cannot be removed (k) Psal 125. 1. Chrysostome observeth there are three things more remarkable in mountains (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their firmness and stability their invincible strength and their inaccessible height in all these respects the Saints are like Mountains but the last is only proper to the present purpose of all parts of the earth the mountains are nearest unto Heaven the Mythology of that Poetical fiction of Atlas bearing up the Heavens was to represent the ghih mountains which some of them call the pillars and supporters of Heaven and some think they are meant by The pillars of Heaven tremble and are astonished at thy rebuke (m) Job 26. 11. Therefore to them are Believers fitly likened I shall name but one more they are compared to clouds Being compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses and Isa 60. 8. Who are these that fly like a cloud (n) Heb. 12. 1. the clouds are originally a thick exhalation rising out of the earth but are by the heat of the Sun rarified and drawn up toward Heaven therefore are called the clouds of Heaven In like manner though the righteous man sojourneth here upon earth yet he converseth in Heaven and sitteth together with Christ in heavenly places (p) Eph. 2. 6. Thus we find it hath been with the Saints Scipio was not the first saith Ambrose that was never less alone than when he was alone it was so with the Saints long before Enoch and Noah are said to walk with God they seemed to live no other life but that of God of the knowledge of God the love of God delight in God all their thoughts all their affections were placed upon God and Heaven their whole life was nothing else but an acquainting with God a conversing in Heaven Moses in all he did had o Mat. 26. 64. an eye to the recompence of the reward David saith He was as a Pellican in the wilderness and an Owl in the desart that he watched and was as a Sparrow alone â—pon the house top (q) Heb. 11. 26. which though some understand of Christ who in his birth was as an Owl in the desart shut out from the company of men and born amongst brute beasts at his death like the Pelican feeding his Church with his own blood in his resurrection and ascension like the Sparrow flying to Heaven like the Sparrow to her hill yet it seemeth more properly to refer too David himself and though I apprehend it is plainly meant of a forced soliâ—ude by reason of Saul's persecution yet there are who understand it of a voluntary retirement that David like these solitary creatures frequently withdrew himself from other company and other occasions that he might with more fredom be taken up with the contemplation of God and heavenly things but though this be not the meaning of that place yet it is but what is consonant to David's practice whose affections were taken up with Heaven his soul fainted for Gods salvation his eyes failed for it he hoped for it he longed after it (r) Psal 119. 81 123. 166 174. with this he comforts himself In thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore (s) Psal 16. 11. And As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness (t) Psal 17. 15. Those Worthies mentioned Heb. 11. are said to look for a City that hath foundations v. 10 to live as Pilgrims and strangers on earth v. 13. to desire a better Country that is a heavenly v. 16. The Primitive Christians lived like men of another world Gregory Nyssen saith that they stood tiptoes upon the earth (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they hung upon the earth but by the slender threed of natural necessity desiring to have as little to do here as might be Nay if possible to have nothing to do below it was their custom in their Congregations when they had finished their services to raise up their feet from the earth toward Heaven we lift up our feet saith Clem. Alexandrinus they were so much in Heaven that they desired if possible to have their bodies there before their time they were as the same Father expresseth it divorced and sequestered from all earthly interests (w) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were like the Cart-wheel it is Hilaries comparison that stands upon the earth but by a little point the far greater part being above the earth like that bird which for her beauty and nobleness they call the Bird of Paradise that never comes on the earth but liveth wholly in the air upon which she feedeth when she is forced to light to un-weary her self she lights upon the tops of the highest trees where she is still in the air the place of her delight I might to these add Paul the Hermit Anthony Arsenius and others who withdrew themselves from the world devoted themselves to a solitary life that they might better converse in Heaven Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us follow their example let the same mind be in us that was in them let us with our Apostle look not to things seen but things not seen the things seen being temporal but the things not seen Eternal 3 A third consideration to provoke to this mâ—y be taken from our selves the frame of our bodies minds us of this whereas other creatures have their bodies bowed towards earth man is made with a body erected towards heaven as in the order of Creation God hath placed heaven above us and the earth under us so he hath placed our heart and head above to be fixed upon Heaven our feet below by them to trample upon the earth if we view the several parts of the body they seem to teach us this To begin with the feet Ambrose well observeth that God hath not given us four feet as to the beasts that are wholly conversant on earth but onely two as the Birds which are often soaring toward heaven Pass we on to the knees The great commerce a Christian hath with heaven is the duty of Prayer and the knees by reason of their bowing posture seem to be intended for this chiefly I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ saith the Apostle (x) Phil. 3. 14. We read of the Apostle James Thrasilla Gorgonia and some others whose knees were like Camels knees hard and bereft of feeling through their long and often kneeling in prayer Some of the Ancients speak highly of this bowing of the knee (y) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius calleth it a posture proper to the Christians (z) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If we look from the knees to the Hands they are not only of special service to the body but to the soul likewise for which cause some have called them the Hand-maids of the soul
Aquam fluentem in cloacam deducas in hortum to take off our affections from things temporal and place them upon things eternal which only are worthy of them and suitable to them but to instance in some particular affections 1. Wee should look to them in our desires while others say who will shew us any good and have their desires eagerly carryed out after worldly objects the desire of our souls should be after heaven and things eternal There is no good Christian but goeth thus far though he may in some things come short of what he should be and what he should do and be many times taken off from his duty yet his desire is toward God and heaven A Merchant may for a time sojourn in a forreign Country to negotiate his affairs but his desire is after his own home and no sooner hath he dispatched his occasions but he hastens to his own Country the Needle in the Compass may be jogged another way yet it maketh toward the North and is in continual motion and trepidation till it comes to its proper posture A River may be turned from its course by a strong hand yet will be bending towards its own channel and never leaveth winding and turning till it worketh it self thither again in like manner a Believer by the importunity of temptation and the prevalency of corruption may be unsettled for a time and taken off from God and heaven yet still the frame and bent of his heart the desire of his soul is toward God and heavenly things neither should we content our selves with languid desires but strive to scrue them up to the highest pitch so as to pant after them as the imbosked Hart doth after the water-brooks to long for them as the parched ground gapeth after the rain 2. Look to them by hope we may say of hope as the Apostle of faith that it is the evidence of things not seen for so the same Apostle elsewhere if we hope for things we see not (o) Rom. 8. 25 r it is the property of hope as well as faith to make things not seen as visible and things future as present to the soul Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine Ephraim also is the strength of my head (p) Psal 60. 7. and before I will divide Sechem and mete out the valley of Succoth Probably all these places were not yet in David's possession but God had spoken in his holiness as before had promised them therefore David looked upon them as already his in like manner heavenly things though removed from sense are present to faith and hope and we should by the improvement of these graces antidate our future happiness soar up before-hand into Heaven solacing our selves in those rivers of pleasure rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God and having this hope should purifie our selves trampling under our feet the Moon of these temporal things and live answerable to our hopes and expectations 3. Look to them by love Let no man say saith Austin what Ladders or Engines shall I climb up to Heaven by thou ascendest by love standing on Earth thou art in Heaven if thy love be placed upon God and Heaven It is reported of Andrew the Apostle that being taxed by some of the Heathens that he did not love their gods he replied Let me see whether your gods can make such a Heaven and such an Earth and do as much for me as God hath done when any of these temporal things begin to steal away our love we should consider whether they do or can so much deserve our love as heavenly things if not we should reserve our love for the things that are most worthy of it we should gather up those scattered pieces of love dispersed amongst so many several things and place all upon Heaven and Heavenly things 4. Look to them by delighting and rejoycing in them while others have their delight fixed upon things temporal as the covetous man upon the muck of the world as if the Curse of the Serpent were entailed upon him to eat the dust of the earth all the daies of his life the voluptuary upon sensual pleasures as if he were placed on the earth like the Leviathan in the Sea only to take his sport and pastime in it the ambitious man upon preferments delighting to see other q Amando ascendis stans in terris es in coelis si Deum diligis mens sheaves bend to his sheaf as it was in Joseph's dream let our delights be fixed upon the unseen things laid up in Heaven let us with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation and with Israel sing this song Spring up oh Well sing ye unto it (r) Num. 21. 17. 4. We should look to them in our endeavours Macedonius the Hermite retiring into the wilderness that he might with more freedom enjoy God and have his conversation in Heaven Upon a time there came a young Gallant into the wilderness to hunt wilde beasts and seeing the Hermite he rode to him asking him why he came into that solitary place he desired he might have leave to ask him the same question why he came thither I came hither to hunt saith the Gentleman and so do I saith the Hermite I hunt after my God Most men hunt after other things the profits and preferments of the world and many times are with Nimrod mighty Hunters Hunters usually do not keep the road but ride over hedge and ditch many time through Corn-fields any way their game leads them so it is with worldly men they care not what hedges they break thorow what gaps they make in Gods Law and their own conscience what wrong they do to others so as they may advance their own designs Again Hunters stick at no pains sometimes ride both themselves and horses out of breath sometimes run till they can run no longer with the like eagerness and industry do worldly men pursue these things and with the like and far greater eagerness should we hunt after God and Heaven we should think no pains too much no labour too great so as we might attain to the end of our desires the salvation of our souls this is that which is so often called for in Scripture Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven (s) Mat. 6. 33. the word signifies to seek as a man that bath lost a treasure who seeketh diligently till he find it Strive to enter in at the strait gate (t) Luk. 13. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Strive as wrestlers do for mastery or as a man striveth for life when the pangs of death are upon him Work out your Salvation (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3. 12. it signifieth to Work accurately and with the greatest study and care Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure (w) 2. Pet. 1. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to study and beat the brains about a thing Labour not
is the great thing the Devil driveth at in all his temptations he is willing men should go to Church and hear and read and pray so as he can deceive them in their end their chief Good this is that great deceit under which the greatest part of the world will perish and that he should deceive so many in this as i 2 Chron. 30. 18. it will be a matter of the insultation to Satan that he can thus gull many who are otherwise knowing understanding men so it will be matter of the greatest confusion to themselves that they should suffer the Devil to cheat them of their chief Good that he should put them off vvith so mean inconsiderable things and lead them blindfold to Hell like an Ox to the slaughter or a fool to the correction of the stocks the nature of man doth exceedingly abhor to be cheated there being not only loss in it but a disparagement an imputation of weakness laid upon the man to suffer himself to be outwitted men use to say when they are cheated but in a small thing They had rather have given away three times as much but to be cheated of our souls our eternal salvation that is more grievous were it only in the matters of this life it were not much but to be deceived in things of the highest concernment in the business of eternity that is most sad but that which makes it more sad is because it is such a gross and palpable deceit to take a counterfeit Pearl for a true one there being a great likeness may sometimes befall an understanding man but to take a pebble for a Pearl a flint for a Diamond this is so gross that none but a fool or mad man would be thus mistaken and for men to take earth for heaven things temporal for things eternal to suffer Satan to cozen them of their souls and eternal Salvation and put them off with such mean petty things this is the greatest cheat in the world and that men should be so far deluded by Satan as to make things so much below themselves their ultimate end will be to them matter of confusion for evermore Shew your selves men saith God to the Idolatrous Israelites who of their silver and gold made themselves a God (l) Isa 46. 8. That any should so unman themselves as to make these things their God their chief good their end cannot but be in the end matter of great astonishment This is another Consideration which shews of what grand concernment it is to propound a right end to our selves 3. To look to things eternal as our end is the great thing wherein the work of conversion doth consist Conversion bringeth a great Change the Apostle calleth it a transformation (m) Rom. 12. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ego non sum Ego it makes a man as it were another man I am not I said that young Convert yet this though a great Change it is no substantial Change the man is the same still for his nature and substance it is chiefly a Change of the heart and that is seen mainly in the aim and intent of the heart a Bowl that runneth on the left hand if the biass be but turned it runs as much on the right without any change of the substance of the Bowl the Painter that was spoken to by a Gentleman to draw a Horse running with full speed it hapned when he brought it home that he presented it to the Gentleman with the bottom upward and so it seemed to be a Horse tumbling upon his back at which the Gentleman being angry the Painter bad him but turn the sides and then it would be according to his desire so it is here let but the end be changed and then the man that before lay tumbling as it were upon hâ—s back kicking against God and Heaven will be running the wayes of Gods Commandements the change of the heart is much in the change of the end and if the heart be changed the man is changed when he once cometh to this resolution time was when I made the world my end and that I pursued with all eagerness such and such sins as my end and then it was a pleasure to me to do wickedly whereas now by Gods assistance I resolve to make it my business to lay up treasure in heaven whatsoever else I do I will be sure to do that whatsoever I neglect I will not neglect this one thing necessary when a man cometh thus to change his end this is the great thing wherein Conversion doth consist for as natural corruption consists chiefly in that de-ordination whereby the heart is taken off from God as the chief good and eternal happiness as the chief end and placed upon sin or the world and therefore Austin makes sin to be nothing else than to use that we should enjoy and enjoy that we should use (n) Utendis frui frueâ—d is uti so Conversion is nothing else but a turning from sin to God from the Creature to the Creator from â—hings temporal to things eternal Conversion in Scripture is termed Vocation or Calling whom he hath predestinated them he hath also called and converted men are said to be called out of the World conceive it thus a man hath his face toward the world and sin and hell while he is marching furiously in these wayes of his own heart God makes him hear as it were a voyce behind him saying this is not the way neither are these the things there is another way you must take other things you must seek if you would be happy when God thus calleth as sometimes Christ his Church Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse come with me from Lebanon and withal enclineth the heart to hear and obey this Call this is to be called out of the world this is it in which the work of conversion consists when those Gospel-converts were effectually wrought upon the work chiefly appeared in making eternal life the matter of their Enquiries what shall we do to be saved What shall we do to inherit eternal life If then we would have evidence of our conversion without which there is no Salvation it must be by making eternal things our aim and end 4. The end denominates the Person such as the end is such is the man Philosophers say (o) Dat esse distinguere operari that the Form giveth Being to the thing distinguisheth it from other things and is the principle of all its operations now it is a Rule some give what the form is in natural things that the end is in morals and in all these respects it will appear of how great concernment it is to look to our end As in naturals the form giveth the Being man being informed by a reasonable soul that makes him a reasonable creature so the end doth in morals every man is as his end is if worldly earthly things be a mans end he is a man
