nor care that is care of man hath heard the like neither can they enter into our heart which yet hath a large mouth of capacitie to conceiue and vnderstand them if they were told vs which are reuealed by the spirit and but lisped of by Iohn in those earthly similitudes of gates of Pearle of walles of Iasper and of a streete whose pauement is gold Apoc. 21.18.19.20.21 1. Cor. 2.9 Dauid calleth them ioyes and fulnesse 〈◊〉 also pleasures and pleasures eternall Psal 16.11 that is blessednesse without end and the same without want Paul calleth them an eternall waight of glorie 2. Cor. 4.17 as if he should call them glorie endlesse and the glorie that waigheth downe there is such fulnesse in it And they are called the well and riuer of life Apoc. 22.1 as beeing alway full and hauing springs that come from God to feede them Or an inheritâ—nce immortall 1. Pet. 1.4 An inheritance and therefore a possession in the best tenure and an inheritance immortal therefore not for yeares but for euer Life in it selfe is good good life is better but eternitie maketh it excellent Obiect But in heauen some shall shine as the firmament some as the starres for euer Dan. 12.3 Now the firmament hath not so much light as the starres haue that lighten it and the starres haue lesse light then the Sun hath that lighteneth them It seemeth therefore that in heauen there should be to some rather some want then such fulnesse of heauenly glorie Ans I answere though in this condition of our heauenly life there may be degrees of glorie yet there shall be no want Some may bee like the skie some like the starres of the skie yet all shall shine Some vessels may hold more some lesse yet all bee full One may haue more ioy then another and there are sundry measures of more or lesse glorie in heauen but no measure shall lacke his fulnesse of life or glorie there He that hath least shall haue inough The reasons are Hell is contrarie to Heauen In hell there is a fulnesse of torment In he 〈◊〉 therefore there must be a perfection of glorie Secondly earthly kingdomes and the Kings thereof haue as great an absolutenesse as earth can giue them and shall we thinke that heauen which can giue an entire will giue an imperfect crowne of righteousnesse Will not the Kings of the earth dwel in base cottages but in royall courts And shal these Kings of a better kingdome want glorie where mortall Kings haue so great glorie and power Princes on earth dwell in royall palaces and sometimes in Cedar and Iuorie Apoc. 1.6 But they whom Christ hath made Kings Priests to God his Father who dwell in tabernacles not made with hands shall raigne in a citie whose twelue gates are twelue Pearles whose wall is of Iasper and building of Gold and whose streetes shine as cleare glasse Apoc. 21.18.19.21 So said he who saw all this glorie but darkely or as Moses saw the land of Canaan in a very short Map or Card a farre off Deu. 34.1.2.3.4 We see but the outward wall of this heauenly citie new Ierusalem yet how glorious is it and how decked with starres as with sparkling Diamonds What would we say if wee could see into it and behold though with Peter Iames and Iohn at a glance blush superficially the goodly pauement of heauen within whose floore is of gold and wall about is garnished with precious stones Apoc. 21.19 Thirdly if Adams paradise and garden was so pleasant and delightsome how pleasant and glorious is Gods owne garden and seat of his owne residence Hee spake of it with a wondering tongue whose finite heart could not comprehend so infinite an excellencie very glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Psal 87.3 For though in the letter this worthy Prophet spake of that earthly heauen which he confessed to bee in the materiall tabernacle because of Gods presence and the godly exercises of Gods people performed there yet his meaning was vnder the cloud of the phrase to direct Gods children to a higher tabernacle and house of greater glorie then that which was earthly and vnder the doome of time An instruction aboue all things Vse 1 to affect the things aboue and to draw our mindes with strong cordes of desire vnto them Col. 32. For what place haue we here but of trouble There wee shall haue our place of peace The joyes of our earthly life do much affect vs sometimes too much which yet haue their gall of bitternesse in them and crosse of short time For no sooner doe they begin but their end borders vpon their beginning and many times they rather seeme to begin then begin indeed being like to a false conception that comes not to bearing Many are vnwilling to leaue this world because of the acquaintance they haue in it and which when they die they must leaue behinde them in it And yet in this worldly fellowship there is much sowre ioined with sweet But if there be so great a portion of content in this worldly fellowship what pleasure is there and how perfect in