for communion with a Church are fit for heaven and therefore the question may be true Who shall dwell in thy holy hill who shall be partakers of these things Blessed are they that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God But who are they It is necessary you should labor to make this sure because it is a matter so great and so glorious and not to lay the weight of that which is of infinite consequence upon poor weak slight and sandy foundations certainly we do not know what the grace of God towards mankinde is if we content our selves with slight hopes but if God hath enlightned your souls to know the reality and glory of them they wil never be at rest till you have got certain and infallible grounds for them In things of small consequence we are content with slight evidences but if a man have to deal in any business upon which his whole estate depends he would not have any man think it ill if he does make sure if he will have bonds and seals so we should make sure of heaven and of glory because it is such a great matter Some I suppose that meerly upon the hearing of the greatness of these things cannot but have some misgiving thoughts If these things be so great surely they concern not me they belong not to me Can I think in my conscience that I am that man or woman that God should have such great thoughts upon and should look upon me so as to make it the greatest design that he hath to glorifie the riches of his mercy upon me What work of Gods grace have I ever had upon me I would not have those that are affected with the greatness of Gods grace to mankinde think that these things do not belong to them because they are great But those that never had their hearts affected with the excellency and glory of Gods grace toward man when they hear of the greatness and glory of those things that are reserved for the Saints they may justly have their consciences misgive them and think surely they do not belong to them Canst thou that art a base drunkard that prizest nothing but a little drink and some outward things think that God should make it the greatest work that he hath in the world for to communicate the riches of his grace and goodness unto thee The greatness of these things may be enough to cast thee off As it is with a Beggar a Beggar comes and asks an alms if a man put his hand in his pocket and take out a peny or two pence he hath hope to have that but if he take out a piece of gold he hath no hope of that because it is so much So when men have but natural thoughts of heaven and happiness hereafter you think you might have that but when you come to have heaven opened to you and you see it is such a great and glorious thing your hearts may justly think it is not for us Cast a bone to a Dog he falls to it presently but set a joynt of meat before him well drest in a large dish and he goes away he dares not venture upon that So for these things in the world the ordinary favors of God these bones that God casts to Dogs you may fall upon them and think these are for you but when you come to the dainties and infinite treasures of God can such a swinish heart such a base filthy unclean spirit as yours is that never minded nothing but the satisfying of your base lusts think that these are for you you cannot but have misgiving thoughts and think either these things are but notions or else I have no part in them CHAP. LV. To whom the Recompence of reward appertains BUt how may any know that they shall have this glorious reward Carnal and sensual hearts because they have no principles of Gods grace to shew them the great things of God and the minde of God they think no man can know we must have hopes and hope well but who can know what God hath in heaven for us Those that are acquainted with the mysteries of God in the Gospel they know what Gods minde hath been from all eternity concerning them and what God will do for them to all eternity How do they know First would you know whether you shall have this Recompence of reward Have you made Moses Choice Certainly those that have made Moses Choice shall have Moses Reward What Moses Choice was you have heard Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Moses might have had honor and esteem enough in Egypt but he accounted afflictions with the people of God in Gods ways a great deal better He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then all so I may have Christ and communion with his people let me be reproached and contemned and despised I care not Now do you finde this Though there was a time my heart was taken with the glittering shews of things here and I saw no excellency in the ways of God they were but notions to me at length God wrought mightily upon my soul and shewed me the vanity of all things that I accounted for glorious things and shewed me a beauty in Gods people and began to knit my heart to them so as I was willing to part with any thing to have communion with them and to venture all upon the bare word and promise of God for those glorious things that are revealed in it and this choice I have made and my soul is setled in it whatsoever befals me in this world hath there been such a work upon your souls that you have made Moses Choice then you shall have Moses Reward Secondly are you begotten unto the hope of these glorious things Whosoever shall be partaker of this glorious reward must be one that is born to it There are some dignities in the world that are got no way except they be born to them so if you have this reward you must be born to it 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us unto a lively hope Whosoever hath the true hope of Heaven it is one that is begotten to it that is There must be a mighty work of God upon your hearts a new birth a regeneration in you otherwise there is nothing you have done or can do that can get this reward In Mat. 19. 28. says Christ unto his Disciples after Peter had spoken what they had left for him Ye that have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel As if Christ should say Peter you have forsaken all and followed me but know the bare forsaking is not enough but you who
