soul the object is too clear for our weak eyes our eyes are but earthly the soul of an heavenly nature O divine being not onely heavenly but heaven it self as God and man met both in Christ so heaven and earth met both in man would you see this earth that is the body Out of it wast thou taken and into it must thou return Gen. 4.19 Gen. 4.19 would you see this heaven that is the soul the God of heaven gave it and to the God of heaven returns it Eccles 12.7 Eccles 12.7 The body is but a lump but the soul is that breath of life of earth came the body of God was the soul thus earth and heaven met in the creation and the man was made a living soul Gen. 2.7 Gen. 2.7 the sanctified soul is an heaven upon earth Est coelum sancta anima habens solem intellectum lunam fidem astra virtutet Bern super Cantic where the sun is understanding the moon is faith and the stars gracious affections what heaven is in that body which lives and moves by such a soul yet so wonderfull is Gods mercy to mankinde that as reason doth possesse the soul so the soul must possesse this body Here is that union of things visible and invisible as the light is spirituall incorruptible indivisible and so united to the air that of these two is made one without confusion of either in like manner is the soul united to this body one together distinguished asunder onely here 's the difference the light is most visible the soul is invisible she is the breath of God the beauty of man the wonder of Angels the envie of devils that immortall splendor which never eye hath seen never eye must see And yet we must up another step it is fourthly incorporeall as not seen with a mortall eye so neither clogg'd with a bodily shape I say not but the soul hath a body for his organ to which it is so knit and tyed that they cannot be severed without much sorrow or strugling yet is it not a body but a spirit dwelling in it the body is an house and the soul the inhabitant every one knows the house is not the inhabitant and yet O wonder there is no roome in the house where the inhabitant lives not would you please to see the roomes the eye is her window the head is her tower the heart is her closet the mouth is her hall the lungs her presence chamber the senses her cinque-ports the common-sense her custome-house the phantasie her mint the memory her treasury the lips are her two leav'd doores that shut and open and all these and all the rest as the motions in a Watch are acted and mooved by this spring the Soul See here a composition without confusion the soul is in the body yet it is not bodily as in the greatest world the earth is more solid the water less the ayr yet lesser the fire least of all so in this little world of man the meaner parts are of grosser substance and the soul by how much more excellent by so much more spirituall and wholly with-drawn from all bodily being And yet a little higher it is fiftly immortall It was the errour of many Fathers Scaliger notae in nov Test That bodies and souls must both die till doomes-day and then the bodies being raised the souls must be revived Were that true why then cryes Stephen Lord Iesu receive my spirit or why should Paul be dissolved that he might be with Christ Act. 7.59 Philip. 1.23 Blessed men are but men and therefore no wonder if subject to some errour Others more absolutely deny the souls immortality We are born say they at all adventures and we shall be hereafter as though we had never been Why so for the breath is a smoke in our nostrils and the words as a spark raised out of our hearts Wisd 2.2 3. which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as soft ayre What is the soul a smoak and the spirit no better then the soft vanishing ayre Matth. 22.32 wretched men Have you not read what is spoken of God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob now God saith Christ is not the God of the dead but of the living Abraham Isaac Iacob they are not dead then in the better part their souls but passed indeed from the valley of death unto the land of the living Whosoever liveth and believeth in mee saith our Saviour shall never die Iohn 11.26 John 11.26 Not die against some never die against others what can we more onely live and believe in him that redeemed us and be sure his promises shall never fail us our souls must live live for ever Sweet soul blessed with the felicity of eternall life here 's a joy unspeakable that this soul now clogged with cares vexations griefs passions shall one day enjoy those joyes immortall not for a day or two Nullus erit defectus nullus terminus though this were more then we can imagine but through all eternity There shall be no defect nor end after millions of ages the soul must still live in her happiness it is not of a perishing but an everlasting substance And yet the perfection of the soul goes higher it is most like to God so far it transcends all earthly happiness I cannot say but in some sort all creatures have this likeness every effect hath at least some similitude with its cause but with a difference some onely have a being as stones others being and life as plants but man above all hath a being life and reason and therefore of all other the most like unto his Creatour Can we any more yes one step higher and we are at the top of Jacobs ladder The soul is not onely like God but the image of God I cannot denie but there is some apparance of it in the outward man and therefore the bodie in some measure partakes of this image of the Deity it was man and whole man that was corrupted by sin and by the law of contraries it was man and whole man that was beautified with this image Please you to look at the body is it not a little world wherein every thing that God made was good as therefore all goodness comes from him so was he the pattern of all goodness that being in him perfectly which onely is in us partly This is that Idaea whereby God is said to be the exemplar of the world man then in his body being as the worlds map what is he but that image in which the builder of the world is manifest but if you look at the parts of his body how often are they attributed though in a metaphor yet in resemblance to his Maker our eyes are the image of his wisdome our hands are the image of his power our heart is the image of his
judgment seat the rosie wounds of our Saviour still bleeding as it were in the prisoners presence These are the wounds not as tokens of infirmity but victory Aquin. supplem Q. 90. A. 2. ad secundum and these now shall appear not as if he must suffer but to shew us he hath suffered See here an object full of glory splendor majesty excellency and this is He the man the judg the rewarder of every man according to his works The Judge we have set in his Throne and before we appear let us practice our repentance that we answer the better Vse 1 Think but O sinner what shall be thy reward when thou shalt meet this Iudge The adultery for a while may flatter beauty the Swearer grace his words with oathes the Drunkard kiss his cups and drink his bodies-health till he bring his soul to ruine but remember for all these things God will bring thee to judgment Eccles 11.9 Cold comfort in the end the Adulterer shall fatisfie his lust when he lies on a bed of fire all hugged and embraced with those flames the swearer shall have enough of wounds and blood when Devils torture his body and rack his soul in hell the Drunkard shall have plenty of his Cups when scalding lead shall be poured down his throat and his breath draw flames of fire in stead of air as is thy sin so is the nature of thy punishment the just Iudge shall give just measure and the ballance of his wrath poize in a just porportion Vse 2 Yet I will not discomfort you who are these Iudges dearest favorites Now is the day if you are Gods servants that Sathan shall be trod under your feet and you with your Lord and Master Christ shall be carried into the holiest of holies You may remember how all the men of God in their greatest anguishes here below have fetcht comfort by the eye of faith at this mountain Iob rejoyced being cast on the Dung-hill that his Redeemer lived and that he should see him at the last day stand on the earth Iohn longed and cried Come Lord Iesus come quickly and had we the same precious faith we have the same precious promises why then are we not ravished at the remembrance of these things certainly there is an happy faith wheresoever it shall be found that shall not be ashamed at that day Now therefore little children abide in him 1 Joh. 2.28 that when he shall appear we may have confidence Confidence what else I will see you again saith our Saviour-Iudge and your heart shall rejoyce Joh. 16.22 and your joy no man taketh from you O blessed mercy that so triumphes against judgment our hearts must joy our joyes endure and all this occasioned by the sight of our Saviour for Hee shall reward every man according to his works We have prepared the Iudge for sentence he hath rid his circuit in the Clouds and made the Rain-bow his chair of state for his judgment seat his Sheriffes are the Saints that now rise from the Dust to meet their Iudge whom long they have exspected the summons is sent out by a shout from heaven the cry no sooner made but the graves flie open and the dead arise stay a while till I ready them you have seen the Iudge and now we prepare the judged He is the Iudge every man the judged and He shall reward every man according to his works Every man THe persons to be judged are a world of men all men of the world good and bad elect and reprobates but in a different manner To give you a full view of them I must lead your attentions orderly through these passages there must be a Citation Resurrection Collection Separation follow me in these pathes and you may see both the men and their difference before they come to their judgments First there is a summons and Every man must hear it it is performed by a shout from heaven and the voice of the last Trump Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Jeronymus super Mathaeum Verc vox tubae terribilis cui omnia obediunt elementa petras scindit inferos c. Chrysost 1. ad Corin. 15. the clangor of this Trump could ever sound in Ieroms eares Arisr yee dead and come to judgment the clangor of this Trump will sound in all mens eares it shall wake the dead out of their drouzy sleep and change the living from their mortall state make devils tremble and the whole world shake with terrour A terrible voice a Trumpet shall sound that shall shake the world rend the rocks break the mountains dissolve the bonds of death burst down the gates of hell and unite all spirits to their own bodies What say you to this Trump that can make the whole Universe to tremble no sooner shall it sound but the the earth shall shake the mountains skip like Ramms and the little hills like young sheep it shall pierce the waters and fetch from the bottome of the Sea the dust of Adams seed it shall tear the rocky Tombes of earthly Princes and make their haughty minds to stoop before the King of heaven it shall remove the center and tear the bowels of the earth open the graves of all the dead and fetch their souls from heaven or hell to reunite them to their bodies A dreadfull summons of the wicked whom this suddain noise will no less astonish then confound the dark pitchy walls of that infernall pit of hell shall be shaken with the shout when the dreadfull soul shall leave its place of terrour and once more re-enter into her stinking Carrion to receive a greater condemnation what terrour will this be to the wicked wretch what wofull salutations will there be between that body and soul which living together in the height of iniquity must now be re-united to enjoy the fulness of their misery Joh. 5.28 29. The voice of Christ is powerfull the dead shall hear his voice and they shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the resurrection of condemnation You hear the summons and the next is your appearance death the Goaler brings all his prisoners from the grave and they must stand and appear before the Judge of heaven The summons is given and every man must appear Death must now give back all their spoils and restore again all that she hath took from the world What a gastly sight will this be to see all the Sepulchers open to see dead men rise out of their graves and the scattered dust to flie on the wings of the wind till it meet together in one compacted body Ezekiels dry bones shall live thus saith the Lord I will lay sinewes upon you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall know that I am the Lord Ezek. 37.6 Ezek. 37.6 This dust of ours shall be
and blessed is this penitent Thief no sooner entred he into the gates of Heaven but there meets him with musick and dancing Luke 15.25 all the quire of Heaven and Lord what a joy entred into his soul when his soul entred into his masters joy Tell me could I speak with thee that dwellest in the Heavens what a day was that when stepping from the Crosse and conducted to Paradise thou wast there received with all honourable companies and troops above there did the Patriarchs meet thee and the Prophets hug thee and the Martyrs struck up their Harps to bid thee welcome to the Tabernacle of Heaven Such honour have all his Saints that attain the fellowship of the Saints in glory But more then so thou shalt be with me and therefore with my Angels Lo here a blessed companie indeed these are the heavenly Choristers eternally singing Jehovahs praise The Seraphims cry aloud Esay 6.3 Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts an Army answer to the antheme Glory to God on high The whole Quire of heaven add the burthen Revel 4.11 Thou art wortby O Lord to receive honour and glory and power for thou hast created all things and for thy sake they are and were creâ—â—â—d O heavenly harmony consisting of ten thousand times ten thousand various sorts of Musick Revel 5.11 I heard saith John the Divine that 〈◊〉 of many Angels round about the throne and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand thousand of thousands these are the shining and singing Starres of which God told his servant Job Job 38.7 The morning starres sing together and the serâ—â—â—â—â— of God shout for joy These are the winged Châ—risters of 〈◊〉 whom John the Divine heard singing their song of Hallelujah and Hosanna Revel 19.6 I heard saith he the voice of a great multitude as the voice of many waters the voice of â—any Angels singing and saying Hallelujah and again Hallelujah these are the nimble Posts of heaven Gen. 28.12 whom Jacob sayâ— thing 〈◊〉 and down the Ladder these are the Protectours of the godly whose aid God promised the Israelites Exod. 23.20 Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee to the place which I have prepared These are the Guardians of sucking Infants of whom our Saviour told his Disciples that in Matth. 