feare himselfe what shall become of their children when they are gone c. By these and millions moe of such causelesse and carking fore imaginations the very flower and vigour of mens spirits may be much emasculated and wasted wofully A godly care to prevent them by repentance and prayer and a carefull preparation by mortifying meditations and Christian magnanimity to beare them patiently if we be put unto it is commendable and comfortable but in the meane time to unspirit and macerate our selves with much distrustfull misery and needlesse torture about them to our hindrance distraction and discomfort in any businesses of either of our callings or any waies unchearefull walking by slavish pre-conceipts to double and multiply their stings and to suffer them so often before they seize upon us is both un-noble and un-necessary most unworthy the morall resolution of a meere naturall man and the generous spirit of an honest Heathen much more the invincible fortitude of any of CHRISTS favourites and heires of heaven Or 2. Selfe-created crosses that I may so call them For so it often is that many maried couples governours of families to instance there having the world at will as they say and wanting nothing that heart can wish from GODS hand for outward things and yet I know not how by reason of passion covetousnesse pride waiwardnesse frowardnesse or something they mutually embitter their lives one unto another with much uncomfortablenesse discontentment and jarring I would advise all such and there are many and many such abroad in the world punctually and impartially to examine their consciences whether such secret sinnes as these of which they take no notice may not be the causes of it 1. Matching as being not mooved principally and predominantly with portion parentage personage beauty lust riches lands slattery friendship greatnesse of family forced perswasions Parents covetous importunity or some base and irrellgious by-respect and gracelesse ground This the Apostle calleth marrying in the LORD that is for no by respect but in the feare of GOD 1 Cor. 7. 39. Without which all matches are miserable though they should be made up with hoards of wealth and heapes of gold as high as heaven crowned with honours
mends them not as they say and a soule day paires them not As they are peremptorily consident the Pearle wil be had at their price so they are constantly peremptory never to become more precise And if it fall out sometimes that they meet with some faithfull man of GOD who hiâ—…s right upon their humour discovering the insufficiency of their present spirituall state for future happinesse and perswading them upon a necessity of salvation to an universall resignation of themselves with unreservednesse and zeale to all the world and will and waies of GOD they are wont to put it off thus or in the like manner The man is a good man and of good parts one whom I love well but a little too hot too boisterous and rough and pinches too much upon precisenesse and particularizing mens spirituall states that is all his â—…ault I must confesse I am of such a nature and disposition that I shall be more mooved with milder sermons and calmer cariage in the Pulpit I do not see how this Ministeriall severity and roughnesse sharpnesse of reproofe and such searching into and peremptory censuring mens state to GOD ward doth so much good c. My whole Discourse of true Happinesse is a touchstone and looking glasse for a triall and discovery of the unsoundnesse and spirituall selfe-deceit and therefore thither I remit them 10. A serious and fruitfull meditation upon the foure last things hath been 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 Give me leave therefore to select and propose some profitable Considerations thereabouts and Conclusions thence which may serve to mortifie our affections to the world take off the edge and eagernesse in pursuit after earthly things mollifie and make fit our hearts for a more easie entrance and effectuall entertainment of all saving impressions and motions of the Word and Spirit for our spirituall good that in times of terrour we may stand like Mount Zion unmooveable and magnanimous About DEATH Consider 1. That all the pleasures treasures and comforts of this life wife children goods gold great friends lands livings possessions offices honours high roomes brave situations faire prospects sumptuous buildings pleasant walkes and even the world it selfe upon which thou hast lost so much labour time care thought-fulnesse and doted so long holding a divorce as death it selfe must all upon the stroke of death which not heaven and earth or any created power can any wayes possibly prevent divert or adjourne be suddenly utterly and for ever left never more to be minded medl'd with or enjoyed in this world or the world to come When our breath goeth forth and we returne to our earth all our thoughts perish Even the thoughts of the greatest Princes and mightiest Monarchs upon earth who happily may have in their heads whole common-wealths and the affaires of many kingdomes Put not your trust in Princes saith King David nor in the sonne of man in whom there is no helpe His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish And therefore let it be thy wisdome to rent and weane thine affections from the world with an holy resolute violence in the meane time Disdaine and scorne to set thine heart upon those things here which thou canst not thou must not have in the second life And there is good reason for it For they are all as I said before at the best and in the height 1. But vanity And 2. Vexation of spirit 3. They cannot satisfie the soule 4. They will not profit in the day of revenge 5. They reach not to eternity 6. There is no man so assured of his honour wealth or any worldly thing but he may be depriued of them the very next moment 7. Thou needs to feare no want There is no man saith CHRIST that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life Of eternall life the point is cleare But how shall they be so manifoldly remunerated in this life 1. In the same kind sometimes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say Abraham at GODS command left his countrey kindred and fathers house and he was afterwards as you know crowned with riches and honour abundantly and became a great and mighty Prince Iob for the glorifying of GOD and confounding of Satan bore patiently and blessed GOD for the losse of all and how richly was he after repayed with a large and singular addition and excellency of goods and children Valentinian the Emperour was put from his place of command in the army by Iulian and banished for the profession of CHRIST but afterward was called backe from banishment and with much honour and applause advanced to the height of the Imperiall dignity The Apostles forsaking all for CHRISTS sake had afterwards for one poore cottage the houses of all the faithfull Christians in the world to which they were farre more welcome than ever any Haman was to his proudest palace and so all godly Ministers in all ages ever find heartier entertainment amongst the Houshold of Faith truly so called than ever any naturall father mother sister or brother could possibly affoord because as yet they can see no beauty in the image of CHRIST in others or in their feet who bring glad tidings nor love spiritually 2. Or in equivalence by contentment which doth incomparably both in sweetnesse and worth surpasse and over-weigh all worldly wealth Witnes that worthy reply of the most famous Italian Marquesse Galeacius Caracciolus having left the rich and pleasant Marquesdome of Vico all Imperiall Popish Princely Courtly favours and other proportionable felicities attending upon such humane greatnesse for the Gospels sake to a wicked Iesuite tempting him with a great summe of gold to returne out of Zion to Sodom from Geneva into Italy Let their money perish with them who esteeme all the gold in the world worth one daies society with IESVS CHRIST and His HOLY SPIRIT I make no doubt but to any of our learned and holy men exiles for CHRIST in Queene Maries time of whom many after returned and received an hundred fold according to the letter of the Text browne bread and the Gospell in Germany during that bloudy five yeares were infinitely more sweet and deare than all the Bishopricks of ENGLAND with Subscription to the six Articles 3. Even in an overflowing and transcendent manner in a pressed and heaped and even over-inlarged measure by spirituall joy peace of conscience contentment of soule more familiarity with GOD nearer communion with IESVS CHRIST fuller assurance of His love and our portion in Him more sensible
