sufficient Portion though you had not so much as the Crumbs with poor Lazarus which fall from the Rich Man's Table how much more when you are sure of the Barrel of Meal and that Cruse of Oyl for your Viaticum which will never fail till the Famine be over and you come to eat Bread even the Bread of Life in the Kingdom of God Remember Christians you are to ‖ Quaeramus quid optime factum sit non quid usitatissimum Et quid nos in possessione Foelicitatis Aeternae constituat non quid vulgo veritatis pessimo interpreti probatum sit Sen de vit Beat. cap. 2. Seek what most may corduce to the bringing of you to Heaven not what is the common usage of Earthly Minds you must look what may best fit you for your Eternal Inheritance not what is most approved by those who have neither Part nor Lot therein 'T is Storied of Charles the V. That when the Duke of Venice had shewed him his sumptuous Palace and earthly Paradice instead of Admiring it he only gave him this Serious and Christian Memento Haec sunt quae faciunt invitos Mori These are the things that make us so Desirous to Live in the World and so Unwilling to Dye The Lord sees good to break his People in their Estates with Breach upon Breach that they may be more willing and ready to leave the World to get out of their earthly Tabernacles and to be Cloathed upon with their House which is from Heaven They shall have nothing but Hunger and Thirst and fiery Serpents in the Wilderness of this World that they may never take up their Rest till they come to the heavenly Canaan nor be Satisfied till they come to sit down to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb where they shall have a full Meal of Glory So that though it be no Comfort to be Broken in our Estates yet there is much Comfort comes in by Broken Estates Though Lazarus had no Advantage from his Poverty because that brought him to the Rich Man's Gate yet he had great and everlasting Advantage accrewing to him into the sweet Repose of Abraham's Bosome God puts the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad Pop. Antioch Hom. Gall and Wormwood of Vanity and Vexation of Trouble and Disappointment upon the Brests of all our Injoyments here that we may not have a Delight to be always Sucking at them He makes them a Broken Reed that fearing to be Pierced by them we may not Lean upon them He sets them on Fire now and then like as Absalom did by Joab's Corn Fields that we may not dare to lye out any longer but may gladly repair to him as our Absalom as the alone Author of Peace Rest and Happiness to our Souls And certainly when we find so much Bitterness in all our Injoyments we yet think it so good to stay here did we find nothing but Delight and Sweetness in them we should never think it good to go hence They that have Feathered their Nests in the World have no mind as One well Observes to be upon the Wing to Fly out of it With you Christians it must not be so Your Emblem should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if Clemens hit right a Ship moving towards Heaven that must no where put in for Harbour till at the Shoar of Blessed Eternity If others will Flag and Flutter here below and be Intangled with the Bird-lime of Wordly Cares let them But be sure that you Soar a-loft getting above the Cares of the World and Flying as with Wings like a Dove to the Windows of the Temple of God in the heavenly Sion It becomes not you that are the Off-spring of Heaven to lye Grovelling upon the Earth You that are the Seed of the Woman it becomes not you to Content yourselves with the Serpent's Food The Heart of every Christian is the place where God and Christ and serious Thoughts of Heaven should lodge Let not therefore the World Usurp upon them set not your Hearts upon those things which God would have you always to keep under your Feet Remember Sirs many might have come into the Harbour of Eternal Rest with full Sails with Top and Top-Gallant of Divine Plerophory had they not run the precious Vessel of their Souls on Ground had they not split themselves upon the Rock of Worldly Cares So hard it is to cut our way through an importunate Croud of Earthly Incumbrances into the Kingdom of God Whenever therefore Christians the World appears to you in a Garment made of Love suspect it for a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Dalilah hired to Betray you into the hands of your Mortal Enemies the cruel Philistines The Champions could not wring an Apple out of Milos's Hand by all their Strength but a Fair Maid by Fair Means got it presently Thus the Beauty and Smile of the World it may Foil us sooner than the Strength of the World this if we look not to ourselves may easily Steal from us all the sweet delicious Fruits of Heaven and Glory Earth-seeking is usually Heaven-losing They that Trade most for the World do seldom Purchase that One Pearl of great Price Sicily is so full of sweet Flowers if Diodorus Siculus may be Credited that Dogs cannot Hunt there Sure I am the sweet Injoyments of this World may easily make us lose the Scent of Heaven How well Satisfied then should we be to be without these things striving to live above them when we find them so often like a strong Remora hindring us in our Course to the Fair Haven of Eternal Happiness Of some Mountains Geographers Write That their Tops are above the middle Region of the Air and out of the reach of Storms Thus Christians they should leave this lower Region of the World and live above would they not be Storm driven in their Voyage towards the Holy-Land ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic Laert. in ejus vita Anaxagoras being Accus'd as One that Studied not Politicks for his Country's Good I have cry'd he a great Care of my Country pointing at Heaven Let the World Christians Accuse you how it will besure that you Study Heaven that you Meditate Glory that you seek with all Care and Diligence the Kingdom of God OF so great Consequence is a due Respect to Heaven and Glory that * Est enim Deus qui solus potest honorare virtutem cujus merces immortalitas sola est quam qui non appetunt nec Religionem tenent cui aeterna subjacet vita profecto neque virtutis vim sciunt cujus praemium ignorant Lact. Instit Lib. 3. Cap. 27. p. 332. Lactantius denies those to be of the True Religion who seek them not as their Happiness and Reward Nor will he grant That any Man knows the Power of Virtue who remains Ignorant of not desiring that Eternal Recompence wherewith the Lord at length will Crown it However you may Learn