18.10 Heaven their Angels alwayes behold the face of his Father these are the armies of God who meeting Jacob in his journey Gen. 32.2 he said this is Gods Hosts these are the Spirits and Ministers of God whom David describing by the purity of their substance and readinesse of their obedience he calls the Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire Psal 104.4 They are shining and singing stars winged choristers nimble Posts of heaven Protectours of the godly guardians of children the armies of the Almighty the Spirits and Ministers of the great Jehovah What blessed companie is this we shall enjoy in heaven there is nothing in them but is amiable nothing in them but is admirable O that this clay of ours should come to dwell with thâ—se incorporeall spirits and yet see here a man a thief 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of men by his confession and contrition and faith in Christ is now become a companion with Angels Nor is that all thou shalt be with me not onely with my Saints and Angels but with me with my soul in Paradise His soul indeed was there though his body at that time was in the grave and if the soul be it that makes us men what a passing great joy is that when men standing amongst the Angels shall see their Lord the Lord of heaven not to be an Angel but a man Here is the solace of Saints when they shal see say who is yond that rules on the Throne of heaven who is yond that sits on the right hand of God the Father and they shal answer themselves again it is he that for us became man for the salvation it is he that of our souls hath took upon him a body soul And think now with thy self whosoever thou art that readst if thou wilt but spend thy few evil dayes in his fear so die in his favour what a comfort will it be unto thee to see that Lamb sitting on his seat of state If the wise men of the East came so far and so rejoyced to see him in the Manger what will it be to thee to see him sitting and glittering in his glory If John Baptist did leap at his presence in his mothers belly what shall his presence do in his royall and eternall Kingdome It passeth all other glories saith Austin to be admitted to the inestimable sight of Christ his face August and to receive the beams of glory from the brightnesse of his Majestie nay should we suffer torments every day or for a time the very pains of hell it self thereby to gain the sight of Christ and of his Saints it were nothing in comparison No wonder then Phil. 1.23 if Paul desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Alas who would not be so O most sweet Saviour saith one devoutly when shall this joyfull day come when shall I appear before thy face when shall I be filled with thy excellent beautie when shall I see that countenance of thine which the very Angels themselves are so desirous to behold an happie time sure will it be to each faithfull soul And thus happie was this man he parted sorrowfully with our Saviour on the Crosse but he met him joyfully in his Kingdome those sweet souls that both left the world at one time no sooner had heaven gates opened unto them but with mutuall kisses they embraced each other in unspeakable manner Nor was this all thou shalt be with me not onely with my soul but with my God-head this indeed was the height of blisse the very soul of heavens joy it self set aside this and crown a man with the Empire of all the earth the splendour of heaven the royall endowments of a glorified soul the sweetest company of Saints and Angels yet still would his soul be full of emptinesse and utterly to seek for the surest Sanctuary whereon to rest onely once admit him to the face of God and then presently and never before his infinite desire exspires in the bosome of his Maker I denie not but the other joyes in heaven are transcendent and ravishing but they are all no better then accessories to this principall drops to this Ocean glimpses to this Sunne If you ask how can our souls enjoy this God-head I answer two wayes first by the understanding secondly by the will The understanding is filled by a clear glorious sight of God 1 Cor. 12.12 called Beatificall vision we shall see him face to face saith Paul 1 Cor. 13.12 We shall see him as he is saith John 1 John 3.2 1 John
both give their lights that Lambe that was slain from the beginning of the world that body of his once crucified now brighter then ten thousand Suns O how infinitely glorious doth it make this Paradise this Citie of God His countenance is as the Sun that shineth in his strength saith Iohn Revel 1.16 Revel 1.16 But what starres are those in his hands and his feet Where the nayls pierced now it sparkleth where the spear entred now it glittereth gloriously if we look all over him Ibid. v. 14 15. his head and his hairs are as white as snow his eyes are as a flame of fire his feet like unto fine brasse as if they burned in a furnace no wonder then if such beams come from this Sun the Sun of righteousnesse that all heaven shines with it from the one end to the other And yet again the Lambe and the Saints all give their lights for we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him 1. Joh. 3.2 1. John 3.2 how like why he shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 Phil. 3.21 In what like even in this very quality for they that be wise shall shine Dan. 12.3 Dan. 12.3 How shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament nay more as the starres saith Daniel nay more as the Sun saith our Saviour nay yet more saith Chrysostome howsoever the righteous in heaven Heaven are compared to the Sun Matth. 13.43 Matth. 13.43 Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 6 It is not because they shall not surpasse the brightnesse of it but the Sun being the most glittering thing in this world he takes a resemblance thence onely towards the expressing of their glory Now then what a masse of light will arise in Paradise where so many millions of Sunns appear all at once If one Sunne make the morning sky so glorious what a bright shining and glorious day is there where 's not a body but 't is a Sunn Sure it is Revel 21.23 There shall be no night there no need of candle no need of Sunne or Moon or Star O that this clay of ours should be partakers of such glory what am I O Lord that being a worm on earth thou wilt make me a Saint in heaven this body of earth and dust shall shine in heaven like those glorious spangles in the firmament this body that shall rot in dust and fall more vile then a Carrion shall arise in glory and shine like the glorious body of our Saviour in the mount of Tabor To come neer my Text See here a Saint-Thief shining gloriously he that was crucified with our Saviour at whose death the Sun hid her face with a veil now he reigns in glory without need of Sunn for he is a Sunn himself shining more clearly then the Sun at noon he that one day was fastened to a Crosse now walks at liberty through the streets of Paradise and all the joyes all the riches all the glory that can be is poured upon him What else He is in Paradise and what is Paradise but a place of pleasure where sorrow is never felt complaint is never heard matter of sadness is never seen evil success is never feared but in stead thereof there is all good without any evil life that never endeth beauty that never fadeth love that never cooleth health that never impaireth joy that never ceaseth what more could this penitent wish then to hear him speak that promised Paradise and perâ—â—â—â—â—ed his promise To day thou shalt 〈…〉 with me in Paradise And thus in a Map have I 〈…〉 Paradise for quantitie great for quality glorâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 better when you shall walk through the 〈◊〉 observe the towers fully contemplate the glory 〈◊〉 that you may not wâ—â—â— of application before I 〈◊〉 Vse 1 Meditate then with what sweet delight everyâ—â—â— servant of God may bath himself before hand even in this valley of tears Did we but think on this gloriâ—â—â— place 〈…〉 â—hose heavenly mansions prepared for us did we spend many thoughts upon it and ever and anon sigh and seek after it until we came to the fingering and possession of it O how would these heavenly meditations ravish our souls as if Heaven 〈…〉 before we entred into Heaven Consider of this in what â—â—se soever we are whether we are vexed or injured or oppressed or persecuted for the name of Christ there is nothing so imbittered that a thought of heaven will not sweeten Yet I say not that wâ— are onely to think of it withall let us strive and strain to get into this golden Citie where streâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—teâ— â—nd all is gold and pearl nay where pearl 〈…〉 noâ—hing worth in comparison of those things which shall be revealed unto 〈◊〉 faithfull soul Vse 2 On the other side Consider with your selves what fools are they who deprive themselves willingly of this endlesse glory who bereave themselves of a room in this City of Pearl for a few carnall pleasures what Bedlams and humane beasts are they who shut themselves out of Paradise for 〈…〉 rie pelf What sots and senselesse wretches are they who wittingly and wilfully bar themselves out of this Palace for the short fruition of wordly trash and 〈◊〉 As for you of whom I hope better things let me advise you for the love of God for the love of Christ for the love that you bâ—â—â— to your own soule that you will settle your affections or things above and not on things beneath and then you shall find oâ—â— lâ—y the comfort of it when leaving this world the Spirit of Gâ—â—st shall whisper to your souls this happy tidings To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Here is an end Shall I now cast up the accounts of what I have delivered you The Total is this Every sinner that repents and believes shall be saved you need no other instance then this Thief on the Crosse at one hearty tear one penitent prayer Lord remember me in thy Kingdome the Lord gives him his desire see here the fiat thou shalt be the expedition to day his admission with me the place whither he is inducted it is into Paradise and there now he officiates doing service to God without ceasing world without end O Lord give me grace so to repent and believe that whensoever I go hence that day I may be with thee in Paradise AMEN SOâ—â— DEO â—Lâ— Printed for Nath. Webb and William Grantham at the Grey-hound in Pauls Church-yard MDCL
may bring forth Prov. 27.1 Prov. 27.1 thy day is this present day and therefore saith the Apostle To day if you will hear his voice Heb. 3.7 Heb. 3.7 nay to speak further this day saith Iob is past already we are but of yesterday Job 8.9 Job 8.9 nay as if a day were too long for the life of man most resembles it to the grasse that grows up in the morning and is cut down in the evening Psal 90.6 Psal 90.6 and Gregorie compares it to Ionahs gourd that came up in a night and perished ere the day was come Jonah 4.10 Jonah 4.10 The evening and the morning make but one day Gen. 1.5 but * Quem dies videt veniens superbum hunc dies videt abiens jacentem our day is oft times an evening without a morning and oft times a morning without an evening Nay yet to go lower as if half a day were more then our life could parallell Moses compares it to a watch which is but the fourth part of a night Psal 90.4 Psal 90.4 yea and as if this were longer then our life doth last the Scripture calls it but an hour John 5.25 John 5.25 The hour is coming and now is saith Christ nay our life is but a minute or if we can say lesse a moment in a moment they go down to the grave saith Iob Job 21.13 Job 21.13 and in a moment shall they die saith Elihu Job 34.20 Job 34.20 And a lying tongue is but for a moment saith Solomon Prov. 12.19 Prov. 12.19 and our light affliction is but for a moment saith Paul 2 Cor. 4.17 2 Cor. 4.17 Lo here the length of our little life this is the gradation that God makes of it at first a matter of seventie years but these were tythed from seventie to seven this number again was made no number one single year a year nay a moneth nay a day nay an hour nay a minute nay a moment as soon as we were born we began to draw to our end Wisd 5.13 Wisd 5.13 There 's but one poor moment which we have to live and when that is spent our life is gone How but one and a moment one is the least number that is and a moment the shortest time that ever was O what mean men to plot and project for the time to come as if this life would never be done O consider of the littleness of the time that thou hast to live O consider of the greatness of the matter that depends upon it thy body soul heaven and hel all hangs on this thread a short life a few dayes Few and evill have the dayes of my life been You have learned Moses Arithmetick to number your dayes practise a while and you find this use Vse 1 God shortens your time you that are unregenerate lest you defer your repentance it is said of the Devil that he is busie because his time is short Revel 12.12 Rev. 12.12 and are you worse then Devils is not your time shorter and yet are you more negligent how do you give way to that old serpent he delayes no time to bring you to hell and ye neglect all times to get you heaven What is your life but a Jonas gourd suddenly sprung up and by and by withered again and gone whatsoever ye do your wheel whirls about apace in a word ye die daily and you all know thus much that you have every one of you a poor soul to save I have wondered at men that desire time after time one time after another why if your souls perish the day will come soon enough It makes me weep said one of a better stamp when my hour-glasse is beside me and I see every drop of sand follow other so speedily Your dayes are but few and yet who knows whether this day his sunne may set Take heed you unregenerate if death come unawares it is the price of your souls how you are provided Who alas would defer to be good that knows not how soon he may go to judgement The enemie keeps a daily watch a friend prepares for your welcome and are you such enemies to your selves that never are prepared to welcome death Vse 2 But to speak to thee whosoever thou art that readest regenerate or unregenerate the best counsel thou canst learn is to be still in a readinesse think every day thou risest to be thy day of death and every night thou goest to bed that thou art laid down in the grave if thou shouldest forget will not each object be a remembrancer thy sheets of thy winding-sheet thy coverings of thy clasping dust thy sleep of thy death with whom I may say truly thou shakest hands every night who can forget his grve that lies him down in his bed and who then would not so provide himself as if every night he went to his grave Our dayes are but few and the night will be ere long that we die indeed What are we but Tenants at will in this Clay Farm the foundation of all the building is a small substance alwayes kept cold by an intercourse of air the pillar is but a little breath the strength some few bones tied together with dry strings howsoever we piece and patch this poor cottage it will at last fall into the Lords hands and we must give surrender onely in this tenour Few and evill have the dayes of my life been You now see the time of our Lease to the full out life lasts but dayes our dayes are but few who is so fond to settle his care on this Lease that so soon is exspired nay with a blast is gone out The man that is wedded to this world enjoyes neither length of dayes nor a day of joy as he is mortall so is he miserable you shall see my Text joyn both the hands nothing indeed but death can loose the bonds the dayes of my life are few the few dayes of my life are evill few in number evill in nature neither many nor good but few and evill Evill OUr life is but dayes our dayes are but few our few dayes but evil Into what a sea of misery have I now rushed sail Evill life evill dayes but few yet evil There waits on our life Sinne Punishment Both these are evil Sinne as the father playes the Bankrupt Jam. 1.15 and Punishment the sonne must pay the debt first Lust conceives and brings forth sinne then sinne being finished brings forth death Here is both the work and wages first we commit and then we suffer evil The evils we commit are sinnes and see what a troop of enemies march about us if you exspect the battel in array what say you to those evils originall these are the inheritance which we have from our first parents it is the same infection that distilled from them abides in us and therefore the same punishment is due to us that fell on them
