abide the tryal in the time of temptation your sandy foundations will deceive you your building will fall and great will be the fall of it Mat. 7. 27. You will fall away further from God more fâ—ully into sin more deep into hell and all these falls will be great and dreadful 1. You that are unsound in times of tryal wil fall away further from God Some of you though never brought quite home yet have been almost perswaded have been not far from the Kingdome of Heaven But all this common work if you rest in it will dye away when Christ puts you upon suffering you will forsake him Suffer is an hard word who can bear it And when you leave the Lord you bid farewel to the Father of mercies the God of love and of all grace the Fountain of living waters the Prince of peace the only Saviour Well may I cry out Oh how much folly is there in back-sliding 2. You will fall more foully into sin God may quickly throw the Reins out of his hands upon the neck of corrupted Nature and whither may you be carryed Apostatizing professors often turn most profane they out-run as to riot excess the wretchest hat never pretended to Religion The Conscience that was once awakened if it fall asleep again sleeps more soundly The heart that was once restrain'd from sin that restraint being gone is more eager to commit iniquity than before Nay 't is somtimes observed that backsliding professors 〈◊〉 become cruel persecutors of those wayes which once were forwardly owned by them If this be not the unpardonable sin I am sure it comes to the very brink of it 3. You will fall more deep into Hell at last Christ tells us that the last end of such is worse than their beginning Mat. 12. 45. and that both as to sin and as to punishment How large will be the Vial of wrath to be emptied upon Apostates heads how hot their place in the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone Those that as the Apostle speaks are twice dead pluckt up by the roots Jude 12. The second death will be more terrible to them they will be eternal fewel to a more furious flame The sufferings of the Saints whether imprisonment or death are not worthy to be named the same day with everlasting confinement to outer darkness and suffering in the highest degree and fullest measure eternal damnation Consider this ye hypocrites that are rotten at heart that have God in your mouthes but he is far from your Reins On how long will it be ere you attain to uprightness USE II. Of Encouragement to the Saints when they are exercised with Tryals 1. The Lord hath promised to keep you when you are tryed He may fan and winnow but not a grain of corn shall fall to the ground so as to be lost That Scripture is very observable Rev. 3. 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth He will keep from the hour of temptation that is from the prevalency of and corruption by temptation in that hour But then you must be sure to keep his Word which is called the Word of his patience because it proposes Christ as an example of patience and layes an injunction upon you to be like him And if you look upon this word as your food as your physick as your treasure as your armour as your heritage I hope you will look upon it as well deserving to be kept by you 2. Your tryals will make you to grow in grace Grace is of that nature that it increases and gathers strength by exercise As the Widdowes Oyl by being drawn out did multiply so Grace is augmented not diminished by being used Hark to the Apostle Rom. 5. 3 4 5. Knowing that tribulation worketh patience not only tryeth patience but worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed The righteous by tryals and difficulties are not stopt as discouraged persons but hold on their way nay not only hold on but grow and go stronger and they that have clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger Job 17. 9. 3. After you have endured tryal you shall be own'd and crown'd Jam. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him And that Crown when received will make all pains and disgrace and sufferings to be forgotten The Sixth Doctrine The tribulation of Believers will not last alwayes after ten dayes that is a short time a period will be put to it Ye shall have tribulation ten dayes The Holy Ghost reckons by dayes not years and according to the usual manner in Scripture a certain number is put for an uncertain ten dayes for a few dayes The Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 17. calls the troubles of Believers not only light afflictions but affirms they are but for a moment and because they are but for a moment surely much the lighter The Arguments to confirm this Doctrine are these 1. One shall be drawn from the desire in Christ the Head to have his members with him Therefore they shall not long be absent from him and when they are with him no troubles at all shall be their companions Christ in the dayes of his flesh prayed thus Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that those also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Christ is now gone to his father and he hath prepared Mansions for the Saints and those Mansions â—hall not be long empty Believers groan to â—e cloathed upon with their house which 〈◊〉 from Heaven to be absent from the boâ—y and to be present with the Lord. The Lord Jesus desires and hath prayed for their company Surely it will not be long before those who are so mutually desirous of each other do come together 2. A second Argument shall be drawn from the shortness of the triumph of the Saints adversaries God will quickly cut asunder the cords of the wicked that plow upon Sions back and make long their furrows I have seen saith David the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green Bay tree yet he passed away and loe he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found His great power which he abuses to oppress and trouble and himself too shall quickly pass away All the glory of the ungodly is as a dream and is chased away as a night vision And when they are laid in the dust and death is feeding on them they can devour the upright no longer And truly the more violent they are the shorter oftentimes is their triumph cruelty doth ripen them a pace for vengeance 3. A
