affections before all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them Christ is compared to a Fountain which is beyond compare with any Zech. 13. 1. other for it is a Fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Christ is likewise compared to a Stone and to such a one as excelleth others in admirable Properties Isai 28. 16. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Zion for a Foundation a Stone a tryed Stone a pretious corner Stone a sure Foundation He that believeth shall not make hast Farther Christ is compared to the Pearle of great Price Matth. 13. 45. 46. Again the Kingdome of heaven is like unto a Merchant man seeking goodly Matt. 13. 45 46. Pearls who when he had found one Pearâ— of great price he went and sold all that hâ— had and bought it Whatever we esteeâ— highly of must go for Christ the Pearl oâ— Price If we possess Christ in our hearts bâ— faith we are enriched with that possession which is infinitely more worth theâ— all the possessions of the Vniverse Mucâ— value is set upon the Eastern and Western treasures of the Indies and greaâ— pains is taken to get them Impiger extremos currit Mercator ad Indos Yeâ— they are not worth the nameing in comparison of the Riches of Christ Thâ— knowledg of Christ is the most inriching knowledge for Col 2. 3. In him are hiâ— O Thesauris omnibus opulentior notitia Christi all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Whosoever hath a saving Interest iâ— Christ is richer then the greatest Emperour who is ignorant of him Sect. 2 And hereunto Where there iâ— such a high valuation of Christ in thâ— Judgment there will of necessity follow ardency strength of affection toward 2 Cor. 5. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constringit cohibet i. e. totos possidet ac regit ut ejus afflatu quasi correpti agamus omnia Beza Jesus Christ The apprehension of thâ— exceeding great love of Christ to uâ— should constrain us to love him with a reciprocal love Love is the Loadstone oâ— love and love will never be paid nor bâ— contented and satisfied but with its own coyn I mean love answering love And the greatest love which we can express to Jesus Christ is only the reflection of those Beams which he first darted upon us Whatever love we manifest towards God is only the Return of that love which he first shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Rom. 5. 5. 1 Joh. 4. 19. We saith the Apostle love him because he first loved us Where Christ is highly prised that soul is inflam'd with ardent love to him Neither is this an ordinary and common but an extraordinary and special love This love is in the highest degree above the apprehension of Philosophers They tell us That there is Calor ad octo and this is in gradu intenso non in gradu remisso Somthing that expression represents but we 'l set forth the vehemency of Love in the Scripture Phrase Love Psal 120. 4. is hotter then the coals of Juniper and to such an extensive heat so that Cant. 8. 7. many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it But as for all those who love not the Lord Jesus they are cursed in this world and in the world to come For saith the Apostle 1 Cor. Read Pynk in Loc. 16. 22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathama Maranatha An Anathama alone is a dreadful Curse but that 's not all there is a Maranathâ— Maran-Domiaus Athan-venit Maranatha extrema ultima species excommunicationis quae Ebraeis Samatha dicitur Drus added to the Anathema and this Maranatha is reserved until the second coming of Christ to judgment and oh how dreadful must their condition be at that great and terrible day who love not the Lord Jesus Christ Against them Christ will pronounce that dreadful sentence of condemnation Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels CHAP III. A heart in love with holiness evidenced in a holy life and conversation is a Character of a sincere Heart A Third Character of Sincerity is a Character Third A heart in love with holiness Heart in love with holiness Sect. 1 For when the Heart is emptied of all self-love and self-confidence and made throughly sensible of its own vileness and wretchedness then Christ is highly valued and entirely loved and cordially embraced and delighted in Every true Believer loves holiness for it self because it is the image of God And as Bucer us'd to say where there is Aliquid Christi i. e. any impression of the image of Christ there we ought to place our love Wherefore the Apostle gives a strict Eph. 4. 23. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Command Be renewed in the spirit of your mind And that ye put on the new man which after the image of God is created in righteousness and true holiness Where this image of God is which consists in righteousness and true holiness Sanctitas veritatis est vera sincera minime fucata Drus. Tali innocentia sanctitate quâ— sint in esse non in videri Grot. it is stampt upon the heart and is visible in the life and there is such a transcendent beauty purity and excellency and amiableness in all the waies of holiness as the least glimpse of them are abundantly sufficient to delight rejoyce and ravish the soul of every true believer What plato said of Moral vertue much more may be said of Theological vertue i. e. Si Virtus humanis ocutis possit cerâ—i admirabile sui desiderium excitaret-Plato Soul-saving grace and holiness that if it could be discerned by Corporal eyes it would raise the heart to a wonderfull desire thereof Oh! how did David love the Law of God! He profest that Gods Law was his Delight and that Psal 119. 77. he loved the commandments above Gold yea above fine gold Psal 119. 127. Thy Testimonies saith he I have taken Psal 119. 111. 〈…〉 n Heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart O! What sweet ness did David suck out of the Judgments of the Lord for saith he Thâ— Psal 19. 9. 10. Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether More to be desired arâ— they then Gold yea then much fine Gold sweeter also then honey and the honeâ— comb There is a great reward in thâ— very work of holiness For it follows iâ— the next words Moreover by them iâ— thy Servant warned and in keeping oâ— them there is * Utilitas non mediocris sedingens sequitur etiamsi illi respectum retributionis alicujus non habeant sed simplici ac sincerâ— corde in viâ mandatorum Dei currant unum hoc spectantes ut Domino Deo suo
