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
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
the discharge of it in every point and particular every company thou hast come into and all thy behaviour there every Sermon thou hast heard every Sabbath thou hast spent every motion of the Spirit which hath been made unto thy soule c. Let us then while it is called To Day call our selves to account examine search and trie thorowly our hearts lives and callings our thoughts words and deeds let us arraigne accuse judge cast and condemne our selves and prostrated before GODS Mercy-Seat with broken and bleeding affections lowlinesse of spirit and humblest adoration of His free grace upon the same ground with the Aramites 1 Kings 20. 31. We have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are mercifull Kings let us I pray thee put sack cloth on our loines and ropes on our heads and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy life Let us there give our mercifull GOD no rest untill we have sued out our pardon by the intercession of the LORD IESVS c. And then we shall find the reckoning made up to our hand and all matters fully answered before-hand And which is a Point of unconceiveable comfort He that was our Advocate upon earth and purchased the Pardon with His owne hearts bloud shall then be our Iudge 3. That all the beastly and impure abominatitions of thine heart all thy secret sinnes and closet-villanies that no eye ever looked upon but that which is ten thousand times brighter than the Sun shall all then be disclosed and laid open before Angels Men and Devils and thou shalt then and there be horribly universally and everlastingly ashamed Thou now acts perhaps securely some harefull and abhorred worke of darknesse and wickednesse not to be nam'd in thine owne heart or one way or other in secret which thou wouldst not for the whole world were knowne to the world or to any but thy selfe or one or two of thy cursed companions curbed by their obnoxiousnesse but be well assured in that Day at that great assize thou shalt in the face of heaven and earth be laid out in thy colours to thine eternall confusion Never therefore go about or encourage thy selfe to commit any sinne because it is mid-night or that the doores are lockt upon thee because thou art alone and no mortall eye seeth thee neither is it possible to be reveal'd And yet I must tell thee by the way secret villanies have and may be discovered 1. In sleepe 2. Out of horrour of conscience or in time of distraction For suppose it be concealed and lie hid in as great darknesse as it was committed untill that last and great Day yet then shall it out with a witnesse and be as legible in thy fore-head as if it were writ with the brightest starres or the most glittering Sun beame upon a wall of Crystall 4. In what a wofull case thy heavy heart will be and with what strange terrour trembling and desperate rage it must needs be possest and rent in peeces when thou shalt heare that dreadfull sentence of damnation to eternall torments and horrour pronounced over thine head Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his angels Every word breathes out nothing but fire and brimstone vengeance and woe bites deeper and terrifies more than ten thousand Scorpion stings To depart from that glorious presence were hell enough but thou must also go with a curse nor onely so but into fire and that must be everlasting fed continually with infinite rivers of brimstone and kept still in flame and fiercenesse by the unquenchable wrath of the most just GOD thorow all eternity And in that horrible dungeon and fiery lake thou shalt never have other company or comforters but wicked devils and they insulting over thee everlastingly with much hellish spite and stinging exprobrations for neglecting so great salvation all thy life long and losing heaven for some base lust and believing their lies If the drowning of the old world swallowing up of Korah and his complices burning up of Sodome with brimstone were attended with such terrours and hideous out cries How infinitely transcendent to all possibility of conceipt expression or beliefe will the confusions and tremblings of that Day be when so many millions of men shall be drag'd downe with all the Devils of hell to torments without end and past imagination There was horrible scryking when those five filthy cities first felt fire and brimstone drop downe upon their heads when those rebels saw the ground cleave asunder and themselves and all theirs go downe quicke into the pit when all the sonnes and daughters of Adam found the floud rising and ready to over-flow them all at once But the most horrid cry that ever was heard or ever shal be in heaven or earth in this world or the world to come will be then when all the forlorne condemned reprobates upon sentence given shal be violently and unresistably haled downe to hell and pulled presently from the presence not onely of the most glorious GOD the LORD IESVS Angels and all the blessed Ones but also of their Fathers Mothers Wives Husbands Children Sisters Brothers Lovers Friends Acquaintance who shall then justly and deservedly abandon them with all detestation and derision and forgetting all nearenesse and dearest obligations of nature neighbourhood alliance any thing rejoyce in the execution of divine justice in their everlasting condemnation So that no eye of GOD oâ—… man shall