vanquished by him and the Principalities and Powers of darkness spoyled by him and therefore concludes it will not be long ere more than a conquest through him that hath loved the believer will be obtained And in the mean while Faith relyes upon the word of promise and stayes the soul on the Lord Jehovah whereupon the soul is both supported by an everlasting arm and also kept in perfect peace Isa 26. 3 4. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength 2. That you may be armed against sufferings get on the Breast-plate of love If you love much you will consent when called to suffer much and not think much of what you suffer If your love to the Lord Jesus be as it ought to be transcendent and flaming many waters will not have power to quench it all the floods that lift up their waves will not be able to drown it Cant. 8. 7. â—et your love to Christ be surely grounâ—ed Be well acquainted with your lost estate your absolute need of this Saviour without whom no shift can be made but wrath and ruine are unavoidable Be well acquainted with Christs matchless excellency and how he is admirably and every way suited to your desires and necessities being a Prophet to instruct and reduce the ignorant and erring soul a Priest to reconcile his Father to the guilty a King to rescue and deâ—end from all sorts even the worst of enemies And as he is able so likewise ready to do all this and that for any who desire that all this may be done for them Iâ—deed he rejects those who like only his Priesthood but count his Kingdome an hard word his commands grievous but he never denyed his benefits to any that were willing to have them all without exception purity as well as pardon and peace grace as well as glory Our Lord is not unwilling you should take a vâ—ew of him He does not desire to be loved unless your eyes being enlightned you see sufficient reason Sin is loved upon a mistake and 't is upon a mistake that Christ is despised If sin were understood it would be abhorr'd and if Christs worth were but weigh'd and righâ—ly judg'd of as he deserves to be so he would be actually the Desire of all Nations as the Prophet calls him Hag. 2. 7. Know him therefore and let your love spring from a right understanding of him and then nothing will be esteemed too good or dear to cast away that you may hold him fast The worlds store is nothing comparable to the benefits which he hath purchased with the price of his blood And the most severe Lawes and Edicts of men the greatest torments that they can invent or inflict are nothing near so dreadful as that Anathema Maranatha which is thundred out against any man that loves not the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 16. 22. Anathema Maranatha signifies Let him be aâ—carsed till the Lord comes They that love not Christ will have a curse lyâ—ng upon them that never shall be removed and that 's infinitely worse than any present sufferings 3. That you may be armed against sufferings Let not the Helmet of hope be wanting Your heads may be lifted up with boldness when you have this Helmet on A lively hope will have a great influence to keep your hearts from sinking into despondency Hope is stiled the anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and entring within the vail Heb. 6. 19. In the storm of trouble believers should cast anchor and their anchour must be cast upward there 's the Rock of Ages and in him their anchor is to be fastned The Ship sails not while the anchor is cast But a Christian differs his anchor is fastned and yet he sails at the same time which shewes that he sails most safely in the midst of the greatest fluctuations towards the Harbour of peace Let Hope be strong Hope of a happy conclusion will make present affliction be endured with patience It is the business of Hope to wait for and expect the accomplishment of the promises Fides sayes Luther intuetur verbum rei Spes rem verbi And since the salvation which Hope expects is so certain so just at the door and so exceeding glorious hardship and labour in the way to such a rest may the better be dispensed with When the flâ—sh through weakness complains and is ready to fail then Hope encourages the heart and sayes Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarâ—y I expect him and deliverance and a reward with him and this expectation of Hope will never make ashamed Rom. 5. 5. This Helmet of Hope is of singular use it covers the head of a Christian in the day of Battel it wards off the blows of discouragement which would strike the Head under water For this reason the Apostle is so earnest that the believing Romanes might be made to abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. 4. That you may be armed against suffering cry by prayer for continual help and support from above Though you are never so compleatly armed yet there is need of prayer to call in fresh and renewed auxiliary force from heaven Therefore the Apostle adds Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance Eph. 6. 18. When men and Devils are wrestling with you do you wrestle with God and if you can but imitate your father Israel and as Princes prevail with God if you have power with the Almighty who then can be too strong too hard for you Fill your mouths with arguments and cry unto the Lord That since he hath lead you into the field he would not leave you in the battel that since trouble iâ— near he would not be far â—ff but near to help you that since 't is for his sake you are persecuted by his power of Providence you may be preserved and your troubles turned to his honour and your advantage Tell him that your enemies are his and 't is because you dare not displease him that men are enraged against you Tell him 'T is time for him to work for men have made voyd his Law Tell him that you look and long for his salvation and that you will never cease your importunity till he appear and own that truth and cause which men endeavour to bear down but you are standing up for unto the Death Prayer hath a mighty pâ—evalency Luther said there was a kind of omnipotency therein This weapon hath made the Church terrible as an Army with Banners Persecutors and Devils likewise have many times by Prayer been worsted USE IV. If he that will be a Saint shall be a sufferer Let me exhort and perswade you that are Saints to bear sufferings as become you Let not fretting or fear or