here is an exhortation and in the name of God a charge upon every soul that does expect to have the portion of it in these great things that they would walk worthy of God who hath called them unto his kingdom and glory it is a great charge to walk worthy of God but to walk worthy of God who hath called us to his kingdom and glory this is great but the life of a Christian must be thus Now consider what life have I Is my life such as may be said to be worthy of God and that God that hath called me unto his kingdom and glory Surely great things must be in the lives of Gods people people talk much of strictness and preciseness that they may be too precise what do you think must this life be that must be worthy of God who hath called us to his kingdom and glory It must not be a dead-hearted life go on with a holy and heavenly chearfulness and courage in Gods ways It becomes the children of the Bride-chamber to be joyful see that in any case you rejoyce before the Lord comfort your selves and one another by these sayings We belye the truth of God if we do not walk joyfully Rejoyce in this that your names are written in the Book of life says Christ they rejoyced that the Devils fell down before them If there were any thing in the world to be rejoyced in one would think they might rejoyce in that but Christ would not have them rejoyce in that in comparison of this Caesar when he was sad he said to himself Think thou art Caesar that that might take away his sadness and so say I to a Christian Think of your Crown and glory let your lives be such as may make it appear you have your portion in these things I may say to some as Jonadab said to Amnon Why art thou lean from day to day being the Kings Son So may I say to every childe of God Why is thy heart so troubled and Why walkest thou so dumpishly in the ways of God being the King of Heavens Son Possibilities of heaven is enough to take away the sting of afflictions but having comfortable hope of these things this should take away even the sense of them at least so far as that they be no way disturbing to us Seneca says That vertue does not consider what it suffers but whither it tends It beseems them well enough but not you it beseems Swine to follow the trough but not the heirs of a Kingdom Plutarch tells of Themistocles that he accounted it not to stand with his state to stoop down to take up the spoyls the enemy had scattered in flight but says to one of his followers You may for you are not Themistocles Thus may it be said to worldly spirits You may be greedy of these things for here is your portion your names are written in the earth you are not the heirs of the kingdom Secondly walk above the world above all things that are here below take heed of ensnarling your hearts of too much mixing your selves with them There is a generation whose names are written in the earth Ier. 17. 13. and it beseems them to look after the things of the earth because their portion is there it is their All but Gods people have their names written in heaven and therefore they should not regard the things below as they do Whosoever was free of the city of Rome might not accept of any other freedom in any other city they counted it a dishonor to the freedom of Rome to take freedom any where else So those that are free of the kingdom of Heaven should not seek to be free here but they should be satisfied with a mean condition here and take heed they do not entangle themselves too much in the things below Besides those that have hopes of Heaven they should labor to have their lives like to Heaven It is that we pray for that the will of God may be done in earth as it is done in heaven How is it done in heaven The Saints and Angels there do it fervently universally readily constantly and therefore the Angels are called by the name of Seraphims it notes burning because they burn with zeal for God labor to conform your life to the life of Heaven Again labor to be much trading for heaven in this world let there be much intercourse between you and Heaven let your conversation be in heaven Phil. 3. 20. If a man intend to live in another Countrey he will have much traffique in that Countrey before he goes and if we believe we shall come to Heaven let there be much trading that way Our conversations should be so in Heaven as all the mercies we enjoy here should raise our hearts to heaven We read Exod. 25. that upon the Table of Shew-bread there was set a crown of gold In those provisions that we have here for souls and bodies our hearts must be raised to that Crown of glory reserved for us for the Shew-bread set before the Lord was to signifie Gods provision for us and the dedication of our bread of all our provision to God Again let us labor to encrease heaven in our hearts and to bring as much of heaven into them as possibly we can And keep your selves in a continual readiness whensoever God shall call you to such a glorious recompence of reward as this is It is said of Daniel though he was in Babylon he opened his windows towards Jerusalem he kept his heart in a readiness to go So you should do keep your hearts in a heavenly frame ready for heaven waiting upon the Bridegroom with your lamps burning that when he comes you may open immediately to him There is a difference between a wife that hath been faithful to her husband and waits for his coming home and another that hath been unfaithful to her husband and hath other lovers in the house when her husband knocks if her husband knocks she doth not go immediately but there is shuffling up and down and she delays the time till she have got the other out of the house but a faithful wife she immediately opens it is true though the wife be not unfaithful yet if the house be not handsom and things be not prepared she is loth to open So Christians they have been dallying with their lusts and their hearts are out of frame and they are loth to open to Christ but we should keep our hearts in such a readiness as immediately to open to Christ and to be willing to dye And when we dye to dye as heirs of such things not to respect things below house or lands or any thing here We read of Pope Adrian when he was to dye he laments his condition because he was to leave all his delights and pompous vanities and cryes out O my soul whither goest thou thou shalt never be merry more he was
the life of Camillus of the Gauls that after they had once a taste of the sweet wine of the grapes that grew in Italy they inquired in what Countrey such sweet wine was and after they understood where the grape of that wine grew they would never be at rest till they got to that Countrey where such sweet and pleasant things grew I have endeavored in the opening of this point to bring unto you some of the Clusters of Canaan and some of that wine which is to be drunk in the Kingdom of Heaven now if you account it to be sweet and good let not your hearts be at rest till you come at that Countrey till you come to enjoy the sweet and good of that Countrey It is reported of one Adrianus who seeing the Martyrs suffer such grievous things in the cause of Christ he asked what was that which caused them to suffer such things and one of them named that Text Eye hath not seen nor ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what is laid up for those that love God and the naming of that Text converted him and had such an effect as made him to profess Religion and so to profess it as to be a Martyr for it You have not onely one Text named but many have been used about this argument let not all be in vain We read in Mark 10. 