the societie of glorified soules the ancient worthies of the old world and the flower of this when wee shall see but with other eyes and in a spirituall manner Abraham of whom we haue heard so much Isaac Iacob Iob Samuel and the Prophets whose names we haue loued When with Eliab we shall see Christ clothed with our flesh who hath immortalitie at his right hand and shall make vs raigne for euer Wee admire the building of Kings and hee was a Disciple who said to Christ speaking of the temple see what stones what buildings are here Mar. 13.1 But as Christ to him so let me say to all that wonder at these things are those the things ye looke upon Luk. 21.6 The sumptuous buildings of Kings and stately Nobilitie though all the rich entrals of the earth had conspired to giue them varnish and glories what are they but base Cotes compared to this frame not made with hands And doe we so much wonder at mortall lime and stone and so little care for our eternall house The three Disciples who in the transfiguration saw but a glimpse of this heauenly glorie shining vpon the face of their Sauiour would needs build taberbernacles in it what if we saw the whole Sunne of it and not some glimpses onely Math. 17.2.4 Moses saw God but a little in the mount and with mortall eyes and his face so show that the people were afraid to come neere him Exod. 34.30 How then shall they shine in roabes of perpetuall glorie who do behold not with these but with other cies the face of God for euer Lastly to draw our affections to the place where our life is and directly to God in whom we liue let vs consider the honour and pleasures of this Citie Whereâ—â— greater honour then in soueraignty and where are
more pleasures then at feasts this estate of heauenly life is both a kingdome and a feast A kingdome for they that are in it haue ouercome and shall sit on thrones Apoc. 2.7 A feast yea the marriage feast of the sonne of God in which he shall euer be espoused to the Church his wife The contract is made below the marriage shall be consummate aboue with solemnities vnspeakeable But if these excellent things spoken of the citie of God cannot winne our loue thither remember we the rich man in torments Luc. 16.23 and by this burnt child learne to dread the fire of hell The places are contrarie and all things contrarie that be in them As therefore Heauen is a place of ioyes and honour eternall so hell is a kingdome of shame and perpetuall contempt Dan. 12.2 And now if so great glorie and pleasures so many and so endlesse cannot please you doe but a litte cast downe your eyes into that deepe lake where are nothing but flaming fire palpable darknesse and perpetuall burning and nothing but teares shrikes and outcries of hopelesse and reprobate consciences and nothing but torments and places of torment prepared for damnable sinners where is no intermission of complaints nor end of paine as farre from ease millions of yeeres to come as at their beginning The rich man in torments craued but one drop of water when whole riuers of water would not quench those riuers of brimstone that fed that fire and could not haue it Luc. 16.24.25 And if the rods wherewith God chastneth his children in this life be so smart and galling that they haue brought them downe to the brimme of despaire and so low in affliction that they haue wished for death what smart and galling plagues doe the damned suffer in the torments of hell who are beaten not with rods of chastisement but with an iron rod of destruction in whose confusions remedilesse the Lord will say euen he whom here they despised I will ease me of mine adâ—ersaries and auenge me of my fees Esa 1.24 And thus the feare of hell may be reason inough to draw our affections from these things below if the loue of heauen cannot But neither the loue of heauen nor feare of hell can worke in some any little distast of this worldly Egypt that they may eat of this Manna that is hidden Apoc. 2.17 That is of the bread of heauen in the kingdome of heauen A reproofe therefore to those who altogether mind the earth and earthly things Vse 2 not caring for that kingdome that cannot bee shaken Some haue an eye still in Sodome and hoofe in Egypt and so sticke to the place of their banishment in which they take case purpose coÌ„tinuance that they neuer mind their countrey nor affect their remoue vnto it They cloy their stomacks with the grose dinners of this present world and so haue no appetite to the Lambs dinner where Christ being gouernour keepeth his best things last Ioh. 2.10 When we speake to them of peace they prepare themselues to battell Ps 120.7 In heauen is peace and here on earth is nothing but warre within and without within in our selues without in the world and yet men had rather liue in a field thus swimming in blood then by walking before God dwell in tabernacles of peace A signe that heauen is not there citie