pitie them neither shall any teares prayers promises suits cries yellings calling upon rocks and mountains wishes never to have been or now to be made nothing c. be then heard or prevaâ—…e iâ—… their behalfe or any one in heaven or earth be found to mediate or speake for them to reverse or stay that fearefull doome of eternall woe but without mercy without stay without any farewell they shall be immediately and irrecoverably cast downe into the bottomlesse pit of easelesse endlesse and remedilesse torments which then shall finally shut her mouth upon them Oh! What then will be the guawings of the never dying worme what rage of guilty consciences what furious despaire what horrour of mind what distractions and feares what bitter looking backe upon their mis-spent time in this world what banning of their brethren in iniquity what cursing the day of their birth and even blaspheming of GOD Himselfe blessed for ever what tearing their haire and gnashing of teeth what wailing and wringing of hands what desperate roaring what hideous yellings filling heaven and earth and hell c. No tongue can tell no heart can thinke Be fore-warned then in a word To thirst long and labour infinitely more to have IESVS CHRIST in the meanetime say in the Ministry to thy truly humbled soule I am thy salvation than to be Possessour iâ—… it were possible of all the riches glory and pleasures of moe worlds than there are starres in
of almighty GOD with all terrible and torturing ingredients to make it most fierce and raging and a sit instrument for so great and mighty a GOD to torment everlastingly such impenitent reprobate rebels It is said to be prepared Matth. 2â—… 41. Isa. 30. 33. as if the all-powerfull wisdome did deliberate and as it were sit downe and devise most tormenting temper for that most formidable fire the one is blowne by an aiery breath the other by the angry breath of the great GOD which burnes farre hotter than ten thousand rivers of brimstone The pile thereof saith the Prophet is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it What soule doth not quake and melt with thought of this fire at which the very Devils tremble There is no proportion betweene the heat of our breath and the fire that it blowes What a fearefull fire then is that which is blowne by a breath dissolved into brimstone which a great torrent of burning brimstone doth ever mightily blow If it be metaphoricall as Austin seemes some where to intimate and some moderne Divines are of mind and as the gold pearles and precious stones of the wall streets and gates of the heavenly Ierusalem Rev. 21. were metaphoricall so likewise it should seeme that the fire of hell should also be figurative And if it be so it is yet something els that is much more terrible and intolerable For as the Spirit of GOD to shadow unto us the glory of heaven doth name the most pretious excellent and glorious things in this life which notwithstanding come infinitely short so doth He intimate unto us the inexplicable paiâ—…es of hell by things most terrible and tormenting in this world fire brimstone c. which yet are nothing to hâ—…llish tortures Whether therefore it be materiall or metaphoricall I purpose not here to dispute or go about to determine neither is it much materiall for my purpose For be it whether it will it is infinitely horrible and insâ—…fferable beyond all compasse of conceipt and above the reach either of humane or Angelicall thoughts It doth not onely exceed with an incomparable disproportion â—…ll possibility of patience and resistance but also even ability to beare it and yet notwithstanding it must upon necessity be borne so long as GOD is GOD. Take in a word all that I intend to tell you in the point at this time If the severall paines of all the diseases and maladies incident to our nature as of the stone gout colicke strangury or what other you can name most afflicting the body nay and add besides all the most exquisite and unheard of tortures and if you will even those of the Spanish Inquisition which ever were or shal be inflicted upon miserable men by the bloudiest executioners of the greatest tyrants as that of him in the brazen chaire mentioned before c. and collect them all into one extremest anguish and yet it were nothing to the torment which shall for ever possesse and plague the least part of a damned body And as for the soule let all the griefes horrours and despaires that ever rent in peeces any heavy heart and vexed conscience as of Iudas Spira c. And let them all be heaped together into one extremest horrour and yet it would come infinitely short of that desperate rage and restlesse anguish which shall eternally torture the least and lowest faculty of the soule What then do you think wil be the torment of the whole body What wil be the terrour of the whole soule Here both invention of words would faile the ablest Oratour upon earth or the highest Angell in heaven Ah then is it not a madnesse above admiration and which may justly amaze both heaven and earth and be a prodigious astonishment to all creatures that being reasonable creatures having understanding like the Angels of GOD eyes in your heads to fore-see the approaching wrath hearts in your bodies that can tremble for trouble of mind as the leaves of the forrest that are shaken with the wind consciences capable of unspeakable horrour bodies and soules that can burne for ever in hell and may by taking