some resemblance of the Sun and Moon and other heavenly bodies if we come lower to vegetables Proclus observeth that plants and flowers and other vegetables have all a dependence and many of them some representation of the Heavenly bodies the Tulip Marigold and some other flowers wait upon the Sun as the Handmaid upon the hand of her Mistress opening by degrees as the Sun ascends and again shutting up themselves gradually as the Sun declineth and this so punctually that though the Sun appear not a man may more infallibly know when it is high noon by their full spreading than by any Clock or Watch. The Hopp in its growing winds it self about the pole alwaies following the course of the Sun from East to West and can by no means be forced to a contrary way Some affirm that the sap in trees precisely follows the motion of the Sun ascending and descending at the same time and by the same steps the Sun doth if we come lower to inanimate creatures Plato observeth that all the Elements do naturally desire to evaporate themselves into the coelestial Region as it were there to attain to a higher degree of perfection the fire and air those lighter elements still aspire higher and higher as it were to make nearer approaches towards Heaven the earth and water those heavy Elements though they do not ascend in their gross bodies yet they are daily sending up some thinner part of themselves some vapours as it were some breathings toward Heaven Naturalists speak of several stones in which there is some representation of the heavenly bodies so that in the several orders of nature there is somthing that might mind us of this duty of conversing in Heaven and looking to things Eternal there is scarce any thing we look on but might some way or other put us in mind of this the best and choicest things the earth affords are hid from our eyes shut up in darkness so as if we look downward we see only the surface of the earth and there our sight is bounded whereas upward toward Heaven all things are open and transparent to note how vast our affections should be toward Heaven if westand upon some high steeple and look downward to the earth we cannot look long without dizziness and fear whereas when we look upward toward Heaven though a thousand times greater distance we can continue looking without either as if nature would hereby mind us that our eyes were given us to look to Heaven not to the earth Having then so many Monitors we shall shew our selves ill scholars if we do not learn this lesson 2. If from other things we look to other men I mean the people of God they teach it by their example the Apostle speaking of himself and the rest of the Saints saith Our conversation is in Heaven the word though it hath several significations yet chiefly these two it signifies our City whereof we are Citizens and to which we belong Heaven so Zanchy we are Citizens of Heaven not of earth and therefore ought to seek the things that are in Heaven Or it signifieth carriage or deportment or converse so the word rendred in other places And so most Interpreters and our translation render it Our conversation is in Heaven this is the inseparable property of every true Believer he converseth in Heaven The way of life is above to the wise (e) Prov. 15. 24. â— Psal 92. 12. and â—0 5. This world is the place of his abode but not of his delight his body is here but his soul his better part above his commoration is on earth but his conveâ—sation in Heaven he liveth here but loveth there as Merchants who live in this Kingdom yet are called Spanish or Turky Merchants because their trading is in those places In like manner the Believer he is in the world but not of the world this world is but his Inn Heaven is his home his Country he is in Heaven while he is on earth he converseth with God while he sojourneth in the world his trading is for Heaven his love defire delight is placed upon heavenly things this is not obscurely held forth in Scripture by those sâ—veral things to which Believers are compared sometimes to the Palm-tree The righteous shall flourish like a Palm-tree the Palm-tree groweth streight and upright They are upright as the Palm-tree f and so represents the heavenly minded Christian whose motions toward Heaven are direct and streight without those obliquities and turnings aside which appear in the carriage of other men the Palm-tree is small in the body or trunk and biggest at the top close and shut up in that part toward earth but broad and open c Phil. 3. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 civitas with aut vita civilis d Phil. 1. 27. Acts 23. 1. in that part toward Heaven and so further resembleth the Heavenly Christian whose heart is closed toward the world but is open and enlarged toward Heaven the Palm-tree hath no boughs or branches upon the sides or body but all the boughs grow together at the top to which perhaps that alludes I will go up to the Palm-tree I will take hold of the boughs thereof and so is a further emblem of a Christian all whose branches and out-goings are exalted above the earth and without any straggling and dividing aspire toward Heaven Again Gregory Nyssen saith of this Tree That it riseth out of the earth with its perfect bigness and thickness at the top so that though it groweth in height or bigness in the other parts of it yet it never groweth any greater or bigger at the top if this be true In this likewise it resembles the true Believer who though in regard of other graces he be like the Crocodile that groweth till the very time of his death yet at his first conversion hath the frame and bent of his heart upon Heaven Yet once more Philo saith that whereas all other trees have their sap in the root which from thence ascends only the sap and heart of the Palm-tree is at the top toward the top of the middlemost bough which is surrounded by other boughs as a General is by his Life-guard if so it hath yet a further-resemblance to Believers whose hearts are in Heaven for there their treasure is and there is their heart also In the same place the Psalmist compareth the righteous man to the Cedar The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree and spread abroad like the Cedar in Lebanon The Cedar it is a stately Tree it is called the goodly Cedar (h) Psal 80. 10. with Ezek. 17. 22. the high Cedar it doth saith Jerom grow up fast toward Heaven (i) ad Coelestia festinare Properantes ad Coelum and so resembles those Believers who are as he expresseth it aspiring toward Heaven g Cant. 7. 8. Again they are sometimes compared to mountains They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that
thirty pound is a great loss to a man that hath no more in the world but it is nothing to him that is worth many thousands worldly men have their portion in this life if they lose that it is all they have whereas a goodly man when these things are taken from him hath reason to comfort himself because he hath treasure laid up in Heaven which no injury of times no malice of men or Devils can deprive him of The believing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing that in Heaven they had a better and more enduring sustance t Paulinus when the Goths invading the City of Nola plundered his House and took all he had from him cryed out Lord let not the loss of these things disquiet me thou knowest where I have laid up my treasure 5. It would much Sweeten those troubles and sufferings we here meet with this we have laid down in the Text. In the former verses we read of the great sâ—fferings of the Apostles and that that kept them from fâ—inting under these is partly laid down verse 17. These light afflictions cause for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory And partly in this verse while we look not at things which are seen but at things not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal No suffering seemeth great to him who hath his mind taken up with the greatness of Eternity (u) Sapienti nihil magnum videri potest cui aeternitatâ—â— nota est magnâ—tudo We read of some Martyrs that they have endured great sufferings without any sensible feeling of their sufferings as that young Child in Josephus who when his flesh was pulled in pieces with Pincers by the command of Antiochus said with a smiling counterance Tyrant Thou losest time where are those smarting Pains with which thou threatnedst me make me to shrink and cry out if thou canst and Baiâ—â—m an English Martyr when the fire was flaming about him said Yoâ— Papists talk of Miracles behold here a miracle I feel no more pain than if I were in a bed of Down is is as sweet to me as a bed of Roses Surely their strength was not the strength of stones nor their flesh as brass that they should not be sensible of so great sufferings only they were so much in Heaven now they were going to Heaven that they endured pains as it were without pain and sufferings without feeling of their sufferings Others again though sensible of their torments yet endured them with unspeakable courage and alacrity Laurence when his body was roasted upon a burning Gridiron cryed out This side is roasted enough turn the other Marcus of Arethusa when his body was anointed with honey and hung up aloft in a Basket to be stung by Wasps and Bees looked down saying I am advanced despising you that are below And when wee see weak feeble creatures defying their torments conquering in the midst of suffering when we hear them expressing the greatest joy in 〈◊〉 midst of their greatest sufferingâ— singing in Prison as Paul and Silas did kissing the Stake as Henry Voes did clapping their hands when they were half consumed with fire as Hawkes did blessing God that ever they were born to see that day as John Noyes did calling their execution-day Their wedding Day as Bishop Ridley did We cannot but think there was something more than ordinary that did thus raise their Spirits and questionless thâ—s was it chiefly they had an eye to the Recompence of the reward the consideration of those eternal joyes they were now entring on did so ravish their hearts and transport their thoughts that all their sufferings seemed light and easie to them Tertullian saith the foot feeleth nothing on earth when the mind is in Heaven (w) Nihil sentit crus in cerra cum animus est in coelo and as this sweetnes sufferings so all other troubles Jerome thus comforted the Hermite that was sad with his being alone in the Wilderness (x) Meditare coelum tam diu non eris in eremo Think of Heaven and so long thou wilt not think thy self in a Desart It is reported of Olympius who lived Cloystered up in a Monastery near Jordan that his mind was so fixed on Eternity that he had scarce any sense and feeling of any temporal miseries It happened on a time that a certain religious man went to visit him and finding him cloystered up in a dark Cell which he thought un-inhabitable by reason of heat and swarmes of gnats and flies and asking him how he could endure to live in such a place he answered All this is but a light matter that I may escape eternal Torments I can endure the stinging of Gnats that I might not endure the stinging of Conscience and the gnawing of that worme that never dyes this heat thou thinkest grievous I can easily endure when I think of the eternal fire of Hell these sufferings are but short but the sufferings of Hell are eternal And as all present sufferings are light in comparison of everlasting torments so if we think further of the eternal joyes of Heaven this will make them seem more light I reckon saith the Apostle That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed (y) Rom. 8. 18. He puts as it were into one ballance the afflictions of this life and in the other the blessedness of Heaven and having weighed both concludeth that there is no reck oning to be made of the one in comparison of the other Chysostome writing to Stagirius to comfort him against the troubles he met with bespeaketh him in this manner If thou wert elected King of some flourishing Kingdom and wert now going to the Imperial City to be invested with the Regal dignity though as thou wert passing through the Suburbs thou shouldst meet with some dirty way or have some light affront put upon thee by some Passenger wouldst thou not easily pass by this and hasten with joy to the Coronation Our abode in this life is but like passing through the Suburbs if we hope for an immortal Crown in Heaven we should make light of whatsoever troubles here befall us imitating that great Captain of our Salvation who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame (z) Heb. 12. 2. It was the Council an old Monk gave to a young Novice entring into that Order If thou wouldst be perfect thou must be like the Ass of this Monastery which when he is laden repineth not when beaten kicketh not when driven goeth whither the Driver would have him so saith he it must be with thee and so it would be with us if we had our minds seriously fixed upon Eternity What Chrysostome speaketh of wicked men whom he calleth the Devils Hackneys (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who go through