17. of a yong man that came running and kneeled before Christ and asked him Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life O that God would move the hearts now of some yong ones that hearing what eternal life means they may now come running to get part in it that that activity and vigor of their youth may be exercised and spent about this What may I do that I likewise may be partaker of eternal life and of these glorious and blessed truths that are here revealed You that are in a poor condition in the world that have little here here are great things for your hearts to make after here are glorious things that are as obvious for you ac for the greatest in the world you cannot expect to have great matters in the earth but here you may expect to have great matters You that are old likewise though you have not been acquainted with the excellency of the Kingdom of God now bless God that you may yet further know more concerning it If a man come to know more of an inheritance that did befal him or of any outward gain then before he is glad that he lived to that time so bless God that you may know yet more concerning eternal life before this life be at an end What is it that your hearts are set upon There are none but their hearts are set upon some good that they apprehend to be good Now what is that good Certainly there is an eminency of all good contained in this It was a charge of God unto Baruch that we read of in Jer. 45. ult Seekest thou great things for thy self Seek them not for I will bring evil upon all flesh and that which I have planted I will pluck up The argument runs thus Seekest thou great things for thy self in any outward matter do not seek them for I am about to bring evil upon my people the time of publique calamity is coming and doest thou seek great things for thy self But when we are about this argument the glory of the Kingdom of God Doest thou seek great things for thy self We cannot say Seek them not God would have his people seek glorious things for themselves seek them to the utmost that possibly you can So follow these things as not to be satisfied with any thing under these God would have his servants to be of such spirits as though content with the least mercies they do enjoy to acknowledge themselves unworthy of them yet not to be satisfied with the greatest things in the world for their portion What will a reprobates portion serve you Certainly the glory of the world if you had it all it were but the portion of a reprobate What will a Dogs portion satisfie you All the things of the world are but Dogs meat so the Apostle calls them in Phil. 3. I account all things in the world as dross and dung or dogs meat and will this satisfie you Is there nothing else for you to seek after First seek the Kingdom of God says Christ and the righteousness of it let that be your first endeavor Strive to enter into the strait gate though it be never so strait yet if it be the way unto life and unto these things strive to enter We have not spoken more then that is real It is a saying of one Neither Christ nor Heaven can be hyperbolized that is there cannot be more said of the excellency of Christ and of Heaven then it is in its self and therefore do not think any thing that hath been spoken is an hyperbole but a real expression of some little glimpse of the glory of the recompence of reward It may be some of your hearts when you hear much of the wrath of God against sin and the dreadfulness of Gods displeasure your hearts are ready to rise and belk and these are hard things and hard sayings and who can bear them but now you have not heard so much concerning that but you have heard of the goodness of God and of the glory of God and of the riches of the grace of God and of the wonderful thoughts that God hath for the everlasting good of mankinde how do your hearts work now Shall your hearts stir when you hear Gods wrath and when you hear of Gods grace shall not your hearts stir then If God does intend good to any soul he will cause that soul to see into the reality and excellency of these things and that all things should be neglected in comparison in seeking after these Consider that God hath given unto you natures capable of these glorious things God might have made you worms or bruit beasts and there would have been an end of you presently you had not been any way capable of these things but God hath made you of such a nature such creatures as ye are capable of the highest excellency that ever any creature that God made was capable of and therefore being of such a nature of such a large extent it concerns you to seek after those things which might fill it they are not little things that can fill large capacities now mans nature an immortal soul is of a large capacity and when the time shall come that God shall discover to any soul what it was capable of how infinitely will it be confounded in it self when it shall know what poor things it sought after and minded Men live here in the world as though they were capable of no other happiness but meat and drink and clothes and
blasphemed it is no time to fear but to cry out yea he professes that he had rather be accounted any thing then to be accused of wicked silence in Gods cause Let me be reputed proud covetous an adulterer a murtherer an enemy to the Pope guilty of all kinde of vices so I be not found guilty of wicked silence when the Lord Christ suffers In Eusebius his History l. 5. c. 3. we finde a Letter that the Christians of Vienna and Lyons in France sent to their brethren in Asia and Phrygia in which they tell of a notable example of a brave Noble man Vetius Epagathus appearing in the cause of the Christians not being able to bear their unjust dealings against them when he heard those vile accusations against them and condemnations of them he desired that he might be heard to plead for the brethren but those at the Tribunal being utterly against it because he was a Noble man the President would not admit of his petition but onely asked him if he were a Christian he professed aloud that he was and so was taken amongst the number of Martyrs and called the Advocate of Christians Secondly appear for them by visiting them in their troubles that is a special duty that Christ looks for and will examine at the great Day whether it hath been performed be not shy of this lest you should be suspected to be one of them Chrysostom in an Oration upon the praise of two Martyrs says of Christians that they would not be kept from visiting the Confessors in Prison although it was forbidden with many threatnings terrors and it was great danger to them Thirdly we must be ready and willing to entertain such as suffer Fourthly we must use all the interest we have in any friends improve all opportunities for the relief of such as suffer Theodoret tells a famous story of one Terentius a Captain in the Emperor Valens his Army who returning from Armenia with a great Victory the Emperor bade him ask what reward he would he onely asked as a recompence of all his Service that there might be granted a Church to the Orthodox in Antioch that they might freely meet in publique this he knew could not but be exceeding displeasing to Valens the Emperor because he was an Arrian and so it proved for the Emperor tore his Petition and bade him ask something else but Terentius gathered up the torn pieces of the Paper and said This I ask as a reward of my Service and I will ask nothing else How few wil now improve such interest in great ones such opportunities for the relieving the persecuted Servants of God Fifthly we must improve all our gifts parts abilities for them in pleading for them Thus in the Primitive times God stirred up many of great learning of excellent parts to plead for the persecuted Christians who did much service this way as Justin Martyr in his Apologies and Tertullian and one Aristides an Athenian Phylosopher a man admirably learned and eloquent because the Emperor then was much delighted in learning he made use of his eloquence and learning for Christ and his Saints making eloquent Orations before the Emperor for them and another Quadratus Atheniensis when Adrian came to Athens he presented a Book to him pleading for Christian Religion God blessed the endeavors of these much for the mollifying the Emperors heart towards the Christians Sixthly we must be willing to suffer with them we must be willing to lay down our lives for the brethren much more suffer with the brethren we must be willing to have fellowship with them not onely in their priviledges but in their sufferings Rev. 1. 