an evil Thought may set the whole man in combustion sinful thoughts which are in embrione and not yet come to maturity yet being not crush'd not disallowed may in a short tract of time bring forth evil words and afterwards full-born actions of all sorts of abominations As soon as Goliah that insolent proud-daring Champion was brain'd and his Head with his own Sword sever'd from his shoulders then forthwith the whole Army of the Philistins was routed and utterly overthrown If then all Champion-reigning Sins such I call so which are darling bosome Sins be conquered and destroyed then all other sins which are of more than ordinary incursion will the sooner be vanquished and subdued We read that when the King of Syria went to joyn battle against Ahab King of Israel 2 Kings 22. 31. that he gave strict command to his thirty and two Captains that had rule over his Chariots saying Fight neither with small nor great save only with the King of Israel Now if the Question be made Why was the battle principally design'd against the King of Israel The Answer is at hand Because the King of Israel was the worst Enemy and most hating and most hated Although in our spiritual warfare we must valiantly encounter and fight against every sin yet in an especial manner we must with renewed strength fight against all bosome sins because the more they are delighted in and hugg'd in the bosome they prove more mischievous as Vipers and Serpents who being once received into the bosome suddenly destroy those who give them entertainment Questionless every sin is of a poisonous and destructive nature yet a beloved sin carries with it more aggravating circumstances and so proves more mischievous and destructive as may be abundantly evidenced by the sad consequences thereof as daily experience witnesseth abundantly Sect. 3 For a further illustration of the Assertion by a plain and obvious similitude Would any man though of an ordinary capacity habour Vipers Adders Scorpions Toads and such like noxious and hurtful creatures in his house would any entertain such kind of dangerous creatures in his bed and lay them in his bosome and so venture to sleep with them None can easily imagine that any there are who are so far sequestred from common sense and reason as to venture to give a bosome reception to such kind of creatures which are offensive and destructive unto mankind The chiefest of the Heathen Orators tells us That Principio generi animantium omni est a naturâ tributum utse vitam corpusque tueatur deelinetqâ—e ea quae â—ocitura videantur Ciâ— off Ib. 1. naturally all creatures must defend their life and body and avoid all those things which are hurtful Wherefore let 's consider seriously and after mature deliberation we shall confess that any beloved Sin is worse than any Viper Scorpion Adder or Toad in the bosome and whilst thou embracest and pleasest thy self in any beloved Sin thou takest a ready course to destroy both thy Body and Soul Wherefore Oh Christian if thou hast any love any regard or commiseration of thy immortal and heavenly-born being Soul give not thy self the least allowance or dispensation in any beloved Sin for if thou pleadest for thy Sins thou art the greatest Enemy to thy own Soul Let not any voluptuous man plead for his pleasures and sensual delights let not any unchaste man plead for his Strumpet or for any wanton lascivious carriage let not any vain frothy Jester and Scoffer plead for any wittily contriv'd lye collusion or any abusive carriage let not any Tradesman excuse his lying and overreaching in his Trade and vending of sophisticated wares and refuse commodities let him not flatter himself with vain pretences as if his lying equivocating and jugling would much conduce to his profit let him not pretend that he cannot keep open shop and maintain his family and if he should once leave his lying and swearing and couzening his family would be utterly undone All such kind of pleadings are odious and abominable in the sight of God Neither Antiquity nor Custom nor pleasure nor profit will excuse thee in the least nor relieve thee before the impartial Tribunal of Jesus Christ When thou shalt appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ then all sinful pleadings and all vain Apologies will be so far from extenuating or lessening thy sin at that great day as that they will aggravaâ—e them both as to the silth and guilt of them And then Christ will pronounce against thee that dreadful sentence of condemnation We read Matth. 25. that sins of omissions could not in the least excuse them And some in an especial manner have bewail'd their sins of omission how then shall the Bishop Usher late Primate of Ireland commissions of scandalous sins excuse thee at that great day of account and amongst other sins such as are beloved bosome and customary sins most pleasing to flesh and blood these will aggravate both thy sins and thy punishments at the day of Judgment CHAP. IX A desire and universal endeavour against all and every Sin is a Character of a sincere Heart and it 's accompanied with the Practice of all Duties Sect. 1 THe ninth Character of sincerity consists Charact. 