is Heaven to be had without it As God hath propounded happiness as the end so he hath appointed labour t Prov. 13. 4. and 21. 25. as the means labour for the meat that endureth to Eternal life work out your Salvation and what God hath joyned together let no man think to put asunder it is in vain to expect happiness upon any other terms as soon may we think to pluck the Sun out of Heaven or remove the earth from its Center as soon may the silly flye mount up to Heaven and with her narrow wings darken the Sun and with her feeble feet stay the motion of the Primum Mobile as we be able to alter the Decrees of Heaven and invert that order that God hath set let foolish men think so much labouring to be more than needs and cavil against the strictness of Religion God hath said without holiness no man shall see him and whose words shall stand Gods or theirs who shall determine upon what conditions happiness is to be had but he that giveth it as our endeavours without God cannot so God without our endeavours will not ordinarily save us though God giveth the earth to the meek yet he giveth Heaven only to the violent the violent take it by force (u) Mat. 5. 5. and 11. 12. Jacob got the blessing by putting on the garments of his Brother Esau Esau signifieth working if ever we would wear that rich Garment of Salvation we must get it by working Our Saviour indeed saith of the Lillies that they toyl not neither do they spin yet Solomon in all his royalty was not arrayed like one of them but it is otherwise with this Garment of Salvation we must win it with Labour before we wear it with triumph it is an infinite mercy that Salvation is to be had upon so fair terms we must not think to impose upon God and make conditions of our own 12. Consider men may do much and go far yet miss of Heaven for want of coming up to Gods terms many at the last day will make fair pretensions pleading that they had eaten and drunken in Christs presence and heard him preach in their streets that they had prophesied and cast out Devils in his name and yet be excluded The foolish Virgins the young man Demas and many others went far and yet failed of the grace of God Luther speaketh of one Arsenius who made a great profession and was a man of eminent parts praying and discoursing to admiration when this man lay upon his sick-bed his friends that came to visit him expected to hear some great thing from him and told him That sure he could not but enjoy much comfort who had been so eminent for the profession and practice of godliness But he answered that he had not that comfort they thought he had that he found it now to be with his soul not according to what man judgeth but according to the judgment God passed upon him and God said he judgeth righteous judgment Many the like instances might be given and when we hear of the ship-wrack of so many goodly Vessels of the fall of so many bright shining stars had not we need work sure and take all possible care that we do not miscarry in like manner Upon this ground our Saviour exhorts Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many will seek to enter in and shall not be able (w) Luke 13. 24. And the Apostle (x) Heb. 4. 1. Let us therefore fear least a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it 13. It is an infinite mercy that Eternal happiness is yet attainable when by the sin of our first Parents we justly forfeited that happiness to which we are entitled at our first Creation God might have dealt with us as he did with the lapsed Angels who had no sooner sinned but were expelled Heaven and left without possibility of happiness Indeed some school-men and other Divines give several reasons for this different dispensation of God towards Angels and men some thus that there is a time prefixed both to Angels and men after which there should be no possibility of altering their estate now as death is the time prefixed to man so the first good or bad deliberate action to the Angels that those that then stood should be confirmed in their happiness but those that fell should be put out of all capacity of being happy Some think it to be the greatness of the Angels sin above that of man they sought to be like God in Omnipotency which is not communicable to any creature man only in omniscience or the general knowledge of things which they say may be imparted to a creature as it was to the humane soul of Christ Some refer it to the manner of their sinning the Angels fell of themselves having no others to tempt them but man by the suggestion of Satan and it is less to sin when overcome by temptation than to sin voluntarily without any temptation other reasons they give as that though some Angels fell others stood and so the whole species did not perish whereas in Adam all mankind fell so as had not God appointed a redemption none of the race of mankind could have been saved Again the Angels were more glorious creatures living in the presence of God whereas man was made lower than the Angels and was placed upon the earth at a greater distance from God and as a Tree that falleth from some high precipice is more battered and broken in the fall than that which falleth from a low place So here by how much saith Austin the Angels were more high in glory by so much was their fall more grievous and irrecoverable and man by how much he was more frail by nature by so much more capable of mercy and pardon Again the knowledge of Angels is intuitive when they take a view of any thing they see it in the causes the effects and all that belongeth to it and so what they do they do with so full a consent of will that they never alter or repent whereas the knowledge of man is discursive he findeth out one thing by another and one thing after another so that upon further consideration he often repents of what he before did and disliketh what he before approved To this purpose is that distinction amongst the School men of a three-fold will the will of God that can neither turn nor return the the will of man that may both turn and returun that is may alter both before and after Election between these is the will of Angels that may turn but not return may alter before Election but not after and because as what else they do so when they sinned they sinned with that full consent of will that they cannot alter or repent hence they say their sin was unpardonable and their fall beyond all recovery whereas man who sinned not with
be much in Prayer David saith For my love they are mine Adversaries but I give my self to Prayer (r) Psal 109. 4. it is in the Original but I prayer the words give my self unto as in our Translation are added for explanation as the different Character sheweth David speaketh as if he were composed and made up of Prayer and therefore no wonder that David assureth himself of Heaven As for me I will behold thy face in Righteousness it being impossible that a Son of so many prayers should perish He that calleth upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved is in three several places Recorded in Scripture 2. We should be swift to hear Hear and your Soul shall live (s) Isa 55. 3. It was by the Ear by our first Parents listening to Satan that we lost that happiness we were entitled to by our first Creation and as in Nature the same thing that giveth the wound doth sometimes afford the Cure So God hath ordered that by the Ear by hearing the Word we may obtain happiness Excellent is that passage of Chrysostome If you step into Courts of Judicature what pleading and wrangling shall you hear If into the Market-place there is little to be seen but buying and selling and lying and cheating if into Private Families nothing but working and toiling for the World if into Princes Courts all the Discourse is about Honours and worldly greatness but nothing that is Spiritual (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scarce a word of God and Heaven But go now into the House of God and there you shall be sure to hear something of Heaven and Heavenly things of the blessedness of separate Souls of such things as neither the eye hath seen nor the ear heard (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. we should therefore diligently wait at Wisdomes doors and attend at the posts of her Gates 3. We should be much in Thanksgiving God promiseth I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them (w) Ezek. 29. 21. he would give them deliverance in such manner that Ezekiel and the rest of the Faithful might with freedom and open mouth praise the Lord in the Assemblies This opening of the mouth in praise which justly belongs to God for for whom praise waiteth in Sion and is imperfectly done by Believers on Earth is perfectly and abundantly practised by the Saints in Heaven the high praises of God are in their mouths it is the great work of those Heavenly Inhabitants as therefore wicked men accustom themselves to swearing and cursing as practising that on Earth they are like to do in Hell So the Saints inure themselves here to blessing and praising God as learning that Duty on Earth which they are to practice in Heaven As Young Gentlemen who intend to Travel into Forrein Countries will before-hand season themselves with some general Observations of the Situation Manners Customes of those Countries and learn something of the Language that they might not be wholly to seek when they come there In like manner if we intend for Heaven we should now accustom our selves to praising God which is the proper Language of Heaven and will make us more meet for it The 145 Psalm is entituled Davids Psalm of Praise Some Rabbins had so high an esteem of this Psalm that they affirmed that he who would three times every day repeat over this Psalm might assure himself of Heaven which because some might think too high Rabbi Kimchi thus moderateth that it is to be understood of those that not only speak it with their mouth but with their heart also when the Sacrifice of Praise is offered to God not only upon the high places of the tongue but upon the Altar of the Heart and from thence flameth forth in the Life such praise hath a promise of Salvation made to it Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God (x) Psal 50. 23. The praises the Saints now give to God are like the Musician's tuning his strings before he playeth they are but the essayes of those everlasting Allelujahs they shall sing in Heaven 4. Another help is Christian Conference and conversing with Heavenly minded Persons It is a good Observation Chrysostome hath that naturally a man hath but one Head to advise him one Tongue to speak for him two Eyes to fore-see dangers two Hands to work with two Feet to walk with whereas saith he had a man that skill that he could make that Head a thousand heads to advise him that Tongue a thousand tongues to speak for him those Eyes a thousand eyes to fore-see dangers c. he would hardly be circumvented by any Policy but this benefit we may have by the Communion of Saints their Examples Prayers Directions Exhortations Encouragements would be great helps to us in the way to Heaven They who ask the way to Sion with their faces thitherward are in a hopeful way of arriving there When the Spouse enquired of the Watch-men it was but a little that she passed from them but she found him whom her soul loved To these I might add the Duties of Reading Meditation Self-examination and some others which must be all done in their proper seasons The Husbandman must dung his Ground Plow Sow Harrow and perform other parts of necessary culture if he neglects any one of these he cannot expect a good Crop so it must be in our Spiritual Husbandry we must use all the means appointed by God without the neglect of any it would be a weakness in a man that hath a heavy Load and dirty ways to pass thorow to take but any one Horse out of his Team our work is great our strength small our Enemies Potent our hinderances many therefore had need use all the helps God affordeth without omitting any one Only I shall subjoyn two Cautions to be observed by us in the Use of these means and performance of these Duties 1. We must not be as the Grashopper that takes some skips toward Heaven and then squats down upon the Earth again or as some say of the Leopard that if he doth not get his prey at two or three jumps is impatient of any further pains we must not think it enough to perform these Duties for a time and then give over if we do not find that success we expected but must continue and persevere in the practice of them In the Morning sow thy seed and in the Evening with-hold not thy hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that (y) Eccles 11. 6. Elijah sends his Servant to look toward the Sea he looked but saw nothing he went and looked a second a third nay six times yet seeth nothing he went the seventh time and then he saw a little Cloud like a mans hand and presently the Heaven was black with Clouds and there was a great Rain It may be thou
gratifie Satan and as certainly ruine our Souls as if we wholly neglected them when we have done all we are able we must say We are unprofitable Servants (o) Horreo quicquid de meo est ut sim meus Rollocke when some minded him upon his Death-bed of his great Service he had done in the Church He replyed I abhor my Rectorship of the University my Reader-ship of Divinity my Pastorship of Edenborough and all I have done that I might be sound in Christ not having on mine own Righteousness And at another time There is nothing of mine which I do not account as dung that I might win Christ And again I have nothing to glory in but the merits of Christ all other things I count losse 6. We should labour for those Graces which entitle to eternal happiness I shall name only some as 1. Knowledge This is eternal life to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent (p) John 17. 3. Though the Valentinian Hereticks had knowledge in too high estimation when they ascribed all to it affirming that as ignorance made us subject to all misery so the restauration of the inward-man must needs belong to knowledge onely yet what some Philosophers said of Light that all the influences of the Sun and Stars are by light transmitted to this inferiour world so the light of Knowledge is that Conduit-pipe by which the several Graces God worketh are conveyed into the soul as in the first Creaation light was the first thing God made so in the new Creation Josephus saith that Judas Maccabeus going about to repair the Temple and purge out the reliques of Idolatry began with the Lights placed a Light upon the golden Candlestick and ordained a Feast which they called Lights (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus when God purifyeth the heart and makes it a Temple for himself He first setteth up the light of knowledge in the Soul without this we can never hope to be made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light When Hamans face was covered death followed when men live in a land of Light and yet have the things of their peace hid from their eyes it is a sad Prognostick of their everlasting miscarriage If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost (r) 2 Cor. 4. 3. 2. Godly sorrow which worketh repentance to Salvation not to be repented of (s) 2 Cor. 7. 10. If any thinks he hath no sin I would say to him as Constantine of Acesius the Novatian Let him make new Ladders to climbe up to Heaven by but if we have sinned there is no other way than by godly sorrow sin must be purged either by water or by fire saith Guericus if the water of Repentance doth not here wash away our sins Hell-fire will afterward burn our souls 3. Faith which the Apostle calleth the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen (t) Heb. 11. 1. though we must distinguish between faith of Adherence and Faith of Evidence between the first Act of Faith whereby we believe and the second Act or as some call it an act flowing from faith (u) Actus à side emanans between the work of Faith which is Believing and the fruit of Faith which is Assurance A Christian may have faith in the Seed and not in the Harvest the fire of Faith may warm his heart yet not flame forth in Assurance he may have the direct act of Faith both a Negative exclusive act whereby he renounceth all other wayes and means of Salvation and a Positive exclusive act whereby he rests wholly upon Christ for Eternal life yet not have the Reflex act whereby he knoweth that he believeth and that Salvation belongeth to him yet where Faith is in Truth it giveth undoubted title to Heaven though at present no particular assurance of it Faith is called a Believing to Salvation (w) Heb. 10. 39. and Salvation is said to be the end of Faith (x) 1 Pet. 1. 9. 4. Love The joyes of Heaven are said to be prepared by God for those that love him (y) 1 Cor. 2. 9. Ambrose in his Funeral Oration for Theodosius describing his religious Death bringing in the Angels and Archangels hovering about his departing Soul to carry it to Heaven And asking him what Grace it was he here practised on earth that gave him so ready an admittance into Heaven He replyed I have loved I have loved Love is as strong as Death the coales thereof are coales of fire which hath a most vehement Flame (z) Cant. 8. 6. In the flames of this fire it is that the devout Soul ascends to Heaven as the Angel once in the flame of Manaoh's sacrifice 5. Humility As the Philosopher being asked What is the first thing required in an Orator answered Pronunciation what was the second what the third answered still Pronunciation Pronunciation So saith Anstin If I were asked what is the readiest way to attain Truth and so Happiness I would answer The first the second the third thing is Humility Humility as often as I were asked I would say Humility Humility doth not only entitle to Happiness but to the highest degree of Happiness Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child the same is the greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven (a) Matth. 18. 4. 6. Heavenly-mindedness There is no one thing so much hindereth the attaining eternal life as Earthly-mindedness there are some Fowle they call Polysarchoi which though they have wings like other Fowle to flye with yet they have such heavy ponderous bodies that they seldome flye higher than the stub of some Tree but live most-what like beasts upon the earth worldly-minded men are like these Fowles who though they have intellectual immortal souls by which they should converse in Heaven yet they are so eaten up with the world that they have no time and lesse mind to look after Heaven Chryosostome observeth that other beasts though they are made so as they look down to the earth yet sometimes b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially in their extremity they lift up their heads towards Heaven only the Camel is so depressed with the bunch of flesh upon his back that he is alwayes poring upon the earth and is never observed to look up toward Heaven To other beasts he compareth other sorts of sinners who though great strangers to Heaven yet sometimes have some thoughts of God and Heaven onely the covetous worldling like the Camel is so bowed down to the earth that he liveth as if there were neither a God to be served nor a Heaven to be looked after this sin therefore we must in a special manner take heed of it is not more impossible for the same eye at the same instant to look downward toward the Earth and upward toward Heaven than to have the heart set both upon the World and Heaven if we desire and