9. I John who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ many are willing to be brethren and companions in the kingdom but not in tribulation and in the patience of Jesus Christ Heb. 10. 33. it was the commendations of those Christians mentioned there that they were companions of those that were ill used for the cause of Christ Wherefore for application let us know our duty and shew our selves more ready and forward to joyn with and shew our selves to the servants of God in their persecuted estate in the times of their prosperity there is not so much need we should manifest our selves to be for them this is the time wherein we are called especially to manifest our love to them our siding with them The greater their affliction is the more we must appear for them When the people of God were in a comfortable estate in Egypt as they were in Josephs time Joseph did not leave the Court to joyn with them but when they were in an afflicted estate as in Moses his time Moses left all to joyn with them here you have a tryal upon what side you will be now you have an opportunity to witness for God Those words Hosea 11. 12. Judah ruleth with God the old Latine hath it Testis descendit cum Deo He descends a witness with God and so the words will bear if the pricks be altered which may be being according to the opinion of many put in in latter times Ribera maintains this reading and hath two good notes upon it First Others leave the true worship of God but Iudah continues and so witnesses to his truth Secondly He descends he is content to be in a lower condition though he be fewer and not so flourishing as Israel yet if he may be Gods witness he is content Thus should we be willing to descend to witness for the truth to leave the flourishing people of the world and to joyn with the lowest and meanest Ordinarily men deal with the suffering servants of God as Demas dealt with St. Paul they forsake him embracing this present world but if you finde any inclination of heart that way conceive as if Christ were now speaking to you Will you also forsake me Take heed of flattering your selves of putting off this duty with any vain pleas or pretences or excuses God sees what lies at the bottom We read Iudg. 5. divers of the Tribes are blamed for not coming in to help to joyn with Barak and Deborah and in their rebuke their excuses are mentioned as some were to follow their business at sea they could not come and especially Asher he was to stand in his own breaches to defend himself ver 17. Reuben must follow his business and look to his sheep he could not come ver 16. yet these are rebuked but Zebulon and Nepthali are commended for a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death they are honored for this The people of God were now in a low condition in great affliction and no excuse could serve turn for their not joyning with their brethren whatsoever necessities inabilities we may pretend that keep us from appearing in the behalf of and joyning with Gods people in their afflicted estate
leaves us in the using Seneca says We live amongst things that are perishing We hear much of the vanity of the creature and we can speak much of it but how is it improved how if you perish eternally for setting your hearts upon these things and notwithstanding all your talk this dreadful noise shall be heard from you We have lost eternity for setting our hearts upon things that were for a season It is a notable speech that Ambrose hath Why will you make that which cannot be eternal for use eternal for punishment It is fading in regard of the use but it proves to be eternal in regard of the punishment Therefore when any temptation comes to draw your hearts to any thing that gives content to the flesh for a season O that you might improve this Argument to resist the temptation What shall I while away that time I have to improve for eternity to seek after you and take content and pleasure in you you are not onely temporal your selves but you do hazard the loss of eternal things and hazard the bringing of eternal evils And therefore do not think it much that I press this argument because it is ordinary all that perish perish because they set their hearts upon that which is for a season and therefore though the knowledge of this in some general notion be ordinary yet the truth is to know it powerfully indeed and effectually it is a riddle to the world It is a notable place we have in Psalm 49. 3 4. The whole scope of the Psalm is to shew the happy secure estate of the godly in all troubles and the vanishing condition of all ungodly in prosperity now mark how he calls to us in the beginning of this Psalm to hearken to this argument We might say this is an argument we have heard a hundred times and know what it is Why should we hearken so Though you think this is an ordinary Theam yet this is the great wisdom and understanding of a gracious heart to know this is the dark saying that I will open so says the Psalmist My mouth shall speak of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding I will open my dark saying So when you hear us speaking of this argument you say This is an ordinary argument but the true knowledge of it is a dark hidden thing to the men of the world and it is the work of the Spirit of God to make men know this truly and when God works any saving work upon the soul he begins in this way to settle upon the soul this truth That all the things that it hath satisfied it self in are fading and what is a year or two to enjoy all the contentments my heart can desire if then I must be gone and bid farewel to all have not I an immortal soul and when shall be the time that I shall provide for eternity And therefore I beseech you look into this argument and ponder it a little more There are three worms that are in every thing of the world to eat out the strength of it and make it fading First the worm that is bred in the natural principles the things that we set our hearts upon are made of fading principles Secondly there is the worm of the general curse that is come upon them by mans sin Thirdly there is another worm and