9. A desire and endeavour against all Sins and for the practice of all Duties in a desire universally extensive and an equal endeavour against all manner and all sorts of Sins and a desire and endeavor as extensive to yield obedience unto all Command and to practice all Duties The desire and endeavour must be The desire and endeavour must be extensive against all sins extensive against all manner of all sins There must be a desire and endeavour to refrain from every evil way and not only from one sin but from all sins of all sorts and all manner of sizes though as considered comparatively they may not be pleaded for at all though less than others but they must be utterly abandoned and forsaken as well as others of a greater filth and guilt Thus the Psalmist professeth Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep thy word By feet we are to understand the whole course of our lives and conversations in a comprehensive sense taking in the whole duty of man And that we may keep the Word of God and keep close to his Statutes we must wage war against every sin and * Significat se bellum indixisse omnibus vitiis ut se Deo in obsequium dederet Calv. refrain our feet from every evil way There must then of necessity be an universal loathing and an universal leaving of every sin for in every sin even in such as some call a peccadillo there is poison and venome for which there is no other Antidote but the Bloud of Jesus Christ There is no sin which is in its own nature venial unless the Bloud of Christ make it so Wherefore that commonly received distinction amongst
of Divines which were very great in those days Grynaeus a great Scholar when he came to die said O happy day when I may depart out of this troublesome and sinful world and to go to those blessed Souls before departed He writing to his friend Chytraeus said If we never see one another again in this world yet we shall meet in that place where Luther and Zuinglius agree very well together Mr. Bolton on his dying bâ—d said I am now drawing on apace to my dissolution Hold out faith and patience your work will quickly be attained That great Magazine of Learning Mr. John Selden when he came to die said That he accounted all his Learning nothing at all in comparison of Christ. Mr. Giles Workman a worthy Minister of the Gospel in Glocester shire a little before his death said That he had a little sincerity of heart and that was a comfort to him Mr. John Ferriby a Minister of the Gospel in Essex when he was dying said That he left his Wife and Children with God and his gracious promises Mr. Gifford a Minister in Northampton-shire said to his Children upon his Death-bed That if they feared God to which he earnestly exhorted them they should not want but if they did not fear God he wisht that they might want till they did fear him Mr. Samuel Hieron a rare Minister whose excellent writings praise him in the gate on his Death-bed said That the same God who took care for the Ravens and Sparrows would likewise take care for the young Hierons And so it came to pass for God stirred up the hearts of some charitably affected persons who carefully educated his Children and so those young Hierons were well provided for I shall conclude this head with the words of the Psalmist Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116. 15. Surely he shall not be moved for ever the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance Psal 112. 6. And I will only add words of Solomon Prov. 10. 9. The memory of the just is blessed CHAP. XV. Containing the Happiness of the Saints in Heaven or the inexpressible Consolations which the Godly even all sincere-hearted Persons enjoy in Heaven to all Eternity IN the third and last place let 's consider 3. The comforts of the godly afteâ— death Sect. 1. or rather admire at the happiness even the perfection of all comforts and happiness which the Saints shall enjoy after death in the highest Heavens to all eternity As for all those who lived in hypocrisie and dissimulation and lived without repentance and so died and as for all such who lived without God in the world having no fear of God before their eyes but have committed sin with greediness and have run into all excess of riot and so die in their unbelief and impenitency these are the Goats which shall stand on Christs left hand and against them he will pronounce that dreadful sentence of condemnation Matth 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But all upright and sincere-hearted Christians who are only Christs sheep they shall stand at Christs right hand and he will pronounce to them that comfortable soul-ravishing sentence of absolution Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world verse 34. However such who are Gods Jewels and precious in sight are vilisied and trampled on by the wicked of the world as if they were no better than the filth of 1 Cor. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world and the off-scouring of all thingsâ— yet at the general resurrection both of just and unjust there will be a resurrection of the names and of the causes of the righteous however in this world they have been traduced and scorned Then the meanest of glorified Saints whom this world thought they could not think bad enough shall have the preheminence and superiority above all the ungodly though they have been never so great in this present world for so saith the Psalmist Psal 49. 