that it might shine in heaven But this was but the beginning of his dayes now they are past they have been Go a little further we left him at school but how learned he Christ 1. Cor. 2.2 Psal 8.2 and him crucified this was the knowledge taught him by the Spirit of God in a wonderfull manner Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou O God ordained strength To consider again his religious words his upright actions his hearty devotions his fear of God all then concluded as they did of John Luke 1.66 What manner of child shall this be No question the grace of God was with him If I should instance in any of these his frequencie in prayer his reading of Scripture his reasoning with others to get knowledge to himself we may wonder at Gods power in this childs poor weakness Excuse me whiles I tell nothing but truths and I hope they will tend to our own instruction In the morning he would not stir out of doors before he had poured out his prayers at noon he would not eat any meat before he had given the Lord thanks at night he would not lie down on his bed before he had kneeled down on his knees we may remember those times when sometimes that he had forgotten this dutie no sooner had he been in bed but up he would have got again and so kneeling down on his bare knees covered with no garment but his linens he would ask God forgiveness for that sinne of forgetfulness neither have his brothers escaped without his reprehension for had they eat any meal or meat without a grace his check was usuall Dare you do thus unless God be mercifull unto us this bit of bread might choke us The wise sentences the religious words which often dropt from his mouth like honey can we remember them and not grieve at the death of him that spake them What comfort had we in those dayes What sorrow have we to think those dayes are done Surely we cannot speak it without bitterness of soul they are gone they have been Thus he lived will you know how he died First a lingring sickness seized upon him against which to comfort him one tells him of possessions that must fall to his portion And what are they said he I had rather have the Kingdome of Heaven then a thousand such inheritances Thus he minds Heaven and God so minding him presently sent him his sickness that should summon him thither And now how should I repeat his words with the life that he spake them dying No sooner had God struck his body with that fatall sickness but he asks and needs would know his souls estate I have heard of the soul said he but what is the soul the mind he questions and questioning answers better I fear then many too many gray headed amongst us but the answer given how the soul consisted of the Will and the Understanding he sayes he is satisfied and now understands better then he did before Another comes to him and then he begins another question now he knows the soul he desires yet to know further How his soul may be saved O blessed soul how wisely couldst thou question for thine own souls good The answer given by faith applying Christs merits he heard it and had it anon telling them who before had taught it him Resolved in these questions he questions no further but will now answer them that go about to question him One asks him whether he had rather live or die he gives the answer and not without Pauls reason I desire to die said he that I might go to my Saviour O blessed Spirit bow didst thou inspire into this child thy wisdome and goodnesse This done his pain begins again to afflict him and this occasions another thus to question him whether he would rather still endure those pains or forsake his Christ Alas said he I know not what to say as a child for these pains might stagger a strong man but I will strive to endure the best I can Upon this he presently calls to mind that Martyr who being in prison Thom. Bilney the night before his burning put his finger in the candle to know how he could endure the fire O said he had I lived then I would have runne through the fire to have gone to Christ Sweet resolution of a silly child who can hear and not wonder wonder and not desire to hear that he may wonder still Blessed child hadst thou lived that we might have wondred at thy wisdome but his daies were determined and now is the number turned to this poor cypher they are not they have been I cannot leave him yet his sicknesse lasts long and at least three dayes before his death he prophesies his departure and how strange a prophecie not onely that he must die but fore-telling the very day On the Lords day said he look to me Neither was this a word of course which you may guesse by his often repetition every day asking till the day came indeed What is Sunday come At last the lookt-for day came on and no sooner had the Sun beautified that morning with his light but he falls into a trance What think ye meant his blessed soul whilest the body it self used such an action his eyes were fixed his face chearfull his lips smiling his hands and arms clasping in a bow as if he would have received some blessed Angel that there was at hand to receive his soul but he comes to himself and tells them how he saw the sweetest boy that ever eyes beheld and bids them Be of good chear for he must presently go with him One standing near as now suspecting his time of dissolution bids him say Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit Psal 31.5 Yes said he Into thy hands Lord I commit my spirit which is thy due for why thou hast redeemed it O Lord my God most true Who will not believe this child now sings in Heaven that so soon had learned this Davids Psalm on earth I cannot hold my self nor will I hold you long but how may I omit his heavenly ejaculations Beloved I beseech you pardon me whilest I speak his words and I will promise you to speak no word but the very same formally which were his own Pray pray pray nay yet pray and the more prayers the better all prospers God is the best Physician into his hands I commend my spirit O Lord Jesus receive my soul Now close mine eyes forgive me father mother brothers sister all the world Now I am well my pain is almost gone my joy is at hand Lord have mercy on me O Lord receive my soul unto thee Where am I whilest I speak these words Blessed Saint now thou singest in Heaven God hath bid thee welcome the Angels are hugging thee the Saints rejoyce with thee this day is the Crown set on thy head this day is the Palm of victory in thy hand
now art thou arrayed in the shining robes of Heaven and all the Host do triumph at thy corronation Sweet soul how am I ravished to think upon thee What joy is this The Patriarchs salute thee the Prophets welcome thee the Apostles hug thee all hands clap for joy all harps warble all hearts are merry and glad O thou Creatour of men and Angels help us all to Heaven that when our dayes have been we may all meet together in thy blessed Kingdome I have done turn back by the same thread that led you through this labyrinth and you shall have in two words the summe of this whole Text. The time of our Lease what is it but our Life what is this Life but a number of few dayes what are these dayes but a world full of evil But a life but dayes but few but evil can we adde any more Yes Life is life howsoever we live and better you think to have a bad lease in being then our life to be quite extinguished nay be not deceived this life is but death the dayes that we spend they are past and done few and evill they have been Thus ends the Text with the exspiration of our Lease yet is not all done when we loose this life we have another free-hold prepared in Heaven and this is not leased but purchased not for a life but inheritance not for dayes but for ever Crosse but the words of my Text and many and happy shall the ages of thy life be in Heaven for ever and ever Amen FINIS Deaths Arrest LUKE 12.20 This night thy soul shall be required of thee MAns Bodie we say is closed up within the Elements his Bloud in his Bodie his Spirits in his Bloud his Soul in his Spirits and God or Sathan in his Soul Who holds the possession we may guesse in life but then is it most apparent when we come to death The tree may bend East or West or North or South but as it falleth so it lieth Our affections may look up or down towards heaven or hel but as we die we receive our doom and then whose we are shall be fully made manifest to all the world There is a parable of poor Lazarus Luke 16. whose life was nothing but a catalogue of miseries his body full of sores his mind full of sorrows what spectacle could we think more pitifull whose best dainties were but broken crumbs and his warmest lodging but the rich mans gates Here is a parable of a certain rich man who enjoyes or at least purposeth a delicious fare he hath lands vers 16. Vers 16. fruits vers 17. 17. buildings vers 18. 18. and if this be the Inventorie what is the summe see it collected in the verse succeeding Soul 19. thou hast much goods laid up for many years now live at ease Eat drink and take thy pastime These two estates thus different how should they be but of divers tenures Matth. 6.24 No man can serve God and Mammon See Lazarus dying and the Angels carry him in-Abrahams bosome See this rich man dying and they that is devils require his soul God receives one and his soul is in heaven Sathan takes the other and drags down his soul to hel he is comforted that received pains and thou art tormented that wast full of ease this is the doom and that he may undergo this death now gives the summons This night thy soul shall be required of thee The Text we may christen Deaths Arrest it is we that offend his Majestie of heaven and his precepts are given unto Death to attach our souls See here a president a rich man taken on a sudden who must instantly appear before the Judge of heaven when this night What thy soul Why it is required Of whom of thee Or if this will not find the offender see yet a more narrow search every word is like some dark closet therefore we will open the windovvs that you may have full light This Text is Deaths Arrest vvhich as it must be executed so it admits of no other time but This This what this day whilest the Sun gives light to the vvorld and the light gives pleasure to the eie this vvere some comfort no but then suddenly vvhilst all sleep securely not This day but This night And vvhat this night Is it to attach the bodie of some great personage vvhose looks might affrighten Officers had they come by day No let his bodie rot in dust vvhilest the Soul must ansvver his defaults it is not thy body 't is thy soul And what of his soul Is this a subject liable to arrests rather can they beg it at his hands or vvill he yield it at their fair intreaties no it is neither begg'd nor intreated but by vertue of Gods Writ it is required And hovv required of his sureties bound for his good appearing he hath many friends and all either have or vvould have entred bonds no he must go vvithout bail or main-prize it is not required of his sureties but himself not of others but of thee is thy soul this night required You hear the Texts harmonie of each string vve vvill give a touch and first note the time this night This. Doctrine NO other but This were it a fortnight a seven-night any but This night and his griefs were lessened the news is more heartlesse in that it comes more sudden You may observe Then are the greatest losses when they come on us by heaps and without fear or suspicion of any such matter Here was a man swimming in his fulnesse and a sudden death robs him of all his treasures To give you a full view see his possessions and how great was the losse because of the suddennesse This night First those goods whereof he boasted are now confiscate not a peny not a dram not a mite shall be left him save onely a token of remembrance I mean his winding-sheet which he carries along with him to his grave Secondly his goods and grounds both were took from him at his death he that commanded so much of earth must now have no more earth to pleasure him but a grave what a change was this his grounds were fertile Vers 16. and they brought forth plenteously but a blast of death hath struck both the fruit and ground and nothing is now left him but a barren Tombe Thirdly his lands and houses both went together You may guesse that great demeans must have stately Halls we read of his building and especially of his Barns when these were too little for his store he tells us he will pull them down and he will build greater He never thinks of any little room in the bowels of the poor Was his harvest so great that his barns would not hold it Whence came the blessing but from God How is it then he forgets God that bestowed this blessing It is written When ye reap the harvest of the Land ye shall not reap
Look at beasts and in this respect we and they are even as one condition Eccles 3.19 Eccles 3.19 Eccles 11.3 Mat. 27.51 Look at trees and in their corruption you may see the like constitution both of us and them Look at stones and by their dissolution we may argue this temper of composition in them also if then our soul were nothing but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely men but beasts and plants and stones and metalls have a soul far be this from your thoughts whose souls are prized to be of more worth then a world there being nothing in the world that may give a recompence for our souls Matth. 16.26 Mat. 16.26 Others have gone a little further Antiqui Philosophir and they suppose it to be a substance but how onely bodily and not spirituall such grosse conceits have many idolaters of the Deity as if this our image were of Gods own substance and this substance nothing else but a bodily being A spirit saith our Saviour hath not flesh and bones Luk. 24.39 as you see me have It is the body is the flesh but the soul is the spirit the body you may see and handle but the soul is not seen not handled as the Disciples then did erre in supposing a spirit when they saw his body no lesse is their errour in supposing a body where is onely a spirit Anima pessima melior optimo corpore Aug. de verb. Dom. Quid tibi cum carne Bern. in meditat Plurimi Patres The worst soul is better then the best of bodies O precious soul saith Bernard espoused to thy God indowed with his spirit redeemed by his Son what art thou to the flesh whose being is from heaven Others again have passed this opinion and they call it a form but what onely materiall not substantiall and such as are the souls of beasts that dye with their bodies as being deduced from the matter of some bodies pre-existent It is not so with the souls of men which though for a while they are knit and united to this house of clay yet may they be separated from it and subsist without it this is that goodness of God that as our souls are intellectuall so their being is perpetuall Dionys c. 4. de divin nom aliquantulum à principio 1 Cor. 4.7 not but that our souls might dye seeing every thing that is of nothing may return into the same nothing whence it sprung but that God so sustains them by his glorious goodness that as he gave the first being so he would continue that he gave What have we that we have not received Or to speake of the soul what are we that God and God onely hath not bestowed upon us our parents begot our bodies God onely gave our souls our bodies are buried again in the wombe of our common mother but our souls return to God as to their chiefest good So immateriall is the soul that neither will nor understanding depends on the dying organ What then is the soul a nothing an accident a body a form onely materiall no but on the contrary an ens a substance a spirit a form a substantiall being of it self subsisting But wee 'll ascend a little higher it is a substance created not traduced as some would have it I must confess the opinion was not a little strong that as our bodies so our souls were both propagated from our parents Tertullian In epist ad Marcellin and the Fathers of the West as Ierome witnesseth were most on that side the reason of this opinion was because of originall sin which defileth the soul as well as the body of each man sprung from Adam they could see no means how both were corrupted except withall the soul were propagated But are not our souls as the Angells and therefore if our souls then may the Angels beget one another nay if this were true what soul were generated but another were corrupted for the rule is infallible There can be no generation without a