that is the particular curse that we bring upon the creatures by our own proper sins as especially when we set our hearts upon any fading transitory things below all things in the world are subject to vanity by the general curse but the particular curse makes them more vain and shall we think to satisfie our selves in the things of the world that have these three worms feeding upon them continually to eat out the strength of them What are your hearts upon I urge it upon you as in the name of God and answer in your secret thoughts What are your hearts upon either upon things that are for a season or eternal Things that are eternal you look upon them as high notional things that never took up your thoughts much but to go into company and eat and drink and laugh and get money these are the things that are but for a season and these your hearts close with and bless themselves in What are become of all those that have had as great dealings and as many merry meetings as you and have satisfied the flesh as much as you they are gone rotten in their graves and their souls it may be crying under the wrath of an infinite God and all their bravery and delight at an end would you be in their condition It is a good observation of Abulensis to shew to us the vanity of all worldly excellency that those who have been the most glorious in what man accounts glorious and excellent have had inglorious ends by which their glory hath been stained and thereby our hearts might be taken off from such things and set upon those things which are so glorious as they will make us for ever glorious He instances in Sampson for strength and yet what a contemptible end had he So Absolom for beauty Achitophel for policy Asael for swiftness Alexander for great conquests and yet after twelve years poysoned He instances likewise in Kingdoms the Chaldaean Persian Graecian Roman how soon were they gone It is a notable speech Augustine hath Go says he and mark and attend the Sepulchres of rich men and when you see their rotten bones consider who they once were and know they do cry unto you O you men why do you seek so much to satisfie your selves in these fading things and heap upon your selves vexation to attain happiness for your selves in these things Consider our bones here and be struck with astonishment to abhor your luxury and covetousness for says he they cry thus to you You now are and we were and time will be when you shall be what we are And then consider with your selves what a doleful condition that man is in that hath set his heart upon things that are for a season When those are at an end he may say Now the thoughts of my heart and all my hopes are at an end now I must bid an eternal farewel to all my comforts to husband and wife and neighbors and friends and companions I shall never meet with you more and never have mirth and jollity and sporting and gaming any more but I must bid farewel to all the Sun is set and the season is at an end for all my comfort and before me I see an infinite vast Ocean and I must lanch into it Lord what provision have I for it What a dreadful shreek will that soul give that sees an infinite Ocean it must lanch into and sees no provision that it hath made for it Indeed those that dye and are besotted and know nothing of this infinite Ocean that they must lanch into
nothing that must needs have a great deal of power to enable the heart to part with any thing in the world in the cause of God those who by the eye of faith are able to behold the reality and certainty of those glorious things they look upon all things below as poor mean slight contemptible things As we know the glory of the light of the Sun darkens the glory of the light of a candle the light of a candle is comfortable in the night in the dark but when the light of the Sun riseth that is nothing So long as the men of the world are in darkness the light and comfort of the creature is a great matter to them but when God lets the glory of the things of his Kingdom appear to them then the comfort of the creature is nothing A Glow-worm glisters in the dark but when the day comes the brightness and the glistering of the Glow-worm is not seen so all the brightness and glistering of the creature that takes the hearts of men is gone when God lifts up his light upon them and shews them the greatness of his Kingdom And the reason why people are so hardly brought to suffer any thing for God is because they have such high esteem of these things that which a man hath high esteem of he is loth to part withal but when a mans heart is taken from them as there is no longer a high esteem of them he is willing to part with them As Saint Paul said I am ready not to be bound onely but also to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus his life was not dear to him he accounted it not worth the least degree of glory to God A gracious heart as it accounts nothing low in any duty that tends to this glorious reward so it accounts nothing high to part with for the recompence of reward It is a notable passage we have of Joseph to his Father Jacob Gen. 45. 20. Regard not your stuff for the good of all the Land of Egypt is yours It may be Joseph thought his Father Jacob might think I have many Goods here and what shall I leave all that I have here to go to Egypt into a strange countrey he might think this might be some let to his Father but Ioseph calls it all stuff you have a deal of stuff and lumber but let it not grieve you to leave your stuff and lumber all the good of the Land of Egypt is yours So God says to a gracious heart when it looks upon any thing it should part withal and it is loth to part with it says God Regard not your stuff and lumber you have here for not the good of all the Land of Egypt is yours but all the good that is in Heaven is yours and the good that is in the God of Heaven and the good that is in Christ is all yours That soul that understands the glory of Heaven and the Interest that it hath in it shall hear a voyce tell it That all the good in Heaven and in God and in Christ is its own and therefore he will not regard any thing here if we knew no better things then these we would be loth to part with them if we had never seen the light of the Sun we would have accounted the Moon a glorious creature and as a mighty Ornament to Heaven and to the world but when we come to see the glory of the Sun that is nothing to us in comparison Children that are born in a dungeon and know no better things would be loth to part with that they have there but when they come to know what is in the world then all they had before is nothing to them greater glory diminisheth that which is less So that we may apply that the Apostle speaks concerning the comparison of the Gospel with the Law to this we are speaking of 2 Cor. 3. 10. That which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth though there was some glory in the administration of the Law yet it is no glory in comparison of that which excelleth So though there may be glory in the outward comforts of the world yet there is no glory in comparison of that glory which excelleth in comparison of that glory which hath been opened and that is the first thing Secondly as the glory of the world is darkned by having respect to this glorious recompence of reward so all the evils of the world are wonderfully lessened You know what the Apostle says in Rom. 8. 