14. the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning From this Scripture it plainly appears that at the general resurrection the godly shall be known to the whole world to have dominion and Quamvis â—â—c demersis sit iâ— teâ—ebris mund is exâ—riâ—tur subito nâ—vaâ— manè quod faciem verae aeâ—etaae vâ—â—e â—obis restituet Calv. in Loc. preheminence above all the ungodâ—y men of this world And that all such who truly fear God though in this world they were in a poor and abject condition yet at that great day they shall be in a better condition every way rich and honourable and infinitely happier than any ungodly great and rich men can be in this present world Farther the godly in glory shall partake of nothing else but joy and happiness and the perfection of both but damned wretches shall be for ever debar'd from all manner of joy and partake of nothing else but hopeless sorrow and endless misery At the general Judgment when all without exception shall appear before the Judgment-seat 2 Cor. 5. 10. of Christ then there shall appear a great and wide difference between gâ—od and bad chaff and wheat sheep and goats that day will make a great and clear distinction Then all the Enemies of Christ and of his Church who rejoyced in persecuting Christ here on Earth in his Members would be glad to creep into holes if possible that they might hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb. Then they will wish that the mountains might fall upon them and that Rocks and Hills Dens or Caves might shelter and cover them from the face of the Lamb incensed against them Theâ— those bloudy Persecutors of Christ shall see him whom they have pierced zech 1â— 10. Judas who betrayed Christ with a hypocritical kiss Pilate who notwithstanding the reluctancy of his own conscience condemned Christ to please the people and released Barabb as an infamous Thief and Murtherer the Soldiers who crucified him and after they had first been his Executioners were his Executors to take his Garments All these and all other Enemies of Jesus Christ shall see him at that great Day to their terror and condemnation Those giddy-pated people who a little before cried to Christ Hosanna and afterwards cried Crucifie him Crucifie him shall appear before Christs Judgment-seat and then receive their sentence Those cursed Jews who wisht that the bloud of Christ might be upon them and their Children except such only who are washt in Christ's bloud shall to their dread and horror be condemn'd for embrewing their hands in the innocent bloud of Christ Sect. 2 At the day of Judgment all fals Judgments and unrighteous sentences past on earth shall be reverst Pontius Pilate who past an unjust judgment against Christ shall have a just judgment past upon him Luther used to say that At the day
a holy life you must get a clean heart v D. Manton in Lo. 2 Cor. 7. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In divino Cultu nihi mutiluÌ„ sed omnia absoluta esse decet Calv. Cleanse your hands ye Sinners and purify your hearts ye double minded Not only outward impurity of the Body but inward impurity of the Heart not only practical uncleanness but speculative uncleanness should be utterly abhorred and abandoned altogether For so runs the Charge of the Apostle Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God This then is an undoubted Conclusion consonant to the Rule of the word That where holiness is cordially embraced loved desired and delighted in and rightly priced in the Judgment and preferrd as the true Wisdome before Rubies and all manner of pretious Stones and where holiness is practiced in the life and Conversation questionless that heart is upright and sincere towards God notwithstanding many personal Infirmities which we grieve for and dislike of while we are in this Vale of misery CHAP. IIII. Of ingenuous Sorrow for Sin A Fourth Character of Sincerity is Ingenous Charact. 4. Ingenous sorrow for our Sias sorrow for all Sin This Epithete Ingenuous I therefore name because I would lay down hereby a discriminating note between that sorrow which is for the Sin and that which is onely for the punishment Sect. 1 That sorrow I call ingenuous which is for the Sin more then for the Punishment and this is a Filial kind of sorrow That I call servile and disingenous which is more for the Punishment then for the Sin A Child of God understands the nature of Sin as to it's filthiness guiltiness and punishment which is the consequent thereof and therefore he laies Sin to heart and is grieved and vexed at the very heart because God is thereby dishonoured and his holy Law is broken A Godly mourner mourns for Sin as it is Sin because of its filthiness and defilement and because it displeaseth the only Holy Lord God and is odious and abominable in his sight The Eye of every upright man affects his Heart and melts him into Tears of Godly sorrow and works an inward compunction and a heart breaking sorrow And this is that sorrow which is of the right stamp a genuine and ingenuous kind of sorrow And where ever this ingenuous sorrow is it may be fully evidenced by seven Apostolical characters mentioned by the Apostle For Behold saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7. 11. this self same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge Sect. 2 There is a very great difference between the mournings of Cain Pharaoh Ahab and Judas who only mourned and roared for the smart of punishment and the mournings of David Paul Peter and Mary Magdalen who mourned for their sins and therefore grieved because they displeased so good and gracious a Lord God For instance Pharaoh often cried out that the plagues inflicted on him and on his people might be taken away but what plagues did he mean I answer he meant only the plagues of Frogs Locusts Caterpillars c. Pharaoh had a plague incumbent on him worse than all those and that was the plague of a hard heart of this plague he makes not any mention at all A hard heart was his great sin and it was inflicted upon him as a very great judgment But David cries out against Psal 51. 