nor Christ their head For they that belong to the citie of peace will seeke heauens peace and they that belong to Christ desire to bee with him Colos 3.1 Where the head is there would the body be If then we doe not ascend to heauen by a spirituall life but digge downe to the hels by a carnall if couetousnesse hold vs in the world and the loue of God cannot draw vs out if to be thus absent from Christ be our happinesse and we count it our greatest vnhappinesse to come vnto him by going hence Christ is not our head but he that hath the Dragons head the world is our citie and heauen our strange citie to which either we meane not to come or would not willingly but by the violence of death when we can liue no longer For can Christ bee our head whom wee care no more for and heauen our countrey which we seeke no sooner after Therefore while we are on the earth in our bodies if we will be the members of Christ and the citizens of heauen let vs dwell before God in our soules framed in the forme and manner of a ship which is close downeward and shut to the world but open aboue enlarged to heauen where our treasure is and expectation ought to be So did our fathers who walked with God to whose righteous soules this peace is come and who now are most safe vnder the shadow of their Altar Christ vpon whom whiles they liued they offered all their spirituall sacrifices and now being taken vp to heauen in their soules praise him with ioifull lips continually and follow him in white whether soeuer he goeth A comfort to those Vse 3 who for this peace-sake fight lawfully in all the warre of the world against it They who in such a presse of worldly affaires beeing with Zacheus vpon too low a ground to see Christ doe therefore climbe vp in their affections aboue earthly matters and worldly desires treading the Moon vnder their feete shall heare one day perhaps this present day their sweet Sauiours voice saying Come to mee at once for this day is saluation come to your houses Luk. 19.5.9 And then as God said to Abraham Arise and walke about this Land this is the countrey that I will giue thee Gen. 13.17 So he will one day say to euery child of Abraham Behold thy heauenly land that is the place of thy perpetuall aboad come to it walke about it and liue in it for euer Then wee shall haue that blessing that all our prayers hearing readings in the word and other godly striuings like that of Iacob with the Angell before hee blessed him laboured vnto Gen. 32.26 Herod promised much when he promised halfe his kingdome Mark 6.23 But Christ both promiseth will giue a whole kingdome Math. 25.34 And where among men the elder onely doth inherit here all sons are heires and all receiue not some few Manors and small Lordships but crownes of righteousnesse Rom. 8.17 O then what should let our desires with the tribes of Renben Gad to passe ouer this Iordan of death by the parting not of waters but of soule body to come to our Land of promise Num. 32.3.4.5.6 Iacobs 7. yeeres seemed light vnto him in regard of Rahel for whom he serued Ge. 29.20 And why should the labour trauel not of 7. yeares for it may be as was said we shall not serue 7. dayes we serue not a churlish Laban but a most bountiful redeemer I say why shold this short labor of ours trauell of so short time seeme any thing in respect of that faire
the good mans death but what is profitable and excellent In the third to the Philippians vers 21. the Apostle calleth this alteration by death not the losse of our body but the change of our vile body that it may bee facioned like to the glorious body of Christ And is there any thing in this but what is excellent and worthy if any thing be worthy our trauell best paines here Iohn speaking of the Saints glorified saith All teares shall be wiped from their eyes Apoc. 21.4 His meaning is that as soone as death shall let them out of the world they shall haue no more sorrow that is sorrow that causeth teares And the same Iohn saith Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Apo. 14.13 that is they who hauing liued righteously die wel in him are in the hand by the helpe of death leade presently to blessednesse The Saints militant did alwaies with the eyes of faith in the Gospell behold this great honour and preferment by death in the happy ends of the righteous and therefore sighed desiring their house from Heauen 2. Cor. 5.2 for they knew that if it were an honour to be remoued from a base cote to a Princes court it could not but be a double that is singular honour to bee translated from the Cotes of the Earth to the Court of Heauen Therefore they sighed that is could not be merrie till that change should come Paul saith that to be losed to wit from the bonds of his corruptible bodie was best of all Philip. 