generations it is a boundless Sea the further we enter into it the deeper we find it the eternal happiness in Heaven is a deep Sea where the streams of life are ever flowing and re-flowing by a continued succession Hell is a deep sea of wrath and vengeance having neither bottom nor bank no bottom for any anchor of hope to fix on no bank that might set any limits to the inundations of Gods displeasure it is a Sun that never sets a Day that never ends a Taper that never burns out an End that hath no end an infinite unlimited duration where millions of years are but so many Cyphers signifying nothing it is a thing of the most amazing consideration able to swallow up our thoughts in stupor and astonishment 2. There is a knowledge of the measure of them and that is done either by Numeration by which we count how many things are or by ponderation by which we try how weighty things are or by mensuration by which we find out the dimensions of things but by none of these are we able to come to a clear knowledge of eternity The first way of knowing is by numbering thus we count how many years have been since the birth of Christ the Flood the Creation of the world Some undertake to tell how many Barly-corns would reach from Earth to Heaven but who is able to reckon the years and ages of Eternity Suppose saith à Lapide ten hundred thousand mîllions of millions of millions of years add to these all the thoughts of Angels and men from the first moment of their Being to eternity all the motions mutations changes of the several Creatures and things in the World and add to them â—ll the numbers of Arithmetick and fill with them so many numberless volumes of Paper as would reach from Earth to Heaven you are not yet come to the end not to the middle scarce to the beginning of Eternity and then adds how long shall eternity endure For ever when shall it end never So long as Heaven is Heaven so long as Hell is Hell so long as God is God so long shall be eternity So long shall Heaven contain the Saints and Hell torment the wicked there is no number either numbring or numbred which is able to set it forth no number numbring as when we say hundreds or thousands or millions Boetius saith well a minuit and a thousand years hold better proportion than a thousand years and Eternity an easie Arithmetician will tell you how many minuts there are in a thousand years but none can tell how many thousands or millions there are in Eternity the vastest numbers that can be reckoned are but so many cyphers signifying nothing and as no number numbring can reach it so no number numbred as when we say so many as there are stars in Heaven or piles of grass upon the earth or drops of water in the Sea any one of these would amount to a vast unconceivable number but none of these will hold parallel with eternity nay put all these together and a thousand times more you are not able to measure the duration of Eternity 2 By Ponderation and that is done either by the help of artificial weights when we put the thing we weigh into one ballance and the weight by which we weigh it in the other or else it is done without the help of such artificial weights when we poyse things in our hands or lift them up at the Arms end as Porters do their burdens to know their weight but there is no way by which we can find out the weight of eternity God is said to weigh the mountains in scales and the hills in ballances (e) Isa 40. 12. but there are no scales or ballances by which we may take the weight of an everlasting condition When we would know the weight of things we usually put something as heavy in the other end of the ballance but what may be laid in the ballance to preponderate Eternity The weight est things that can be brought are to it but as the drop of a bucket or the small dust of the ballance 3 By Mensuration by which we find out the height length breadth and depth of things but neither thus can we find out the dimensions of Eternity God is said to measure the waters in the hollow of his fist to mete out the Heavens like a Span to comprehend the dust of the earth in a measure but who beside God himself who inhabiteth Eternity is able to measure the height or span the breadth or fathom the depth of an infinite eternity there is neither measure that can reach it nor any thing to be measured that is commensurate to it Astronomers find out imaginary lines by which they measure the Heavens and the Earth Mathematicians have their Jacobs staff whereby they take the height of the sun and stars Marriners have their Plummet by which they sound the depth of the Sea but there are no engines or inventions by which we may reach the height or sound the depth or measure the length of an infinite unlimited Eternity I may say of it as Zophar doth of God (f) Job 11. 8 9. It is as high as heaven what canst thou do deeper than Hell what canst thou know the measure thereof is longer than the earth or broader than the sea By all this it appeareth that Eternity transcends all our knowledge and Understanding the knowledge of it is too wonderfull for us 3. Yet further Eternity transcends our conception and imagination we are not able to think or imagine what eternity is whether the eternity of happiness in Heaven or misery in Hell First we are not able to conceive what are those unseen eternal things in Heaven the temporal things in this life are more in imagination than in reality they come abundantly short of what we imagine to be in them men at a distance think there is a great deal of happiness and content in these things that they should live most contentedly if they had so much of Revenues coming in yearly or such and such places of preferment but if at any time such men do attain to what they so ambitiously desire they find in the issue that there is not that happiness in these things that they fancied that all these are but like the fruit of Sodom that seem to the eye to be beautifull apples but being touched turn to ashes like Oramazes his egg in which the Enchanter boasted was included all the happiness in the world but being broken there was nothing in it but wind and emptiness or like that feast which Corn. à Lapide reports [g] on Isa 55. 2. was made by a Magitian in Germany to which he invited many Noble Persons who while they sate at Table received good content and fared deliciously to their thinking but when they were departed found themeselves as hungry as if they had eaten nothing at all Suppose there were somewhere
about the Country an exceeding high Mountain and that there went a common report as once about Olympus that it were the goodliest place that ever eye beheld and that all the Country being possest with such an opinion should flock thither in great multitudes every one contending who shall get up soonest one man being more strong and nimble gets up before the rest and finding nothing there answerable to the common report and his own expectation looking down and seeing the rest scrambling to get up tells them Sirs you are all miserably deceived here is nothing of what you expect there is nothing here but ashes and smoak and stench Most men are strongly perswaded that there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had in the riches and preferments of the world else they would not hew their way to them through so many rocks of difficulties and swim to them through so many seas of blood as if they would climb up to them upon the heaps of dead bodies [h] caedendo scandere Whereas Salomon who stood upon a higher Rise of ground and saw further than any one of the sons of men as having a larger confluence of all earthly enjoyments and the largest heart to find out that good that was in them and made this his great business using these things not in a sensual but a critical way that he might find on t what good thing there was under the Sun yet after all his experience finds himself and accordingly proclaimeth to all the world that all is vanity and vanity of vanities the good that is in these temporal things is more in fancy than in reality they come far short of what we imagine to be in them whereas the not seen eternal things laid up in Heaven are beyond what we can imagine or conceive of them Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (i) 1 Cor. 2. 9. God saith As far as heaven is above the earth so far are my thoughts above your thoughts (k) Isa 55. 9. There is scarce any thing as one (l) Preston observeth more vast than the thoughts of man though the worâ—d be a vast thing yet thoughts are beyond it we may imagine a thousand worlds yet God is there said to be as far above our thoughts above that model we can draw of him in our thoughts as heaven is above the earth when we have thought what we can think of the goodness and mercy of God for that is the thing there more properly spoken to God is as much more merciful above what we can think as heaven is above earth and as this will hold in other respects so more especially in regard of that eternal happiness which God hath in Heaven provided for his people when we have thought what we can of it it is as much above our thoughts as heaven is above earth Now are we the Sons of God but it doth not appear what we shall be (m) 1 John 3. 2. saith the Syriack Version it is not hitherto revealed therefore it is said to be a Life hid with Christ in God n It is said (o) Col. 3 3. That Christ shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admited in all them that believe the glory then bestowed on them will be so far surpassing their former apprehensions that it will be a matter of admiration to the Saints themselves On the other side the eternal punishments in Hell are beyond all we can imagine or conceive here many times the fear we have of temporal sufferings is worse than the sufferings themselves many in this respect deal with themselves as Parrhasius the Painter dealt with his slaves who put them to real exquisite tortures that he might better express but the feigned tortures of Prometheus so many out of a fear and fore-sight of some supposed evils which possibly never may befall them torment themselves with needless fears and cast upon themselves the gall and bitterness of a thousand real vexations or if these evils do befall them they do not prove so great as they fancied the fear of a Prison or other sufferings is many times worse than the thing it self Saunders and some other Martyrs thought beforehand they could not burn they could never endure the fire yet when it came endured it with much courage and constancy whereas the eternal punishment in Hell and the wrath of God there inflicted upon the Children of disobedience is commensurate to our greatest fears Even according to thy fear so is thy wrath (p) Psal 90. 11. the wrath of God is every way proportionable to the fear men have of it and not only so but is beyond what we either fear or can know In the beginning of that verse who knoweth the power of thine anger who is able to conceive what Gods wrath will be when it is poured out to the utmost when he shall cloath himself with vengeance when he shall stir up all his wrath and revenge himself for all the wrongs offered him by daring sinners God asketh (q) Joâ— 38. 22. Hast thou entred into the treasures of snow â—r hast thou seen the treasure of hail which I have reserved against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war but who hath enâ—red into those treasures of wrath or seen those treasures of fire which God hath reserved against the day of wrath and perdition of ungodly men CHAP. V. Of the importance of Eternity to the endlesness of it Considering God will not nothing else can put an end to it HAving thus treated of the Sublimeness and transcendency of Eternity I shall now shew of what unspeakable importance and concernment it is it was the saying of Chrysostome that if he had a mountain for his Pulpit and the whole world for his Auditors he would preach upon that Text Ob ye sons of men how long will you love vanity (r) Psal 4. 2. neither indeed can any Preacher improve his time and pains to better purpose than by seeking to take off mens love from these vain temporal things and stirring them up to the pursuit of things eternal Eternity is a thing of that infinite concernment that never can there be enough spoken or written of it it comprehendeth all the good that can possibly fall within the compass of our hopes and all the evil that may fall within the compass of our fears as in some Maps you may see a model of the whole world drawn into a small compass so the whole world to come and whatsoever is considerable in it is all comprehended under this word Eternal As nothing is more desirable than Heaven nothing more formidable than Hell so â—othing in Heaven so desireable as the eternity of its happiness nothing in Hell so dreadfull as the everlastingness of its misery as Heaven is the treasury of all desirable
perswaded that neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the Love of God (e) Rom. 8. 38. Death is so far from separating from Gods Love and that Happiness the fruit of his Love that next to Jesus Christ it is the Believers greatest friend putting him into an everlasting possession of his desired Happiness On the other side There is no end of the sufferings of the damned in Hell Some indeed have contended for it Origen thought that after a thousand years both Devils and men should be released out of Hell-torments After him the Hereticks called the Aniti (f) L. 21. de cive Dei broached the same Doctrine Others that Augustine speaketh of contended that not all but some should be delivered out of their sufferings some that all Christians some all Catholicks some those that had received the Sacraments of the Faith some those onely who persevere to the end in the Catholick Faith others those who were addicted to works of Mercy and Charity But who are these who darken Counsel by words without knowledge These fond conceits are solidly refuted by Aquinas and others who prove by undeniable Arguments that these sufferings if nothing else yet Death puts an end to them in the Grave the Prisoners rest together and those who are weary are at rest but death shall not put any end to Hells punishment it is a death that never dyeth an end which hath no end a defect without any deficiency (g) Mors sine morte finis sine fine defectus sine defectu Greg. It is a death that ever liveth an end which ever beginneth a defect which never faileth we may well say of it as one doth Oh killing life Oh immortal death If it be life how doth it kill if death how doth it endure It is neither death nor life for both these have something of good in them Oh how happy would those poor miserable creatures think themselves if there might be any end of their misery they shall seek for death and dig for it as for his treasures but all in vain They shall seek death and shall not find it and desire to dye and death shall flee from them (i) Rev. 9. 6. They shall study plots and methods to dispatch themselves they shall cry to the Mountains to fall upon them and if possible to crush them to nothing they shall desire that the fire that burns them would consume them to nothing that the h Bellarm. de arte moriendi l. 2. c. 3. worm which feeds on them would gnaw them â—o nothing that the Devils which torment them would tear them to nothing They shall cry to God who first made them out of nothing to reduce them to that first nothing from whence they came but hâ— who made them will not have mercy on them he thaâ— formed them will not shew them so much favour When the Angel pleaded with God in behalf of Jerusalem Zech. 1. 12. How long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years It is said the Lord answered the Angel with good words and comfortable words (k) Zech. 1. 12. When the Souls under the Altar cryed How long Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood upon them which dwell upon the Earth (l) Rev. 6. 10. Answer was returned how long they must stay and in the mean time were given them long white Robes but when those poor Creatures in Hell shall cry out How long Lord how long wilt thou Torment the workmanship of thy hands how long will it be e're thou put an end to our misery There is no answer to be expected which might give them any hopes of the ending of their suffering God here often called to them How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee (m) Prov. 1. 22. Jâ—r 4. 14 but they turned a deaf ear to Gods call and therefore it will be just with God when they cry how long not to hear them but to laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear cometh And that these sufferings are without any end or expiration this above all other things torments the damned and drives them to dispair were there to be any end of their misery though after the vastest tract of time there would be some hopes they would end at last Some of the Ancients have well improved their Meditations in setting for â—â— this One thus If they were to end after a little Bird should have emptied the Sea and only carry out her bill full once in a thousand years Another thus If the whole world from the lowest Earth to the highest Heavens were filled with grains of Sand and once in a thousand years an Angel should come and fetch away only one grain and so continue till the whole heap were spent A third to this purpose If one of the damned in Hell should weep after this manner that he should only let fall one tear in a hundred years and these should be kept together till such time as they should equal â—he drops of water in the Sea how many millions of ages would pass before they could make up one River much more a whole Sea and when that were done should he weep again after the same manner till he had filled a second a third a fourth Sea if then there should be an end of their miseries there would be some hope they would end at last but that they shall never never never end this is that which sinks them under horror and despair and fetcheth from them yellings and howlings able to rend Rocks and Marbles asunder CHAP. VI. Of Eternity without succession or without consumption ETernity is without succession it is all together (a) Tota simul this is one difference between Time and Eternity Time is a continued flux of hours dayes months and years so that in time there is a succession there is time past present and to come time present putteth an end to that which is past and this is soon swallowed up in time future but it is otherwise in Eternity There is no succession no time past or to come it is a duration alwayes present there is no yesterday nor to morrow it is one perpetual to day (b) annum perpetuum hodie no â—eginning and ending it is all beginning and alwayes but beginning there is no priority or posterâ—ority no first or last it is all together and at once no whence or whether no term from which or unto which it is One standing flow without any flux one indivisible point God being eternal there is no difference of time with him one day is with him as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day (c) 2 Pet. 3. 8. Time to come is to him as it were past A thousand years in his sight is but as yesterday and as a watch in