4. himself for his sins and makes a particular acknowledgment Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight And he prayes Hide thy face Verse 9. from my sins and blot out all my transgressions Ahab was a meer stranger to the Grace of Humility and unacquainted with it altogether yet it 's said of him that he humbled himself and for his outward humiliation the judgment threatned was adjourned Seest thou how Ahab 1 Kings 21. 29. humbleth himself before me Because he humbleth himself before me I Poenitentia ductus sed quae non permansit Aliquid tamen de commeritâ poenâ ob hoc detractum est Grot. Exemplum bonitatis Dei quatenus Achab quantumvis hypocriticè poeâ—itentiam agenti poenas meritas differt Hinc colligi pot est Deum multo magis beneficum fore erga cos qui veram seriam poenitentiam egerint Piscat will not bring the evil in his dayes but in his sons dayes will I bring the evil upon his house Yet of Ahab it may be more properly said that he was rather humbled than humble for the fear and horror apprehended of those dreadful judgments which were to be poured down against himself and Jezebel his Wife and his Posterity extorted from him an outward humiliation which consisted in putting on Sackcloth in fasting and going softly and looking with a sorrowful and dejected countenance yet all this while he had not one dram of true godly sorrow and of true humility How sad must be the condition of many loose Professors now a-dayes who come short of such as Ahab was and how dreadful must their condition be who come short of those who come short of Heaven But St. Paul was a man of another spirit he was not only humbled but humble and had the gift and grace of true humility and he was a true Penitent a sincere Convert and a godly Mourner for sin and he was so low and debased in his own eyes as to account himself the chief of 1 Tim. 1. 15. sinners We read of Ahab's forwardness in offering himself a Voluntier and Slave to sin so that this foul Brand of Infamy is stampt upon him But there was none 1 Kings 21. 25. like unto Ahab which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord whom Jezebel his Wife stirred up Ahab was active and put himself forward to work all manner of mischief he precipitated himself without fear or wit into any desperate Adventure He stuck at nothing but ran on in a wild and mad career following all sorts of wickedness with a full bent propension and vergency of his soul and with delight and complacency driving a Trade for Sin and for the Devil We read of such who were almost starved for hunger that they flew upon the spoil And likewise 1 Sam. 14. 32. the Apostle stigmatizeth the vilest of sinners after this manner Who being past feeling have given themselves over Eph. 4. 19. unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Of this brand was Ahab But on the contrary St. Paul discovers a better spirit as appears by his protestation I delight in the Law of God after Rom. 7. 22. the inward man He was passive and with great grief and remorse of heart Tom. 7.
partem amici Cic. off lib. 1. these are so far below a Christian spirit as they come short of a moral Heathen For one of the best of Heathen Orators cites Plato and commends his saying We are not only born for our selves but our Country our Parents our Friends challenge a part of us And Sympathies and Antipathies are critical Dispensations and discriminate Friends from Enemies If then our Brethren be in adversity then we should mourn with them if they be in prosperity we should rejoyce with them Solomon tells us Eccles 3. 11. that God hath made every thing beautiful in his time also he hath set the world in their heart And that shews the beauty of Providence for God hath abundantly discovered his beautiful ordering of all the affairs of the World representing his infinite Wisdom and gracious Providence Now seasons of Providence are to be observed and we ought to act accordingly as the same Wise man exhorts Eccles 7. 14. In the day of prosperity be joyful but in the day of adversity consider God also hath set the one over against the other to the end that man should find nothing after him And as we ought to take notice of Providences in general so we should take notice of the particular conditions of others as considering that all things come by a Providence either permitting or approving No sin is approved of but altogether abhorred by Almighty God yet God permits that which he approves not of For the greatest of sins which the Jews committed in embrewing their hands in the blood of Christ came to pass by Divine permissive Providence as St. Peter spake Acts 2. 23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledg of God ye have taken and by wâ—cked hands have crucified and slain That which was an Act of the highest Malice in the Jews was an Act of great Providence in God Wherefore though we cannot though if we could we ought prevent and hinder the commission of sins in others yet be they never so bad we ought heartily to mourn for them So did Lot mourn for the abomination of the Sodomites though they were ripe for vengeance by reason of their exceeding great wickedness as if they had attained unto the highest degree of sinning yet Lot grieved and mourned for them who no way grieved nor mourned for themselves Of Lot's mourning for those wicked Sodomites St. Peter sets an especial remark 2 Pet. 2. 