lesse paines in the right way than a drunkard worldling or other wicked men in the wayes of death and going to hell escape everlasting paines yet will sit here still in the face of the Ministry with dead countenances dull eares and hard hearts as senslesse and unmooved as the seates you sit on the pillars you leane to and the dead bodies you tread on and never be said as they say never warn'd untill the fire of that infernall lake flame about your eares O monstrous madnesse and mercilesse cruelty to your owne soules Let the Angels blush heaven and earth be amaz'd and all the creatures stand astonished at it 3. When sentence is once irrevocably past by that high and everlasting Iudge and the mouth of the bottomlesse pit hath shut it selfe upon thee with that infinite anguish and enraged indignation thou wilt take on teare thy haire bite thy nailes gnash the teeth dig furiously into the very fountaine of life and if it were possible spit out thy bowels because having by a miracle of mercy beene blessed all thy life long in this gloriously illightened Goshen with the fairest noone-tide of the Gospell that ever the Sun saw and either diddest or mightest have heard many and many a powerfull and searching Sermon any one passage wherof if thou haddest not wickedly and wilfully forsaken thine own mercy and suffered Satan in a base and beastly maner to blindfold and baâ—…le thee might have beene unto thee the beginning of the new-birth and everlasting blisse yet thou in that respect a most accursed wretch diddest passe over all that long day of thy gracious visitation like a sonne or daughter of confusion without any piercing or profit at all and passed by all those goodly offers and opportunities with an inexpiable neglect and horrible ingratitude and so now liest drown'd and damn'd in that dreadfull lake of brimstone and fire which thou mightest have so easily and often escaped This irksome and furious reflexion of thy soule upon its owne wilfull folly whereby it hath so unnecessarily and sottishly lost everlasting joy and must now live in endlesse woe will vexe and torture more than thou canst possibly imagine continually gnaw upon thy heart with remedilesse and unconceivable griefe and in a word even make an hell it selfe O then having yet a price in thine hand to get wisdome to go to heaven lay it out with all holy greedinesse while it is called To day for the spirituall and eternall good of thy soule Improve to the utmost for that purpose the most powerfull Ministry holiest company best bookes all motions of GODS Spirit all saving meanes c. Spend every day passe every Sabbath make every prayer heare every Sâ—…imon thinke every thought speake every word do
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
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
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
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
the longest line of eternity In which respect also our condition is a thousand times more happy and glorious than if we had stood still with Adam in his innocency and felicity If so he could but have conveighed unto us bodies immortall potentiâ non moriendi ex Hypothesi as they say that is endowed onely with power of not dying if so and so but now they shall be immortall impotentiâ moriendi that is shine for ever in the highest heavens with impossibility of ever perishing 2. Incorruptiblenesse 1 Corinth 15. 42. 54. For every glorified body shall for ever be utterly impassible and un-impressionable with any corruptive quality action or alteration Whether 1. By the power of some peculiar glorifying endowment implanted in the body or redounding from the soule upon the body for that purpose Or 2. From an exquisite temper and harmony of the Elementary qualities freed everlastingly from all possibility of any angry contrariety and combate Or 3. Which seemeth most probable and approoved by the learned'st Schoole-men from an exact subjection of the body to the soule as of the soule to GOD I say whether so or so I doe not here enquire or contend but leave all alterations in this kinde to the curious disquisitions of such idle and ill-exercis'd Divines The testimony of GODS never-erring Spirit in the cited place is more than infinitely sufficient to assure every Christian heart that our raised bodies reformed by the All-mighty glorious hand of GOD shall never more be exposed to violence or hurt from any externall agent or obnoxious to the least disposition towards any inward decay putrefaction or dissolution 3. Potency 1 Corinth 15. 43. Our soules are in nature substance and immateriality like the Angels of GOD One of which killed in one night an hundred fourescore and five thousand 2 Kings 19. 35. And therefore little know we though the edges excellency and executions may be dul'd and drown'd in our heavy fraile sinfull bodies of what might and power they may be originally But then when to the soules native strength there is an addition of glorifying vigour and GODS mighty Spirits more plentifull inhabitation and it shall also put on a body which brings with it besides its owne peculiar inherent power an exact serviceablenesse and sufficiency apted and apportion'd to the soules highest abilities and executions how incredibly powerfull and mighty may we suppose a Saint in heaven shal be 4. Spiritualnesse 1 Cor. 15. 