1 23. which hee would not haue said if any preferment had beene better then that by death which is from basenes into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God The reasons And further that there is so much good in the godlie mans death which is his change may be and is euident First by the things to which that their happie and blessed change by death is compared as to a hauen that after they haue passed the troublesome waues of the sea of this world carrieth them to their owne key or backe in the which they ride safely to their iourneys end after which they come home to their owne house being strangers here 1. Pet. 2.11 to the medicine that cureth most perfectly the sicknesse of life to the messenger that biddeth them to the marriage dinner of their great King Mat. 22.2.3 to their returne from banishment into their owne countrey and naturall land to their deliuerance from the gaole of sorrow where they are taken with Ioseph out of prison to be set with Princes to the laying downe of their tabernacle and to the putting on of their house from Heauen to a deliuerance like that out of Egypt from the bondage of corruption to the libertie of saints from a land of darknesse to a land where the sunne neuer goeth downe and from a land of destruction to the land of the liuing Now what is there in all these that is not perfitly good and desirable Secondly death abolisheth in the faithfull departed all power of sinning and sting of sinne Thirdly the bodie feeleth no more paine nor shal euer againe be sensible but of that which is excellently good desireable and comfortable and for the soule it shall presently be glorified Luc. 16.22 Fourthly death is but the dore of the soule out of an earthly dungeon such as the bodie is that must be destroied before the wormes into an heauenly kingdome or passage from death to life from a short death to a long life Lastly God executeth his iudgements vpon the damned and purgeth his Church by death An instruction to correct all vnreasonable and faithlesse weeping for our godly friends and brethren departed in the faith of Christ Vse 1 The Apostle to the Thessalonians exhorteth Christians if they sorrow for such not to sorrow for them as men that haue no hope 1. Thes 4.13 When Hester was taken from Mardochay who had brought her vp as his owne daughter to be married to King Assuerus and to receaue the crowne of Queene in the kingdome did he either bewaile or enuie that her great preferment the faithfull are taken from sorrowfullmen to be espoused to Christ and to receaue the crowne of glorie and shall they that liue by such vnmeasurable sorrow and taking on as is too commonly vsed at the graues of their friends vnwish to them in a sort so great happinesse Will a father be sorrie or can he without imputation of enuie repine that his sonne or daughter is with Ioseph taken out of prison to be set with Princes when thou giuest forth thy child to nurse and shee hath kept it long inough should shee because thou takest it home againe complaine thou wilt say she hath no reason for it Then what reason hath any father to murmure against the owner of the child hee taketh for taking of his owne Parents that so lose their children if they may be called lost that are so found are but nurses to them in their absence from their owne fathers house to nurse them with the milke of the Gospel and religiously to nurture them for the Lord who by death sends for them home to himselfe when he seeth time and when he so doth haue they cause to complaine of wrong father mother sonne wife husband brother are but lent goods which we must restore when the creditor and hee that owneth them calleth for them And shall we count our selues spoiled or vndone because they are required If one should lend vs a thing of price or thing that is costly would wee for a recompence of the vse of it vpbraid the owner because he sendeth for it or if we should might not he who was the lender iustly say is this my thanks and shall I be recompenced with so great impatiencie for my so great good will So if God should lend vs tenne deare children as he did to Iob and we should be made to part with them all in one day would it become vs with rough words to receaue that supposed losse or would we complaine of wrong where none is offered and where our good is sought and our childrens gaine be vnthankfull if we should may not the Lord of them and of vs iustly taxe our vnthankfulnesse and complaine of wrong May he not say did Iob my seruant so from whom I tooke ten children in one day and in a few daies all the honour and substance that he had did he not rather confesse my vnquestionable right in such moueables and say the Lord giueth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Iob 1.21 If a great Lord should call vs and our child promising to both much honour and great wealth would we weepe and take on because our child is gone before and we our selues must shortly follow after would we not rather with much ioy so order our iourney and affaires that we also might with as great dispatch as might be receaue such preferment as wee know