transmutation and so would every soul be subject to corruption Concerning that objection of originall sin if the soul were not traduced from the loyns of Adam Magis credi debet quam quaeri quaeri facilius quam intelligi melius intelligitur quam explicatur Whitak l. 1. de peccat origin c. 8. Fallacia divisionis how then should that sin be imputed to our souls I must confess the question is intricate we should rather believe it then enquire of it and we may better enquire of it then understand it and yet more easily understand it then expresse it But so well as we can we shall untie the knot First then we say 't is a fallacy to divide soul and body for not the soul without the body nor the body without the soul but the whole man sinn'd in Adam as the whole man is begot of Adam so soon therefore as the soul is conjoyn'd to the body and of the soul and body is constituted whole man that man being now made a member of Adam is said to sin with him and to derive that sin from him But for a further satisfaction although the soul depend on God according to its substance yet is it created in that body which is produced of the parents thus in some sort we may say that the soul is begotten non quoad essentiam sed quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God onely gives the essence but to exist comes from the parents Arist de anima 2. l. c. 1. What is the soul but a form of the body and of what body but of that which is organicall as being apt for the soul This aptness then whereby it is prepared for the form being received from the parents we may say of the soul that thus it is generated as not beginning to subsist before the body is prepared This is true in some sort though not properly Consider then the excellency of mans soul which is not born but created and howsoever now it is bespotted with sin yet was it then pure and undefiled as the untouched virgin how is it but pure which the hands of God hath made it was the devill that caused sin but all that God made was good and very good Gen. 1.31 Gen. 1.31 and such a soul hath every man Sedibus aethereis spiritus ille venit It is created by God infused by his Spirit of nothing made something and what something but an excellent work befitting such an excellent workman And yet there be more staires to ascend it is thirdly invisible Hath any man seen God or hath any man seen Gods image which is the soul and lived Substances that are more pure are less visible We see but darkly through a glasse nay the best eye upon earth looks but through a lattice a window an obscuring impediment mortall eyes cannot behold immortall things how then should this corruptible sight see a spirituall
dreadfull of hel yet coveting death in a continuall torment yet his own tormentour consuming himself with grief and horrour impatience and despair till at last he ended his miserable-miserable life And now beloved if such be the departure of a sinnfull soul O who would live in sinne to come to such a departure For my part I dare not say these parties thus miserable in their own apprehensions are now among Devils in hell I find the Authours themselves to incline to the right hand besides what am I that I should sit in Gods Chair onely this I say that their miserable deaths may verie well give warning to us all nor need you think much at me for uttering these terribilia terrible stories for if sometimes you did not hear of Gods judgements against sinne a day might come that you would most of all crie out on the Preacher To this purpose we have a story of a certain rich man who lying on his death-bed My soul said he I bequeath to the Devil who owns it my wife to the Devil who drew me to my ungodly life and my Chaplain to the Devil who flattered me in it I pray God I never hear of such a Legacy from any of you sure I had better to tell you aforehand to prevent it then not telling you to feel it And let this be for my Apologie in relating these stories Vse 2 But for a second Use give me leave I pray you to separate the precious from the vile Now then to sweeten the thoughts of all true penitents the souls of Saints are not required but received Rejoyce then ye righteous that mourn in Sion what though a while ye suffer death is a Goal-delivery to your souls not bringing in but freeing out of thraldome Here the good man finds sharpest misery the evil man sweetest felicity therefore it is just that there should be a time of changing turnes The rich mans Table stood full of delicates Lazarus lacks crums but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luke 16.25 Wo unto you that laugh for you shall mourn Luke 6.25 Luke 6.25 Blessed are you that mourn for you shall rejoyce Matth. 5.4 Matth. 5.4 Happy Lazarus who from thy beggary and loathsome sores wert carried by Angels into Abrahams bosome happy Thief who upon thy true repentance and unfeigned prayer wert received from the Crosse to the Paradise of thy Saviour happy are all they that suffer tribulation Death shall lose their souls from bonds and fetters and in stead of a Bayliff to arrest them shall be a Porter to conduct them to the gates of heaven There shalt thou tread on Serpents trample on thine enemies sing sweet Trophies were not this enough thy Conquests shall be crowned by the hands of Seraphims triumphed with the sound of Angels warbled by the Quire of Spirits confirmed by the King of Kings and Lord of Hosts Happy Soul that art not required by Devils but received by Angels and when we die Lord Jesus send thine Angels to receive our Souls You see now Deaths Arrest and what remains further save to accept of some Bail But what Bail where you have the Kings Commandment from his own mouth this requiring is not of any other but himself of no suretie but of thee saith God must thy Soul be required Of thee ONce more you see I have brought this rich man on the stage his doom is now at hand and Death Gods messenger summons him to appear by Requiring of his soul but of whom is it Required had he any Sureties to put in or was any Bail sufficient to be taken for him no he must go himself without all help or remedie it was he that sinned and it is he must pay for it Of thee it is required How of thee Sure Death mistakes we can find thousands more fit none more fearfull there stands a Saul near him his armour-bearer behold a Judas such will outface deaths fury nay rather then if fail in its office they will not much question to be their own Deaths-men but this Of thee who art at league with hell in love with earth at peace with all is most terribly fearfull Stay Death there stands a poor Lazarus at the gates like Job on his dung-hil his eyes blind his ears deaf his feet lame his bodie struck with Boyls Job 7.15 and his Soul choosing rather to be strangled and die then to be in his bones were not this a fit object for deaths crueltie would he spare the rich he should be welcome to the poor but Death is inexorable he must not live nor shall the Beggar beg his own death for another Of thee it is required But Death yet stay thy hand here 's a better surety what needs death a presse when he may have volunteers there stands an old man as ready for the grave as the grave for him his face is furrowed his hairs hoary his back bowing his hammes bending and therefore no song is fitter then old Simeons Luke 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Youth is loath but Age is merry to depart from misery let Death then take him that standeth nearest deaths-door No the old must die but the young may he must die soon yet be sure thou shalt not live long Of thee it is required Cannot this serve let death yet stay his hand there stands a servant waiting at this rich mans beck as if he would spend his own life to save his Masters he can make a Pageant of Cringes act a whole speech of flatteries every part owes him service feet to run hands to work head to crouch and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of a Mistris so the eyes of his servants look unto the hands of their Master but where be these attendants when death comes was ever any Master better then Christ were ever any servants truer then his Apostles yet see their fidelitie must their Saviour die one betrayes him another forswears him all run from him and leave him alone in midst of all his enemies what then is the trust of servants the rich man may command and go without if death should require them they would not or if they should desire death hee will not his arrest concerns not the servants it is for the Master himself he that command others now death commands him Of thee it is required Will not all do Let death but stay this once there stands a friend that will loose his own to save his life Greater love then this hath no man saith our Saviour when any man bestoweth his life for his friends John 15.13 John 15.13 Riches may perhaps procure such love and get some friend to answer deaths quarrel which he ows this man Jonathan loves David David Absolon and sure it was a love indeed when Jonathan preserves the life of David and David wisheth a death to himself in the stead of Absolon O my sonne Absolon 2.
devoured of worms consumed by Serpents which craul and spring from the marrow of our bones look in a dead mans grave and see what you find but dust and worms and bones and skuls putrified flesh an house full of stench and vermine Behold then the power of God Almighty out of this grave and dust of the earth from these chambers of death and darkness shall arise the bodies of the buried the graves will flie open and the dead go out not an hair not a dust not a bone shall be denied but whatsoever holds their dust shall yield their bodies I saw the dead saith Iohn small and great stand before God Revel 20.12 13. and the Sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works Revel 20.13 what a wonderfull sight will this be to see the sea and earth bring forth in al parts such variety of bodies to see so many sorts of people nations to come together huge armies innumerable as the Caterpillars of Egypt all shall arise and every one appear before the Lords Tribunall worms and corruption cannot hinder the resurrection he that said to Corruption Iob 17.14 Iob 19.25 thou art my father and to the worm thou art my sister and mother said also I know that my Redeemer liveth and mine eyes shall behold him O good God! how wonderfull is thy power this flesh of ours shall turn to dust be eate of worms consume to nothing if there be any reliques of our ashes the wind may scatter them the blasts divide them our feet trample them the beasts digest them the vermine devour them if nothing yet time will consume them But for all this God is as able to raise us from the dust as to create us of the dust not one dust of this clay shall perish though scattered divided trampled devoured consumed it shall be gathered recovered revived refined and raised and as one dust shall not be lost of one man so neither shall one man be lost of all the world this is that generall day that shall congregate all they shall come from the four winds and corners of the world to make an universall appearance all the children of Adam shall then meet together yea all the kindreds of the earth shall meet together and mourn Assemble your selves and come all ye heathen to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to judg all the heathen Joel 3.12 Joel 3.11 12. The summons are sounded the dead raised and yet to give you a fuller view of the parties see how God the Iudg now sends his messengers to fetch the living bodies to his Court. Vse 3 He shall send his Angels saith our Saviour and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to another Matth. 24.31 Matth. 24.31 True it is all shall be gathered yet with a difference some with a swift pace flie to the Throne where is the hope of their diliverance others draw and pull back whiles the Angels hale them to the Iudgment seat the righteous have nimble swift bodies that flie to the Iudg as a Bird to her nest and young ones but the wicked have their bodies black and heavy they cannot flie but flagge in the air and the Angels do not bear but dragge them to the judgment seat how can this chuse but fear the wicked when like malefactours they are brought before the wrathfull judg as they were born or buried so must they rise again naked and miserable what a shame is this and yet the more horrible in that their nakedness shall be covered with a filthy blackness needs must desperate fears sieze one the soul when it is again united to her body transformed to such an ugly form is this the body fed with delights and delicates is this the flesh pampered with ease and lust is this the face masked from the winde and Sun are these the hands decked with Rings and Diamonds how become these so swarthy horrible which before were so fair and amiable this the change of the wicked when through sorrow and confusion they shall cry to the Rocks cover our nakednesse and to the hills hide our ugliness nay rather than appear let the infernal Furies tear and totter us into a thousand pieces Look your beauties Beloved in this glasse such is the end of this worlds glory so vain the pleasure of this body Now is the end of all things come and what remains but a sea of fears and miseries rushing on them before shall the Angels drag them behinde shall the black Crew follow them within shal their consciences torture them and without shall hot flames of fire fume and fry and furiously torment them fear within fire without but worse then all a Iudg above all thither must they go Angels usher them Devils attend them the Cryer hath called them the Angels trump hath summoned them and now they must appear We have brought all together now we must part them asunder the sheep shall be put on the right hand and the goates on the left as every man hath deserved Two travellers go together feed together lye together sleep together but in the morn their wayes part asunder thus the sheep and goates eat together drink together sleep together rot together but at this day there shall be a separation let them grow together corn and tares untill the harvest this world is the flloor Matth. 13.30 fan while you will there will be some chaff love peace like lambs their will be some goats to trouble the sheep and goats live both together in one fold the world lye both together in one cote the grave the world is a common Inne which entertains all manner of passengers the rode-way to death is the Kings high-way free for all travellers after the passage of this weary day death hath provided a large bed to lay all in the grave all live together and all lye together all rest together and all rot together but when this night is past and the last day is sprung then is the wofull separation some turn on the right and those are the blessed others on the left hand and those are the cursed Here is the beginning of woes when the wicked shall curse and houl like the fiendes of hell O Lord punish me here saith one devoutly rack me in pieces cut me in shreds burn me in fire so that I may be there placed at thy right hand Domine hÃc ure hîc seca modo in aeternum parcas Aug. Blessed are they that have a place amongst those elect sheep what now remains but their doom which is a lot that must befall every man for he shall reward not one or some but every one every man according to his works The Summons are given the dead are raised the prisoners conducted to the bar and the sheep and