44. Not that our bodies shall be turned into spirits but imployed spiritually Or more fully thus 1. Because they shal be fully possessed with the Spirit which dwelling primarily and above measure in CHRIST our head is communicated from Him to us His members so that then we shall no more live by our animall faculty nor need for preservation of life meat drinke sleepe clothing physicke or the former naturall helpes In which respect they cease to be naturall bodies being freed from those animall faculties of nourishing increasing and multiplying by generation They shall no more live by vertue of food and nourishment thrice concocted first in the stomach c. but shal be spirituall and heavenly living without all these helpes as the Angels in heaven do 2. Because they shall in all things become subject to the Spirit of GOD and be wholly perfectly and willingly guided by Him with a spirituall Angelicall most absolute and free obedience As the spirit serving the flesh may not unfitly be called carnall so the body obedient to the soule saith Austin is rightly termed spirituall 3. By reason of their activenesse nimblenesse agility whereby they shal be able to moove from place to place with incredible swiftnesse and speed not being at all hindered by their weight An heavy lumpe of lead that sinkes now to the bottome being wire-drawne as it were by the workman into the forme of a boat will swimme saith Austin And shall not GOD give that ability to our bodies which the Artificer doth to the lead c. Here some of the Schoolemen moove an idle unnecessary question to wit Whether glorified Bodies moove from place to place in an instant For they may well know out of the Principles in Philosophy and Rules of sound reason that it is utterly impossible and implies contradiction That a body should in an instant be in many places at once But if a glorified body moove from place to place in an instant it will necessarily follow that the same body is in an instant In termino à quo locis intermedijs termino ad quem simul in the beginning middle and end of the space thorow which it passeth at once which is more than utterly impossible and quite destroyes the nature of a true Body I would rather interpret those words of Austin Certè ubi volet spiritus ibi protinus â—…rit corpus the body will presently be there where the soule would have it of extraordinary speed and incredibly short time Aquinas cals it imperceptible So that I doubt not but that a glorified Saint desiring to be in such or such a place a thousand miles off after the very first bent of his will that way would be there in an incredibly lesse time than thou wouldest imagine 5. Glory 1 Corinth 15. 43. The bodies of the Saints in heaven shal be passingly beautifull shining and amiable Two things according to Austin concurre to the constitution of beauty 1. A due and comely proportion an apt and congruent symmetry and mutuall correspondency of all the parts of the body or in a word well-favourednesse 2. Amiablenesse of colour a pleasing mixture of those two lively colours of white and red I add a third 3. A cheerfull lively light some aspect When the two former materials as it were are pleasantly enliv'd and actuated by a lively quicknesse and modest merrinesse of countenance Whereupon saith the Moralist it is not the red and white which giveth the life and perfection of beauty but certaine sparkling notes and touches of amiable cheerefulnesse accompanying the same In beauty saith another that of favour is more than that of colour and that of decent pleasing motion more than that of favour That is the best part of beauty which a picture cannot expresse c. All these concurre in eminency and excellency in glorified bodies 1. An exquisite feature and stature beautified by GODS owne blessed all-mighty hand with the utmost of created comlinesse and matchlesse proportion 2. Not onely sweetest mixture of liveliest colours but also a bright shining splendour of celestiall glory 3. And both these actuated to the life preserved in perpetuall freshnesse and oriency and quickened still with new supply of heavenly activenesse and amiablenesse by a more glorious soule for if the brightnesse of the body shall match the light of the Sun what do you thinke will be the glory of the soule and by an infinitely more glorious spirit which shall plentifully
dwell in them both for ever Amplifie the glory of our bodies in heaven from such places as these Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 13. 45. Phil. 3. 20 21. Col. 3. 4. From which the ancient Fathers also thus collect and affirme If we should compare saith Chrysostome our future bodies even with the most glistering beames of the Sun we shall yet say nothing to the expression of the excellency of their shining glory The beauty of the just in the other life saith Anselme shal be equall to the glory of the Sun though sevenfold brighter than now it is The brightnesse of a glorified body doth as farre excell the Sun as the Sun our mortall body Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Not saith Chrysostome because they shall not surpasse the brightnesse of the Sun but because that being the most glittering thing in the world he takes a resemblance thence towards the expressing of their incomparable glory But how can there be so much beauty and delightfull amiable aspect in such intensive and extraordinary brightnesse Or what pleasure can we take in beholding such extremely bright and shining bodies Sith we find