All-powerfull GOD scorne with infinite disdaine to feed upon Earth or any earthly things which are no proportionable object either for divinenesse or duration for so noble a nature to nestle upon But let them ply and fat themselves all the dayes of their appointed time with their proper native and celestiall food At that great Supper made by a King at the mariage of a Kings sonne Luke 14. 16. Mat. 22. 2. And therefore must needs be most magnificent and admirable At that Feast of fat things that Feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Isa. 25. 6. The founder and furnisher whereof is the LORD of Hosts He that made Heaven and Earth makes it and therefore it must needs be matchlesse and incomparable At the Well-head of Wisdomes richest Bounty who hath killed her beasts mingled her wine and furnished her table Prov. 9. 2. In and by these and the royallest â—…east that can be imagined are shadowed but infinitely short and represented unto us but nothing to the life all those inexplicable divine dainties delicates sweetnesses those gracious quicknings rejoycings and ravishments of spirit which GOD in mercy is wont to communicate and convey thorow all the ordinances and meanes of grace to truly humbled soules for a mighty increase of spirituall strength and invincible comfort O how deliciously may a heavenly hungry heart feed and fill it selfe 1. In the powerfull Ministry unfolding all the sacred sense and rich mines of GODS owne meaning in His blessed booke 2. In the precious promises of life by the applications and exercise of Faith 3. In the LORDS Supper by making the LORD IESVS surer to our soules every time and every time by feasting afresh upon His body and bloud spiritually with exultations of dearest joy and sweetest glimpses as it were of eternall glory 4. In fruitfull conferences and mutuall communications of gifts graces prayers duties with GODS people which the LORD doth usually and graciously water with the deawes of many sweet and glorious refreshings and quickning much increase of Christian courage and an holy contentation in the good way 5. In meditations upon the mystery of CHRIST the miracles of mercy upon us for our good all our life long and the eternity of joyes and blisse above 6. Upon the LORDS Day when showers of spirituall blessings are accustomed to fall from the Throne of grace all the day long upon those who sincerely endeavour to consecrate it as glorious unto Him 7. Upon those soule-fatting daies of humiliation which who ever tried either secretly privately or publikely either by himselfe alone with his yoke-fellow in his family or congregation and found not GOD extraordinary according to the extraordinarinesse of the exercise About the last IVDGEMENT Consider 1. How cuttingly and how cold the very first sight of the Son of Man comming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory will strike unto thine heart who hast refused to turne on His side and take His part all the time of thy gracious visitation Then wilt thou begin with extremest griefe and bitternesse of spirit to sigh and say within thy selfe Oh! He that I now see sitting downe upon yonder flaming white and glorious Throne is that IESVS CHRIST the mighty GOD the Prince of Peace that sweetest Lambe whose precious bloud was powred out as water upon the earth to save His people from their sinnes And He it was who so fairely invited and wooed me as it were by His faithfullest Messengers and intreated me with termes of dearest love all my life long but even to leave my lusts and biâ—… the Devill adieu and He even He would become my all-sufficient and everlasting Husband and now as at this time have set an immortall crowne of blisse and glory upon my head with His owne all-mighty hand But I alas like a wilfull desperate wretch did not onely neglect so great salvation forsake mine owne mercy and so judge my selfe unworthy of everlasting life but I also a bloudy butcher to mine owne soule all my few and evill dayes basely and bitterly oppos'd His blessed kingdome the purity power and holy precisenesse thereof as quite contrary to my carnall heart and that current of pleasures and worldly contentments into which I had desperately cast my selfe I indeed wretchedly and cruelly against mine owne soule persecuted all the meanes which should have sanctified me and all the men which should have sav'd me Happy therefore were I now if I could intreat the greatest Rocke to fall upon me or be beholding to some mighty mountaine to cover me there to lie hid everlastingly from the face of Him that sâ—…teth on the Thâ—…one and from the wrath of the Lambe O that I now might be turned into a beast or bird or stone or tree or aire or any other thing Blessed were I that ever I was borne if I could now be unborne That I might become nothing and in the state I was before I had any being Ah that my immortall soule were now mortall that I might die in hell and not lie eternally in those fiery torments which I shall never be able either to avoid or abide Let us then betime in the name and feare of GOD kisse the Son lest he be angry at that Day and so we perish everlastingly Let us now while the day of our visitation lasts before the Sun be sâ—…t upon the Prophets addresse our selves unto Him 1. With hearts burdened and broken with sight of siâ—…ne and sense of divine wrath Mat. 11. 28. 2. Prize Him infinitely and above all the world Matth. 13 46. 3. Sell all part with all sinne Ibid. Out of Egypt quite leave not an hoofe behind Exod 10. 26. 4. Take Him as our Husband and LORD whereby we become the sonnes of GOD Iohn 1. 12. 5. Take his yoke upon us and learne to be meeke and lowly Matth. 11. 28. 6. Enter into the way which is called the way of holinesse Isa. 35. 8. 7. And there continue Professours of the Truth and of the power of the Truth and of the power of the Truth in truth For otherwise thou mayest be a Professour and perish eternally That CHRIST may owne thee at that Day Many professe the Truth and not the power of the Truth some professe both the Truth and the power of it but are false-hearted Where then shall the non-Professour appeare Nay the Persecuter of the Sect which is spoken against every where Acts 28. 22. 2. That thou must presently passe to an impartiall strict the highest and last Tribunall which can never be appeal'd from or repeal'd there to give an exact account of all things done in the flesh For every thought of thine heart every word of thy mouth every glance of thine eye every moment of thy time every omission of any holy duty or good deed every action thou hast undertaken with all the circumstances thereof every office thou hast borne and
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
Heaven About HELL Consider 1. The Paine of losse Privation of GODS glorious presence and eternall separation from those everlasting joyes felicities and blisse above is the more horrible part of hell as Divines affirme There are two parts say they of hellish torments 1. Paine of losse and 2. Paine of sense but a sensible and serious contemplation of that inestimable and unrecoverable losse doth incomparably more afflict an understanding soule indeed than all those punishments tortures and extremest sufferings of sense It is the constant and concurrent judgement of the ancient Fathers that the torments and miseries of many hels come farre short are nothing to the shutting out everlastingly from the kingdome heaven and unhappy banishment from the beatificall vision of the most soveraigne onely and chiefest Good the thrice-glorious Iehovah blessed for ever For by how much the degrees of infinite good and happinesse in GOD exceed the finite wickednesse and misery of men by so much greater is the sorrow and griefe being rightly conceived for the losse of that than for the sense of this Assure then thy selfe before-hand though thou little thinke so in the meane time the losse but of the least raye of that Sun-like resplendent Body we should have in heaven but of a taste of those over-flowing rivers of pleasure and un-utterable blisse of that happy soule which should dwell in such a Body but of one foot-breadth of the pavement of the Empyrean Heaven to which the Starry Firmament is but a Porch or out-house but one houres company with all the crowned Saints and glorious inhabitants of that happy Place but of one glaunce upon the glorified Body of IESVS CHRIST but of one glimpse of that unapproachable Light and Iehovahs face in glory I say the losse but of any one of these would be a far dearer and more unvaluable losse than that of ten thousand worlds were they all compos'd of purest gold and