7. And delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked The word imports more then an ordinary sorrow and vexation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significas opprimi fatigari graâ—â—ter assligi Gerh. in Loc. for their wickedness for it signifies to be oppressed wearied and grievously afflicted And it 's further added For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds 2 Pet. 2. 8. And here is another word expressing a greater grief or vexation the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word implies a sifting and searching so in Aristophanes others note upon the word So that many have been question'd by such searching and torturing to force confession 2. The word signifieth to Vid. Rev. 14. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vex rack and torment and it expresseth the torments of Hell Lot was as it were upon the rack and for the time imagin'd himself to be so tormented in his Soul as if he was in Hell by seeing and hearing those abominations of the Sodomites And as Lot so the Prophet Jeremy was a true Mourner for the sins of others he wept abundantly for the dreadful judgments inflicted on the Israelites his Rhetorick is rais'd to a high pitch My bowels my bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my Soul the sound of the Trumpet the alarm of War Jer. 4. 19. And he strains himself to a higher piece of Rhetorick Jer. 9. 1. O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people But he not only weeps for the judgments but in an especial manner for their sins Jer. 13. 17. But if ye will not hear it my Soul shall weep in secret places for your pride By what hath been mention'd let 's utterly detest the careless heedless temper of Cain Gallio c. and let us look upon our selves concerned not only to mourn for and bewail our own sins but mourn for and bewail the sins of others also CHAP. VI. Shewing that all sincere-hearted Christians labour to approve their Hearts towards God Sect. 1 THE sixth Character of a sincere-hearted Charact. 6. A sincere heart approves it self Christian is to approve himself to God and to put himself in the integrity of his heart upon the test trial and examination of God himself who only knows the heart and alone can search it thorowly Thus David durst not stand upon his own searching but casts himself altogether upon God's search and trial Judg me saith he O Lord for I have walked in mine integrity I have trusted also in the Lord therefore I shall not slide Examine me O Lord and prove me try my reins and my heart Psal 26. 1 2. Likewise in another Psalm David puts himself upon a farther test and trial Psalm 139. 23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Job makes his appeals and applications unto God alone Behold saith he my witness is in Heaven and my record is on high Job 16. 19. Hence he discover'd a resolution truly heroical I will not remove my integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job 2â— 5 6. Variety of the foulest slanders are cast upon the people of God as Histories mention even such lies and calumnies were invented as bad as the Father of lies could invent Nero when Rome was burnt imputed the burning of it to the Christians and the Romish Gun-powder Traytors had their Treason took effect were resolved to have laid the whole Treason upon such whom they maliciously stigmatized with the nick-name of Puritans It 's an old Policy though there is not one dram of honesty in it of Machiavel To accuse Auducter criminare aliquid haerebit boldly and cast dirt enough hoping that some may stick on Yet notwithstanding all those whose hearts are sincere and upright towards God do raise to themselves a ground of strong consolation from the testimony of a good conscience that notwithstanding humane infirmities the whole frame vergency and resolution of their hearts is to walk in the fear of God all the day long The Apostle speaks in his own
we are more then conquerors through him that loved us CHAP. XIV Containing the Comforts which sincere-hearted Persons enjoy in their Deaths Sect. 1 HAving represented in the former Chapter the great comforts which such whose hearts are sincere with God receive in their lives in the second place I come to discover the comforts of them in their deaths Although by no means may we make a judgment of the course of the life by reason of some distempers and passions which oftentimes proceed from strength of Diseases yet usually we read of the deliberate composed and serious professions of many good Christians which they have made on the bed of languishing Solomon saith Prov. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death And hope grounded on Divine promises affords us superabundant consolation When the Prophet Isaiah was sent to Hezekiah to give him warning of his death which was suddenly approaching then Hezekiah recollects his serious thoughts and reflects upon his upright walking with God in his whole life and conversation the remembrance whereof administred ground of singular consolation unto his Soul The History is on record in holy Scripture 2 Kings 20. 1 2 3. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death and the Prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said unto him Set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live Then he turned his face unto the wall and prayed unto the Lord saying I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight Likewise St. Paul apprehending the time of his dissolution to draw near thus raiseth to himself a ground of strong consolation 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. For saith he I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them that love his appearing We commonly say That the house of Death is the house of Truth and where the senses are exercised and the memory and judgment are not extinct there will be plain dealing and there will be made plain discoveries As for such for them only I now mention whose hearts are upright with God the remembrance of the sincerity of their hearts next to the consolations of Gods spirit will revive their spirits on their beds of languishing Sect. 2 Let us consider before hand that we shall all die for Death is the common lot and portion of all mankind Heb. 9. 