already in the fourth verse should perish being fore-written to condemnation As if he should haue said God will giue iudgement to destruction against all vngodly men And of this number are these deceiuers Therefore they also shall perish and be damned This is the Apostles drift in the allegation of the prophecie Wherein to say nothing of the preface to it wee haue speech of the last generall iudgement ver 14. and of the ends of the Iudges comming ver 15. In the first the Apostle speaketh of the certaintie of the thing and with what solemnitie it shall be performed The ends of the Iudges comming are general surely as concerne the wicked first in their deeds whereof they shall be iudged and secondly in their words for which they shall giue answere In the certaintie of this last iudgement two things may bee considered as first who shall be Iudge the Lord and secondly the manner of propounding this iudgement in the word commeth Hee that is iudge is the Lord to wit the Lord Iesus Christ who shall hold the Court of assise in the clouds and cite all nations before him with the sound of the last trumpet Hee shall be iudge who is of pure eyes and cannot behold euill Habac. 1.13 Who iudgeth the world with righteousnesse and his people with equitie Psa 98 9. And who is gracious to his seruants and terrible to Sinners From whence this point is taught Doctr. that the day of the last iudgement is kept by Christ onely who will come both as a Sauiour and as a Iudge and in a day of as great ioy as may be and feare as euer was Christ himself saith the father iudgeth no man Ioh. 5.22 To wit directly but by the sonne to whom he hath committed all iudgement that is to whom onely he hath giuen the hearing of the last day Peter in his Sermon to Cornelius and his company saith as much saying that Christ is ordained of God a iudge of quicke and dead Act. 10.42 His meaning is it was the decree and will of God from eternitie that Christ properly should be iudge and that hee should condemne the world who was condemned in the world and saue his owne who died for his owne And the Apostle Paul charging Timothy by the charge of an adiuration to preach the word giueth him a commandement so to doe before God and before Iesus Christ whom he describeth by a proper effect which is that hee shall indge the quicke and dead at his appearing and in his kingdome that is in that day of his great glorie 2. Tim. 4.1 Also the same Apostle Paul telleth the men of Athens that God will iudge the world by that man to wit Christ God and Man whom hee hath appointed or whom by a decree elder then the world hee hath made iudge And hee saith the Apostle shall iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17.31 Others may sell iudgement but he wil giue true iudgement and execute iudgement with righteousnesse Quest You will say Must not the Father and holy Ghost be Iudges as well as Christ Answ I answere that iudgement is an action belonging to all the three persons in Trinitie but the execution of it is proper to the Sonne by whom the Father and holy Ghost doe iudge the world Quest But what say you to those places of Scripture where it is said that the Apostles shall sit vpon Thrones and iudge the tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 and that the Saints shall iudge the world 1. Cor. 6.2 Answ I say that the authoritie of iudgement doth not belong either to Apostles or Saints and that in their manner of iudgement they resemble Iustices who at an assise are in a manner Iudges and yet giue no sentence but onely approue the sentence that is giuen The Iudges for the time haue the whole authoritie Iustices on the bench are but assistants and witnesses So here the definitiue iudgement is proper to Christ who is Iudge himselfe The Saints and Apostles are not Iudges but as Iudges hauing no voices of authoritie but of assent Thus it hath been shewed that Christ onely is iudge it must be further shewed that he is both a Sauiour and a Iudge Our conuersation saith the Apostle is in heauen He speaketh of himselfe and of the Saints whose conuersation and life is not carnall but spirituall And from thence we saith the same Apostle that is all the godly looke for the Sauiour meaning Christ the Lord who is a Sauiour to the righteous and a Iudge to the vngodly Phil. 3.20 Also the grace of God that hath appeared as the bright sunne-shine in our saluation teacheth vs to liue soberly righteously and godlily as they that looke for the appearing of their Sauiour Tit 2.13 that is for the comming of Christ who will saue his people and iudge the wicked and sinners So he is called the Sauiour of his bodie which is the church Ephes 5.23 because at the last day and at his last comming hee will come as a Sauiour to it as a Iudge to the enemies of it And that this will be a terrible day to the wicked and day of as great reiolcing to the righteous appeareth in Psal first verses 3. 