away discouraged crying with the Prophet My leanness my leanness woe is me I can do no more good (e) Isa 24. 16. and are sometimes ready to resolve with the Prophet Jeremy I will Prophesie no more in the name of the Lord as fearing lest God hath sent them as he did the Prophet Isaiah to make the hearts of people fat and their ears heavy and shut their eyes lâ—st they should hear and see and understand and convert and be healed for alas whereunto may I liken the men of this Generation they are like unto Children crying one to another we have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned and ye have not wept Ministers may be then said to pipe when they sound the silver Trumpet of the Gospel publishing the glad tydings of peace and eternal Salvation then to mourn when they are constrained to ring in mens ears the doleful knell of their everlasting misery but people generally are as little affected either with the one or the other as if they were but meer fantasies as if Heaven were but an Idea like Plato's Agathopolis or Mahomet's Paradise or Moores Utopâ—a as if Hell were but a scare-crow set up to put an awe upon more credulous spirits Ministers out of their several Pulpits cry out Eternity Eternity Eternity and yet cannot prevail with men to take the least care about their eternal condition How many be there who have lived thirty or forty years under the powerful preaching of the word and have heard many hundred Sermons the main drift of which hath been to exhort them to this one thing necessary and yet it is to be feared the time is yet to come with a great many that ever they spent one serious hour in making provision for their everlasting estate like those They come and sit and hear the Word and seem to be affected with it as if they heard some pleasant song (f) Ezâ—k 33. 31. but they do it not they are no more prevailed upon as to any serious care and endeavour after things eternal than the very stones they stand on When Bede was old and blind yet he would take all occasions to preach the unhappy boy that led him on a time led him amongst a company of Stones telling him there were a company of men assembled and he preached to them and indeed as good preach to stones as to stony-hearts there is almost as much hope to prevail upon hard stones as upon heard hearts it was a strange expression Bonaventure used upon that promise of God I will take away the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh Lord saith he I will none of this promise none of this heart of flesh let me have my heart of stone still I read the Altar at Bethel clave asunder at the words of the Prophet when Jeroboams heart continued heard the stones rent in pieces at the death of Christ when the hard-hearted Jewes were not affected let me rather have a heart of stone than such a heart of flesh and indeed it is true in his sense no stone so hard and unmalleable as the stupid heart of man and that is the reason of those frequent Apostrophes in Scripture whereby God turning from a stubborn people applyeth his speech to the sensless creatures Hear O heavens and give ear O earth Hear O mountains the Lords controversie and ye strong foundations of the earth (g) Isa 1. 12. Micah 6. 2. implying that as soon may the heavens and earth hear as soon may the mountains and foundations of the earth tremble as a stupid sottish people whom it most concerneth And that men that are so often and earnestly called upon should be so little affected and wrought upon this is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation this is one aggravation of that stupidity which is in men 2. If we consider how soon men may enter upon their eternal condition though at present we be in health and strength yet our strength is not the strength of stones nor our flesh of brass we are frail mortal creatures our foundation is in the dust our life is in our hand our breath in our nostrils we carry about in our bodies the matter of a thousand deaths and may dye saith Calvin a thousand several wayes each several hour as many senses as many members nay as many pores as there are in the body so many windows for death to enter in at Death needs not spend all its arrows upon us a Worm a Gnat a Flye a Hair a Stâ—ne of a Raisin a Kernel of a Grape the fall of a Horse the stumbling of a Foot the prick of a Pin the pairing of a Nail the cutting of a Corn all these have been to others and any one of them may be to us the means of our death within â—he space of a few dayes nay of a few hours we may be well and sicken and dye and forthwith enter upon our eternal estate Death being the Door of Eternity forthwith transmitting us to an eternity either of joy or torment and truly one would think that this consideration should prevail with men to make some timely provision for their future estate Cato had many times moved in the Senate that Carthage which had been so offensive to them might be destroyed but could not prevail being still opposed by Scipio On a time he brought a Fig with him into the Senate telling them that that Fig Was three dayes before growing in Carthage and that for ought thâ—y knew an Army from Carthage in as short a time might arive at their Gates upon which the Senate considering the suddenness of the danger they might be in gave order for the demolishing of it Though we seem at present to be fresh and flourishing like fruit growing in a fruitful ground yet we do not know but in a short time perhaps within the space of three dayes we may be cropt off by death and transmitted into another world and therefore should be so wise as to make provision for our future estate both by dying to sin which otherwise will be the death of our souls and by the Use of all other means conducing thereunto but that notwithstanding this great uncertainty men should live as if they were â—o live alwayes should put off the thoughts of death as if they shâ—uld never dye should content themselves to live in that condition in which they dare not dye or in which if they should dye they should be eternally miserable this argues as great a folly and stupidity as the nature of man is capable of Thou wouldest be troubled if thou certainly knewest thou wert to live but one month longer and art thou not affected when perhaps thou shalt not out-live one day (h) Fleres si scires unum tua tempora mensem Rides cum non sit forsitan una dies Eliphaz speaking of a Vision he had saith A thing was secretly brought me and mine ear
mans condition after this life is eternal or it is not so If not so beside former arguments brought to prove it what end was there of Christs coming into the world what use of Scripture to what purpose all we call Religion What mean those workings of conscience even for those secret sins unknown to the world what mean those out-cries and lamentations of men upon their death-beds and that of the greatest Atheists as Bion of Boristenes who all his life time had denied the Gods despised their Temples derided their worship yet when death came he would rather have endured the greatest torment than to have dyed and that not so much for fear of a natural death but for fear of what followed after lest God whom he had denied should give him into the hand of the Devil whom he had served and therefore at the time of his death he put forth his hand crying welcome Devil welcome (o) Laâ—rt foolishly thinking to pacifie the Devil by this flattering Salutation And Tully observeth of Epicurus that though no man seemed more to contemn both God and Death yet no man feared more both the one and the other and whence is all this if there be no Being of man after death On the other side if the eternity of mans condition be a certain truth so as it is not more certain that the Sun shines that the fire burns that the earth beareth us that the heavens cover us than this is that there is a Heaven and eternal happiness for the Saints and a Hell and everlasting punishment for incorrigible sinners what ails the foolish hearts of men to be so stupidly careless in a thing of so infinite concernment Were it only a thing probable that as much might be spoken against it as for it yet a wise man would go the safest way men do so in all other things and would do so here if they would but act as men according to the Principles of Reason and it is undoubtedly the safest way to make a seasonable provision for it Yet further suppose it were a thing only possible that much more might be spoken against it than for it yet a wise man would think but what if it proves to be so at last though it seems otherwise to me yet it may be so and if it prove so what will become of me if I wholly neglect to make provision for it but if it be a most certain and undoubted truth so as there is nothing more certain and indubitable whence is it that men mind no more a thing that so mâ—ch and so nearly concerns them What are mens hearts made of Where are those affections which use to be eagerly carried out upon meaner objects What is become of mens Intellectuals Have they lost understanding as well as conscience Have they sinned away Reason as well as Religion Are they as well without fear as without faith as much without love to themselves as to God Is Israel a servant Is he a home-born-slave Why is he spoyled (p) Jeremy 2. 18. Let me ask Is a man a block a brut a home-born fool why is he spoyled or rather doth he spoyl and undoe himself Dyed Abner as a fool dyeth Thy hands were not bound nor thy foot put into fetters saith David (q) 2. Sam. 3. but for man to dye eternall as afool dyeth when his hand is not bound when no thing besides his own carelessness could either deprive him of eternal happiness or thrust him upon his everlasting ruine this is the greatest folly and madness that can befall a reasonable creature Salomon saith of a generation of men that madness is in their hearts while they live (r) Eccles 9. 3. after that they go to the dead if there be any one thing in which this madness doth more plainly appear it is in this stupendious neglect of their eternal welfare The Philosopher said of the Milesians He would not say they were fools but he was sure they did the same things fools use to do men would be loth to be counted fools or mad-men but if they spend all their time and pains about other things and neglect this one thing necessary whatsoever they seem to themselves and whatsoever they are in other things in this they do the same things that fools and mad-men doe and so they will one day judge of themselves but I pass to other Uses CHAP. IX Of Caution to prevent mistakes about the Adversity of the Godly and the Prosperity of the Wicked in this state 2. THis point may serve by way of Caution to keep us from stumbling at Gods providential Dispensations both in regard of the sufferings of Saints and the temporary prosperity of wicked men What Salomon saw in his time servants on horse-back and Princes walking as servants upon the earth Or what the Traveller said he observed at Rome Asses flying and Eagles creeping the like is to be frequently seen in the world the Bramble is sometimes exalted when the Vine and Olive are passed by Goats clamber up the Mountains of Preferment when the poor shâ—â—p of Christ feed below the mud wall is shinâ—d upon while Marble-pillars stand in the shade Vile persons like him in the Gospel are clad in Purple when those of whom the world is not worthy goe up and down in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins unprofitable Drones who are a burden to the earth are often crowned with length of dayes when many ingenious Spirits who have the eyes of the world fastned upon them are taken away in the flower of their age and are cropt off like an ear of Corn. In a word the proud are called Happy they that work wickedness are set up many live in defiance against God and set their mouth against Heaven thrive and prosper and as it is God layeth not folly to them (a) Job 24. 12. doth not at present call them to an account for their Wickedness when many religious souls who tremble at the least sin and make conscience of every Duty are yet plagued all the day long and chastened every morning and yet which is a greater evil many times the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he Pharaohs lean kine devour the fat kine Fire cometh out of the Bramble and devoureth the Cedars of Lebanon and this hath been a great stumbling block to more intelligent men in so much as some have denyed Providence as Averroes who hereupon affirmed that God medled not with things here below others have denyed there is any God as Diagoras The occasion was this he had made a book of Verses but before they were set out one stole them away he suspecting the person brought him before the Magistrate the man denyed it upon oath and so was quit and afterward set them out in his own name Diagoras because he was not for his theft and perjury struck with a present Thunder-bolt forthwith turned Atheist concluding that there was no God nay we find
repent and the best be made of it may not the short pleasure of this one sin cost me many dayes and weeks sorrow nay perhaps make me go all my life in the bitterness of my soul if I do not repent wo to me that ever I commitâ—ed it will not this one sin encrease the flames of my justly deserved torments and add to those treasures of wrath I have been so long heaping up Pachomius hath this excellent saying Above all things let us every day think of our last day Let us in time think of Eternity and what he pressed upon others he practised himself and amongst others found this advantage by it when any sinful thought or motion arose in his heart he suppressed it with the thoughts of Eternity if it rose and rebelled again he knocked it down with the thoughts of Eternal torments The fool maketh a mock of sin saith Salomon but would the fool consider what sin will cost would he thus kick against the pricks would he be so fool-hardy as to play with flames and make a sport of everlasting burnings if that Saying so well known were as well considered that is acted in a moment which must be mourned for to eternity (b) Momento fit quod tota doleat aeternitas and that other of Gregory the sin that pleaseth is momentary but the punishment it bringeth is eternal (c) Momentaneum quod delectat aeternum quod cruciat we would rather chuse to leap into a Cauldron of scalding lead than willingly commit any one sin Let this then be one use we make of this point so to set the thoughts of Eternity before us that we might not sin against God 2. We should be exhorted hence to spend our time well of all those talents wiâ—h which God hath entrusted us there is none more precious than that of Time God ordereth That if two men strive together and one wounds the other that he keepeth his bed he that wounded him must as well pay for the loss of his time as for the cure of his wound How little soever we make of the loss of time God esteemeth it among the greatest losses We read of an admirable Vision revealed to St. John (e) Rev. 10. 1 2 3 5 6. He saw a mighty Angel by which interpreters generally understand Christ the Angel of the Covenant this Angel is said to come down from Heaven cloathed with a cloud and a Rainbow upon his head having his face as if it were the Sun and his feet as pillars of fire All which sheweth the transcendent glory of d Exod. 21. 