brim-full with richest jewels What will it be then think you to loose all these nay the full and absolute fruition of all heavenly excellencies beauties glories pleasures and perfections and that eternally I know full well that carnall conceipts and worldly-wise men will wonder at this For having no sight but by sensuall eyes they cannot possibly apprehend or will by any meanes acknowledge any such thing Eagle-ey'd they are and sharpe-sighted enough into things of earth yet blinder than a mole as they say in beholding any spirituall or celestiall beauty But had we but the eyes of Austin Basill Chrysostome and some other holy Fathers and why should not ours be clearer and brighter considering the greater splendour and illustriousnesse of divine knowledge in these times we should easily confesse that the farre greatest and indeed most unconceiveable griefe would be to be severed for ever from the highest and supreme Good And that a thousand thousand rentings of the soule from the body were infinitely lesse than one of the soule from GOD. Nicostratus in Aelian himselfe being a cunning artisan finding a curious peece of worke and being wondred at by one and ask'd what pleasure he could take to stand as he did still gazing on the picture answered Hadst thou mine eyes my friend thou wouldest not wonder but rather be ravished as I am at the inimitable art of this rare and admired peece It is proportionably so in the present Point Or were we vouchsafed but one moment of Pauls heavenly rapture that we might sâ—…e but a glimpse of that insiniâ—…e glory and drinke but one drop of those ever-springing Fountaines of joy then should we freely acknowledge and feele the truth of what I say and that all I say comes farre short of what we shall find If it be so then that the losse of the presence of GOD and endlesse pleasures be so painefull irrecoverable and inestimable and that it hath beene many times made manifest unto you by Scriptures Fathers Reasons convincing familiar easie resemblances and the same also appeares and may be clearely concluded by the third exhortation before the Sacrament in the Common Prayer Booke to wit that living and lying wittingly and willingly in any one sinne against conscience robs us of all these infinite ever-during unutterable joyes and beatificall vision and fruition of GOD Himselfe for ever I say sith it is both thus and thus Let every one of us in the name and feare of GOD as we would not for a few 〈◊〉 pleasures nay sometimes one vile lust in this vale of teares for an inch of time lose 〈◊〉 knowne delights thorow all eternity in another world with an unshaken invincible resolution oppose all sorts and assaults of sinne with all motions enticements and temptations thereunto Let us hold with holy Chrysostome That it is worse and a more wofull thing to offend CHRIST than to be vexed with the miseries of hell Let us professe with Anselme That if we should see the hatefulnesse of sinne on the one side and the horrour of hell on the other and must necessarily fall into the one we would rather choose hell tâ—…an siâ—… It is reported also of Edmund his successor that he was wont to say I will rather leape into the siery lake than knowingly commit any sinne against GOD. Let us resolve with another of the Ancients Rather to be torne in peeces with wild horses than wittingly and willingly commit any sin See for this purpose twenty curbing Considerations to keepe from sin Instr. for comf afflict Consc. pag. 108. 2. The Paine of sense The extremity exquisitenesse and eternity whereof no tongue can possibly expresse or heart conceive Consider before hand what an unspeakable misery it would be and yet it would not be so much as a slea biting to this to lie everlastingly in a red hot scorching fire deprived of all possibility of dying or being ever consum'd I have some where read of the horrid execution of a Traitour in this manner being naked he was chained fast to a chaire of brasse or some other such metall that would burne most furiously being fil'd with fiery heat about which was made a mighty fire that by little and little caused the chaire to be red and raging hot so that the miserable man roared hideously many houres for extremest anguish and so expired But what an horrible thing had it beene to havelien in that dreadfull torment eternally And yet all this is nothing For if the blacke fire of hell be truly corporall and taken properly as some of the Fathers suppose yet it is such say they that as farre passeth our ordinary hottest fire as ours exceeds the fire painted upon the wall And it must be so I meane as farre surpasse our most furious ordinary sire immeasurably unconceiveably in degrees of heat and fiercenesse of burning For the one was created for comfort the other purposely to torment the one is made by the hand of man the other tempered by the angry arme
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
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
have their eares tickled than their consciences toucht and would rather have pillowes sowed under their arme-holes by such deceiving dawbers that they may lie more softly upon the bed of security than the keene arrowes of righteousnesse and truth fastned in their sides by GODS faithfull messengers to drive them to siâ—…cerity and yet after this he must serve his time in serving the times and through many miseries of secular martyrdome as Peter Blesensis cals it and many shipwracks of a good conscience by basenesse flattering attending depending and undoing his soule At last if he die not in the pursuit as many have done besides all these precedent miserable meanes by present simony or some other vile services he comes into some high place or at least becomes a negligent non-resident or insatiable pluralist Which wicked entrance being accompanied with GODS curse his heart already so hardened his ministeriall strength and veine of learning so wasted and dried up by discontinuance desuetude and worldly dealings having now attained his ends he drownes himselfe over head and eares either in secular businesses or sensuall pleasures to muffle up the mouth of his horribly guilty conscience cries downe preaching opposeth the power of godlinesse and so becomes rather a wolfe than a shepheard In a second place The rich worldling also is in a wofull case this way as appeares by CHRISTS owne words Matth. 19. 23 24. which is further confirmed by casting our eyes upon Luk. 16. 14. and 1 Tim. 6. 9. Luke 16. 19. And the Pharises which were covetous heard all these things and derided him And what heard they from CHRIST That it was impossible to serve GOD and Mammon So that there are some passages ever in a faithfull and searching ministry which covetous worldlings deride and will not downe with by any meanes but resolutely reject in their carnall wisdome as very foolish unnecessary precise and no waies to be given way unto Especially such as these 1. That they must restore whatsoever they have any waies gotten or detaine wrongfully and wickedly 2. That they must rather themselves starve and leave their children in beggery than put their hands to any unlawfull waies or meanes of getting so much as to tell a lie c. 3. That godlinesse is great gaine and that it is incomparably better to be religious than rich good than great 4. That there is a life of faith which will keepe a man in sweet contentment in any estate should he be never so poore 5. That Iob was truly richer with CHRIST alone than when before he was loaden with abundance of thicke clay 6. That riches are nothing Proverbes 23. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not 7. That they must leave all for CHRIST 8. That if they part with all for Him they shal be recompenced an hundred fold in this life 9. That if they had no recompence at all in this world yet the reward that they shall have in the world to come wil be a super-abundant recompence Notwithstanding these satisfactory and uncontrollable principles they will be rich in the Apostles sense after they have gotten a golden heape will be more rich still and therefore are easily tempted unto and taken in the snare of that execrable and most abhorred trade of usury In the exercise whereof they still negotiate with the Devill and receive all their increase at the Devils hands and therefore how is it possible they should turne on GODS side And that usurers trade with the Devill and have their usurious money from him Heare the judgement of the Church of ENGLAND to which ordinarily all Ministers subscribe Verily so many as increase themselves by usury c. They have their goods of the Devils gift Heare also the judgement of the State even of the King the Nobility and the whole Body of the Kingdome in Parliament and in that Statute whence usurers take very falsly some encouragement as though it were allow'd which is most untrue These are the words in the beginning of the Statute Forasmuch as all usury being forbidden by the Law of GOD is a sinne and detestable c. Thirdly though an high place be holden in the false opinion of vaine men the onely heaven upon earth yet in truth and upon triall by accident it prooves Satans surest hold to hamper them in his strongest and most inextricable snares untill he tumble them hence with a more desperate and headlong downefall into the pit of hell For as those of truest worth are ever timerous and most retiring in such cases so the worst men ordinarily are most ambitious and aspiring Consider for the purpose the unambitious modesty and magnanimity of the olive-tree fig-tree and the vine but the base and worthlesse bramble a dry empty saplesse kex and weed apt and able only to scratch teare and vexe must needs be up and be hoised into an high room and domineere over others Men of most prostituted consciences are for the most part the most pragmatical prowlers after undeserved preferments and the only men to serve themselves vijs modis as they say into offices honours and places of advancement For they want honest wit to conceive and fore-see the waight of the charge conscience to discharge it faithfully Now then where there is a concurrence of corrupt times a wicked wit a wide conscience and a vast gluttonous desire to domineere What will not be done to attaine their ends They will not sticke to lie dissemble breake their words forsweare machiavellize practise any policy or counterpolicy to honesty reason religion to flatter raise a faction humour the times supplant competitours gratifie the Devill do any thing We may proportionably conceive the malignity of inferiour ambitions by the monstrousnesse of higher aspirations Now who hath not observed saith that learned Knight in his Preface to the History of the World what labour practice perill bloud-shed and cruelty the Kings and Princes of the world have undergone exercised and taken on them to make themselves and their issues masters of the world Oh by what plots by what forswearings betrayings oppressions imprisonments tortures poysonings and under what reasons of State and politicke subtilty have these fore-named Kings c. By this time these men by these meanes are mounted I will suppose on horsebacke and have left many Princes walking as servants upon the earth And folly is set in great dignity And what then Then do they begin so to swell with pride untill they are ready to burst againe with over-weening of their owne worth selfe-opinion and selfe-estimation and to toyle extremely with revengefull inward indignation against all good men whose hearts as they conceive and their consciences tell them there was just cause did rise against their growing great and rising Being thus empoysoned at the first entrance with pride selfe-conceiptednesse prejudice revengefull jealousies and other exorbitant and base distempers they begin to consider and resolve how to behave themselves
against the Ministery c. which trouble Israel are the true causes of all Dissentions and disquietnesse and bring upon us all these plagues and judgements which any way afflict us A godly Minister stands at staves end with all the world and hath the most enemies of any man He must warre not onely with desperate swaggerers and notorious sinners but also with civill honest men formall Professors counterfeit Christians unsound converts relapsed creatures c. 5. Lastly That particular person whom it pleases the LORD to sanctifie and set apart for his service hath good experience of Satans fury and rage against sincerity and grace there is not a man that passeth out of the powers of darkenesse and Satans bondage by the power of the word but he presently pursues him farre more furiously then ever Pharaoh did the Israelites to recover and regaine him into his kingdome See my discourse of Happinesse pag. 60. Thus I have given you a taste of the Divells malice and machinations against the light of the Gospell the power of GODS truth and the Ministery of the Word now you must understand that worldly wisdome is his very righthand nearest counsellor and chiefest champion in all these mischievous plots and furious outrages against GOD and goodnesse This hath beene more then manifest in all ages of the Church In those great Politicians the Scribes and Pharisees in the States-men of Rome in our times and amongst us daily worldly-wise men that are only guided by carnall reason they imploy their wit their power their malice their friends their under-hand dealings their policy and their purses too unlesse they be too covetous to hinder stop disgrace and slander the passage of a conscionable Ministery and the Messengers of Almighty GOD of whom the LORD hath said Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme Psal. 105. 15. They ever imitate and follow to a haires bredth their Father the Divell in malice and practise against grace and good men except sometimes they forbeare for a time for advantage for reputation or such other by-respects and private ends except naturally they be extraordinarily ingenuous and of very loving and kinde naturall dispositions or bee restrained by feare of some remarkable judgement from persecution of the Ministers 2. As worldly wisdome is divelish as Saint Iames calls it and ever mixed with a spice of Hellish malice and virulency against the Kingdome of CHRIST so it is also earthly for it mindes onely earthly things and though that casts beyond the Moone for matters of the world yet it hath not an inch of forecast for the world to come But though a man be to passe perhaps the next day nay the next houre nay the next moment to that dreadfull Tribunall of GOD and to an unavoideable everlasting estate in another world either in the joyes of heaven or in the paines of hell yet it so glues and nailes his hopes desires projects and resolutions to transitory pelfe and things of this life as though both body and soule at their dissolution should be wholly and everlastingly resolved and turned into earth dust or nothing To give you a taste of this earthlinesse of worldly wisdome give me a worldly-wise man and 1. Put him into discourse of the affaires of the world and the businesse of his calling and you shall find him profound and deepe in this argument able to speake well and to the purpose if it were a whole day and that with dexterity and cheerfulnesse But divert his discourse a little and turne him into talke of matters of heaven of the great mystery of godlinesse the secrets of sanctification cases of conscience and such like holy conference and you shall find him to be a very infant an ideot it may be he may say something of the generall points of Religion of matters in controversie of the meaning of some places in Scripture but come to conferre of practicall dignity experimentall knowledge passages of Christianity and practices of grace and you shall find him and he shall shew himselfe to be able to say just nothing with feeling and comfort many a poore neglected Christian which in the spirit of disdainfulnesse and out of the pride of his carnall wisdome he tramples upon with contempt and would scorne to be matcht with in other matters yet would infinitely surpasse him in this case quite put him downe that he would have nothing to say 2. Let him come to some great personage with a suit to intreat his favour and countenance or to give him thanks for some former good turn and he will be able to speake well plausibly pleasingly persuasively and seasonably but put him to pray in his family unto Almighty GOD for the pardon of his sins and a crowne of life for the remoovall of damnation and an everlasting curse to powre out his soule in thankfulnesse for every good thing he enjoyeth for he holds all from Him and such a wise man which is strange and fearefull in a businesse of so great weight will not be able to speake scarce one wise word without a booke 3. Come into his family examine the estate of his house you shall find all things in good order every affaire marshalled and disposed for the best advantage a provident fore-cast and present provision of things necessary for their bodies Every one busie in their severall imployments and carefull in the workes of their calling but search also into the estate of their soules what heavenly food is ministred for their spirituall life how the Sabbath is sanctified among them how it stands with them for