by experience that there is farre more content and delight in looking upon a well-proportioned object beautified with a pleasant mixture of colours than in seeing the Sun though it should not so dazle and offend the eyes For satisfaction herein we must know that the glorified eye shall become impassible elevated farre above all mortall possibility and fortified by an heavenly vigour to apprehend and enjoy all celestiall light and glory with much ravishing contentment and inexplicable delight Secondly that omnipotent mercifull hand of GOD which will raise our bodies out of the dust and reforme them anew can cause light and colour to concurre and consist in excellency in glorified bodies Those things which according to nature can consist together the one or both being in gradu remisso as they say abated of their height can by divine power consist together in gradu intensissimo suae speciei in their excellency but it is so with light and colour according to nature ergo c. as Durandus one of the acutest Schoolemen makes good by arguments Whether shall colour or light be seene Why not both in a most delicious admirable mixture Here the Schoolemen according to their wont do curiously inquire discusse and determine the manner of the acts exercise and objects of all the senses They say not only 1. That the eye shall delightfully contemplate CHRISTS glorious body the shining bodies of the Saints the beauty of the Empyrean Heaven c. 2. The eare drinke up with infinite delight the vocall harmony of Hailelu-jahs c. But also audaciously undertake to define without any good ground or found warrant many particulars about the other senses not without much absurdity and unspiritualnesse But let it be sufficient for us without searching beyond the bonds of sobriety to know for a certaine that every sense shal be filled with its severall singularity and excellency of all possible pleasure and perfection 4. In a fourth place let us take a glance of the unutterable happinesse of the Soule I should be infinite and endlesse if I did undertake to pursue the severall glories felicities and excellencies of every faculty of the soule and when I had done ended with the utmost of all both Angelicall and humane understanding and eloquence come infinitely short of expressing them to the life I will at this time but give you a taste onely in the understanding Part And that shal be extraordinarily and supernaturally enlarged and irradiated with the highest illuminations largest comprehensions and utmost extent of all possible comfortable knowledge of which such a creature is capable 1. Humane knowledge of Arts Nature created things is delicious and much desired Witnesse 1. The wisest Heathens and best Philosophers who were so ravished but even with a dimme glimpse of this knowledge that in comparison thereof they have contemned all the riches pleasures and preferments of the world 2. That wise saying A learned man doth as farre excell an illiterate as a reasonable creature a brute 3. The extraordinarily exulting and triumphant cry of the famous Mathematician hitting after long and laborious disquisition upon some abstruse excellency of his Art I have found it I have found it 4. That passage in an Epistle of Aeneas Silvius to Sigism D. of Austria If the face of humane learning could be seene it is fairer and more beautifull than the Morning and Evening Starre 5. For the pleasure and delight of knowledge and learning saith another it farre surpasseth all other in nature for shall the pleasures of the affections so exceed the senses as much as the obtaining of desire and victory exceedeth a song or dinner And must not of consequence the pleasures of the intellect or understanding exceed the pleasures of the affections We see in all other pleasures there is a saetiety and after they be used their verdour departeth which sheweth well they be but deceipts of pleasure and not pleasures and that it was the novelty which pleased and not the quality And therefore we see that voluptuous men turne Friers and ambitious Princes turne melancholy But of knowledge there is no satiety But satisfaction and appetite are perpetually interchangeable and therefore appeareth to be good in it selfe simply without fallacy or accident Now this learning shall then be fully perfected and raised to the highest pitch so that the least and lowest of the Saints in heaven shall farre surpasse in cleare contemplation of the causes of all naturall things and conclusions of Art the deepest Philosophers greatest Artists and learnedst Linguists that ever lived upon earth There are many difficulties and doubts in all kinds of humane learning which have from time to time exercised the bravest wits but by reason of the native dimnesse of our understanding never received cleare resolution and infallible assent As Whether the Elementary formes be in mixt Bodies 1. Corrupted 2. Remitted only 3. Or Entire Whether the celestiall Orbs be moved by Angels or internall formes Whether there be three distinct soules in a man 1. Vegetative 2. Sensitive 3. Rationall Or one onely in substance containing vertually the other two How all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appearances in the Aethereall Heaven may be truliest and with least exception maintained whether by Excentricks and Epicycles or onely by Concentricks or the Earths motion or the motion of the Starres in the heavens as fish move in the sea and birds in the aire c. So the best wits are inextricably pusl'd also about the Sympathy and Antipathy of things Alchymie cause of Criticall daies The mysts about these and many things moe shal be dispel'd out of our minds by a cleare sunne of a new and excellent knowledge so that we shal be exactly acquainted with the