19. his appearing Who is said to set his right foot upon the Sea and his left foot upon the earth which notes his universal sovereignty over Sea and Land He is said to cry with a loud voice as when a Lion roareth and to lift up his hand to Heaven and swear by him that liveth for ever and ever and certainly it must be a matter of some great concernment that is ushered in by so many remarkable circumstances men indeed sometimes raise the expectations of people when after a noise of the mountains bringing forth a ridiculous mouse creepeth out but God doth not thus use to deceive the expectations of his people such great preparations as are here described are alwayes attended with some remarkable thing suitable rto such preparations now what this great thing was follows He sware by him that liveth for ever that time shall be no longer whether it be meant of time in general as some contend or of the time of Antichrists rage and the Churches suffering as others think more probable either serves to inform us of what great worth time is and what a great punishment it is to be deprived of it Much more might be spoken of the preciousness of time as that it is the fruit of Christs purchase that doom passed upon Adam in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death had been immediately upon his sin put in execution had not God given Christ to interpose between his wrath and mans sin that there was any time given him it was not only through Gods indulgence but through the purchase of Christs blood But to come more near the business in hand the preciousness of time chiefly appeareth in regard of what dependeth upon it all things receive their worth and value from what dependeth on them and the Use they may be put to a Bond or a mans Will as it is a piece of written parchment is scarce worth one shilling yet an estate of many thousands may depend upon them therefore men are as careful of them as of their choisest jewels In like manner time though as simply considered in its self it be not so precious yet is is infinitely precious in regard of what depends upon it what more necessary than repentance yet that depends upon time I gave her space to repent of her fornications (f) Rev. 2. 21. what more desireable than the favour of God This depends upon time and is therefore called the acceptable time (g) Isa 49. 8. What more excellent than salvation this likewise depends upon time Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation (h) 2 Cor. 6. 4. Pythagoras saith that Time is the soul of Heaven we may rather say that it is the way to Heaven the Pledge and earnest of Salvation (i) Pignus arrha coeli But to come more near what can there be of more weight and moment than eternity it is as was before asserted the Heaven of Heaven and the very Hell of Hell without which neither would Heaven be so desireable nor Hell so formidable Now this depends upon Time Time is the Prologue to Eternity the great weight of Eternity hangs upon the small wire of Time whether our time here be longer or shorter upon the spending of this dependeth either the blisse or the bane of body and soul to eternity This is our seed-time eternity is the harvest whatsoever seed we sow whether of sin or grace it cometh up in eternity whatsoever a man soweth the same shall he reap this is our market time in which if wee be wise Merchants we may make a happy exchange of Earth for Heaven of a Valley of tears for a Paradise of delights It is our working time I must work the work of him that sent me whilst it is day the night cometh when no man can work (k) John 9. 4. according as the work is we do now such will be our wages in Eternity It is the time of our reprival being all in a state of condemnation born heires of Hell God is pleased to give us this time to make us our peace and sue out our pardon if we improve it to this end we may not only flee from the wrath to come but provide for our selves a wide and large entrance into Heaven but if we mis-spend this terme it is so a forbearing
of good things there treasured up and say to thy self shall all this be mine having this hope rejoyce in it walk in the comfort of it thou doest too unworthily undervalue thine own happiness if thou dost not live comfortabâ—y all thy dayes On the other-side if upon enquiry thou findest thou hast neither lot nor portion in this business bewail thy condition sit alone keep silence put thy mouth in the dust if so be there may be any hope give God and thy self no rest till thou hast ground to hope better things of thine own condition 2 We should look to them in our speeches though at some times and some company men may speak one thing and think another like watermen that look one way and row the contrary like those in the Prophet who cry Egypt and look to Assyria yet there is scarce any thing by which a man may be better discovered than by his constant and usual communication The tongue is the pulse of the soul the index of the mind as is the man so is his communication Anatomists say the heart and the tongue hang upon one string there is as great a proximity between them in a moral respect as in their natural posture out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Some Physitians tells us that in some diseases a mans temper is as well known by his tongue as by his pulse or urine it holds as true in the spiritual frame and temper of the soul Men are usually known what countrey-men they are by their language the men of Gilead knew the Ephraimites by their pronunciation saying Sibboleth for Shibboleth the Maid told Peter thou art a Galilean thy speech bewrayeth thee By this we may know whether we belong to Heaven or the World the speech of worldly men is about worldly things He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth (c) John 3. 31. They are of the world therefore speak they of the world whereas heavenly-minded Christians who look to things eternal make them the great Subject of their discourses it is a burden to them to be in such company where they heare nothing but frothy unsavoury speeches or at best discourses about worldly things whereas discourse of Heaven is a precious balm to them which doth not break their head they are glad when others say Let us goe up to the house of the Lord where they may hear something of Heaven and willingly embrace every occasion to speak of it the primitive Christians into whatsoever company they came were still speaking of heaven of a glorious Kingdom they expected which made the foolish Heathen tax them for ambitious men who aspired after Kingdoms therefore Justin Martyr apologizeth for them You hearing that we expect a Kingdom imagine that we look after earthly Kingdoms but the Kingdom we look for is not of this world but is a Kingdom above with God and Christ in heaven While others are inquisitive about the occurrences of the times or how they may grow rich in the world the Believers enquiries are about heavenly things like those Isa 50. 5. that ask the way to Sion with their faces thither-ward Or those Gospel-Gonverts who assoon as they were wrought upon asked what shall we do to be saved Or those Roman Ladies who would not let Jerome alone for asking questions and thus it should be with us in d John 4. 5. the things that concern this life we are ashamed that we are ashamed (e) pudet non esse impudentes to ask about what might be for our advantage and should we not be much more forward both to enquire of others and to discourse our selves about the unseen eternal things in heaven Those that feared the Lord spake often one to another (f) Mat. 3. 16. The Lepers (g) 2 King 7. Having themselves found plenty of victuals in the Tents of the Syrians said one to another this is a day of good tidings we do not well that we hold our peace and accordingly went and told it in the City Sampson having found honey did not only eat himself but carryed it to his father and mother A man that hath been in a Perfumers shop doth not only partake of those sweet smells but going out they stick to his cloathes so as those that come near him partake of those perfumes In like manner having our selves tasted of the heavenly gift and smelt the sweet savour of precious oyntments we should be ready to communicate to others what we have found and to provoke them to taste that the Lord is gracious and this would be a means to engage our selves to a more eager pursuit of heavenly things Natural bodies by motion gather heat The Coachman by urging forward his horses makes his own way in like manner our speaking to others and provoking them will set a sharper edge upon our own affections like the Boar that whetteth his teeth with his own foam or the Lion that rouseth his courage by beating himself with his own tayl 3. We should look to them in our affections we should often set our affections on things above not on things on the earth (h) Coloss 3. 2. Affections are the hands of the Soul He that hath clean hands and a pure heart (i) Psalm 24. 4. that is he whose affections are clean and heart pure the Hands are the keepers â—â— the house (k) Eccles 12. 3. they serve at all turns for all offices therefore Epictetus saith that sure God is a great God who hath given us these hands (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amongst other Uses they are the Instruments and Organs by which we take things if we take meat or drink or any thing we want we take it with the hand what the hand is to the body that the affections are to the Soul by them we should lay hold upon eternal life they are the feet of the Soul Take heed to thy feet when thou goest into the house of God (m) Eccles â— 1. It is by them the soul is carryed toward things Eernal they are the wings of the soul by which it fiyes to heaven as the bird to its hill This is the great end why God planted these affections in the soul to place them upon such mean objects as temporal things is infinitely below the nobleness of the affections Neroes fishing for Gudgeons with a Golden hook and digging the earth with a Golden spade was thought ridiculous enough by wise men the marriage of the Cedars with the Brambles daughter as in Jothams parable the joyning of a head of Gold with feet of clay as in Nebuchadnezzars Image the coupling of a living man with a dead carcasse as in Mezentius his invention none of these so prepostorous as for the affections of an immortal soul to prostitute themselves to so worthless objects we should then follow Austins counsel to turn the water from the Bumbie into the Garden (n)
this observation from that of our Saviour (d) John 14. 23 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man love me he will keep my word He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings In the former clause speaking of him that loves he saith my word in the singular number for so it is in the Original implying that to such an one a Finis dat amabilitatem omnibus mediis all Gods commandments are as one they are facile and pleasant to him but speaking of him that loveth not it is my sayings in the plural because to him the commandments seem many and grievous this is the great difference between them he that loveth not may do the same things the other doth but he doth them not with delight he looketh upon Gods service as a weariness and snuffeth at it he cryeth When will the Sabbath be gone whereas he that hath his love set upon Christ and Heaven looketh upon his yoke as easie counts it his meat and drink to do his will 8 What a man maketh his end now that shall be his portion God leaves every man to his own choice I have set before you life and death therefore chuse life Every mans choice is according to his inclination and apprehension of things for the Will followeth the ultimate dictate of the Understanding the man that liveth by sense thinks these temporal things more worthy of his choice than the other he looketh upon his money saith Chrysostome and thinks he seeâ—h more beauty and lustre in the gold in his purse than in the Sun in the firmament these temporal things are things seen saith the Text he seeth them he hath them whereas Eternal things are things not seeâ— for ought he knoweth they are but an Idea a fancy of more credulous spirits who believe every thing is told them or if there be such things they are things future and better he thinks one bird in the hand than two in the Bush better a Wren in the cage than an Eagle in the clouds therefore he maketh choice of them but will not chuse the fear of the Lord whereas a godly man upon whom God hath wrought both by irradiating his Understanding to see an excellency in heavenly things and by enclining and determining the Will to embrace the dictate of the Understanding e Deut. 30. 19. and 11. 26. thus enlightened such an one peremptorily concludeth that Heaven or nothing shall be the object of his choice that if Eternal things be not his portioâ— there is none worth the having accordingly â—s there are two things we are said to will the end and the means the former they call the will the other the choice (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he wills salvation and Eternal happiness as next to God his chief good his end and chuseth the service of God as the way and means of attaining it Chuse you whom you will serve saith Joshua but I and my house will serve the Lord. Let thine hand help me saith David for I have chosen thy Commandments Mary hath chosen the better part Now God giveth to both these according to their choice Before man is life and death and what him liketh shall be given him (g) Eccles 15. 17. the worldly man chuseth temporal things as his chief good and God for the most part giveth him his desire fills his belly with hid treasures but this is all he is ever like to have woe to you that are rich now for you have received your consolation (h) Luke 6. 24. He hath not reason to look for Heaven which he would not chuse when wicked men shall cry with the foolish Virgins Lord Lord open to us God will soon stop their mouths by telling them they had that which themselves chose On the otheâ— side the godly man who maketh things Eternal the matter of his choice and looketh upon them as his end this man at present is not far off from the Kingdom of God and shall certainly have at last according to his choice that which is his end now by waâ— of election shall be afterward his end by way of fruition according to that excellent Saying of St. Austin (i) Beatitudo electione inchoatur adeptione impletur Eternal blessedness is begun in election and perfected in fruition while Martha was cumbred about many things Mary chose to attend the preaching of Christ the means of Salvation and what she chose she should certainly have Mary hath chosen that better part that shall not be taken away from her (k) Beatitudo nec invitis confertur nec invitis aufertur saith the same Father Happiness is neither given to any man against his will but is matter of his choice nor is taken from any man against his will he who chuseth salvation for his portion and looketh upon it as his chief good shall certainly at last obtain his choice shall have a wide and large entrance into the kingdom of Heaven From all these particulars it appeareth how much it doth concern us to make eternal things our end and aim CHAP. XIII Of Motives drawn from other things other men our selves and the unspeakable benefits of a prospect of things Eternal HAving shewed how and in what manner we are to look to things Eternal I proceed to the second things propounded to lay down some Motives to provoke us in this manner to look to them To this purpose I shall propound four sorts of Motives 1. From other things Ask saith Job the beasts and they shall teach thee and the Fowles of the air and they shall tell thee or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee (a) Job 12. 7. All these may seem to teach us this Lesson The Philosopher observeth that all Bipedes creatures with two feet are still looking upward Birds and fowles seldom stay long upon the earth when they light there it is to seek their food no sooner have they gotten that but they mount upward toward Heaven though where the carkass is the Eagles are gathered together yet when they have got their prey and satisfied their hunger they sore aloft as if they mounted up to Heaven Beasts though they cannot mount upward and are made so as they look downward yet they are often seen to lift up their heads toward Heaven especially in the time of extremity Naturalists observe of the Lion and the Cock that they express their joy at the rising of the Suâ— as being sensible of the motion of the heavenly bodies the like may be said of some fishes in the Sea they tell us of a fish which hath but one eye which is seated like a vertical point upon the top of its head alwaies looking towards Heaven therefore is called by the Grecians the beholder of Heaven (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others tell of a precious stone taken out of the head of a fish called Synodus that beareth