sinners actions nothing shall be hid when this book is opened for all may run and read it stand and hear it How fond are we that imagine heavens eye such is this book to be shut upon us Do we not see many run to corners to commit their sins there can they say Let us take our fill of love untill the morning for darkness hath covered us and who seeth us who knoweth us Esai 29.15 Prov. 7.18 Esay 29.15 But are not the Angels of God about you 1 Cor. 4.9 We are a spectacle to the Angels saith the Apostle I am sure we must be to both to Angels and to men and to all the world O do not that before the Angels of God yea before the God of Angels which you would shame to do in the sight and presence of an earthly man Alas must our thoughts be known and shall not dark-corner sins be revealed must every word and syllable we speak be writ and recorded in Gods memorable book and must not ill deeds ill demeanours ill works of darkness be disclosed at that day yes God shall bring every work unto judgment with every secret thing be it good or evill Eccles 12.14 Eccles 12.14 Wail yee wicked and tremble in astonishment Now your closet-sins must be disclosed your private faults laid open Gods keeps the account-book of every sin every transgression Imprimis for adultery Item for envie blasphemy oaths drunkenness violence murther and every sin from the beginning to this time from our birth to our buriall the totall summe eternall death and damnation this is the note of accounts wherein are all thy offences written the debt is death the pay perdition which fury pays over to destruction But there is another book that shall give a more full I cannot say but a more fearfull evidence then the former which is the book of every mans conscience Some call it the book of testimony which every man still bears about him There is within us a Book and Secretary the Book is Conscience and the Secretary is our soul whatsoever we do is known to the soul and writ in our book of conscience there is no man can so much as commit one sin but his soul that is privy to the fact will write it in this book In what a wofull case will thy heart then be in what strange terrour and trembling must it stand possest when this must be opened and thy sinnes revealed It is now perhaps a book shut up and sealed Liber signatue clausus in die judicii aperiendus but in the day of judgement shall be opened and if once opened what shall be the evidence that it will bring forth there is a private Sessions to be held in the breast of every condemned sinner the memorie is Recorder grief an Accuser truth is the Law damnation the Judgement hell the Prison Devils the Jaylours and Conscience both Witnesse and Judge to passe sentence on thee What hopes he at the generall Assize whose conscience hath condemned him before he appear Look well to thy life thou bearest about thee a book of testimonie which though for a time it be shut till it be full fraught with accusations yet then at the Day of Doom it must be opened when thou shalt read and weep and read every period stop with a sigh every word be enough to break thy heart and every syllable reveal some secret thy own conscience upon the matter being both witnesse Judge accuser and condemner But yet there is another book we read of and that is the book of life Herein are written all the names of Gods elect from the beginning of the world till the end thereof these are the golden leaves this is that precious book of heaven wherein if we are registred not all the powers of hell or death or devils shall blot us out again Here is the glory of each devout souldier of our Saviour how many have spent their lives spilt their blouds runne upon sudden deaths to gain a perpetuall name and yet for all their doings many of these are dead and gone and their memories perished with them onely Christs souldier hath immortall fame he and onely he is writ in that book that must never perish Come hither ye ambitious your names may be writ in Chronicles yet lost writ in durable marble yet perish writ in a monument equall to a Colossus yet be ignominious O were you but writ in this book of life your names should never die never suffer any ignominy It is an axiome most true they that are written in the eternall leaves of heaven shall never be wrapped in the cloudy sheets of darknesse Here then is the joy of Saints at that Day of Doom this book shall be opened and all the elect whom God hath ordained to salvation shall see it read it hear it and greatly rejoyce at it The Disciples casting out devils return with miracles in their mouths O Lord say they even devils are subject to us through thy name True saith Christ I saw Sathan as lightning fall from heaven notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 Luke 10.20 And well may the Saints rejoyce that have their names written in Gods book they shall see them to their comfort writ in letters of gold penned with the Almighties finger ingraven with a pen of a diamond thus will this book give in the evidence and accordingly will the Judge proceed to sentence Vse 1 Consider thou that readest what books one day must be set before thee a time will come when every thought of thy heart every word of thy mouth every glance of thy eye every moment of thy time every office thou hast born every companie thou hast used every sermon thou hast heard every action thou hast done and every omission of any duty or good deed thou hast left undone shall be seen in these books at the first opening of them thy conscience shall then be suddenly clearly and universally inlarged with extraordinary light to look upon all thy life at once Gods memory shall then shine forth and shew it self when all men looking on it as a reflecting glasse they shall behold all the passages of their misspent lives from their births to their burials Where is the wicked and deceitfull man wilt thou yet commit thy villanies treacheries robberies murthers debates and impieties Let me tell thee if so to thy hearts-grief all thy secret sinnes and closet villanies that no eye ever lookt upon but that which is a thousand times brighter then the Sunne shall then be disclosed and laid open before Angels men and devils and thou shall then and there be horribly universally and everlastingly ashamed never therefore go about to commit any sinne because it is midnight or that the doors are lockt upon thee suppose it be concealed and lie hid in as great darknesse as
the sentence follows which is to reward every man according to his works This reward is nothing in effect but a retaliation if we live well here God will then crown his own gifts but if we sinne without repentance we may not escape without punishment There is a God that sits and sees and anon will reward us But to unfold this Reward there lies in it a Doom and Execution God speaks it in the first effects it in the second he gives it in our doom and we receive it in the execution The doom is of two sorts according to the parties that receive it One is an absolution which is the doom of Saints the other is a condemnation which is the doom of reprobates there is a reward on the right hand bestowed on the blessed and an heavie judgement which falls on the left hand upon the heads of the wicked To begin with that in our meditation which our Saviour begins with in action Imagine what a blessed day will this be to the godly when standing on the right hand of the Judge they shall hear the heavenly musick of their happy sentence Come ye blessed of my Father Matth. 25.34 inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world In which gracious speech we may observe four gradations First a gentle invitation Come Secondly a sweet benediction Ye blessed of my Father Thirdly heavens possession inherit the Kingdome Fourthly a glorious ordination to felicitie prepared for you from the beginning of the world First you have Come It is the sweet voice of Christ inviting the Saints before and now giving their welcome to his heavenly Canaan he hath called often Come all that labour Come all that travell Matth. 11.28 Rev. 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come Thus he calls all men to his grace but onely the elect to his glory now he desires every man to Come but the righteous alone shall have this Wel-come O how leaps that soul with joy that hears this voice of her sweet Saviour all the musick of Angels cannot so ravish the mind as this voice of our Saviour glads the soul now are the gates of heaven open and the Judge who is Master of the feast bids the guests Come and Wel-come But who are they Ye blessed of my Father a word able to make them blessed when pronounced Down on your knees rebellious sonnes and so long as you live on earth beg pray sue for the blessing of your Father in heaven They that are Gods servants are no lesse his sonns therefore every morn night and noon ask blessing boldly and God will bestow it liberally The first Sermon that ever Christ preached was full of blessings Matth. 5. Matth. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are they that mourn Blessed are the meek Blessed are the mercifull And as he begun so he concludes Come ye blessed ye blessed of my Father Must they come for what to inherit the kingdome Of all tenures inheritance is best of all inheritances a kingdome is most excellent Sic aeterna sine successione distributa sine diminutione communis sine invidia beata sine omni miseria but that all shall inherit and that there is no scantling this is heavens wonder and the Angels blisse An heavenly inheritance sure that is cintinued without succession divided without diminution common without envie for ever happy and without all misery This is the inheritance of the just the possession whereof makes every Saint no lesse glorious then a King Kings are they indeed whose dominions are not limited nor their borders bounded nor their people numbred nor the time of their reigne prescribed Such glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God Is this your inheritance but upon what right it is prepared for you from the beginning of the world Had the Lord such care to provide for his children before they were how may his sonnes triumph born to such dignitie God will so certain their salvation that he hath prepared it for them from before the foundation of the world O blessed souls if you be Gods servants though a while you suffer sorrow and tribulation yet here is the hope of Saints Luke 12.32 it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdome Heaven is prepared of old there is the place of Gods majestie and there the Saints of God shall receive the crown the reward of victory Vse I cannot expresse what this joy affords to the one half of it Come blessed souls bathed in repenting tears here is a sentence able to revive the dead much more the afflicted Are you now sorrowing for your sinnes leave it a while and meditate with me on this ensuing melodie Hear yonder a quire of Angels a song of Sion an heavenly consort sounding to the Judge whilest he is pronouncing of thy sentence Blessed souls how pant you dances at the uttering of each syllable Come saith our Saviour and if he but say Come joy happinesse glory felicity all come on heaps into the indeared soul Ye blessed saith our Saviour and if he but say Blessed the Angels Archangels Cherubims Seraphims all joy at the injoying of this blessed company Inherit the kingdome saith our Saviour and if he but say inherit crowns scepters garlands diadems all these are the inheritance of Gods adopted children Prepared for you saith our Saviour and if he but say Prepared the love mercy election compassion of our Lord will shine forth to the soul to her everlasting comfort O ravishing voice Cantic 5.8 I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem if you find my welbeloved thâ—â— you tell him I am sick of love What else you that are Gods servants are no lesse his spouse your soul is the bride and when the day is come this day of doom God give you joy the joy of heaven for ever and ever But I must turn to the left hand and shew you another crew prepared for another sentence And what a terrible sentence will that be which at first hearing will make all ears glow and tingle His lips saith the Prophet are full of indignation and his tongue like a consuming fire Matt. 4.25 41. Esay 30.27 Esa 30.27 What fire so hot as that fierie sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Here is every particular full of horrour gradually inhancing their judgement First a grievous refusall Depart Secondly the losse of salvation from me Thirdly that deserved malediction ye cursed Fourthly the horrour of pains into everlasting fire Fifthly the preordinance of their torments prepared for the devil and his angels First they must depart This seems nothing to the wicked now depart why they are contented to be gone much more delight have they in sinne then in Gods service But as when a gracious Prince opening his long locked up treasury bids
grones and suddain cryes the fire slakes not the worm dies not the chains loose not the links wear not revenge tyres not but for ever are the torments fresh and the fetters on fire as they came first from their Forge What a strange kind of torture falls upon the wicked they are bound to fiery pillars and Devils lash at them with their fiery whips Is there any part of man scapes free in such a fray the flesh shall fâ—â— the blood boil the veins be scorcht the sinews rackt Serpents shall eat the body furies tear the soul this is that wofull plight of Tares which he bound in Hell The sick man at Sea may go from his ship to his boat and from his boat to his ship again the sick man in his bed may tumble from his right side to his left and from his left to his right again onely the Tares are tied hand and foot bound limme and joynt their feet walk not their fingers move not their eyes must no more wander as before loe all his bound O these manacles that rot the flesh and pierce the inward parts O unmatchable torments yet most fit for Tares sin made them furious hell must tame their Phrensie the Judge thus commands and the Executioners must dispatch fetter them fire them Bind them in bundles to burn them I have lead you through the Dungeon let this fight serve for a terrour that you never come nearer To that purpose for exhortation consider Alas all hangs on life ther 's but a twine thread betwixt the soul of a sinner and the scorching flames who then would so live as to run his soul into hazard the Judge threatens us Devils hate us the bonds exspect us it is onely our conscience must clear us or condemn us Search then thy waies and stir up thy remembrance to her Items hast thou dishonoured God blasphemed his name decayed his image subduing thy soul to sin that was created for heaven repent these courses ask God forgiveness and he will turn away thy punishments I know your sins are grievous and my soul grieves at the knowledge many evills have possessed too many drunkenness and oathes and malice and revenge are not these guests entertained into all houses banish them your hearts that the King of glory may come in Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Would God bestow mercy and should we refuse his bounty as you love heaven your souls your selves leave your sins Vse 2 And then here is a word of consolation the penitent needs not fear hell Gods servant is freed from bonds yea if we love him who hath first loved us Ephes 5.2 all the chains and pains of hell can neither hold nor hurt us Vse 3 O then ye Sons of Adam suffer a reproof what do ye that ye do not repent you of your sins is it not a madness above admiration that men who are reasonable creatures having eyes in their heads hearts in their bodies understanding like the Angels and consciences capable of unspeakable horrour never will be warned untill the fire of that infernall Lake flash and flame about their eares Let the Angels blush heaven and earth be amazed all the Creatures stand astonished at it I am sure a time wil come when the Tares shal feel what now they may justly fear you hear enough such weed must be bound thus straight is the Lords command Binde them in bundles to burn them But all is not done Chains have their links and we must bring all together Sinners are coupled in hell as Tares in Bundles But of these when we next meet in the mean while let this we have heard Binde us all to our duties that we hear attentively remember carefully practice conscionably that so God may reward accordingly and at last crown us with his