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
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
no magnitude else caâ—… containe Sr. W. Rawleigh Lib. 1. Cap. 4. Non est quod quaeras ultia ubi â—…rat ante quam mundus tieret Pâ—…eter ipsum nihil erat ergo in seipso 〈◊〉 Beâ—… de consid Lib. 5. Cap. 6. Antequam faceret DEVS coelum terram ubi habitabat In Se habitabat apud Se habitabat apud Se est DEVS Augâ—…in Psal. 122. Ante omnia DEVS erat solus Ipse Sibi mundus locus omnia Solus autem quia nihil extrinsecus praeter Illum Tâ—…rtull adversuâ—… Praxean non procul ab initio * Fâ—…st DEVS it a ubique ut non tantum omnes hujus universi partes permeet sed etiam immensa illa spatia quae sunt supra coelos qua est naturae infinitate penetret non tamen existimes DEVM ibi essâ—… tanquam in loco posiâ—…ivo repletivè sed tantum per immensitatem essentiae Eustachius De DEO â—… â—… * Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot containe Thee 1 King 8. 27. * Vbi est Quid diximiser Sed ubi non est Altior est coelo inferno profundior latioâ—… terrâ mari diffusior Nusquam est ubiquè est Quià nec abest ulli nec ullo capitur loco Bern. mihi Col. 363. * There is a place beyond that slaming Hill From whence the starres their thin appearance shed A place beyond all place where never ill Nor impure thought was ever harboured But Saintly Herâ—…es are for ever said To keepe an everlasting Sabbathâ—…rest Still wishing that of what they are still possest Enjoying but one joy but one of all joyes best Fletcher CHRISTS Victory pag. 2. St. 6. * Communis quidem opinio est decem tantùm esse coelos mobiles nempè 7 coelos Planetarum Coelum Stellatum Coelum Cristallinum primum mobile Verùm mihi valdè probabilis visa est recentiorum Mathematicorum sententia undecim esse coelos mobiles ita ut inter firmamentum primum mobile pro unico Coelo Cristallino duplex coelum constituatur Namque pro unico motu trepidationis qui Coelo Cristallino tribuebatur quem admitti non posse demoastrant ponunt duplicem motum librationis alterum ab Ortu ad Occasum è contrà quem tribuunt nonae spherae Alterum à Septentrione ad Austrum è contrà quem decimae Spherae assignant His additur undecima Sphaeraseu primum Mobile Denique Theologi praeter Coelos mobiles admittunt supremum Coelum immobile quod Empyâ—…um appellant quod sit sedes Beatorum Dâ—… Coelo 2. 6. * Neque ex sensu neque ex motu neque ex effectu aut adjuncto aliquo sed ex solâ DEâ—… per Scripturas revelatione nobis innotuit Tilen * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Coelo Text. 99. * Statum Ecclesiae contiâ—…uum a suo tempore in omnem usque aeter â—…itatem deâ—…cripsit Iohannes sicut Prophetae Iesaias Ezechieiâ—… quae causa est cur non omnia ista vaticinia vel de solâ Ecclesiâ vel de solo Coelo sed de utroque simul intelligi possint out debeant verùm servatâ moderatione Nequè enim omnia quae de Ecclesiâ sunt â—…a etiam de coelo intelligi possunt Nequè vicissim omnia quaede Coelo ea ad Ecclesiam accommodari queunt But ye are to observe that it is not the purpose of the HOLY GHOST to set forth the just and full composse of the Heaâ—… enly Ierusalem For it is immeasurable to our capacity but by this great measure He giveth us as it were some tâ—…ste of the largenesse thereof Gyffard upon Rev. Cap. 21. * Habitationes sunt in coelis quae sufficiant infinitis mundis capiendis imò virtus est in asâ—…eÌ„sione CHRISTI ad praeparandum locum infinitis etlam mundis nedum omnibus hominibus qui in hoc uno mundo sunt Sed causa est in hominibus ipsis qui desunt sibi nequè â—…edunt in illum sanguinem quo praeparantur nobis illa in coelis loca Rolloc in Ioâ—…n Cap. 14. * Mathematici alij distantiam Coeli Stelliferi seu firmamenti metientes numerant 16538562. milliaria Germanica alij ut Bernardinus Rosetus numeraÌ„t 65257500. Age igitur â—… Quantam dicis Astrologe à centroterrae ad coelum octavum seu firmamentum vulgò appellatum distaâ—…iam Vulgò intervallum dicitur continere Diametros terrae 10040 11 24. Terrae verò Diametro tribuuntur partes 120. Vniâ—…uique parti milliaria 6a Quae ducta in totum Diametrum conficiunt summam milliariorum 7440. Qui numerus multiplicatus per 10040 11 24. ostendit distantiam terrae ab orbe octavo nempè 74703180. milliariorum See Casman Ouranogra Be it so that the adventure of Mathematicians in this Point be too audacious and peremptory and that the sublimily and how many miles it is distant cannot be certainly knowne yet you must nâ—…eds be of â—…y Authors mind Dubitari non potest magnam esse Expanss coelestis intercapedinem altitudinem siquidem id testatur cùm visus ipse tùm passim sacra Scriptura Ioh 11. 8. Dicuntur coeli altissimi ideóque quantitas corum est impervestigabilis alâ—…itudo homini inscrutabilis Idem Ibid. * Maginus was the man who by his admirable arâ—… of latter times added a tenth mooveable Heaven so that now there are three mooveable Heavens above the Firmament as our Masters in that Profession teach us Sâ—…c Maginus his Theoriques Eustachius followeâ—… him De Mundo Coelo pag. 64. 