Fatling together a little Child shall lead them And the sucking Child shall play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned Child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice Den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain But most certainly this peace and concord shall be among the Saints above no biting no devouring one another no diversity of judgments but all will agree in the same truth no alienation of affection for love to the Lord and to one another will be perfect the spirit that lusteth to envy will be cast out selfish ends will carry none aside disputes will be at an end the wounds which divisions have made will be closed How good and pleasant will be that unity when all the Saints will be of one of the right mind 6. The life above will be lead among the most suitable society The Saints will then have bid farewel to Mesâ—ech and the Tents of Kedar they shall no longer dwell among revilers at holiness the openly prophane the scandalous or lifeless professors of Religion no filthy communication or conversation in heaven to vex their righteous souls no contempt of God no provoking the eyes of his glory no cursing swearing pride wantonness to be heard or seen in the heavenly City When they come thither they will say How blessedly unlike is this to that place and company which we came from Glorified spirits innumerable companies of Angels will be their companions these will be glad to see them safely arrived unto rest For if there be joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner we may very well infer there will be joy likewise at the Saints Coronation 7. That life above will fully answer its end The Saints were formed by the Lord for himself and they will be eternally shewing forth his praise and glory They will never entertain so much as an unbecoming thought of God but to magnifie and extol him will be their everlasting business their hearts and their Harpes will be ever in tune to sound forth his Name Now they do but lisp and stammer out his praises but then how seraphical will their Songs be and they will never be weary of singing Hallelujahs Oh what extasies of joy and love with what ravishment of spirit with what unconceivable raptures of delight will the whole Assembly and Church of the First-born joyn together saying Amen blessing and glory and wisdome and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Rev. 7. 12. The triumphant Saints will perfectly answer the design of God in their Creation in their new Creation they will glorifie him for ever who upon them hath bestowed eternal Glory 8. The life above will be an everlasting life Death it self will be destroyed and swallowed up in victory The eternity of the Saints joyes and enjoyments makes them infinitely of the greater value Heaven would be no longer Heaven were they ever to be turned out of it all the sweetness would be imbittered with the thoughts of its period But adored be the riches of mercy the inheritance is said to be incorruptible the Kingdome cannot be moved the Crown of glory fadeth not away the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. ult Howâ— ye damned spirits your miseries are everlasting you are banished from God and shall never be called back but be unconsumed fewel for unquench able flames Triumph and râ—jâ—yce ye glorified Souls As long as God is he will be your God your portion your reward as long as God is you shall live in his presence and enjoy him Thus you see what what manner of life the Text speaks of In the second place I am to shew upon what score this Life is called a Crown 1. This Crown intimates that the Saints are Conquerours They have run the Race and won the prize they have fought the good fight of Faith and laid hold on eternal life They may truly say super-superamus we are more than conquerours They have being strengthned by him that loveth them conquered the whole World conquered the Principallities and Powers of Hell conquered themselves too their own lusts and passions and affections All other Battels are but petty skirmishes to the spiritual combate mortal men are but inconsiderable enemies compared with fleshly lusts and evil Angels All the Conquerours recorded in History are hardly worth the mentioning with a Christian that endures and overcomes And what is Lawrel to that Crown at last put upon the Christians Head 2. This Crown speaks the honour and dignity whereunto the Saints are advanced Though exceedingly filled with contempt and the scorning of those that are at ease yet even here the Saints are Kings Priests Rev. 1. 5 6. Vnto him that loved us â—nd washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever And when they come to Glory they are actually crown'd then 't is evident the World was not worthy of them and that far better than what the world could bestow is freely given them Heaven is called a Kingdome the Reward a Crown to shew 't is no mean prize the Christian aimes at What is all the height and grandeur on earth to the Kingly dignity put upon believers What are all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them to reigning with the Lord for ever The four great Monarchies by the Holy Ghost are compared unto four great Beasts Dan. 7. 3. Surely earthly Crowns are but base and sordid to the heavenly 3. This expression a Crown of life is used to shew that the Crown fades not will never be less bright for wearing 't will never be thrown off 't is a living Crown a Crown of immortality In the next place follow the Arguments to prove the Doctrine that the Saints shall be thus Crowned and they are these 1. One shall be drawn from the Fathers good pleasure This good pleasure Christ declares to the little flocks encouragement Luk. 12. 32. Fear not little Flock 't is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome And this his counsel is immutable he will do this his pleasure This pleasure he hath plainly signified in his Covenant and Promises wherein Glory as well as Grace is assured and hereby he hath heightned beliâ—vers hopes and expectations and certainly to frustrate them is not consistent with his truth and goodness 2. A second Argument shall be drawn from Christs purchase He hath purchased that possession for his Saints in the next world he hath bought that Crown by his Cross In the New Testament the Lord Jesus hath bequeathed life to them and by the Death of Himself the Testatour this Testament is confirmed Heb. 9. 16. So that this Life is as sure as 't is sure our Lord dyed 3. A third Argument shall be drawn from Christs entring into life and taking