glory The tares must be bound up in bundles but Lord make us free in Heaven to sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in thy blessed kingdome In bundles THe command is out what Bind whom them how in bundles The tares must on heaps which gives us a double observation Generall Speciall In the generall it intimates these two points the gathering of the weed and its severing from the wheat both are bound in bundles but the wheat by it self and the tares by themselves as at that doom when all the world must be gathered and severed some stand at the right hand others at the left so at this execution some are for the fire and others for the barn they are bundled together yet according to the difference of the severall parties each from the other Observ 1 First the tares must together Woe is me saith David that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech Psal 120.4 and if David think it wofull to converse with his living enemies then what punishment have the wicked whom the Devill and damned the black angels and everlasting horrour must accompany for ever The tares must be gathered and bundled and the more bundles the more and more miseries Company yields no comfort in hell fire nay what greater discomfort then to see thy friends in flames thy fellowes in torments the fiends with flaming whips revenging each others malice on thy self and enemy It was the rich mans last petition when he had so many repulses for his own ease to make one suit for his living brethren he knew their company would encrease his torment to prevent which he cries out I pray thee father Abraham Luk. 16.27 28. that thou wouldest send Lazarus to my fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment Why it may be God will hear him for them especially making such a reasonable request as this was that Lazarus might onely warn his brethren of future judgment no but to teach you if you sell your souls to sin to leave a rich posterity on earth you shall not onely your selves without all remorse and pity be damned in hell but your posterity shall be a torment to you whilest they live and a greater torment if they come to you when they are dead To converse with Devils is fearfull but altogether to accompany each other is a plague fit for tares In this life they flourished amongst the wheat Let them grow both together corn and tares untill the harvest But the harvest come God will now separate them both asunder and as in heaven there are none but Saints so in hell there are none but reprobates to encrease this torment as they grow together so all their conference is to curse each other Moab shall cry against Moab father against son son against father what comfort in this company The Devill that was authour of such mischiefs appears in most grisly forms his angels the black guard of hell torture poor souls in flames there live swearers
Reapers at the generall harvest Vse O then having yet a little time how should we labour to escape Hels horrour let the Proud be humbled the Epicure fast the Drunkard pray the Adulterer chastise himself to pull down his body and for the Covetous wretch let him with all holy greedinesse lay out his bags for the eternal good of his soul Alas one foot in heaven is better then all your lands on earth I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God Psal 84.10 then to dwell in the Tents in the houses in the Palaces of the wicked Now then in the fear of God reform your lives and your harvest without question shall be the joy of heaven or if Tares will be Tares what remains but Binding and Bundling Bind them Bundle them Burn them The harvest is done and the Angels sing and shout for their ended task the Tares are reaped the furrows cleansed the sickles laid aside the sheaves Bundled and to shut up all they must be Burned But stay we them a while and at our next meeting we will set them on fire God make us better seed that we may receive a better crop even that Crown of glory in the highest heavens To burn them VVE have followed the Prisoners from the Barre and brought them to the stake what remains further but to kindle the Faggots and so to shut up all with the burning Hell-fire at the first naming makes my soul to tremble and would the bouldest courage but enter into a serious meditation what it were to lie everlastingly in a red hot scorching fire how could he chuse but stand astonished at the consideration it is a furious fire Rouze up beloved for either this or nothing will awake you from the sleep of sin wherein you snort too securely Some differences there are about this fire many think it a Metaphoricall others a materiall fire be it whether it will it is every way fearfull and farre above the reach either of humane or Angelicall thoughts to conceive If it be Metaphoricall as Gregory and Calvine are of mind then is it either more or nothing lesse terrible when the Holy Ghost shadows unto us the joys of heaven by gold and pearls and precious stones Revel 21. Rev. 21. there is no one thinks but those joys do farre surpasse these shadows and if the pains of hell are set out by fire and flames and brimstone and burning what pains are those to which these are nothing but dumb shows or types Or if hell fire be materiall as Austine and Bullenger do conjecture yet is it farre beyond any fire on earth mark but the difference our fire is made for comfort hell-fire is created for nothing else but torment our fire is blown with some ayrie breath of man but hell fire is blown with the angry breath of God our fire is fed with the fuell of Wood or Cole but hell fire is tempered with all the terrible torturing ingredients of Sulphur and Brimstone or to cut the way nearer I will reduce all the differences to some of these four and so proceed in their order they differ first in heat secondly in light thirdly in their object fourthly in durance First in heat The pile thereof is fire and much wood and the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Esai 30.33 Esai 30.33 This fire is not made by the hand of man nor blown from the bellows of some forge nor fed with any fuell of combustible matter no it is the arm of God and the breath of God and the anger of God that kindles it sharply and continues it everlastingly and I pray if the breath that kindles it be like a stream of brimstone what is the fire it self you know there is a great difference betwixt the heat of our breath and the fire in our chimnies now then if the breath of God that kindles hell fire be dissolved into brimstone What a fearfull fire is that which a great torrent of burning Brimstone doth ever mightily blow A torrent of Brimstone said I no it is not Brimstone but like Brimstone like to our capacity although for the nature this like is not like nay could we know exactly what this breath were you would say I warrant you it were far more hotter then ten thousand Rivers of Brimstone were they all put together Our God saith the Apostle is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Heb. 12.29 And if God be a fire what then is hell fire kindled by the breath God O my soul how canst thou but tremble at the thought of this fire at which the very Devils themselves do quake and shiver Pause a while and consider wert thou arraigned at some earthly bar thy doom past the execution at hand and thy body now ready to be cast as many a Martyrs was into some burning fire or boyling Caldron O how wouldest thou shout and roar and cry through the extremity of torment but what is a boyling Caldron to that boyling sea of fire and brimstone pitch and sulphur boyl altogether were not this enough see there the perplexing properties of such heats they burn as Brimstone darkly to grieve the sight sharply to afflict the sense loathsomly to perplexe the smell it is a fire that needs no bellows to kindle it nor admits of the least air to cool it the fuell wasts not the smoke vents not the chimnies are but Reprobate credits where they lie scorching burning houling their lullabies and their nurses furies The flames of Nebuchadnezzars fire could ascend forty nine Cubits but if hell be a bottomless pit sure these flames have an endless height how hot then is that glowing Oven where the fire burns lively the blasts go strongly the wheeles turn roundly and the darkned fuell are those damned souls that burn in an heat surpassing ours unspeakable of us here is one difference Secondly as hell fire differs from ours in heat so in light Cast that unprofitable servant saith our Saviour into utter darkness Mat. 25.30 Matth. 25.30 Vtter to perplexe the mind Darkness to confound the eye Consider but the terrour of this circumstance if a man alone in darkness should suddenly hear a noise of ghosts and spirits coming towards him how would his hair bristle his tongue faulter his blood run to the heart yea I dare say although he felt never a lash from them on his body yet the onely houling of devils would make his very inmost heart to shake and shudder O then what horrour is that when darkness must surround thee and devills hollow to thee and reprobates shrick at the lashing of their bodies and all hell be filled with the cries and ecchoes of Woe woe woâ— for their torments and the darkness May be you will object if there be fire there is assuredly light nay without question this fire hath heat no light it is a dark smoaky flame that burns dimm to the eye yet sharp to the
ministers messengers and howsoever it would dazle us to behold their faces yet cannot the brightest Angels stand before God but they are fain to cover their own faces with a pair of wings the difference may appear in Revel 5.13 14. Rev. 5.13 14. where the Lambe is said to sit upon the Throne but the four Beasts and four and twenty Elders fall down and worship him Esai 6.2 Is not here a great distance betwixt the Lamb in his Throne and the Beasts at his feet and yet thus farre will the Lamb descend that for our sakes he will disthrone himself reject his state take the office of an Angel to bring us the glad tidings of salvation in purging our sinnes And was he an Angel nay that was too much he was made saith the Apostle a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death Heb. 2.9 Heb. 2.9 What the Son of God to be made lower then the Angels here was a leap beyond the reach or compass of all humane thoughts he that made the Angels is made lower by a little then the Angels the Creator is not onely become a creature but inferiour to some creatures that he did create O yee Angels how stand yee amazed at this humility that God your Master should become meaner then his servants that the Lord of heaven should deny the dignity of powers principalities Cherubims Seraphims Arch-Angell or Angell O Iesu how contrary art thou to thy aspiring Creatures some Angels through pride would needs be as God but God through humility is made lower then the Angels not equall with them but a note below them as David that sweet singer of Israel sung thou madest him little lower then the Angels Psalm 8.9 Psal 8.9 cited also in the person of Christ Heb. 2.7 But how much lower by a little saith Paul and if you would know what that little was he tels you again that he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 Heb. 2.16 Here is that great abysse which all the powers of heaven could no less but wonder at Abrahams Lord is become Abrahams Son the God of Abraham the God of Jsaac and the God of Iacob hath took upon him the seed of Abraham the seed of Isaac and the seed of Iacob wonder above wonders that God should take the shape of Angels is more then we can think but to take on him the nature of man is more then the tongue of Angels can express that the King of heaven should leave his glorious mansion and from the bosome of his Father come into the womb of his mother from that company of Angels and Arch-Angels to a rude rout of sinfull men Tell ye the daughters of Sion behold thy King cometh unto thee saith the Prophet Esay in the 62. Chap. 11. vers Isai 62.11 what could he lesse and what canst thou more wonderfull love that he would come but more wonderfull is the manner of his coming he that before made man a soul after the image of God now makes himself a body after the image of man and he that was more excellent then all Angels becomes lesser lower then the Angells even a mortall miserable wretched man But what man as he is King of heaven let him be King of all the world if he be man let him be the ruler of Mankinde no thou art deceived O Jew that exspectest in thy Saviour the glory of the world fear not Herod the loss of thy Diadem for this child is born not to be thy successor but if thou wilt believe to be thy Saviour was he a King on earth alas look through the Chronicles of his life and you finde him so far from a King that he is the meanest subject of all men where was he born but at Bethlehem a little City where did the shepherds find him but in a sorry cottage who were his Disciples but poor Fisher-men who his companions but Publicans and sinners is he hungry where stands his Table but on plain ground what are his dainties but bread and a few fishes who are his guests but a rout of hungry starved creatures and where is his lodging but at the stern of a ship here is a poor King without either presence or bed-chamber The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head Matth. 8.20 Matth. 8.20 Descend we a little lower and place him in our own rank what was he but a Carpenter say the Jews in scorn Is not this the Carpenter Maries son Mark 6.3 Mark 6.3 A poor trade sure but to shew us that he was man and how much he hated idleness some time he will bestow in the labours of mans life but O wonder if he will reject majesty let him use at least some of those liberall arts or if he will be mechanicall let him choose to some noble trade Thy Merchants were the great men of the earth said the Angell to Babylon Apoc. 18.23 Apoc. 18.23 Ay but our Saviour is no Adventurer neither is he so stockt to follow any such profession once indeed he travelled into Aegypt with Ioseph and Mary but to shew us that it was no prize you may see Mary his mother steal him away by night without further preparation what gone on a suddain it seems there was no treasure to hide no hangings to take down no lands to secure his mother needs do no more but lock the doors and away what portion then is for the Lord of heaven O sweet Jesu thou must be content for us to hew sticks and stocks besides which after his coming out of Aegypt about the seventh year of his age untill his baptisme by Iohn which was the thirtieth we find little else recorded in any Writers profane or Ecclesiasticall And are we now at our just Quantum alas what quantity what bounds hath the humility of our Saviour is he a Carpenter that were to be master of a trade but he took on him saith the Apostle the form of a servant not a master Phil. 2.7 Phil. 2.7 It is true he could say to his Apostles Ye call me master and Lord and yee say well for so I am Ioh. 13.13 Ioh. 13.13 and yet at that very instant mark but his gestures and you may see their Lord and Master become a servant to his servants his many offices express his services Ioh. 13.4 5. when he rose from supper and laid a side his upper garments and took a towell and girded himself and after that he had poured water in a basen begun to wash his disciples feet and to wipe them with the towell wherewith he was girded O ye blessed spirits look down from heaven and you may see even the Almighty kneeling at the feet of men O yee blessed Apostles why tremble ye not at this so wonderfull sight of your lovely lowly Creatour