18. That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us As we use to say It is not to be named the same day not to be reckoned with the glory that shall be revealed in us A Father upon that place hath a notable gloss says he Sufferings are not to be compared looked upon in respect first of the punishment that we have deserved which is passed by and pardoned and then not to be compared and reckoned with the present grace and comfort that Gods people have here But then much less is to be compared and reckoned with the weight of glory that is to come that is promised to us And so in 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. While we look at things that are eternal not temporal this light affliction all is but light and nothing in comparison What is it for one to have a rainy day who is going to take possession of a Crown there is no man would be much sensible of a little cold in his head if it were uncovered a while to have a Crown of gold put on I have read of a foolish woman that was afraid her Son should get cold by putting off his night-cap to have a Crown set upon his head but no wise man would much consider the cold he should get in his head upon that ground Great things swallow up small things and great joys will swallow up small evils there is no comparison between the evil we suffer here and the glory that is to come What is a drop of vinegar put into an Ocean of sweet wine it is not so much as taken notice of here when a man receives a great good he is not affected with lesser evils As for example in Saul when Saul had the Kingdom some did despise him 1 Samuel 10. 27. but Saul held his peace he was not troubled at that though he was a man afterward froward enough he thought this good of the Kingdom is enough to take away the apprehension of any evil in being despised what though a company of poor people despise me and speak against me when as I have the Kingdom and am anointed of God and have this dignity put upon me A man that knows any thing of his own worth and that God hath bestowed much upon him this takes off any other evil that
all I must have my sin Though you do not say so directly yet if after you have heard all this you go on in a sinful way you do in effect say so for the Scripture says Know you not that no drunkard nor whoremonger nor covetous nor unclean person nor extortioner and the like shall enter into the Kingdom of God You know this it is not possible that any should be so ignorant but he knows such shall never enter into the Kingdom of God you going on then in such a way you do as it were say Farewel God and heaven and farewel all that Christ hath purchased by his blood rather then I will lose my sin How will this confound you another day how will conscience accuse you when it shall tell you what you have heard and what you might have had and you have lost all for your lust God shall say I revealed to you what my ways and counsels were concerning man that this was the great work and design that I intended to make wretched man happy to bring vile dust into glory and was that my great master-piece that I intended nothing in your eyes but must it be despised for the satisfying of your lusts Christ shall plead against you Was I content to leave the bosom of my Father and to be in the form of a servant and to be made a curse to lose my precious blood my life to purchase glory for man and must this be slighted for your base lusts How will the Spirit of God plead against you What was not I in the mouth of my Ministers to reveal these glorious things and deep things of God that now in the Gospel are made known and must all that work of mine be neglected and slighted for your base lusts Yea how may all the creatures in the earth come to plead against you Lord thou didst not make us capable of any such happiness as thou didst the children of men and yet we did honor and serve thee in our order but thou madest this creature capable of eternal happiness and yet all is despised for the satisfying of their base lusts Yea how may the Devils come and plead against thee Lord when we were once fallen thou wouldst never enter into covenant with us to give us any hope of any mercy at all much less hope to receive any such great things there was hope for these wretched creatures to be eternally happy and yet they neglected all for their lusts therefore shal their punishment be no more then ours shall their fire be no hotter then ours These things that I have delivered though they be comfortable to the people of God they will be terrible things to the wicked and will be a dreadful aggravation to sin as Heb. 10. 29. Of how much sorer punishment do you think those worthy of that in neglect of these things do even tread under foot the blood of the Son of God as cap. 2 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation If the salvation that we speak of were not great salvation it would not deserve such great punishment for the neglect of it See how great the mercy of God is in revealing such great salvation so great shall the punishment be of those that neglect such great salvation We use to say to some that will be bold to venture upon such ways as others will not They may say and do what they will they have nothing to lose but if a man have any thing to lose he is more wary it is true if we had nothing to lose it were not so much for us to go on boldly and carelesly in our way but know we are capable of abundance of glory that we are in danger to lose if we go on carelesly Consider what you are like to lose and let that raise your heart against the ways of sin nothing can make it up For one to do any thing that shall prejudice the right to a Crown this is counted a great offence and is not past by without blood Sin seeks to deprive us of a Crown of Heaven of immortality O the mischief that is in sin let our hearts rise against it with hatred to death when any temptation comes let us use this argument as a help to answer temptation O in this temptation there is that will deprive me of all my hope of heaven of glory and of my crown and of all my good if I take not heed and therefore now shal I sin will any sin do you that good as will countervail the cutting you off the hope of all this glory will it make you amends for this evil If a man might have a whole world given him for to lose his eyes no wise man would lose the benefit of his fight for the whole world wilt thou venture the loss of the sight of God and of Christ and of all communion to be had with them for a lust and for a base pleasure what worth is in it to make thee so venturous When a temptation to sin comes make use of this argument as Saul did to his men What can the son of Jesse give you vineyards and oliveyards So you may say to every temptation to the ways of sin What can my sin give me Heaven