is not ignorant of Satans devices and surely in vain is the snare laid in the sight of any Bird as an enemy whose plots are discovered is more than half overcome so it is here whereas in the Sea little Fishes are devoured of greater and greater fishes dash themselves against the Rocks the fish they call the Beholder of Heaven (m) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath but one eye which they say is alwayes open and watchful doth hereby discover and prevent the many dangers that are in the Sea this fish according to the name given to it is a fit Emblem of the heavenly-minded Christian who escapeth those temptations which prevail upon other men It was no strange thing that Archimedes should be knocked on the head while he was drawing his Mathematick lines and Thales fall into the ditch when he was gazing on the stars but there is no such danger in a spiritual looking to things Eternal it is rather a preservative from dangers and temptations there are two sorts of temptations the Devil maketh Use of temptations on the right hand when by things prosperous and pleasing to us as the honours profits and pleasures of the world he seeks to draw us to what is evil and temptations on the left hand when by the fear of suffering and persecution he laboureth to deterr us from what is good whereas he who hath things eternal in his eye is little moved with either of these he is not so much taken with the first as for gain of them to lose a good conscience When Basil was tempted with preferment he bad them offer such things to Children it was not for a Christian Bishop to be taken with them Luther when he received by Taubenheimuâ— a hundred pieces of gold sent him and fifty by Scartus said I begin to fear God will give me my reward here but I have earnesty proâ—ested I would not be put off with these things and this his contempt to the world was not unknown to his enemies When the Pope would have taken him off by gifts one said That Germane beast doth not care for Gold and for troubles and sufferings he doth not so much fear them as to commit sin to avoid suffering When Basil was threatned with banishments torments and death he answered I fear not banishment I have no home but Heaven no native place but Paradise and the whole world I look upon as the common banishment of mankind for torments I defie them for what can they do to me whose body is so worn out that there is nothing but bones without flesh them to work on and for death I fear it not which can but restore me sooner to my Creator He that hath his eye upon Heaven is neither moved with the frowns nor flatteries of the world as he said He equally contemned the favour and fury of Rome (n) Contemptus est à me Romanus favor faror neither the desire of the one nor the fear of the other is able to remove him from his stedfastness The like is to be said of other sorts of temptations which are happily resisted by conversing in Heaven Bonaventure when the Devil told him that he was a Reprobate and therefore perswaded him to enjoy as much of the pleasures of the world here as he might because he was excluded from the pleasures with God in Heaven answered Not so Satan If I must not enjoy God after this life let me enjoy as much as I can of him here whatsoever temptations Satan suggests they are more easily overcome by him who maketh it his business to converse with God and Heaven 3. It is a good help against those roving wandring thoughts which so often haunt us in the performance of duties and cast so great a blemish upon our best performances When Abraham offered sacrifice the fowls of the air lighted upon the sacrifice (o) Gen. 15. 11. These fowls resemble vain thoughts which much trouble the best of men in their Approaches to God Jerom complained of himself when he was at prayer he was in his thoughts walking in some Gallery or telling of some summe of money In like manner Bernard confesieth that troops of unruly thoughts were wont to flock into his heart like people when some spectacle is to be seen complaining when my body is in the Church my mind is about the world I sing one thing but think another I utter words but regard not the sense and matter and concludes woe is me I sin then when I should get victory against my sins and truely there is scarce any one thing that a Christian doth so much groan under as the frequent avolations he is subject to in Gods service and it is not without just cause that he should so sadly resent them When Pharaoh's Baker dreamed that the birds of the air took out of his Basket the baked meats he prepared for Pharaoh Joseph told him that this was a signification of his ensuing death When we come to present our services to God as he his baked meats to Pharaoh if the birds of the air idle thoughts intrude into our minds though it doth not absolutely presage the death of the soul yet it prognosticateth the death of that service that it is no better than a dead service unpleasing to him who is a living God Now there is no better way to suppress these thoughts than having our minds taken up with heavenly things the mind cannot be at the same time intent upon different objects as when a Dictator was created at Rome there was a suspension for that time of all other offices so when the mind is taken up with the thoughts of some remarkable thing it giveth a supersedeas to other thoughts If thou wouldest forget other things saith Seneca think upon Caesar serious thoughts upon our Eternal condition would be like those Portors Jehojada set at the doors of the Temple would secure us from the intrusion of other objects 4. It would work in us a holy indifferency toward all temporal things it would moderate our esteem of them our desire after them our delight in them our grief for the want or loss of them I shall instance in these several particulars 1 It would moderate our esteem of them worldly men think all their happiness is bound up in these creature-enjoyments they judge them the only happy men who have the largest confluence of these outward comforts whereas he that hath his eye upon eternal things hath a low Esteem of these things when a man stands upon the top of a high mountain things below in the valley seem small and inconsiderable in his sight they say to them that stand upon the top of the Alps the great Cities of Campania seem but as small Villages or as a man who hath for a time gazed upon the Sun when he looketh downward upon darker objects is scarce able to see any thing In like manner he that hath his eye fixed upon
Julius Palmar said to them that have their souls linked to the flesh like a Rogues foot to a pair of stocks it is indeed hard to dye but for him who is able to separate soul and body by the help of Gods spirit it is no more mastery for such an onâ— to dye than for me to drink this cup of Beer having before-hand sent his heart to Heaven he looketh upon death as a favourable wind to carry him sooner to his desired Haven Moses converseth with God as a man converseth with his friend and when God bade him go up to the Mount and dye there Moses maketh no more of it he wenâ— up into the Mount and died according to the word of the Lord The Jews say that his soul was sucked out of his mouth with a kiss he who now converseth in Heaven when he dyeth only changeth his place but not his company removeth to a higher forme but continueth at the same school while he liveth he is like the Bâ—e which converseth amongst sweet flowers or like the Birds of the fortunate Islands which they say are all their life-time nourished with perfumes and when he dyeth he dyeth like the Phoenix in the sweet odours of an heavenly conversation 15. It would give us after death a wide and large entrance into Heaven They that look here to things Eternal shall after this life have possession of them shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven when others who look no higher than things temporal shall be called the least in the Kingdom of God Heaven like the Halcions nest will hold nothing but its own bird the Apostle blesseth God because he had made them meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light (c) Col. 1. 12. Men must be meet for Heaven before they come there they who are now strangers to God and Heaven what should they do in Heaven where the great happiness consists in the enjoyment and service of God whereas they who make it their business to lay up treasure in Heaven shall have a ready admittance into Heaven a free participation of whatsoever blessedness is there treasured up whatsoever happiness there is in the sight and enjoyment of God whatsoever solace in the embraces of a dear Saviour whatsoever Satisfaction in the society of Angels and Saints whatsoever joyes and pleasures are in that place of bliss all this and much more than we can imagine shall be the undoubted portion of those who make Eternal things their aim and end Jerom saith That Saul knew before-hand he should be made King because in a kind of a vision he saw himself placed upon the top of a Palm-tree the Palm-tree is an Emblem of the heavenly minded Christian as was before shewed in several resemblances Now as Saul seeing himself advanced to the top of a Palm-tree looked upon this as a Presage of his future advancement to the Throne so he who hath his heart and mind in Heaven while he liveth may assure himself of Heaven when he dyeth it is his now by way of election and shall be hereafter his by way of fruition now he walketh with God then he goeth to God while he is here he converseth in Heaven when he goeth hence he taketh possession of it having chosen that better part it shall never be taken away from him To conclude this use let these many advantages serve as somany incentives to quicken us to this duty in the Text of looking to those things that are Eternal CHAP. XIV Of various considerations to move us to make provision for Eternity 4. BE exhorted to make timely provision for that Eternity we must ere long enter upon By things Eternal spoken of in the Text we are chiefly to understand the unseen Eternal things in Heaven as appeareth by comparing this with the foregoing verse accordingly the thing I would exhort to is to secure these to our selves this is it which is so often called for in Scripture though under different expressions as Seeking first the Kingdom of God (d) Mat. 6. 33 20. John 6. 27. Luke 13. 24. Phil. 2. 12. 1 Tim. 6. 12 19. 2 Peter 1. 10. Laying up for our selves treasure in Heaven Labouring for that meâ—â— which endureth to everlasting life Striving to enter in â—t the Strait gate Working out our salvation Laying hold upon eternal life Laying up in store a good foundation against the time to come Giving diligence to make our calling and election sure All which and many like expressions tend to the same purpose and do all call upon us to practise that necessary dâ—ty I am now to speak to in speaking to which I shall first propound some Motives or Considerations to quicken us to it then by laying down some Directions shew how we may do it more succesfully For Motives take these 1. This is the one thing necessary the great thing we have to do (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we do not this we do nothing those who mind only temporal things neglecting this are said to walk in a vain shew and disquiet themselves in vain (f) Psal 39. 6. To weave the Spiders web (g) Isa 59. 5. To labour for that that is not bread (h) Isa 55. 2. To labour for the wind (i) Eccles 5. 16. To labour in the fire and weary themselves for very vanity (k) Hab. 2. 13. That this is the main thing we have to do will appear upon this following account 1. It is the end for which God sent us into the world If a Philosopher (l) Anaxagoras Clazamenius being asked why he came into the world could say that I might contemplate Heaven Heaven is my Country my great care is for that much more should we Christians think so and accordingly answer the end of our coming hither it is a great deal of care we take about the things of this life what we shall eat and what we shall drink and wherewith we shall be cloathed and all this we may do our heavenly Father knoweth we have need of these things but what is all this to Eternity What is all this to the great end for which we come hither (m) Aulus Fulvius As He told his Son that he begat him not to Cataline but to his Country So God did not send us into the world to eat and drink and buy and sell c. but that we might serve him and save our own souls all other things are impertinent to that errand we came for A devout Pilgrim travelling to Jerusalem in his way passed thorow many Cities where though he saw many rare monuments and found courteous entertainment yet would say This is not Jerusalem this is not the end of my coming Amongst those many good things we have and other things we do we should still think with our selves this is nothing to Eternity this is not that we came into the world for
us let the time past be enough to have been so prodigiously regardless of that which so nearly and infinitely concerneth us Let it be our care for the future to redeem our lost time the word used by the Apostle (a) Eph. 5. 16. properly signifies to buy a thing back again a metaphor taken from men that morgage their Land and redeem it again by how much more careless we have been the more diligent should we be for the future compensating former neglects by our after-care a man that hath some work to do that must of necessity be done if he hath loytered away most of the time allotted for the doing it had need work the harder Such as come not into the Vineyard till the ninth or eleventh hour must then be more diligent if they would be equal with them that have born the heat and burden of the day When the Husbandman breaks up a piece of ground that hath been long fallow he expects a double crop to satisfie for its former barrenness the like God expects from us 2. How much we have done there are manâ— who like Agrippa are almost perswaded to be Christians who are so far convinced that they have taken some pains heard many Sermons put up many prayers set apart many hours that they might attend the business of their Salvation and perhaps have suffered much for their forwardness in Religion and think how sad a thing it would be for such to lose all the Sermons they have heard all the prayers they have made all the time they have spent all the pains they have taken and after all this to go to Hell for want of not going thorow with this work such may not unfitly be compared to unhappy Mariners who have sailed to many ports conflicted with the difficulties and dangers of a tedious Voyage and with much hazard and pains fraught their Ship with rich Merchandize yet after all this when they are well nigh arrived at their desired Haven for want of a little care split upon the Rocks and leave all they have got a prey to the merciless waters â—f then we be such as have taken some pains and made some considerable progress in the way to Heaven let that we have already done engage us to do something more that we might not lose all our labour men have this wisdome in other things he that hath already ventured much will shoot another Arrow in hope to make good former losses the Husbandman that hath bestowed some â—ost upon a piece of ground and seeth it doth not answer his expectation will bestow more cost and lay on more compost that he may receive some fruits of his cost and labour A man that hath lent money and hath no security for it will be willing to hedge in one debt with another to lend a greater summe that he may get security for that and the other too in like manner having done something by way of securing eternal happiness let us go thorow with this work that all our former labour may not be in vain 10. Consider what opinion we have of our selves in reference to our interest in eternal happiness the way of man is right in his own eyes saith Salomon every man is naturally apt to think well of himself and his condition and probably it may be so with us we may think our selves rich and encreased with goods and not far off from the Kingdom of God if so think what a sad thing it would be to deceive our selves in a thing of such infinite and everlasting concernment Scipio said it is a shamefull thing in war to say I had not thought it (b) Turpe est in bello dicere non â—â—taram war being of so great consequence that a man must probably either conquer or dye every mistake here is dangerous the Moabites seeing the water look red through the shining of the Sun upon it concluded this is blood the Kings are surely slain and thereupon encouraged themselves Moab to the Spoyl but going to fight upon this presumption were themselves conquered (c) 2 Kings 3. and if it be dangerous to be mistaken in matters of war certainly much more in that great business of Salvation in which if we be deceived we are undone eternally This deceit hath two great evils attending it 1. It hindreth men from labouring for it what he said of Learning is as true in this many men might have obtained it but that they thought thomselves to have already attained it Conviction is the first step to Salvation there are none further off from the Kingdom of Heaven than they who presume upon the goodness of their condition 2. This false perswasion will add much to our misery the Church made this an aggravation of her sad condition We looked for peace and there is no good and for a time of healing and behold trouble (d) Jer. 14. 19. And think what an amazement it will be when thou shalt one day say I looked for Heaven and behold Hell is my portion I looked for eternal happiness and behold everlasting misery if thou hast never hoped nor promised better things to thy self thy confusion would not have been so great but to live and dye with confident hopes of Heaven and at last to fall from so high a Pinacle of Hope to that dismal pit of everlasting despair this will wound deeply When Hamilcar lay before Syracusa he thought he heard a Voyce intimating to him that he should the next night sup in Syracusa and there upon concluding he should certainly conquer it He commanded his Army to prepare for a fight but they beginning to mutiny the Citizens took that opportunity brake in upon them took Hamilcar prisoner and that night he supped in Syracusa but not as a Conqueror as he imagined but as a Captive which was the more grievous to him because he was before so confident of Victory (e) Val. Max. in like manner for those who are confident of Heaven to be doomed to Hell for those who make no question of seeing and enjoying God in the land of the Living to be eternally excluded his glorious presence this will double their damnation and be a matter of the greatest confusion believe it it is a sad thing for men to have hopes for Heaven and yet evidences for Hell to have Heaven in their hopes and Hell in their hearts to say to themselves Soul take thine ease and God to say Devil take his soul If then we be such as are perswaded it shall be well with us let that engage us to all seriousness and diligence in securing eternal happiness that we may not be thus wofully deceived in our expectations 11. Eternal happiness is not to be had without our labouring for it the things of this world are not usually had without labour The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing f The desire of the slothful killeth him for his hands refuse to labour much lesse