65. * See Casman Astrol. p. 1. cap. â—… Vt in nullum numerum ponamus aut Veneris aut Mercurij sydera nec computemus stellas novem quas obscuras aut quinque quas rubeas appellant vel nebulosas nullo etiam numero habeamus infinitas alias quae sexto ordine sunt minores a Nihil temerè hic vel asseverare vel inficiari debeo Novi interim Beatorum domicilium illud supremum coeluÌ„ dâ—…pingi lucidissimum sub imagine novae Hierosolymae Apoc. 21. 23. Dicitur Non eget Sole Lunâ ut lucâ—…ant in eâ Nam gloria DEI illustrateam Lucerna ejus est Agnus Quid hinc mi Patrici Desententiâ Iohannis Aliam esse lucem coelestis gloriae aliam Solis Luna Non opus esse Sole ait Lunâ Negatio est sydereae lucis Opponitur ci affirmatio divinae lucis gloriosae quae proficiscitur à DEI gloriâ Agno Filio DEI. Ibid. Neque vrbi ista eget Sole c. Non negat quin Sol Luna in firmamento suum retentura sunt lumen sed ait supremum illud coelum longè praestantioâ—…i luce splendere nec opus habere tali Sole Lunâ Gloria inquit DEI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Discrimen facit inter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gloriam DEI inter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quo ipsa urbs illustratur Gloria DEI
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
cernimuâ—… per sensum videndi solem lunam stellas terras maria slumina animantia arbores metalla Sed mens nostra nihil omninò cernit i. e. nullam substantiam creatam perfectè nos it non differentias essentiales non proprietates non vires ac nè animam qâ—…i sem suam homo videt sed moâ—…e coecorum palpando effecta discurrendo per rationem aliquid cognitionis acquirit Quale ergò gaudium erit cum intelligenâ—…a nostra revelata fa ie manifestè videbit naturas omnium rerum differentias proprietates vires Et cum quanta exultatione obstupescet cùm videbit exerciâ—…um Angelorum innumerabilem quorum nullus cum alâ—…o in specie convenit differentias omnium singulorum perspicuâ—… intuebitur De aeâ—…ern Foelicit Lib. â—… Cap. 2. When we shall know GOD in heaven we shall in Him know the manner of the worke of creation the mysteries of the worke of our Redemption yea so much knowledge as a creature can possibly conceive and comprehend of the Creatour and Hâ—… workes P. P. See Durand Lib. 4. Dist. 49. q. 2. All I say is cuber from my owne certaine knowledge or concurrent testimony above exception I would not speake a word which I think not in my conscience to be true to be heire of his possessions It may be affection may make me deliver things something passionately and more unto the life White pag. 80. at Spittle See â—…asill 406. ad fincm Doctrine a In Loc. Sicut non omnes sapientes damnantur ita nec omnes qui è vulgo sunt salvantur Sed qui agnitione suae indignitatis humiliantur reverenter se subiâ—…ciunt verbo Christum in Evangelio amplectuntur Hi salvantur sive sint ex primoribus sive ex vulgi fece Sed illud fieri in pluribus ex vulgo in paucioribus verò ex sapientibus Christus affirmat 1. Rom. 9. 20. Matth. 7. 29. Luk. 4. 32. Matth 4. 25. Argumentâ—… stulâ—…o Theoph. Matth. 21. 31. Degeneratio optimi pessima Hom. Vol. 2. Hom. 17. pag. â—… 13. Eliz. cap. 8. Iudg. 9. Nemo unquam imperium flagitio quaesitum bonis artibus exercuit Hist. lib. 1. pag. 417. Mallent cadere quà m loco cedere Amentia usquè ad prodigium 2 Sam. 17. 23. Quisque in alio supersluum esse censet ipse quod non hâ—…bet nec cuâ—…at That which he hath not himselfe or doth not esteeme he accounts superfluity an idle quality a meere foppery or hypocrisie in another Cap. 17 1â—… Pag. 2â—…1 Lib. 5. pag. â—…61 seq Histor. of Frame pag. 196. Corrupt affection defined No workes signes or miracles are able to change the hardnesse of mans heart but grace from GOD onely Ioh. 12. 37 38. Cap. 49. 4. Psal. 114. 7. Psal 47. 5. Psal. 114. 8. Gen. 4. 9. 1 King 21. 4. * Bodin de Rep. lib. 5. cap. 6. Pag. 109. Psal 24. 4. Mat. 5. 8. Heb. 1â—… 14 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. â—… pag. 258. Pag. 7â—… Heb 12. 14. Psal. 24. 4. Mat 5. 8. Ioh. 3. 3. Eph. 5. 15. Quid beatius esse poterit quà m in tetrâ tripudium Angelorum iâ—… mitari mox orto die ad precationes properantem hymnis odis venerari Creatorem c Basil. Epist. 1. Docens admonens atque formam ostendens tunc filijs suis tunc omnibus nobis in perpetuum ut confestim diluculo ex noctis requie exsurgentes ante omne opus vel verbum ante omne colloquium vel conventionem primitias resurrectionis nostrae Deo exhibeamus in sinceris orationibus atque precibus in matutinis deprecationibus atque gratiarum actionibus Origen lib. 1. In Iob sol 7. A mensa non ad lectum sed ad deprecationem vertamur ne brutis animantibus simus magis bruti Novi fore multos qui damnent ea quae nunc dicuntur veluti qui novam quandam miram consuetudinem inveham concionandi At ego magis damnabo pravam consuetudinem quae nunc obtinuit Eâ—…enim quòd post cibum mensam non ad somnum oporteat ire nec ad cubile sed oporteat cibo preces ac divinarum Scripturarum lectionem succedere manifestiùs declaravit ipse Christus qui quum immensam multitudinem accepisset convivio in deserto non remisit illos ad lectum aut somnum sed ad audiendos sermones divinos invitavit Chrysost. conc 1. De Lazaro Nec solum vobis sufficiat quòd in Ecclesiâ divinas lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite libentèr audite August de Tem. Serm. 55. Pag. â—…77 Vsex * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut 1. 17 〈◊〉 it 19. 15. 〈◊〉 chron sol â—…7 Psalm 25. Pag. 144.