and glory and immortality can my sin reward me as God will reward me if I walk in his way If a Chapman should come to you who are Merchants and offer you for a commodity twenty times less then it is worth your hearts will rise against him in disdain and contempt of him Now when sin comes to offer any pleasure or content to the flesh let your hearts rise in disdain against it it offers you infinitely to your loss base momentary pleasure for Heaven and all the glory that hath been opened to you As one said when a Harlot askt a great price for pleasure with her one night I will not buy repentance at such a rate And so when sin comes say I will not buy pleasure at such a rate It was an aggravation of the sin of Israel that they would return into Egypt because the Land of Canaan was so good a Land So it argues base hearts in people to despise all that is in Heaven and the glory of it for to turn to Egypt to some base lust Thirdly if there be such a glorious reward for the Saints this rebukes all base worldly drossie spirits that seek for no higher good then meerly to enjoy the use and comforts of the creature and content to their flesh for a while How many are there in the world that would bless themselves in these things Might I have but such an estate and such content in the world it were enough they should think themselves happy As that Duke of Burbone in France if he might have his Palace in Paris he would not change it for Paradise A company of base drossie spirits that could be content
have felt the work of God regenerating your souls upon which you have followed me you shall sit upon twelve thrones Some do interpret this place Regeneration the estate of the Gospel and so make it not to be the work of God upon the soul but the work of God upon the world to make a new world as the glorious estate of the Church under the Gospel is called a new heaven and a new earth and so take it Ye that have followed me in this new world ye shall sit upon twelve thrones c. but I rather take it the other way not wholly excluding this they are onely those that follow Christ in the Regeneration that shall have this reward It is called the new birth because there is such a strange change there is a new spirit and a new life put into a man Suppose a rational soul were put into a beast what a change would be in that creature Suppose an Angelical nature were put upon us what a change would there be By the change that is wrought in regeneration there is a greater difference the highest degree of glory in heaven is not so different from the lowest degree of grace here as the lowest degree of grace here is different from the highest excellency of nature because the difference between the highest degree of the glory of heaven from the lowest degree of grace is but a gradual difference but the difference that is between the lowest degree of grace and the highest excellency of nature is a specifical difference Therefore you that hope for glory know there must be a regeneration that work of God upon your souls that must cause a greater difference in you from that you were by nature then there is in the glorified Saints that have the highest degree of glory from the meanest Saint in the world as the reward is a mighty glorious thing so the work of God in preparing a soul for this reward is a mighty glorious work And therefore do not content your selves in every poor slight thought of heaven know heaven lies upon that which is a mighty work of God in you Thirdly if you ever come to Heaven there is a principle of heaven put into your souls here that is a heavenly principle that carries you heavenward I mean the work of God causing you to have heavenly mindes and heavenly hearts Our conversation is in heaven says the Apostle In Cant. 3. 6. the Church is compared to pillars of smoke that ascend upward to heaven Though the Church be black and dark in regard of her infirmities yet it hath a principle to carry it upward to heaven The Saints are compared to Eagles that fly aloft towards heaven though their bodies are not there their hearts and souls are there if our treasures be in heaven our hearts are there already I read of Edward the first who had a mighty desire to go to the holy Land to Ierusalem and because he was hindred and could not get thither he gave his Son a charge upon his death-bed to carry his heart thither and he prepared Two and thirty thousand pound to carry his heart thither So the Saints though they have not their bodies in heaven their hearts are there and they take much pains and are at great charges to get their hearts thither All things in nature have a principle to carry them to their proper place because the place of fire is on high therefore fire hath a principle to carry it on high and because the place of earth is below therefore earth hath a principle to carry it downward So if the place and center of the heart be in Heaven then certainly it hath a principle to move naturally thither to move upward to heaven and therefore that soul that hath nothing but a principle to carry it downward to the earth and to the lusts of it to these things below heaven is not the proper place for such a soul and when the soul goes out of the body it wil not go to Heaven Take earth and close it in a vessel and take fire and put into a vessel open the vessels and let them out and they go both to their places so the souls of men when they are gone out of the body they go to the place whither they had a principle to carry them therefore do not think the principle shall be put into them when you dye but you must have a principle before if your hearts be prest down by earthly things when you dye they will fall down and therefore observe which way your souls work Can you say as in the presence of God My soul works heavenward though I have weights of corruption that would weigh me down yet I have a principle that does work to Heaven But the consciences of many tell them their souls work downward to vanity and sensuality and you have no other principle and therefore when your souls depart they fall downward Fourthly what soul soever hath an interest in heaven heaven is in that soul already The kingdom of God is in them and they have taken hold of eternal life now eternal life abides in them Whom he hath justified he hath glorified already they have the glory of heaven begun you heard what that was In heaven there is the perfection of our natures the image of God shall be renewed now is the image of God begun hath God marked you and set the stamp of his image upon you There is no soul that God does intend to put glory upon but he marks that soul and stamps his image upon it in the work of conversion and says Here is a soul I set the stamp of my image upon because I mark it out to glory if ever you come to Heaven God must see his own Image and Superscription upon you As the Beast set his mark upon men and would suffer none to trade but those that had his mark so God will set his mark upon his people and none shall come into his Kingdom but those that have his mark now a mans Image is upon a thing when by beholding of it I am put in minde of him that it is an Image of so if you have this Image and stamp of God a man that knows God as soon as he looks upon you as soon as he beholds your conversation he is put in minde of God and he says I have heard and read much of God of the holiness and righteousness of God and by this mans conversation I am put in minde of that holiness and righteousness of God the brightness of which I see shining here Again in Heaven you know God himself is the portion of the Saints they have the presence of God What presence of God do you enjoy here Were your souls ever acquainted with the presence of God in the Ordinances What blessed vision have you of God here Those who come to Heaven God gives a sight of himself here