27. it is Gods appointment Would we not then be glad when we are cast upon our Death-beds to have something at that time â—o comfort us when we are leaving of these houses of Clay and unclothing of our selves of our mortal Bodies what is that which will be a ground of comfort to bear up our spirits Will thousands of Gold and Silver purchase the Favour of God can the greatest Mannors Lordships and Revenues of the World Can an Imperial Diadem bâ—ibâ— Death to stay a longer time Can all the Grandees and Potenâ—ates of this World should they all unite as one man avail any thing to make our peace with God No questionless For no great Personages nor great Riches can either dâ—â—â—â—er themselves or us from the stroke of Death nor pacifie their own nor our Consciences nor make any peace and reconciliation either for themselves or for us at that day Some in this World being arrested for Debt have made the Serjeant drunk and so have made an escape out of his hands But it is altogether impossible to deal so with the grim Serjeant Death none can escape Deaths dart wherever they run Death will strike them to the heart Now then when all the Gold and Silver which the Universe can afford when all the interest of Friends though great and potent cannot administer any comfort peace and satisfaction to us when we lie upon our Death-beds then Oh then is that necessary instant when the light of Gods gracious countenance shining upon us in the face of Christ can only revive our spirits and give us real and durable joy peace and comfort when all creature comforts are Physicians of Job 13. 4. no value empty Cyphers insufficient and unable to give us any satisfaction This then is that good which the Psalmist had experienced and prayed for it above all besides Psal 4. 6 7 8. There be many that say Who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time that their corn and wine increased I Aspice nos sereao vultu ostende te nobis favere recipe noâ— in gratiam consolare to laetifica no. tuâ praesâ—â—tiâ id non famus soliciti quid fiat in hoc mundo car impit per veniâ—at ad summas opeâ— ecclesia misere â—â—primatur Mollerus will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Hence it evidently appears that the only saving good consists in the light of Gods gracious countenance For this we must be earnest and indefatigable solicitors at the Throne of Grace However the men of the World may frown on us and the Riches of the World may forsake us yet if God smile on us and be reconciled to us in Christ he will never leave us nor forsake us no not when we are gray-headed and upon our beds of languishing and when our natural strength fails and our diseases do much afflict us and the pains thereof make us roar the reflection of our well-spent time in giving up our strength to the service of God and of improving of our health to glorifie God will be even our Death-beds singular ground of consolation even the reviving of the memory of such time strength and health so imployed in the service of God When the faithfulest of our Friends and such as are most willing to do us good are not able to help us at all when learned Physicians have given us over as altogether desperate and incurable and when the pains and pangs of a long wasting lingring and tormenting disease even a complication of diseases are inexpressible and our throats rattle and the abundance of Phlegm is ready to suffocate us and our eye-strings are ready to break and our eyes are dim and gastly and every breath we take though with much difficulty is like to be our last breathing Oh! then is the time that the testimony of a good conscience that as the Apostle professeth 2 Cor. 1. 12. in simplicity and in godly sincerity we had our conversation in this world will abundantly comfort us and the apprehension of the love of God in Christ will revive our fainting spirits and give
of Judgment John Huss and Jerome Luth. Loc. Com. of Prague shall appear to be good men when the Pope and his Cardinalls shall appear to be vile and wicked wretches St Bernard us'd to say That the Day will Veniet Veniet Dies quando male judicata rejudicabit Deuâ— Bern. come it will certainly come when God will judg over again all false judgment But as for all those whose hearts were upright with God whilst they liv'd in this world these after death are translated into an estate of glory and happiness and in the highest heavens receive consolations beyond all expression and a weight of glory beyond the capacity of any mortal man which Christ gives to all his Children who in their Pilgrimage on earth endeavoured with their whole heart and strength to serve the Lord in sincerity and in truth All those who were on earth Sincere-hearted and real Saints shall be acknowledged to be such by Christ himself at the Day of Judgment No sin no failing nor imperfection shall at all be layd to their Charge in that day for all failings and sins and all manner of imperfections shall be washt away in the bloud of Jesus Christ What ever good things the Saints have done on earth shall be all remembred and not any one thing forgotten at the day of judgment But whatever was bad and sinfull that they committed on earth shall not be layd to their Charge but shall be blotted out of the Book of Gods Remembrance