houshold-instructions and family-exercises c. And GOD knowes in that regard that way there is no providence at all no care no conscience about any such matters Walke also amongst his husbandry you shall find his arable carefully dunged tilled and sowne his pastures well mounded bankt and trencht his trees pruned his gardens weeded his cattell watchfully tended but inquire into the spirituall husbandry at home in his owne conscience and you shall find his heart over-growne with sinne as the wildest wast with thistles and briars no fence to keepe the Devill out of his soule many noysome lusts growing thick and ranke like so many nettles and brambles to be cut downe and cast into the fire so that his silliest lambe and poorest pig is in a thousand times more happie ease then himselfe the owner and well were he if his last end might be like theirs that is that his immortall soule might dye with his body but that cannot be except in the meane time he repent and renounce his carnall reason hee must be destroyed with an everlasting perdition from the presence of GOD and from the glory of His power 4. Consider His care and affection towards His children you shall finde that to be all earth for whereas perhaps with farrelesse toyle and travaile by the mercies of GOD by teaching them the feare of GOD instructing them in the wayes of
godlinesse restraining them from prophanenesse and prophaning the Sabbath by his owne example of piety and godly conversation he might plant grace in their hearts and provide a crowne of glory for their heads hereafter yet wretched man he doth not onely wickedly neglect these meanes of everlasting comfort but with too much worldlinesse variety of vexations and perhaps for his very wickednesse that way if there were nothing else with the great danger of his owne soule he heapes up for them those hoards that will hereafter heape coales of vengeance on their heads and purchases and provides for them those greene pastures of a prosperous state in this world wherein they are fatted for the same slaughter and thorow which they prophanely passe into the pit of the same endlesse destruction with himselfe 5. Aske his judgement about the Sabbath and ordinarily you shall find his resolution to be this that he sees no reason but mens servants and children may enjoy some houres of recreation and sport even upon the Sabbath especially with exception of times of Divine Service what would they have us to do will he say or what would they make of us I hope they doe not looke we should be Angels upon earth they know we are but flesh and bloud It is too true indeed this cavilling against the keeping of the Sabbath savours full rankly of flesh and bloud GOD out of the abundance of His owne goodnesse and compassionate consideration of our weakenesse hath allotted and allowed unto us six dayes for our owne businesse and reserved but one to be consecrated in speciall manner as glorious unto Him and yet wretched men they must needs clip the LORDS coyne encroach upon His sanctified time and unthankfully and accursedly spend those holy houres in which they should treasure up knowledge and comfort against that fearefull day in idlenesse worldinesse and prophane pastimes whereby besides the particular curse upon their owne soules they many times draw many miseries and plagues upon the place where they live This reason is carnall indeed this wisdome is earthly with a witnesse 6. Add another out of Luke 12. 39 40. Thus you see worldly wisdome in all that consultation and cariages inclines unto the earth provides ever with greatest care for the world and savours rankly of flesh and bloud 3. It is also sensuall for it doth senslesly preferre the pleasures of sense and pleasing the appetite before the peace of conscience and sense of GODS favour It provides a thousand times better for a body of earth which must shortly upon an unavoidable necessity feed the wormes and turne to dust than for a precious immortall foule the immediate issue of GODS almightinesse and which can never possibly die It doth with greater sweetnesse and hold-fast relish apprehend and enjoy the furious delights of some bosome-sinne which it hath in present pursuit taste and possession than spirituall graces GODS favour joy in that blessed Spirit and a crowne of life hereafter for which it hath GODS Word and Promise if it would be wise to salvation In a word it doth so highly preferre a few bitter-sweet pleasures for an inch of time in this vale of teares before unmixed and immeasurable joyes thorow all eternity in the glorious mansions of heaven Is not this wisdome strangely nailed and glued unto sense and stupidly senslesse in spirituall things that though many times fore-told and fore-warned by the Ministry of the Word yet will needs for the temporary satisfaction of its carnall covetous or ambitious humour with filthy vexing transitory pelfe with vanity dung nothing run wilfully and headlong upon easelesse endlesse and remedilesse torments in the world to come And that which is the just curse and plague of worldly wisdome this spirituall madnesse commonly called it is confident that it doth wisely and takes the best way and thereupon becomes incorrigible and obstinate For there is more hope of a foole than of him that is wise in his owne conceipt Prov. 26. 22. And Though thou shouldest bray a foole in a morter yet will not his foolishnesse depart from him Prov. 27. 22. How fearefull then is his case that to his worldly wisdome joynes confidence in his wayes But the day will come that hee 'l see and bewaile the vanity of his wisdome and the truth of his folly and that with bitter griefe and horrible anguish even in hell fire as it is notably set downe in the booke of Wisdome Cap. 5. But the word which here in Iames is rendred sensuall is the same which is used 1 Corinth 2. 14. The naturall man receiveth not the things c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that worldly wisdome is in that sense naturall that it can neither relish nor receive the things of the spirit it cannot possibly conceive and comprehend the immediate meanes and mysteries of salvation let a man otherwise be never so faire and comely in body never so proportionable personable or goodly to look upon and in the eye of others yet if himselfe want eyes the instruments of light he cannot possibly behold and gaze upon with delight the goodlinesse and glory of this great frame of the world about him he cannot see the brightnesse of the Sun the beauty of the earth and the delightsome variety of the creatures so a worldly-wise man though he be never so gracefull for his other parts never so admirable to carnall eyes or mightily magnifi dby his flatterers or favourites yet wanting the saving sight of GODs sanctifying Spirit and the eye of spirituall understanding is starke blind in spirituall matters and cannot possibly behold the rich paradise of the kingdome of grace the secrets of sanctification and the incomparable glory and excellency of Christianity This wisdome of the flesh serves the worldling like the Ostrich wings to make him to out run others upon the earth and in earthly things but can helpe him never a whit towards heaven nay is rather like a heavy mill-stone about his necke to make him sinke deeper into the bottomlesse pit of hell The reason why these great politicians and jolly wise men of the world as they are called for all their depths and devices with all their wit and windings cannot understand one tittle of the things of GOD is because this spirituall knowledge is hid from them for so saith our Saviour CHRIST Mat. 11. 25. I give thee thankes O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of understanding and hast revealed them unto babes And this reason our Saviour rendreth why he spake to worldlings in parables and to his Disciples plainely because to these it was given to know the secrets of the kingdome of heaven but to them it was not given And indeed it is just with GOD that 1. Sith they when the glorious sun of the Word of life shines surely upon their faces do wilfully shut their eyes against it that He should strike them starke blind so that