off the burthen Matth. 11.28 Rev. 21.6 do they thirst after righteousness just then is the fountain of the water of life set wide open unto them are they contrite and humble in spirit Esay 57.15 just then are they become thrones for the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity to dwell in for ever O then come and welcome Christ excepts none that will not except themselves He died for all and be would have all men to be saved But yet let us be cautelous secondly he purged our sinnes and ours with a limitation the vse of Physick we say consists in application and howsoever our Saviour hath purged our sins yet this purge of his is nothing beneficiall to us unlesse there be some means to apply it As then it is in all other Physick so in this we must first take it secondly keep it 1. Take it for as the best plaister if not laid to can cure no wound so Christ himself and all his precious merits are of no virtue to him that will not apply them by faith when you hear the Gospel preached believe it on your parts believe Christ is yours believe that he lived and died and sorrowed and suffered and all this for you to purge your souls of your sinnes 2. But having taken it you must secondly keep it as men take Physick not onely in belief that it will do them good but in hope to keep it by the virtue and strength of the retentive parts so we take Christ by faith but we retain him by holiness these two faith and holiness are those two bonds wherewith Christ is united unto us and we unto Christ so that if we be of this number then truly may we say that he purged our sinnes for the both died for us and by virtue of our faith and holinesse through him his death is applied to us to us I say not in any generall acception but as we are of the number of his Saints for we had sinned and they were our sinnes onely that he effectually purged and washed away Vse And this lesson may afford us this use that howsoever the free grace and mercie and goodnesse of Christ Jesus is revealed and offered to all men universally yet our Saviour takes none but such as are willing to take upon them his yoke he gives himself to none but such as are readie to sell all and follow him he saves none but such as deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world in a word he purgeth none or cleanseth none by his bloud from all sin but such as walk in the light as God is in the light who make conscience of detesting and declining all sins and sincerely set their hearts and hands with love and carefull endeavour to every duty enjoyned them why these are the men onely to whom his death is effectuall and therefore as we mean to partake of his merits or to have good by his death let us become new creatures It is true indeed and we cannot but maintain it that to justification nothing but faith is required but this caution must be added it must be a faith that purifies the heart that works an universall change that shews it self in the fruits if therefore any of us would come in let us have ready our answer as a late Divine speaks the dialogue betwixt Christ and a true Christian on this manner First saith he when God hath enlightened the eyes of a man that he can see where this treasure is what then Why saith the Christian I am so enflamed with the love of it that I will have it whatsoever it cost me yea saith Christ but there is a price upon it it must cost thee dear a great deal of sorrow and trouble and crosses and afflictions Tush tell me not of price saith the Christian whatsoever I have shall go for it I will do any thing for it that God will enable me Why saith Christ wilt thou curb thine affections wilt thou give up thy life wilt thou be content to sell all thou hast I will do it saith the Christian with all my heart I am content to sell all that I have nothing is so dear unto me but I will part with it my right hand my right eye nay if hell it felf should stand between me and Christ yet would I passe through it unto him This beloved this is that violent affection which God puts into the hearts of his children that they will have Christ whatsoever it cost them yet understand me I pray you It is not to sell our houses or lands or children but our sinns that I mean the Lord Jesus and one lust cannot lodge together in one soul no if we are but once truly incorporated into Christ we must take him as our Husband and Lord we must love honour and serve him we must endeavour after sanctification puritie new obedience abilitie to do or suffer any thing for Christ we must consecrate all the powers and possibilities of our bodies and souls to do him the best service we can we must grieve and walk more humbly because we can do no better and thus if we do though I cannot say but still we shall sin so long as we live on this earth yet here is our comfort 1. Joh. 2.1 2. We have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes I say for our sinnes effectually if we believe in his Name for it was for us he died and they were our sinnes he purged and this is that great benefit we receive from our Saviour in that he by himself hath purged our sinns And now our sinnes being purged our souls recovered I may well end this Text onely I shall give it one visit more and so Farwell You see the maladie Sin the remedie a purge the Physician he the patient himself our selves for our infirmities were laid on him and his sores became our salves by whose virtue we are healed Blesse we then God for the recovery of our souls and be we carefull for the future of any relapse whatsoever these relapses are they we had need to fear indeed for in them the diseases are more dangerous sinns are more pernicious Matth. 12.44 and men become seven times more the children of Sathan then ever they were before Now then we are healed be we studious to preserve it all the dayes of our life and we shall find at our death that he that purged our sinns will save our souls we need not any other Purgatory after death no when our souls shall take their flights from our bodies then are the Angels readie to conduct them to his Kingdome and thither may we come for his sake and his onely who by himself in his own person hath purged our sinnes AMEN FINIS Heavens happiness LUKE 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise HE that purged our sinns is
ye do these things ye shall never fall 2. Our second and best assurance is the testimonie of Gods Spirit which sometimes may suggest and testifie to the sanctified conscience thus or in the like manner Thou shalt be saved thou shalt be with me in Paradise But here I must satisfie two doubts first by what meanes the Spirit of God gives this particular assurance secondly how a man may discern betwixt the assurance of this Spirit and the illusion of Satan who is the spirit of lies To the first we say the means is either by an immediate revelation or by a particular application of the promises in the Gospel John 3.36 in form of an experimentall syllogisme as Whosoever believes on the Son shall be saved but I believe on the Sonne therefore I shall be saved The major is Scripture the minor is confirmed by our faith which if I have I may say I believe True flesh and bloud cannot say this it is the operation of the holy Ghost but if the work be wrought and I feel this faith within my soul what need I doubt but this assumption is true I believe on the Son Yet I hear some complain they have neither sight nor sense of faith and thus it is often with Gods dearest children the Sunne that in a clear sky discovers and manifests it self may sometimes with clouds be overcast and darkened and faith that in the calmnesse of a Christian course shines shews it self clearly to the sanctified heart may sometimes in the damp of spirituall desertion or darknesse of temptation lie hid and obscured there is therefore in the Saints Certitudo evidentiae adhaerentiae the assurance of evidence and the assurance of adherence The assurance of evidence is that which is without scruple and brings an admirable joy with it and this more especially appears either in our more fervent prayers or in our heavenly meditations or in time of martyrdome or in some quickening exercises of extraordinarie humiliation or in beginning of our spirituall or end of our naturall life as most needfull times then doth Gods spirit speak comfortably to us whispering to our souls the assurance of our happinesse that we shall be inheritours of his Kingdome The assurance of adherence is that which I doubt not the Saints have in their greatest extremitie for instance many a faithfull soul that makes conscience of sinne lies and languishes upon the rack of fears and terrours he shels nothing but a dead heart and a spirituall desertion yet in the mean time his soul cleaves unto Christ as to the surest rock he cries and longs after him and for all his fears and sorrows he will still rest upon him Job-like though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 Job 13.15 Now this adherence unto Christ may assure him of salvation for if we speak punctually and properly faith justifying is not to be assured of pardon but to trust wholly upon Christ for pardon and thus if he do then may he with freedome of spirit say I believe on the Sonne whence ariseth this conclusion which is the testimonie of Gods Spirit therefore I shall be saved To our second doubt how we may discern betwixt the testimonie of Gods Spirit and the illusion of Satan I answer First the testimony of Gods Spirit is ever agreeable to the Word and thus to trie us the Scripture tels us that Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sinne 1 John 3.9 which is not to be understood simply of the act of sinning for who can say my heart is clean but in this sense he doth not commit sinne that is he makes not a trade of sinne it doth not reign in him if then thou allowest any lust in thine heart or goest on in the willing practice of any one known sin yet hast a conceit that thou art sure of salvation alas thou art deceived thou hast made a lie thy refuge and hid thy self under falshood Secondly Gods Spirit breeds in the soul a Reverend love and insatiable longing after all good means appointed and sanctified for our spiritual good and therefore that heart which sweetly is affected and inflamed with the word and prayer and meditation and conference and vows and singing of Psalms and use of good books we doubt not but it is breath'd on by the Spirit of God whilst others that use all these Ordinances out of custome or formalitie or some other sinister end alas their conceit of being right is built on the sands and therefore down it fals at deaths floud and is overwhelmed in destruction Thirdly Gods Spirit is ever attended with the spirit of Prayer and therefore saith the Apostle We know not how to pray but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 Rom. 8.26 O the blessed operation of this Spirit it even warms the spirit of a man with quickning life to pour out it self in the presence of the Lord his God sometimes in more hearty prayers and sometimes in more faint and cold yet alwayes edged with infinite desires that they were farre more fervent then they are But on the other side every deluded Pharisee is a mere stranger to the power of Prayer if he prayes often as I make it a question yet never prayes he from a broken heart and this argues that all his confidence is no better then a weed which grows of its own accord therefore like Jonahs gourd when affliction comes it withers on a sudden Fourthly the testimonie of Gods Spirit is often exercised and accompanied with fears and jealousies and doubts and distrusts and varieties of temptations which many times will drive the soul thus distrest to cry mightily to God to re-examine her grounds to confirm her watch to resort for counsell where it may be had whilest on the contrary the Pharisees groundlesse conceit lies in his bosome without fears or jealousies or doubts or distrusts or any such ado why so alas Sathan is too subtle to trouble him in that case he knows his foundation is falshood his hope of Heaven no better then a golden dream and therefore in policie he holds his peace that he may hold him the faster Fifthly the testimony of Gods Spirit is ever most refreshing at those times when we retire our selves to converse with God in a more solemn manner when we feel that we have conquered or well curbed some corruption of nature when we are well exercised in the Ordinances of God or in our sufferings by man for a good cause and conscience sake then or at such times shall we feel that sweetnesse of the spirit cherishing our hearts with a lightsome comfort that cannot be uttered whilest on the contrary the deluded man is alwaies alike peremptorie in his confidence you shall not take him at any time without a bold perswasion that he hopes to be saved as wel as the best thus like a man who lying
fast asleep on the edge of a Rock he dreams merrily of Crowns and Kingdomes and will not off it but on a sudden starting for joy he tumbles into the bottome of the Sea and there lies drowned in the deep that assurance which is ever secure is but a dream whereas the testimony of Gods Spirit is sometimes mixed with doubts and sometimes to our unspeakable comfort with a secret still heart-ravishing voice thus speaks to our consciences thou shalt be thou shalt be with me in paradise You see the testimonie of Gods Spirit how it works in us and how it is discerned by us it works in us by a particular application of the promises in the Gospel and is discerned by us by the word by our love our prayers our fears our joys at some times while we are a doing our duties Vse O blessed man that feels in his soul this blessed testimonie what is here comparable to it riches are deceitfull pleasure is a toy the world is but a bubble onely our assurance of Heaven is the onely reall comfort that we have on earth who then would not studie to make this certain if we purchase an inheritance on earth we make it as sure and our tenure as strong as the brawn of the Law or the brain of Lawyers can devise we have conveyance and bonds and fines no strength too much and shall we not be more curious in the setling our eternall inheritâ—nce in Paradise a man can never be too sure of going to Heaven and therefore in Gods fear let us examine the testimonie of our spirits by the inward tokens and by the outward fruits let us examine the testimonie of Gods Spirit by the means and the difference and if we find both these testimonies to accord within us how blessed are we in this vale of tears it is an heaven upon earth a Paradise in a wildernesse in a word a comfort in all miseries be they never so embittered See a Thief hanging on the Crosse an Engine of most grievous torture but who can tell the joy that entred into him before he entred into Heaven you may guesse it by his desire to be remembred of Christ when he came into his Kingdome he begs not for life nor pleasure nor riches nor honour no there is one thing necessary give him Heaven and he cares for nothing to this purpose doth he addresse himself to our blessed Saviour Luke 23.37 39. and he asks what if thou be Christ save thy self said the Jews in derision and if thou be Christ save thy self and us said the other Thief to him but this was onely for the bodies safetie and here is a man quite of another mind let the Jews rack him tear him break all his bones and pull him into atomes if our Saviour will but do so much as remember him in his kingdome he desires nothing more O blessed Christ speak comfortably to his soul that begs it thus vehemently at thy hands but why do I prevent the bowels of our Saviour yearn to hear him remember him yes he will remember him and he shall be with him comfortable news how leaps his heart at these so blessed words his desire is granted and Heaven is assured and the Spirit of God yea the God of Spirits thus testifies it to him to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thus farre of the certainty of his salvation thou shalt be but as the grant is sweet that is certain so is it yet more acceptable if done with expedition and here is both the certainty and expedition thou shalt be when to day with me in paradise To day OUr Saviour deferres not that he promises but as he quickly hears and quickly grants so he quickly gives him Paradise and a kingdome This sudden