therefore let us consider whether our works be such as when they come to the tryal shall be found to be stubble and burn There are a great many whose works are like to burn and themselves too Many of the works of Gods people are like to burn but look too your selves for your main and principal works whether they will hold when they are examined by the rule of heaven and shall be rewarded It is nothing what your works are before men the people of God may highly esteem of your works but when they come to be examined in heaven they shall be examined strictly and unless God see a supernatural stamp upon them they will burn and therefore look to your works see whether they be supernatural in the principles in the ends and in the maner of doing of them and examine by these rules the assurance of this reward Mr. Latimer says the assurance of heaven is the sweet meats of the feast of a good conscience In great feasts there are good meats and banquets There are other dainty dishes in this feast and the assurance of heaven is the sweet meats and the banquet Now that we may have the feast of a good conscience made full let us take pains in examining whether this recompence of reward be ours if we did but apprehend this reward to be ours it would make us go on with power in our way whereas now every little thing is ready to turn us aside Again if upon examining by these arguments you finde some comfortable hope that the recompence of reward is yours what concerns you but patience to wait for it and in the mean time to live as those that shall have these things and labor to dye so First patiently to wait St. Iames says The Husbandman waits for the precious seed till the harvest come Though it be precious seed the Husbandman casts it into the earth he is not discontent because he hath not harvest next Week but he is content to let the winter the frost and snow go over it and so we must be content to have many troubles between the hope of the reward and the possession of it We must work in the vineyard of the Lord and endure the heat of the day and not expect our peny till night Mark how the Apostle would have those to walk who have the hope of heaven Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality and eternal life Great things are to be expected and waited for If a man have a great venture at Sea that he expects some mighty profit by he is content to wait two or three years because he thinks it will make amends for all So in your way of merchandizing if a man go and buy a commodity of five or ten shillings he lays down present money but if the commodity come to a great sum of many hundred pounds he does but give something in earnest the great pay is to come many moneths after so when men will bargain with God for their obedience to have credit and esteem in the world yea those men that aspire after the greatest things in the world these are poor trifling matters and God gives them presently but because the Covenant that is between God and Christ so between Christ and us is about great matters and God intends to reward his people with glorious things eternally in the Heavens they have but the first-fruits of them for the present and they must not expect the fulness of them suddenly Great men have two kinde of Servants usually some servants that they hire by the day or the moneth or the year that they shall have so much wages and so their wages is paid them it may be every night or every week other servants have not their wages presently but that which they serve for is the expectation of some great office or living that their Lord should give to them after many years service and therefore they go on in their service though nothing come presently Here is the difference between the men of the world and others I speak of those who live the best lives who are not truly gracious they in some measure are the servants of God they do God some service onely such service as poor laboring men do that are hired in a great mans House that have their pay every week or day so you have your pay every day you have meat and drink and the comfort of the creatures but God hath other greater Servants godly people Christians and though they have not so much pay presently as wicked men have yet there are reversions and some glorious things that they expect hereafter and therefore they go on patiently though for the present they have not so much as others And you have no cause to envy others If there be two Servants in a great mans House the one sees the poor laboring man have his shilling given him shall he envy him and say I have served many years and have not had a shilling No he does not envy him because he expects some great things And so when you see the men of the world have the great things of the world do not envy them because you serve God for greater things Queen Elizabeth she envyed the milk-maid when she was in prison but if she had known what a glorious Reign she should have had for four and forty years she would not have envyed her Wait therefore patiently because the things are great and the longer you wait the greater they will be as it was the speech of the Son of an Emperor says he The longer the Cooks are preparing the meat there will be the better chear meaning The longer he staid for the Empire the greater it would be so go on in your way wait patiently the longer you wait the better it will be at the last and it is sure enough Christ is gone before to take possession and God never so wrought to make any thing sure as he hath wrought for the assuring of the good in the Covenant of grace Yet long after it and desire it In Rom. 8. 21. it is said The creature groaneth to be delivered from the bondage of corruption to come into the glorious liberty of the children of God and therefore we our selves should much more desire it and pant after that time we should cry out with David though with patience When shall I appear before God the living God CHAP. LVI Christians should live and dye as becomes heirs of such a glorious estate SEcondly learn if there be such a glorious reward to live and dye as becomes such glorious heirs this is the Exhortation of the holy Ghost unto us by St. Paul in his Epistle unto the Thessalonians As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you that ye would walk worthy of God that hath called you unto his kingdom and glory