in pursuit be unto him a counterpoyson to uphold his heart in comfort and contentment against the vanity and venome of such endlesse ambitions and if men be so infinitly ventrous for an earthly crowne which as one sayes if wee well weighed with what feares jealousies cares insidiations c. it is thick set if we found it before us in the way we would not take it up I say then how eager should wee bee after the glory of Heaven 2. If corrupt affection fall in love with riches and the wedge of gold it begets covetousnesse the vilest and basest of all the infection of the soule as ambition haunteth the haughtiest spirits so covetousnesse lodgeth in the most dunghill disposition it turnes the soule of man that noble and immortall spirit into earth and mud whereas it might live in heaven upon earth and by holy meditation by a sweet familiarity and acquaintance as it were with GOD and conversing above and in that everlasting heaven of endlesse happinesse hereafter It lies in hell upon earth and by restlesse torture of unsatiable greedinesse makes way by it rooting to descend into the hell of wicked devils in the world to come This devouring gangrene of greedinesse to get riches doth not onely by a most incompatible antipathy keepe out grace and GODS feare but also by it venomous heat wast and consume all honest and naturall affection both to man and beasts to parents kindred friends and acquaintance Nay it makes a man contemne himselfe body and soule wilfully to abandon both the comfortable enjoyment of this short time of this present mortality and all hope of thâ—… length of that blessed eternity to come for a litâ—…le transitory pelfe which he doth neither enjoy or use except it be for use which enlargeth his covetous thirst as mightily as it brings forth money monstrously Besides covetousnesse pierceth thorow the soule with a thousand torments and the riches of iniquity ingender in the heart of man many tortures envies and molestations as their proper thunderbolt and blasting And of all other vile affections it is most sottishly and senslesly unsatiable Eccles. 4. 8. For how is it possible that earth should feed or fill the immateriall and heaven-borne spirit of a man It cannot be and the Spirit of GOD hath said it shall not be Eccles. 5. 9. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver c. Hence it is that the deeplier the drowsie heart of this covetous man doth drinke of this golden streame the more furiously it is inflam'd with spirituall thirst Nay it is most certaine that if the covetous man could purchase a monopoly of all the wealth in the world were he able to empty the Westerne parts of gold and silver and the East of pearles and jewels should he enclose the whole face of the earth from one end of heaven to the other and heape his hoards unto the starres yet his heart would be as hungry after more riches as if he had never a penny and much more Such is GODS curse upon that man which makes his gold his god And this insatiablenesse in the covetous man begets cruelty and oppression of others and perpetual want of contentment and comfort in that he hath already Sweetnes of gaine makes him many times drinke the bloud eat the flesh of the oppressed He begins first if he be of power and place to grind the faces of the poore then to pluck of their skins then to tear their flesh then to break their bones and chop them in peeces as flesh for the pot and at last even to eat the flesh of GODS people That is first to weary them out with petty wrongs and extraordinary occasions to vexe them with new conditions and unconscionable encroachments and at last to wring their pensive soules from their wasted and hunger-starv'd bodies with extremity of oppression and cruelty of covetousnesse And that which is a just curse upon the covetous man he is ever infinitely more tormented with the want of that which he doth immoderately and unnecessarily desire than contented and comforted with the enjoyment of those things he doth presently possesse The ambitious man if he be disgrac'd and over-top'd by any grand opposite and counterfactionist or derided and revil'd with baser and inferiour contempt or neglected by omission of some due observance and ceremony of state he I say is more griev'd if he want grace for some such little default in the attributions of his place and want of complementall respect in that measure and of such men as he desires than he hath glory and pompe in his highest place This is cleare in Haman though he was compassed and crown'd with such undeserved and extraordinary precedency and pompe yet this one little thing because Mordecai would not bow the knee and do reverence to him at the Kings gate did utterly marre and dissweeten all the other excellencies of his new advancement and extraordinarinesse of the Kings favour See Hester 5. 10 11 12 13. And Haman told his wife and friends of all his glory c. But all this saith he doth nothing availe me as long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate As it is thus in ambition and in great men that are gracelesse they many times take more to heart out of the pride of their hearts the want of some one circumstantiall observance and of reverence from some one man than they heartily enjoy all the other glory of their place so it is also with the covetous man though already he hath more than enough yet some greedy wish of a new addition doth more torture his heart than the rowing amongst al his other wealth can rejoyce it Ahab though he had already in his hand the riches glory pleasures soveraignty of a kingdome yet after he had cast his covetous eye upon poor Naboths vinyard which was near his palace his heart did more afflict and vex it self with greedy longing for that bit of earth than the vast and spacious compasse of a kingdome could counter-comfort He could take no joy in the beauty of a crowne and largenesse of his royall command because his poore neighbour would not deprive himselfe and all his posterity of the inheritance of his fathers which his ancestors had enjoyed time out of mind For a counterpoyson against the greedy gangrene of hoarding up riches consider in what stead thy riches will stand thee upon thy bed of death consider that speech of a poore distressed woman afflicted in conscience whom I heard thus say in the agony of her grieved spirit I have husband goods and children and other comforts I would give them all the treasures of the earth if I had them and all the good I shall have in this world or in the world to come to feele but the least taste of the favour of GOD in the pardon of my sinne she would in this case with all her heart haue giuen the warmest
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
of folly And the very same attempt as to make two parallel lines to meet You thinke yee have a reach beyond the Moone To lie in some sweete sinne and yet to nourish in your selves some hope of salvation To have two heavens one in this world and another in the world to come which was never heard of to weare two crownes of joyes whereas IESVS CHRIST himselfe had the first of thornes But alas Beloved if you be saved in this condition you must have a new Scripture and there must bee found out another way to heaven then any of the Saints ever went since the Creation or shall doe to the end of the world And therefore we may say of you as Quintilian some where of some deluded with an overweening conceit of themselves That they might have prooved excellent Schollers if they had not beene so perswaded already So if you did not thinke falsly your selves safe already you might be saved But while you thus hugge the golden dreame of your mistaken states to GOD-ward like the Pharisees the very Publicans and Harlots shall goe into the Kingdome of heaven before you Matth. 21. 31. Fourthly you that are great in the world in the foure forenamed respects and meant in the Text cannot possibly downe with and digest downe-right dealing and the foolishnesse of preaching as it is called vers 21. And that vtterly undoes you You like well enough nay and much approve and applaud such Sermons as King IAMES censures in the reasons of his directions for preaching c. which he there cals a light affected and unprofitable kind of preaching which hath beene of late years saith he taken up in Court University City and Countrey whereby the people are filled onely with ayrie nourishment c. and I warrant you not especially hating to be reformed or disquieted for these are not wont to discover your consciences nor disturbe you in your present courses they never terrifie you with any fore-thought of the evill day neither torment you before the time but now let a man come with the foolishnesse of preaching by which it pleaseth GOD saith the Apostle to save them that believe with demonstration of the Spirit and of power and come home to the conscience if he suffer not Satan to revell in the bloud of your soules without resistance nor see you post furiously towards eternall fire but will tell you that the pit of hell is a little before you In a word if he take the right course to convert you and shew you therefore onely your spirituall