4. Where that Prophet speaking of the different estates of the godly and sinners in their apparances at the great Sessions of the last iudgement saith that the leafe of the righteous shall not fade but the chaffe of the vngodly shall be driuen away Christ saith that it shall be a day of such tribulation to the vngodly men that their hearts shall faile them for feare when they thinke of it or looke after it Luke 21.26 But speaking of and to the righteous by shewing what manner day it shall bee to them hee biddeth them for the peace it bringeth and ioy it promiseth to all such to looke vp and to list vp their heads for it is the day of their redemption saith he draweth neere ver 28. And the Prophet Daniel aimeth at this where speaking of the diuers manners and ends of their rising who sleep in the dust of the earth saith that some shall awake to euerlasting life some to shame and perpetuall contempt Dan. 12.2 as if hee had said all the dead shall not haue a like resurrection for some shall be raised to life some to condemnation some shall haue a ioyfull some a dreadfull rising to some it shall be a bitter day to some their marriage day Ioh. 5.29 Thus the righteous shall reioice when hee seeth the vengeance Ps 58.10 But the strange children shall shrinke away and feare in their priuie chambers Ps 18.45 saying to the mountaines fall vpon vs and to the hils couer vs. The godly shall appeare with boldnesse comming before Christ who will be their aduocate not Iudge except to acquit them and to giue them the crowne of righteousnesse The wicked not so for the wicked shall not stand in iudgement nor sinners in the assemblie of the righteous
peace they haue not knowne O we are men and not Angels say some A little to tread awry and a little to goe out of the way is but a humane frailtie and an inch breaks no square But to such we may say it may be our frailtie thus to doe But if wee presume we may so doe or if we striue not to doe otherwise it may bee our destruction that wee so did and the losse of our peace for euer Indeed we are men by nature but we must correct nature by grace and labour to be good men We are not Angels it is true yet wee must imitate the Angels and an inch in finne may so far breake square as it may send vs square and roundly to hell Be perfect saith our Sauiour Christ as your heaneuly Father is perfect Math. 5.48 It was spoken to his Disciples and it is spoken in them to vs. Wee can not neithes could they be perfect in the same measure yet as they were charged so are we commanded to be perfect in the like manner by a kind of conformitie and imitation The meaning is we must endeuour to be what perfectly we cannot be And how can we then iustifie any limping in the way or little going out of the way of grace by small infitmities It is pardonable in Christ but not iustifiable by vs. Therefore where we make such littles of sinne as a little oath a little meriment a little of the fashion and a little must be borne with let vs know that Satan by such littles maketh his kingdome great For as a couetous man gathereth by halfe pennies and by pence till he come to poundes so the diuell getteth his wealth from some by littles here a little and there a little Prou. 6.10 till finne be full and many litles in finne make a great totall There is no dalying with God nor playing out and in our progresse to saluation which is to heape wrath vpon wrath til it come to a mountaine or from some small heapes to come to a treasure Rom. 2.5 The way is to giue the water no passage to pound in sinne and to giue no way to occasion to take heed we be not led away from our stedfastuesse in knowledge and grace 2. Pet. 3.17.18 not to trip if we can chuse but to make straight steps in the way and to hold on our fellowship in the Gospell from this day and hereafter Philip. 1.5 Blessed is the seruant whom his Master when he commeth shall find so doing Math. 24.46 But it is said here that they enter into peace and come to rest that walke before the Lord as it were vpon two legs the right of sound religion and the left of an vndefiled life for where one of these is lacking there is halting in the way as also where they be seuered and where both goe not together The doctrine is Doctr. A good life hath a good death and they who liue well here shall liue well that is blessedly hereafter Dauid made this question Lord who shall rest in thy mountaine that is in heauen not as Pilgrims for a time but as heires for euer Ps 15.1 and God maketh this answere He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse verse 2. that is he that liueth holily shall die purely and liue for euer He that loueth the face of God in his Church shall see the face of his pleasures in his kingdome The same Prophet with some small alteration