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
transcendent to the starres The basenesse folly and iniquity of these times is not more visible and eminent in any thing than in making or rather marring of marriages How often may we see by ordinary observation a little golden glue to joyne fast in the dearest bonds pearles and clay And silken fooles to carie away sufficiencies above their worthlesse weight in richest jewels The world is stark mad in this Point But they are rightly served noble miseries and golden fetters are fit enough for such couples For from this bitter root of a covetous carnall ambitious or any wayes unconscionable choice springs a world of misery and mischiefe overthrow and ruine of great houses scandalous divorces unlawfull separations dishonour disturbance jealousies adulteries bastardies brawlings mutuall exprobration of each others infirmities deformity portion parentage or some other cutting and netling matter of discontent sinfull disorders in families ill education of children c. And without repentance after a few and wretched dayes tediously worne out with much irksomnesse and hearts-breake lying together everlastingly in the lake of fire there banning each other with much desperate horrour and many bitter despairefull gnashings of teeth that ever they entered into that estate 2. Predominancy of carnall love Which may be justly punished with many fits of frowardnesse and falling out from such small occasions and light grounds that the Parties may well perceive that the correcting hand of GOD is in it leading them thereby to the sight and notice to remorse and reformation of the brutish sensuality and sinfulnesse of their matrimoniall affection which should ever be rectified by reason and spiritualiz'd with grace Mariage is rather a fellowship of dearest amity then disordered love And love and amity are as different as the burning sicke heat of a fever from the naturall kindly heat of a healthfull body 3. Immodest or immoderate abuse of the mariage Which though it lie without the walk of humane lawes yet divine justice doth many times deservedly chastise it with variety of visitations upon themselves families outward state good name with miscariages barrennesse bad children giving them over to unnecessary distempers and strangenesse in their cariage one unto another and other such like discomforts and crosses Which though they may also befall GODS children for other ends yet let all guilty couples in such cases conceive that they fall upon them for such secret sensuall exorbitancies and excesse 4. Want of a comfortable communion in prayer godly conference mutuall communication of their spirituall estate and how they stand to GOD-ward daies of humiliation helping one another towards heaven and that joyfull fore-thought of most certaine meeting together in the ever lasting mansions of glory joy and blisse above Such divine fellowship would incredibly sweeten that dearest indissoluble knot and make that state a very earthly Paradise to those few black Swannes that love so sweetly and graciously together 5. Ignorance or negligence in the right understanding and practising both of the common and severall duties pertinent and proper to that estate In all other Arts Professions and Trades of life the Practitioners desire and endeavour to be ready in and ruled by the precepts and directions thereof but as concerning this great mysterie of managing the mariage-state with wisdome conscience and comfort the most are as ignorant in those Treatises which teach their Duties of which there are many excellent ones extant as they are basely insolent in clownish frowardnesse or imperious tyranny to create a great deale of needlesse discontent and misery both to themselves and their yoke-fellowes 4. Helpe also we may have for the Point in hand even from the wiser Heathen Who out of the very light of nature and grounds of reason did learne and labour to mollifie and asswage the stinging fore-thoughts of ills to come and to prepare for a more easie and patient passage thorow them by entertaining a resolution before-hand to looke for as no uncouth thing any calamity crosse or casualty incident to mortality and the condition of man and if they escap'd them to hold it a gaine and advantage and as it were an exemption from ordinary frailtie and common miserie of mankinde If they fell upon them the bitternesse would be much abated by their former preparednesse and expectation But we who professe Christianity and to whom the Booke of GOD belongs have farre more soveraigne antidotes to allay the smart more sacred and surer meanes to mitigate and take off the furyof feared future evils even the sure Word of GOD many exceeding great and precious Promises confirmed with the oath of the All mighty and sealed with the bloud of His Son Every one of them is farre more worth though the worldling thinkes not so than all the wealth and sweetnesse of both the Indies GOD is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make away to escape that ye may be able to beare it 1 Cor. 10. 13. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8. 18. All things worke together for good to them that love GOD Vers. 28. He that spared not His owne Son but delivered Him up for us all How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things Vers. 32. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Isa. 43. 2 c. If thou truly feare GOD feare nothing that shall hereafter fall upon thee temptation triall disgrace distresse in outward things the face of man fiery times danger from men or Devils Death it selfe or whatsoever can be imagined most formidable to flesh and bloud For assuredly He that is afflicted with thee in all thy afflictions will ever fortifie thee with sufficient strength before-hand uphold thee with His all-powerfull presence in the middest of them and at length most gloriously deliver thee in despite of all hell and the whole world 5. It is comfortable to consider that GOD never puts His servants to suffer but He furnisheth them with spirituall sufficiency to go thorow If He meane to bring thee to the stake He will undoubtedly give thee a Martyrs strength It is His sweetest method and mercy first to fit His children with divine ability and answerable endowments and then sets them on work to do or suffer any thing for His sake He suffers some to become extraordinary objects and the speciall aime of extremest malice spiteful railings and all the keenest arrowes of lewdest tongues when He hath fil'd him first with so much Christian magnanimity and noblenesse of spirit that he is able to passe by the most scurrill gybe of the impurest drunkard or the disdainefull frowne of the proudest Haman without wound or passion and doth resolvedly and