misery that you may be fitted for mercy c. O such a fellow is a dangerous man a terrible and intolerable Teacher able to drive men to distraction despaire selfe-destruction he breaths out nothing but damnation and his searching Sermons are as scorching as the very flames of hel Fit phrases for the Devil himself railing in a drunkard or scoffing Ishmael against faithfulnesse in preaching and if you know where or when such men preach and it may be you entertaine some intelligence for that purpose to prevent the torture you will not you dare not heare them for your hearts except you cannot decline it for starke shame or for a time or two to satisfie your curiosities but as S. Paul saith you become their enemies because they tell you the truth to which truth not to have listened in this day of your visitation will herafter when it is too late torment you more than ten thousand fiery Scorpions stings and gnaw upon your consciences with unknowne and everlasting horrour Alas Beloved what meane you You will give your Physitian leave to tell you the distempers of your body the Lawyer to discover unto you any flaw in your deeds your horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horses nay your hunâ—…sman the surrances of your dogs and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you that your soules are bleeding to eternall death Preposterous and prodigious incongruity If it be thus then that of all the severall sorts of great men mentioned before by reason that they are beset with such variety of snares entangled in so many temptations so much taken up by the world and for other reasons rendred already very few are called converted and saved my counsell in a word unto all such is CHRISTS owne word Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate lay violent hands upon flesh and blond strangle your lusts contend and wrastle as for the Garland in the Olympian Games to which the word seemes to allude become fooles in the worlds censure that you may be wise in the mystery of CHRIST be little and vile in your own esteeme that you may be great and gracious in the eyes of GOD. In a word submit your soules to the sword of the Spirit and foolishnesse of preaching as the Apostle cals it that you may be wrought upon savingly and brought into the good way and that by such works and waies as these Upon which before I enter give me leave to give you an account why at this time I labour rather to work upon your consciences for your personall conversion than as heretofore to tender unto you counsels and considerations for a more conscionable deportment in your severall publike places When I well weighed with my selfe the truth of that principle and position in Hooker That it is no peculiar conceipt but a matter of sound consequence that all duties are by so much the better performed by how much the men are more religious from whose abilities the same proceed And finding by experience of all ages and most of all in these worst and wofull times that men of publike imployment and in high places untill there be infused into their soules by the Spirit of grace an internall supernaturall principle and divine habit to worke by untill aliquid CHRISTI as they say be planted in them by the power of the Ministry they cannot possibly be universally thorow and unshaken Some strong affection feare favour or some thing will make them flie out and faile in some particular very fowly Upon extraordinary temptation they will serve the times and their owne turnes for alas as yet their spirits are not steeled with that heavenly edge and mighty vigour as to set to their shoulders against the torrent of the times and not to be overflowen with it I say upon this ground I have advisedly chosen to assay and follow this way at this time for if once you turne on the LORDS side in truth you are won for ever to an invincible constancy and conscionablenesse in an uniforme regular and religious discharge of your publike duties and will ever hold fast without partiality cowardlinesse or feare of mans face that brave and noble resolution Vt fiat justitia ruat coelum let heaven and earth be blundred together with horrible confusision before I make shipwracke of a good conscience or be any waies drawne to do basely Being
omnis Imperij vis adversus unum hominem qui DEVM habebat desensorem commoveretur Proditus tandem per ancillam quae ei ministrabat ex dominorum suorum jussu qui latebras Athanasio praeparaverant divino admoniâ—…us Spiritu ea nocte quà eum comprehendere veniebant ministri aufugit Funcâ—…ius Ao. CHRISTI 343. Cur verear Chrysostomum appellare Martyâ—…em qui tot injurijs tot contumelijs tot afflictionibus nec ad impatientiam perpelli nec a propagandâ Christianâ pietate depelli potuit Non percussus est securi sed caluâ—…nijs omni securi acutioribus non â—…emel ictus est Hoc praemij vir optimus pro tam praeclaris in Ecclesiam meritis retulit per Episcopos Orthodoxos sub Imperatore Christiano In vita Chrysost. per Erasm Rhoterod Quis non putasset Lutherum in tanto cunctorum odio invidiâ cui totus penè mundus insidiabatur etiam ille cujus pedibus Imperatores olìm cogebantur cervices 〈◊〉 non â—…lle moâ—…tes occubiturum c. â—…rightm in Cap. 3. Apoâ—…aly n Ioannes per celebrem illam concionem in Ecclesiam recitavit cujus exordium est Herodias denuò insaâ—…re denuò commoveri denuò saltare pergit denuò caput Iohannis in disco accipere quarit Socrat. Hist. Eccles. Lib. 6. Cap. 16. o Peccata tanta severitate arguebat ac si ipse etiam per injuriam â—…aesus esset omnium ordinum delicta magnâ dicendi libertate taxabat ita quidem ut etiam Ducum Evtropij Gainâ—… imò ipsius Imperatoris errata reprehenderet Omnes propemodum ordines in se concitavit Clerici Aulici occultè suas ipsi operas adjungebant Osiand Hist Ecclâ—…s Cent. 5. Lib. 1. Cap. 6. p Vbi autem in Cappadociâ—… provinciam vcnimuâ—… multi sanctorum Patrum chori juges lachrymarum fontes effundentium flentium eò quod in exilium nos prosiâ—…isci videbant dicebantque Tolerabilius fuisse Si Sol radi os suos retraxisset obscuratus qua quod os Iâ—…hannis tacuit Epiâ—… 2. q Milites praefecti praetorij qui illum deducebant non dissimulabant sibi promissa praemia magnifica si 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in itinere moreretur Itaque mensibus â—…bus per imbres per aestus sine ulla refrigeratione corpusculi durissimum iter pertâ—…ht Erasm in vitâ Chrysost. r Etenim ego cum a civitate fugarer nihil horum cuzabam sed dicebam intra memet ipsum Si quidem vult Regina me exulem agat in exilium DOMINI terra plenitudo ejus Et si vult sâ—…care secet Idem passus est Esaias Si vult in pelagus mittere Imâ—… recordabor Si vult in caminum in â—…cere idem passi sunt 〈◊〉 â—…lli pueri Si 〈◊〉 feris vult objicere objiciat Daniclis in lacum leombus objectâ—… 〈◊〉 Si me lapidare vult lapidet me Stephanum habeo primum 〈◊〉 socium Si caput tollere vult tollat habeo socium Iohannem Baptistam Si substantiam aufeâ—…e auferat Nudus exivi de utero matris nudus etiam abibo Me admâ—…net Apostolus Etsi adhuc hominibus placerem servus CHRISTI utique non essem Armat me David dâ—…cens Loquebar coram Regibus non confundebar Multa quidem adversus me consinxerunt dixerunt quod ad communionem non jejunos receperim Et si quidem hoc feci expungatuâ—… nomen meum ex Albo Episcoporum non scribatur in Libâ—…o Orthodoxae Fidei Quoniam ecce si tale quid admisi 〈◊〉 me etiam CHRISTVS e Regno suo Si autem pergunt hoc mihi objicere contendere Deponant Paulum qui postquam coenavit totam domum baptizavit Deponant CHRISTVM Ipsum qui postquam coenatum â—…st Apostolis Communionem dedit Dicunt quod cum muliere dormiverim Exuite me inveniâ—…tis membrorum meorum mortificationem Sed haec omnia per inviâ—…iam excogitaâ—…unt Iohannes exul Cyriaco Episcopo exuli Tom. 5 Epist. 3â—… Psal. 24. 1. Gal. 1 10. Psal. 119. 46. s Invitis Diabolo persecutoribus Papisâ—…s Athanasius â—…utherus nobile Heroum par placidissimâ morte ex hâc vitâ excesserunt Heare the story Athanasius post multiplicia certamina qualia vix ullum Eâ—…clesiae Doctorem sustinuisse legimus placidissimá morte ex hac vitâ excessit cum ab initio usque ad finem sui Episcopatus Alexandrinae Ecclesiae praefuisset quadraginta sex anâ—…is adversus quem â—…otus penè orbis conspiravit Neque tamen ut D. D. Lutherum eum violentâ—… morte ex hoc mundo exturbare potuit Osiand Hiâ—… Eccles. Cent. 4. Lib. 2. Cap. 16. t Nehem. Cap. 8. 10. Be not sorie for the joy of the LORD is your strength Psalme 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but Thee And there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee u Hos. 14. 4. I will love them sâ—…eely Ier. 31. 