of the words asketh the like question to which the like answere is made The question is who shall ascend into the Lords mountaine Psal 24.3 that is who shall be taken from their pilgrimage to their countrey and from this mortall vale to the hils of immortall rest and the answere is He that hath innocent hands and a pure heart verse 4. The meaning is he that liueth charitably with men and holily with God or that is not vniust to men nor an hypocrite to God He that professeth the Gospell and is carefull of his waies not walking vpon a leg and a stumpe as they doe who seeme religious and liue ill or appeare righteous and are prophane hee shall stand before the Lord for euer Esay likewise maketh a question and answere to this effect Who saith he shall dwell with the deuouring fire who shall dwell with the euerlasting burning Esay 33.14 His meaning is who shall abide the presence of God who is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 and dwel safely before him This is the question and the answere is He that walketh in iustice and speaketh righteous things c. ver 15. that is whose waies are without offence and words without guile he that saith well and doth well shall dwell on high ver 16. or rest safely in the mountaine of peace And Christ our blessed Sauiour telling vs who shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen as the hypocrites of heart who make a stirre with their mouthes and put no good work into their hands who prophecie in Christs name and doe nothing for for his name and call him Lord but make their lusts their Lords telleth vs that they shall enter into heauen who doe his fathers will which is in heauen Math. 7.21.22 All desire to rest in the holy mountaine of God but few behaue themselues as Pilgrims in his tabernacle Yea all desire with Balaam to die the death of the righteous when there are few who take care to liue the life of the righteous that they may so die Num. 23.10 Therefore our Sauiour sheweth that our talking of saluation will not bring vs to it nor our wishing to bee in heauen send vs thither If we will be saued then we must liue as the heires of the grace of life that is as the sonnes of God not as brands of hell The reasons Though nothing be due to a good life by desert on our parts or by debt on Gods yet it being his merciful promise that all such shall be happie both here and hence in this world and in Gods kingdome Psa 112.16 c. 128.1.2 he will not and because it so pleaseth him cannot call backe his word whose promises are all yea and Amen that is no sooner made 2. Cor. 1.20 but as good as done Therefore they that liue godly shall die blessed Secondly they who liue well liue in obedience to God Now they who obey a good master are in fauour and encrease in wealth and shall the seruants of God liue in miserie and die vnrewarded Also they who conforme to Gods commandements are his faithfull scruants and loyall subiects whom a good master and gracious Prince must needs countenance Thirdly the Apostles words are plaine that godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that to come 1. Tim. 4.8 As much as if hee had said They who walke according to this rule shall be blessed here and blessed in heauen Indeede the godly doe not alway prosper in these outward things yet wanting them or their
Psal 1.5 Thus the doctrine standeth fast being proued in euery part particularly Other reasons may be giuen for further illustration The reasons And first there is great reason that Christ should be Iudge himselfe For he alone is the Sauiour and therefore he alone must be Iudge He that saueth his elect must condemne the world Secondly he is the head of his Church to saue it from harmes and to wring out the dregs of his wrath vpon their heads that harme it Eph. 5.23 Esa 63.1.2.6 And how can he thus deliuer his Church if he be not her Sauiour and thus be reuenged on his Churches enemies if he be not there Iudge Thirdly it shall be a day of ioy vnspeakable to the godly and of terrour importable to the wicked For the godly shall meet the Lord in the 2 1. Thes 4.17 aire The fornace that is appointed to purge the world and to consume sinners shall haue no power ouer such nor the smell of it come vpon them Dan. 3.27 The Iudge will be their Sauiour The witnesses the Angels the Saints and the great inquest of all the creatures will cleere them And who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 The things that they shall be iudged off are condemned in Christ and the sting of conuiction is departed from them to his death who hath conquered all the power of the enemie The tribunall that face of it that is toward them shall put off feare and become a session-house of mercie and of plentifull redemption The sentence pronounced shall send them to their houses of ioy and blisse endlesse and their father will giue them the kingdome Luc. 12.32 But as the godly shal