unexspected joy makes all more gratefull to tell us of Crowns and Kingdomes that we must inherit and then to put us off with delayes abates the sweetnesse of the promise men that go to suits for lands and livings though Lawyers feed them with hopes yet one order after another spinning out time to a multitude of Terms makes them weary of the businesse it is the happinesse of this suitour that he comes to an hearing but the highest degree of his happiness was the expedition of his suit no sooner he motions Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome but the Lord gives him that he asks upon his first motion to day ere the Sun be down the Kingdome shall be thine thou shalt be with me in Paradise But you may object Was there no Limbus Patrum no Purgatory to run through but the very same day he died he must then go to Paradise no unlesse Limbus or Purgatorie be Paradise it self there is no such thing at all Some there are that rather then say nothing speak thus Christ giving up the ghost Mox ut Deus exspiravit ipse secundum animam ad infernos descendit Guliel Paris cap. 21. secundum verbum his soul descended into hel and the very same day was this Malefactour partaker of Christs beatificall vision with the other Patriarchs in Limbus But of how great difference is Paradise and Limbus we shall hear another time sure it is Christ promised not a Dungeon in stead of a Kingdome nor is Paradise a place of pleasure of any such imaginary melancholy nature we conclude then To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise it is all one as to say To day thy day of death thou shalt be with me in Heaven and there enjoy me in my Kingdome But again you may object That Christ rather that day descended into hel then ascended into heaven The Creed teacheth that after he was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell To answer the objection some go about thus by hel say they is meant Paradise where the soul of Christ was all the time that his body lay in the grave If this be not a misconstruction I am sure it is no literall Exposition and me thinks a very strange kind of figure it is to expresse Christs ascent into Paradise by his descent into hell Others more probably understand Christs abode in the grave for the space of three dayes Aug. Epist 57. Austin after some turns and wrenches concludeth thus Est autem sensus multò expeditior c. It is a farre easier sense and freer from all ambiguity if we take Christ to speak thesc words This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise not of his Manhood but of his Godhead for the man Christ was that day in the grave according to the flesh and in hell as touching his soul but the same Christ as God is alwayes every where Thus he But this will not satisfie all Perkins on the Creed and therefore they argue thus against it These words say they must be understood of his Manhood not his God-head and why so For they are an answer unto a demand and unto it they must be
this be his case who will not say with Balaam Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Num. 23 10. O let us I beseech you present unto our souls the blessed condition to come and this will be effectuall to stir us up to every good duty and to comfort us in all conditions whatsoever what will a man care for crosses and losses and disgraces in the world that thinks of an heavenly Kingdome What will a man care for ill usage in his Pilgrimâ—ge when he knows he is a King at home we are all in this time of our abâ—ence from God but even strangers upon â—â—rth here then must we suffer in dignities yet here is the comfort we have a better estate to come and all this in the mean time is nothing but a fitting of us to that heavenly Kingdome â—s Davids time between his anointing and investing was a very preparing of him that he might know himself and that he might learn fitnesse for to govern aright so we are anointed Kings as soon as we believe we have the same blessed anointing that is poured on our head and runnes down about us but we must be humbled and fitted before we are invested 〈◊〉 time and but a 〈◊〉 we have yet here to spend and let this be our comfort howsoever we 〈◊〉 here it is not long ere we inherit Alas the 〈◊〉 of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be shewed us Rom. 8.18 Rom. 8.18 and therefore Igâ—â—â—â—â— iâ— a burnâ—â—g 〈…〉 say 〈…〉 gallows Hieron in catalogo beasts breaking of my bones quartering of â—y 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—sâ—â—ng of my body all the torments of devils let them come upon me so I may enjoy the treasure of Heaven and well â—â—gâ—â— he say it that knew what a châ—nge would be one day 〈◊〉 never was cold shadow so pleasant 〈◊〉 hot Summer never was 〈◊〉 so delightfull after â—â—â—our as shall be this â—eâ—t of heaven to an afflicted â—our coming thither out of this valley of tears O then what service should we do what pain should we suffer to attain this â—est were it to runne through fire and water were it as Augustine said to suffer every day torments you Aug. serm 31. de sanct the very torments of Hell yet should we be conâ—enâ— to aâ—â—â—e it and how much more when we may buy it without money or money-worth we need not to part with any thing for it but sin This Thief now a blessed Saint in glory * I speak of suffering and repenting as means not as the cause for a dayes suffering an half dayes repenting was thus welcomed to Heaven imitate we him in his repentance not in his delay he indeed had mercy at the last cast but this priviledge of one inferres not a common law for all one finde mercie at the last that none should despair and but one that none should presume Be then your sins as red as Scarlet you need not despair if you will but repent and lest your repentance be too late let this be the day of your conversion now abhorre sinnes past sue out a pardon call upon Christ with this Thief on the Crosse Lord remember me remember me now thou art in thy Kingdome thus would we do how blessedly should we die our consciences comforting us in deaths pangs and Christ Jesus saying to us at our last day here our day of death our day of dissolution To day shalt thou be with me in paradise We have dispatcht with expedition this dispatch this expedition to day the next day you shall hear the happinesse of this grant which is the societie of our Saviour thou shalt be with whom with me in paradise With me ANd is he of the Societie of Jesus yes though no Jesuite neither for they were not then hatcht but what noble order is this where the Saints sing Angels minister Archangels rule Principalities triumph Powers rejoyce Dominations govern Virtues shine Thrones glitter Cherubims give light Seraphins burn in love and all that heavenly company ascribe and ever give all laud and praises unto God their Maker here is a Societie indeed I mean not of Babylon but Jerusalem whither Jesus our Saviour admits all his servants and whereto this Thief on the Crosse was invited and welcomed thou shalt be with me in paradise For if with me then with all that is with me and thus comes in that blessed company of Heaven we will onely take a view of them and in some scantling or other you may guesse at Heavens happinesse With me and therefore with my Saints blessed man that from a crew of thieves by one houres repentance became a companion of Saints and now he is a Saint amongst them what joy is that he enjoys with them O my soul couldst thou so steal Heaven by remorse for sinne then mightst thou see what all those millions of Saints that ever lived on earth and are in Heaven Heb. 12.22 there are those holy Patriarchs Adam Noah Abraham and the rest not now in their pilgrimage tossed to and fro on earth but abiding for ever on Mount Sion the City of the living God there are those goodly Prophets Esay Jeremy Ezekiel and the rest not now subject to the torments of their cruell adversaries but wearing Palms and Crowns and all other glorious Ensigneâ— of their victorious triumphs there live those glorious Apostles Peter Andrew James John and the rest not now in danger of persecution or death but arrayed in long robes washed and made white in the bloud of the Lamb Revel 7.14 there live those women-Saints Mary Martha and that Virgin-mother not now weeping at our Saviours death but singing unto him those heavenly songs of praise glory world without end there are those tender infants an hundred forty four thousand Revel 14.1 Revel 14.1 3 4. not now under Herods knife bleeding unto death but harping on their harps and following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth there lives that noble armie of Martyrs they that were slain upon the earth Revel 18.24 Revel 18.24 not now under the mercilesse hands of cruell tyrants but singing and saying their Hallelujahs salvation and glory and honour Revel 19.1 and power be unto the Lord our God tâ—ere dwell all the Saints and servants of God both small and great Revel 19.5 Revel 19.5 not now sighing in this vale of tears but singing sweet songs that eccho through the Heavens as the voice of many waters as the voice of mighty thunderings so is their voice saying Hellelujah Revel 19.6 for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth And is not here a goodly troop a sweet company a blessed societie and fellowship of Saints O my soul how happie wer't thou to be with them yea how happie will that day be to thee when thou shalt meet all the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Disciples Innocents Martyrs the Saints and servants of the King of Heaven why thus happie
3.2 For as the Sunne by his beams and brightnesse illightens the eye and the air that we may see not onely all other things but also his own glorious face so God blessed for ever in whose presence ten thousand of our suns would vanish away as a darksome mote doth by the light of his Majestie so irradiate the minds of all the blessed that they behold in him not onely the beautie of all his Creatures but of himself and thus shall we see and know that glorious mystery of the Trinitie the goodnesse of the Father the wisdome of the Sonne the love and comfortable fellowship of the holy Spirit nothing that can be known but in him we shall know it in most ample manner Secondly the will is for ever satisfied with a perfect inward and eternall communion with God himself Christ that is God and man by his Man-hood assumed uniteth us unto God and by his God-head assuming uniteth God unto us so that by this secret and sacred communion we are made partakers and as it were possessours of God himself O bottomlesse depth and dearest confluence of joyes and pleasures everlasting here is the perfection of all good things the Crown of glory the very life of Life everlasting And well may it be so for what can the soul desire God will not be unto her It is he that is eminently in himself beauty to our eyes musick to our ears honey to our mouthes perfume to our nostrils light to our understanding delight to our will continuation of eternitie to our memorie in him shall we enjoy all the varieties of times all the beautie of creatures all the pleasures of Paradise Blessed Thief what a glory was this to be admitted to the societie of Christ in his Deitie thou shalt be with me how then should he be but happie Where could he be ill with him Vbi malè poterat esse cum illo ubi bene poterat esse sine illo Aug. Psal 16.11 where could he be well without him In thy presence there is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore joy and fulnesse of joy pleasures and everlasting pleasures Blessed are all they that live in thy house O Lord for they shall praise thee eternally world without end Psal 84.4 Psal 84.4 You see now Heavens societie they are Saints and Angels and Christ and God blessed for ever and ever Vse 1 Who then would not forsake Father and Mother the dearest fellowship of this world to be with Christ in his Kingdome You that love one another in the deepest bonds who cannot part out of this life but with the survivours grief and hearts break tell me what a merry day will that be when you shall not onely meet again never more to part asunder but when Christ our Saviour shall gladly welcome you every one of you into his societie thou shalt be with me and let me speak to the joy of us all I mean all broken-hearted Christians as for you that are profane ones you have your portion here therefore stand you by and let the Children come to their share a day will come I trust in the Lord when I shall meet you and you me in the Kingdome of heaven a day will come I trust in the Lord when you and I shall be all admitted into the societie of God and of Christ and of his Saints and of the Aagels a day will come I trust in the Lord when with these eyes we shall behold our Redeemer together with that Thief that was crucified with him a day will come I trust in the Lord when we shall meet again with all the Saints that are gone afore us and is not this a comfort what shall we say when we see our Saviour in his Throne waited on with Mary his Mother and Magdalen and Martha and Lazarus and Paul and Peter and all the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord and Saviour yea when this Thief shall be presented to our view the wounds in his hands and his feet shining like Starres and Pearls and Rubies all his body glittering in glory and his soul magnifying the Lord for his conversion and salvation world without end Vse 2 But stay least we be lead too forward there is no such thing for us if now we are not in the Covenant of grace heaven is both happie and holy and if we would enjoy heaven then we must fit our selves to that estate to which God hath preserved us to this purpose saith the Apostle Our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for the Saviour Phil. 3.20 Phil. 3.20 He was assured of heaven and therefore he conversed as a Citizen of heaven before he came there every way he â—â—rried himself as much as earth would suffer him like them that live in heaven and thus must we if ever we go to heaven become like to those that are in that place Deceive not your selves neither Whoremongers no Adulterers nor Extortioners nor the like shall enter into the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6.9 1 Cor. 6.9 Do men who live in these sinnes without all remorse or repentance ever think to go to heaven is it possible that ever any flesh should go out of the puddle into Paradise Matt. 25.41 no no Away ye workers of iniquitie I know you not saith our Saviour let no man cherish presumptions of an heavenly Kingdome except he abstain from all sinnes against Conscience What then but so live we here as becomes his servants and thus when we part it is but for better companie we lose a few friends but we shall find him that welcomes all his with this heavenly harmonie thou shalt be with whom with me in Paradise Hitherto of the Society The last thing considerable is the place or Vbi where his soul arrived but of that hereafter as the Lord shall inable me God give us all grace â—o to live here that howsoever we go hence one after another yet at last we may all meet together with our Lord and Saviour in his heavenly Paradise In Paradise ANd where was that our Adversaries say in Limbus and yet to give them their due Bellarmine so means not as that Limbus was Paradise Illa enim verè Paradisus deliciarum est non corporalis aut localis sed spiritualis coelestis Bellar. de 7. verbis Domini l. 1. cap. 4. but that in Limbus this thief had his Paradise to wit the vision of God The vision of God saith Bellarmine is a true Paradise indeed not locall but spirituall But with Bellarmines leave we have no such sense of Paradise in any part of holy Writ In the old Testament we read of an earthly Paradise wherein Adam lived in the new Testament we read of an Heavenly Paradise whither Paul was caught yet both these were locall for the one saith Moses was a garden Eastward in Eden Gen 2.8 Gen. 2.8 and the other saith Paul was in heaven