3. I have loved Thee with an everlasting love x Psal. 30. 5. In His favour is life y Exo 34. 6. The LORD The LORD GOD mercifuâ—… and gracious c. z Luke 10. 10 Butrather rejoyce because your names are written in heâ—…ven a Col 1. 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Zech. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountaine opened c. c 2 Pet. 1. 4. d Isa. 40. 1 2. Comfortye comfortye c. Her iniquity is pardoned e Eph 4. 24. The new man after GOD is created in righteousnesse and true holâ—…nesse f Psal. 16. 11. In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore g Iob 20. 5. Rom. 14. 17. Isa. 35. 10. * Psal. 32. 1â—… l Quum nemâ—… in arenâ seipsum exerceat quomodò aliquis in certamine insignis erit conspicuâ—…s Quis unquam athleta non ab incunte adolescentia in Palaestrâ corroboraâ—…s potuit in Olympicis excelso ac magno animo adversarium aggredi An non oportet quotidiè luctari atque currere Nonne videtis â—…os quos quinque certaminum athletas appellanâ—… quum nullum fortè reluctatorem repererint ad saccum arenâ plenum vires suas excitare â—…os imitari stude sunt enim multa quae ad irae noâ—… rabiâ—…m incitant multa quae concupiscentiae flammam incendunt Insurge igitur contra passiones vincaâ—… animi labores ut corporis quoque labores possis perferre Chrys. In Mat. Hâ—…m 34. T it â—… 12. Life of â—…aith in death pag. 〈◊〉 m In CHRISTâ—… morte mors obijt Gregor in 1 Reg. Cap. 2. n Nay but beare the Prophet It is a people of no understanding therefore He that made them will not have mercy on them and He that formed them wil shew them no savour Isa. â—…7 8â—… Iob. 20. 12. Psal. â—…3 6. Col. 3. 5. Mat. 5. 29 30. * That Saâ—… may worke our finall over throw it is his usuall custome to tell the true believing Christian that he is
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
more Our mutuall knowledge one of another in heaven shall not be in outward and worldly respects but divine and spirituall as we know them in CHRIST by the illumination of the Spirit 5. We shall know the spirituall substances offices orders excellencies of the Angels the nature immortality operations and originall of our owne soules c. In a word all things knowable 6. We shall be beatifically illightened with a cleare and glorious sight of GOD Himselfe which Divines call Beatificall Vision About which the Schoolemen audaciously discoursing fall upon differing conceipts 1. Some say GOD shall then be knowne by a Species representing the divine Essence and by a Light of glory elevating the understanding by a supernaturall strength 2. Others That the divine Essence shall be represented to the glorified understanding not by any Species but immediately by It Selfe yet they also require light of glory to elevate and fortifie the understanding by reason of its weakenesse and infinite disproportion and distance from the incomprehensible Deity 3. Others hold that to the cleare vision of GOD there is not required a Species representing the divine Essence as the first sort suppose nor any created light elevating the understanding as the second sort think but onely a change of the naturall order of knowing It is sufficient say they that the divine Essence be immediately represented to a created understanding Which though it cannot be done according to the order of nature as experience tels us For we so conceive things first having passed the sense and imagination Yet it may be done according to the order of divine grace c. But it is sufficient for a sober man to know that in heaven we shall see Him face to face Upon my Patron And here by your good leaves I will be bold to make benefit of the instant occasion because it is very seasonably coincident with the Point And presse from that the practice of this last mortifying motive These artificiall Formes of sadnesse and complementall representations of sorrow in blacks and mourning weeds are nothing for my purpose neither do I desire to stirre up or renew in any man thoughts of heavinesse or griefe of heart which he might conceive and nourish by reason of some particular interest in the bounty love person and worthy parts of the departed many times men are too forward and overflowing in those tender offices and last demonstrations of natural affection And therfore my counsel in such cases is that we would shew our selves Christians and by the sacred rules of Religion ever prevent that unseasonablenesse and excesse which many times with a fruitlesse torture doth tyrannise over the hopelesse hearts of meere naturall men The Point that I would principally presse and perswade unto is a Christian and compassionate taking to heart the publike losse that every one of us may upon that occasion be truly humbled in himselfe and bettered in his owne soule And I tell you true especially in these times this losse is great He was a revexend and learned Iudge a Prince and a great Man in Israel nay a God upon earth for so are Iudges stiled by the Spirit of GOD Psal. 82. 6. Though he be departed this life like a man and fallen as one of the Princes But these are nothing they are but bare titles in respect of any true worth He was really remarkable and renowned for very speciall judiciary endowments and sufficiencies and those aided and attended with many worthy additions of morality and subordinate abilities As first 1. Such calmnesse in his affections and moderation of his passions as I never saw even in his ordinary cariage He might have been a mirrour me thinks in this point even amongst the exactest Moralists And they say that appeared most eminently in his publike passages and executions of justice And how needfull a vertue this is to a Iudiciall Place those may best conceive who either feele or but consider what a cruell and intolerable thing it is for an ingenuous man to stand before a Iudge who is prejudicately and passionately transported with anger malice or hatred against the party to be sentenced 2. Patience to heare the basest both parties all they could say And unwillingnesse to lend his eare to the one without the others presence 3. A great and happy memory 4. Singular sagacity in searching and diving into the secretest and utmost circumstances so farre as was possible of the causes that came before him that he might give the more righteous judgement 5. A marvellous tendernesse and pitifull exacttnesse in his inquisitions after bloud Holding on the one side the life of a man very precious and yet on the other side perswaded of the truth and terrour of that place Numb 35. 33. For bloud that defileth the land and the land cannot be cleansed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it But yet all these whatsoever you apprehend in my conceipt had not beene much worth though good in their owne nature neither to tell you true should I have so much as nam'd them had they not been aided as it were and managed with three other most noble and necessary vertues especially in these times which actuated them as it were and gave them their life and lustre 1. A love to integrity the right and truth in all his judiciall courses which for any thing I know or could ever heare no man living upon just ground can or will contradict 2. With a constant and resolute heart-rising against bribery and corruption the cursed bane of all goodnesse honesty and good conscience wheresoe'er it comes And to this that high place he worthily held about the Prince can give royall attestation where he qualified fees to his owne losse and protested his resolution and all possible opposition to all offers for offices with this reason he would have them come in clearehanded that they might deale honestly in their places And his owne followers to whom he gave a charge at his first entrance to a judiciall place that they should not meddle nor make any motions to him that he might be secur'd from all appearance of corruption And as I am credibly inform'd his ordinary reading of great letters and rejection of gratuities after judgement given 3. With a noble and unshaken resolution and mighty opposition of Popery and that without respect or feare of any greatnesse as we have evident demonstration Now of this we need no further testimony though there be very pregnant and plentifull besides than the present triumph of the Papists and barbarous insultations of that bloudy and murdrous generation And especially in yonder Country of Lancashire and those Northerne Parts where he shooke the pillars of Popery more valiantly and succesfully than any these many yeares Officers in those Parts observ'd that in his two or three yeares he convicted confin'd and conform'd moe Papists than were in twenty yeares before And that last