shut up the doors of our hearts it is but just that he should give over and never knock more Again He is not onely said to knock but Call behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice though he doth not speak by an audible voyce yet he doth by words spoken inwardly to the mind (d) Verbis mentalibus occultâ inspiratione by a secret inspiration as Austin saith he felt something within him but what it was he could not tell for it was neither a voyce to be heard by the Ear nor any colour to be discerned by the Eye nor any scent to be perceived by the smell it was neither hard nor soft that it might be felt yet there was something God did which he easily felt but was not able to express As when the Lightning saith Cyprian breaketh through the Cloud the sudden splendour of it doth not so much enlighten as dazzle the Eyes so thou sometimes feelest thy self touched but dost not see him that toucheth thee thou hearest words spoken inwardly to thy Soul but doest not perceive him that speaketh to thee by such a Voyce God often speaketh to men a Voyce sweetly acquainting us with Gods will (e) Vox blandè leniter divinam insinuans voluntatem such a Voyce as is spoken of Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying this is the way walk in it (f) Isa 30. 21. and if when God thus speaketh we be ready to hear if when he saith seek my face our hearts eccho thy face Lord will we seek when he saith let him that hath an ear to hear our hearts answer speak Lord for thy Servants hear when he saith Return ye back-sliding Children our hearts answer Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God (g) Jer. 3. 22. If when he cryes Lift up your heads Oh ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting Doors that the King of Glory may come in we forthwith hear his voyce and open the door he is most ready to come in and sup with us and to give us to sup with him But here is the great misery God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not (h) Job 33. 14 and when we turn a deaf ear to Gods Call we hereby provoke him to take up that peremptory resolution Because I called and ye refused I will also laugh at your Calamity then shall they call upon me and I will not answer they shall seek me early but shall not find me Sometimes he is said to strive with men and this he doth in such manner that it is no easie thing to out-strive these wrestlings and contendings of Gods Spirit he doth so follow men with the Exhortations Admonitions Counsels of his Word so hedge them in with Mercieâ— on the one hand and Corrections on the other so besiege them by inward Enlightnings Convictions Perswasions Impulses that men shall confess another day that they were forced to strive and strive hard to elude these workings of Gods Spirit but this he will not do always My Spirit shall not always strive with man (i) Gen. 6. 3. Oh then take heed of withstanding these strivings of the Spirit Woe be to him that striveth with his Maker (k) Isa 45. 9. If all striving with God be woful certainly this is most desperate when he shall strive to do us good and we shall strive to suppress and put off these contendings of the Spirit when he shall strive to save us and we shall strive for our own Damnation woe to him that thus striveth with his Maker if we have hitherto thus striven against God take we heed of striving any longer lest God resolve My Spirit shall not always strive with man for that he is flesh Sometimes the Spirit is said to draw (l) Cant. 1. 4. Hos 11. 4. There are in Nature four ways by which one thing may be said to draw another by Sympathy so they say the Herb Aproxis through a natural correspondence with the fire though at a distance from it draweth the flame and begins to burn by heat so the Sun draweth up the Vapours by motion so the Horse draweth the Coach and by secret attraction so Amber draweth the Straw and the Loadstone Iron the blessed Spirit maketh use of all these four ways of attraction he draweth by Sympathy when he worketh in the heart any kind of willingness to yield to his call by heat when he warmeth the heart by good motions by motion when he seeketh to work upon men by the pious examples of other Christians and lastly by secret attraction when in a Dream a Vision of the Night or any other secret way he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their Instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide Pride from man (m) Job 33. 16 17 29. And as Elâ—hu adds Loe all these things worketh God oftentimes with man These several ways he seeketh to draw him to himself and when the Spirit doth thus we should resolve with the Church Draw me we will run after thee (n) Cant. 1. 4. whereas if when the Spirit draws on we draw off when he draws forward toward Heaven we draw backward toward perdition Let us remember that dreadful commination If any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him (o) Heb. 9 3 8. By all this it appeareth of what grand import it is to observe the motions and comply with the workings of the Spirit We read when the Cloud the testimony of Gods presence abode upon the Tabernacle whether it were two days or a month or a year the Children of Israel abode in their Tents and journyed not but when the Cloud was taken up whether it were by Day or by Night they journyed (p) Numb 9. 17. when the Spirit of God is present with us and offereth its assistance now is our time to set out for Heaven whereas to neglect this season and to think to do it afterward is as if the Mariner should lye still when the Wind is favourable the Ship rigged the Sails spread and all accommodations provided and should put forth when he were deprived of all these Advantages Or as if the Smith should lay aside the Iron when it is hot and malleable and begin to strike when it is grown cold When David enquired of God whether he should go out against the Philistines he had this Answer from God When thou hearest the sound of a Going in the tops of the Mulberry-trees then thou shalt bestir thy self for then shall the Lord go out before thee (q) 2 Cor. 5. 24. When we hear as it were a voice within us exciting us to this work we should then set upon it that being the time when the holy Spirit goeth before us 5. We should conscionably perform those Duties 〈◊〉 God hath appointed as means and helps to obtain Eternal happiness As 1. We should
hope for Heaven we must be Crucified to the world must set our affections on things above not on things on the Earth we must never expect Heaven when we dye if we be strangers to Heaven while we live In physical transmutations the form is introduced in an instant but there are some antecedent qualities some previous dispositions that prepare the body for that change though the soul in the instant of death quits Earth and mounts up to Heaven yet it must be prepared for Heaven by conversing there before-hand such as now live strangers to Heaven shall never intermeddle with those joyes 7. To these we must adde the grace of perseverance some have seemed to begin well yet ended miserably others have begun ill but ended happily perseverance is all in all other graces run the race but only perseverance receiveth the Crown Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life (c) Rev. 2. 10. Solomon saith better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof (d) Eccles 7. 8. The grace of the Comedy lyeth chiefly in the last Scene it is the evening that Crowneth the day Seneca saith the last day judgeth all the precedent happy are they whose last dayes are the best dayes whose works are more at last than at first whereas when men seem to begin well and afterward turn from the holy Commandement it had been better for them never to have known the way of Righteousness e Among other Prodigies which were about the time Julian came unto the Empire this was one after a plentiful Vintage there were wild grapes appeared upon their Vines with which many wise men were much affected looking upon it as ominous when men seem to abound in the fruits of Righteousness and afterward bring forth the wild grapes of sin and disobedience it is a sad prognostick of their eternal ruine as the falling of the leaf is the forerunner of winter so the falling away of men in this life presageth that winter of Gods wrath when the storms and tempests of Dâ—vine vengeance shall for ever beat upon them having then put our hand to the Plow we must take heed of looking back again the promise of eternal happiness is made to such as persevere He that endureth to the end shall be saved (t) Matth. 10. 22. s 2 Pet. 2. 21. FINIS Books Printed for and are to be sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside SErmons on the whole Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians by Mr. J. Daille translated into English by F. S. with Dr. Tho. Goodwin's and Dr. J. Owen's Epistle Recommendatory An Exposition of Christ's Temptation on Matth. 4. and Peter's Sermon to Cornelius and Circumspect walking by Dr. Tho. Taylor A practical Exposition on the 3d. Chap. of the 1 Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians with the Godly Man's Choice on Psal 4. 6 7 8. by Anthony Burgesse An Exposition on four select Psalms viz. by Doctor Horton Books 4to The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration by G. Swinnock M. A. The Fiery-Jesuit or an Historical-Collection of the rise encrease Doctrines and Deeds of the Jesuites Horologiographia optica Dyaling universal and particular speculative and practical together with a description of the Court of Arts by a new Method by Sylvanus Morgan The Practical Divinity of the Papist discovered to be destructive to true Religion and mens Souls by J. Clarkson The Creatures goodness as they came out of God's hand and the good mans mercy to the bruit creatures in two Sermons by Tho. Hodges B. D. Certain considerations tending to promote Peace and Unity amongst Protestants The Saints triumph over the last enemy in a Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. James Janeway by Nath. Vincent Peace
heed to our selves If when Christ told his Disciples that one of them was a Devil and should betray him Though it were but one of twelve every one began n Jer. 3. 14. to suspect himself how much more should we when we hear it is not one of many but many to one that are likely to miscarry and perish everlastingly when one asked Christ Are there few that shall be saved he answered Strive to enter in at the strait gate That is the proper use we are to make of this Doctrine 8. We can be sure of nothing else if we make it our business to seek temporal things we are under a double uncertainty First it is very uncertain whether we shall get what we seek there is but one way to hit the mark but several waies of missing it though the world be courted by a great many yet there are more suitors than speeders there are but few that get a prize in the worlds Lottery these things are often like the shadow that flieth from them that followe it they who make hast to be rich most what make more haste than good speed and many times out of an eager desire of getting what they have not lose what they have As Balaam who gredily seeking after honour and riches not only lost them but his life likewise being killed in the battel q Josh 13. 22. â— Therefore the Hebrews apply that Proverb to him the Camel seeking horns lost hiâ— ears or if men do get these things they are uncertain of keeping them how often do these things leave men before they leave the world They flow by us saith Basil as the stream by the bank time will moulder away the bank it self but the water stayeth not for that but speedeth on its wonted course our life is as the tree these things like the fruit and leaves which fall off while the tree stands how many be there who seemed like a nail fastned in a sure place which have been like Sehbna removed from their station and tossed up and down like a Ball in alarge Country we can have no more assurance of these things than if we take a model of this daies clouds and think to compare them with them that will the p Luke 15. 24. next day appear Some have compared great men to the mountain Vesuvius near Naples which they say is so abundantly fertile that it is worth thousands yearly but when it happens to cast forth its fiery entrails doth sometimes more hurt in a day than it brought profit in a whole age and how many who have been raised to the highest pitch of worldly greatness yet in one daies miscarriage have been deprived of all they have been so long gathering together and lived to be objects of pitty to all that knew them We need not take Histories for examples daily experience sealeth to the truth of this he that in times of so great mutability hath not learned this lesson of the worlds uncertainty deserveth to be taught it as Gideon taught the men of Succoth and Penuel with thorns and brambles of the wilderness Or if these things last till death that is the longest day I remember one telleth of a worldly wretch who when he saw he must dye taketh a piece of Gold and putteth it into his mouth saying Some wiser than some whatsoever cometh of it I will carry this with me but could the sot think to carry his gold with him into another world God tells the rich fool This night shall thy soul be required of thee and then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided Whose soever they should be they should be no longer his when men have been all their lives time lading themselves with thick clay it fareth with them at death as with the Hedge-Hogg which having laded her self with Apples upon the prickles of her back and with much adoe dragged home her over-heavy burden perhaps carrieth one in her mouth but hath the rest swept of by narrowness of the hole which she only made wide enough for her own passage We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry r Rogers his Treatise of love nothing out So that if we look after temporals we cannot be sure either of getting or keeping them whereas if we make Eternals the matter of our choice and labour for them in a right manner we may assure our selves of both The wicked worketh a deceitful work but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward (t) Prov. 11. 18. God hath not said to the house of Jacob Seek ye me in vain (u) Isa 45. 19 24. If we would take as much pains for Heaven as others do for the world we might undoubtedly obtain it and being obtained there were no danger of losing it I give them Eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (w) John 10. 28. and the consideration of this cannot but be a powerful motive and encouragement So it was to the Apostle I therefore so run not as uncertainly (x) 1 Cor. 9. 26. other runners though they run with all their might are upon great uncertainties Know ye not that they that run in a race run all and but one receiveth the prize And so it is in all other adventures about worldly things most have but their labour for their pains but it is otherwise in this spiritual race I so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the air And upon the same ground the Apostle encourageth others Be ye alwaies abundant in the work of the Lord forasmuch as your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (y) 1 Cor. 15. last 9. Consider what we have done in this great work how little and how much 1. How little the greatest part of men are scattered abroad in the world like the Israelites about the Land of Egypt to gather stubble or like Ants about a mole-hill busying themselves about impertinencies Sir Thomas Moore saith There is a Devil called Business (z) Negotium that carrieth more souls to Hell than all the Devils s 1 Tim. 6. 7. in Hell beside most men have so many Irons in the fire are cumbred about so many things that they wholly neglect that one thing necessary Nay it is to be feared many in the bosom of the Church who have lived forty or fifty years under powerful preaching have heard many hundred Sermons to provoke them to this duty yet the time is yet to come that ever they spent one hour together between God and their consciences in promoting that great work of their Salvation strangers have devoured their strength other things and that for the most part impertinencies have devoured the strength of their abilities the cream of their time When Heaven and eternal happiness have been neglected as if they were not and if it hath been thus with any of