thus heare a most blessed sentence of absolution so the wicked shall then heare their iust sentence of seperation from God Where all things shall make them to melt away with an horrible dread and minister great matter of all feare and terrour in that day For first it shall be a most fearefull thing to see and consider the number of them without number that shall run hither and thither to hide themselues in the holes of the earth The place ground on which they must stand will be fearefull for it shall be all on a flaming fire The Iudge will be fearefull for God is Iudge himselfe The things that they shall be iudged off will be fearefull for their secret and darke vngodlinesse shall then euerie thought of it come to light and be iudged in the sight of fire in the sight of water in the sight of Angels in the sight of all the elements in the sight of men and presence of God the Iudge of quicke and dead on whose head are many crownes and who is clothed with a garment dipt in blood Apoc. 19.11.13 The witnesses will be fearefull which will be their owne griping conscience and Gods all-seeing prouidence the accusing Angels their offended brother and millions of creatures abused by them The bench will be fearefull for it shall be to them a tribunall of iudgment without mercie The sentence will be if any thing most fearefull as that which shall proceed against al vnrighteous persōs in the fearefull forme Go ye accursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuil and his Angels And the fire that to which they are appointed shall haue no end of feare For this fire is a far other thing then the fire of the chimney the fire of Gehenna then materiall fire The vses of this point concerne the godly and sinners Vse 1 It is comfortable to the godly that Christ shall be Iudge and they who haue followed him in the regeneration may lift their head to their redemption at hand when he commeth who will iudge his people with equitie that is with sauour For he must be Iudge who hath communicated to all his seruants the sweete and louing names of his a Mar. 33. mother sisters brethren b Cant. 4.9 10.11.12 spouse c Iohn 15.14.15 friends Now we are his mother if we beare him in the wombe of our hearts by faith as Marie bore him in the wombe of her bodie And we are his brethren and sisters if we loue him as brethren and cherish him as sisters in his weake and despised seruants among vs. And if we keepe our selues to him alone by matrimoniall faithfulnesse we are his spouse wife And we are his friends if we doe whatsoeuer he command vs. We being these and doing thus what need we feare for if we be his mother may we not come to him with as great boldnesse and expectation of successe as did Bath-sheba to Salomon the naturall mother to her Sonne 1. King 2.19 If we be his spouse shall we feare to make him our Iudge who is one with vs in spirituall marriage and by the espousall of faith our husband and friend or will one kind brother feare to make another his Iudge Can he condemne vs to death who hath redeemed vs from death eternall He is our Iudge who also is our aduocate at his fathers right hand and maketh intercession for vs. Art thou afraide that thy Iudge will be vnmercifull O what a vaine feare is that seeing he is thy Iudge who condemned himselfe to saue thee from iudgement who emptied himselfe for thy filling bestowed and spent himselfe for thy restoring and gaue his life which passed out at all the gates of his bodic for the life of thy soule Can the sentence be sharpe that commeth from the throne of grace in the hand of a Redeemer from whom commeth saluation or will he who stood at the barre to deliuer vs go vp to the bench and sit downe in the throne to condemne vs Rom. 8.1 or shall we feare any longer when our aduocate is made our Iudge And when he who came to saue vs may saue or condemne But shall Christ bee iudge Vse 1 The other was not more comfortable to the Saints then this shall bee terrible to vngodly sinners For what a hart-breaking will it bee to the wicked and death beyond all kindes of death temporall to see him who is their chiefe enemie in chiefe place What comfort can it bee to a couetous man or woman to be iudged by him for auarice who limited all his cares to the present day and spake so much earnestly against the morrowes care Or to a proud person to haue him his Iudge who humbled himselfe as a child being God of maiestie and set the low doore of humilitie before the courts of his fathers house Or to fleshly persons to appeare at his barre of iudgement whose whole life was lead in temperance and commandement was that we should be sober Or to Whoremongers and Adulterers whom God will iudge Heb. 13.4 to receiue sentence of death or absolution from his mouth who himselfe was born of a pure Virgin and hath those for his followers who were not defiled with women Apoc. 14.4 Or to the vnmercifull to be