and God will cast them into the depth of the sea O What a joyfull day and full of Comfort will the day of judgment be to all the Children of God! Then they shall lift up their heads with Comfort and behold him who is their Judg as their Redeemer Advocate Intercessor and Flder Brother and he will pronounce for them a sentence of Absolution At that day all glorified Saints shall have their bodily eyes irradiated with the splendor of glory and they shall be inabled to behold the Beatificall Vision and this is he Happiness of all Happiness and this only is their portion and appropriated to them alone who are pure in heart Thâ—y are blessed as our Saviour pronounceth them Who are pure in heart for they shall see God Then the Saints in glory shall sit in Judgment as Assessors with Christ and shall approve of the righteous sentence of Christ in Condemning their unrighteous Judges Then they shall see the Omniporent Eternal Jehovah the Beeing of all Beeings the first person in Trinity uncreated unbegotten and unproceeding Then they shall see Christ the Mediator of thâ— New Covenant their only Saviour and Redeemer uncreated but begotten and not proceeding who is the second Person in Trinity Then they shall see the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity neither created nor begotten but proceeding from both The Glorifyd Saints what they believed when they were militant on earth shall in heaven understand the great Mystery of the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity One glorified Saint shall know more then all the Learned men in the world I 'le conclude with this Doxology Now to the holy and blessed Trinity and one God in Vnity Father Son and Holy Ghost be ascribed all Honour and Glory Praise and Thanksgiving Dominion and Obedience henceforth and unto all Eternity Amen THE Contents of this Treatise CHAP. I. OF spiritual poverty p. 1. Sect. I. Spiritual poverty consists in emptying of the heart of what is self ibid. Sect II. Every humble spirited man is low vile and abject in his own eyes p. 3. Sect. III. One who is spiritually poor meditates frequently and seriously upon the promises and makes particular application of them p. 6. Sect. IV. One that is poor in spirit is weak fiâ—k and in a distressed condition as to his own apprehension and makes haste unto Christ for help p. 9. CHAP. II. Concerning the highest prizing and valuing of Jesus Christ p. 11. Sect. I. It 's an infallible sign of a true Believer to value and prefer Christ before all the riches of the world p. 11. Sect. II. Of ardâ—ney and strength of affection to Jesus Christ p. 14. CHAP. III. Of a heart in love with holiness evidenced in â— holy life and conversation p. 16. Sect. I. Every true Believer loves holiness for it self because it is the image of God ibid. Sect. II. Where holiness is in the heart it is fruitful in the life p. 19. CHAP. IV. Of ingenuous sorrow for sin p. 24. Sect. I. Ingenuous sorrow is more for the sin than the punishment ibid. Sect. II. There is a great difference between the mournings of Cain Ahab Judas c. and the mournings of David Paul Peter c. p. 25. Sect. III. There 's a great difference between the mourning of slaves and mourning of children p. 30. CHAP. V. Of sorrowing and mourning for others sins p. 33. Sect. I. A godly mourner mourns for others sins ibid. Sect. II. We must be affected with and afflicted for the sins of others remembring that we are men of like passions p. 37. CHAP. VI. Of approving our hearts unto God p. 42. Sect. I. A sincere-heâ—rted Christian labours to aprove his heart to God and put himself upon God's trial ibid. Sect. II. Though we are subject to many infirmities we must groan under the burthen of them p. 44. CHAP. VII Of pressing forward towards perfection p. 49. Sect. I. It 's an Apostolical character and Apostolical practice to press forward towards perfection ibid. Sect. II. Instances in particulars whether we press forward towards perfection p. 52. CHAP. VIII Of a strict watch set upon the heart against bosome sins p. 55. Sect. I. A sincere heart endeavors to keep it self from every beloved sin ibid. Sect. II. No sin so little but deserves damnation p. 59. Sect. III. An illustration by similitudes p. 61. CHAP. IX An endeavor against every sin and for the practice of every duty p. 65. Sect. I. The desire and endeavor must be against every sin ibid. Sect. II. The endeavor must be to obey all commands and practice all duties p. 69. CHAP. X. Of a heart without guile p. 73. Sect. I. The heart must be without guile ibid. Sect. II. Every person that is upright is compounded of three words viz. simplicity singleness and sincerity p. 74. CHAP. XI Of mortification of the deeds of the body p. 80. Sect. I. The deeds of the body i. e. all lusts ought to be mortified ibid. Sect. II. Questions propounded and answered p. 83. CHAP. XII Vivisication of the fruits of the Spirit p. 91. Sect. I. Beside mortification of the deeds of the body there must be a vivification of the fruits of the Spirit ibid. Sect. II. How this is to be discerned p. 93. CHAP. XIII Containing the comforts of sincere Christians p. 95. Sect I. Sincere Christians have comforts in their lives ibid. Sect. II. Sincere Christians are sensible of their sins and mourn for them p. 98. CHAP. XIV Sincere-hearted Christians have comforts in their deaths p. 102. Sect. I. The comfortable deaths of such as are sincere p. 102 Sect. II. We ought to prepare for deatâ— p. 10â— Sect. III. The â—ying speeches of Saints p. 109 CHAP. XII Containing the happiness of the Saints iâ— Heaven p. 115 Sect. I. The Saints in Heaven receive per fection of happiness ibid Sect. II. At the day of Judgment all falâ— judgments shall be reverst p. 118 FINIS