that Practise may be lawful and currant amongst Christians which hath God's own Image and Superscription written upon it The Lord commands us that we should seek the Kingdom of God Mat. 6.33 as our end and his Righteousness as the only adequate means leading thereto he hath bid us lay up for our selves a Treasure in Heaven he requires of us all that we should work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 he hath willed us the seeking of those things that are above Col. 3.1 2. enjoyning us to lay hold upon Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.12 And shall we still question the lawfulness of that Practice for which we have a Mandamus sent forth of God and therein an unquestionable Warrant sealed and subscribed by the unerring hand of Heaven it self From God's Oportet which is wrapt up in every one of his Commandments that are all of them holy and just and good Rom. 7.12 we may doubtless concludingly infer the Christians Practical Licet without seeming in the least to patrocinate or give countenance to any Unchristian Disingenuous and Mercenary Performance If God say we must the inference will be undeniable that Christians by patient continuance in Well-doing may lawfully here on Earth seek for Glory and Honour for Immortality and Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven Form the Argument in what mode and figure you please sure I am That wherever the Will and Command of God are made the Premises the least that you can put in the Conclusion without reflecting dishonour upon God himself must be the Legality and Holiness of the practise inferred from them For since the Will of God is the only adequate rule and measure of all Holiness How can we but acknowledge that to be lawful and holy which doth harmoniously accord with it and in every way proportionate thereto so far as we find it to be transcribed into Holy Writ The Holiness of Man doth consist in his (f) Summa puritas consistit in adhaesione cum deo nam deus est ratio objectiva et mensura sanctitatis Less de Perfect divin lib. 8. c. 1. Anological resemblance of and conformity with God who is alone the sure Standard the grand Exemplar and the objective cause of all Purity and Holiness in the Creature Every action of Man is holy or unholy according to it's conformity with or contrariety to the Will of God Holiness is nothing else but a pure derivation from God himself the Spring and Fountain of all Purity And therefore whatever is conveyed into the Heart and Lives of Men from this pure Fountain through the Golden Pipes of God's Commandments it must needs be holy and just and good For to be sure conformity with the rule of Holiness can never make a Man unholy no more than walking in the light can produce darkness Did our Holiness consist in a conformity with some else besides God's holy Will in a conformity with the Decrees of Counsels with the uncertain Records of Antiquity with the Judgment of Fathers with Ecclesiastick Constitutions with Enthusiastick Impulses or with the dictates of an Erronious Conscience embracing many times the shadow of Holiness and engaging Men to the strict observation of that for the doing whereof God never gave his Fiat we might then indeed come under censure and be impeached of unholiness for conforming our selves to the Will of God endeavouring to transcribe his Commandments into our Lives and Conversations But to set up all these or any of these for a Rule making them the standard of Holiness were to usurp God's Sovereign Authority and to set the Crown of his Glory upon the head of a poor obscure non-entity or something worse just as if a Man should go about to make a small Drop the Spring and Mother of the vast Ocean or as if he should make that little Ray of Brightness which dissembles itself in a dark Glow-worm the Fountain of Light to the glorious Sun Doubtless as God is the sole Author of our Being so he must be the only Rule of all our Operations We can no more be independent in these than we are in that For since we live in God and have our Being from him there is nothing in all the World that can denominate us truly Holy but a care to act and move according to his Righteous Will Every Impression supposes a Seal from whence it came every Stream will lead you to the Spring-head out of which it issued and came bubbling forth every Beam of Light doth put you in mind of the Sun out of which it shines and upon which it doth necessarily depend So whatever you see that is Good that is Pure and shining forth with a native Lustre and commanding Beauty in the Lives of Men it may well bring to your Remembrance the God of Heaven who is the Fountain of all Goodness the Chrystalline Spring out of which all Moral Purity by a Blessed Emanation issues and the glorious Sun of Righteousness by whom our Lives are irradiated with most clarified Beams of Holiness and without whose uninterrupted Irradiations like refracted Beams they would presently cease to shine and become a dark Chaos of all confusions For as Light in the Air is nothing but a derivation from the Sun that Fountain of Light So Holiness in us is nothing but a Pure Emanation of Goodness and a noble progeny of Moral Rectitudes springing from and born not of Blood nor of the will of the Flesh nor of the will of Man but of the will of God himself John 1.13 whose Image and Superscription they bear Indeed some things are intrinsically good they have a native Beauty they are essentially Pure and therefore God wills them whereas other things are only Amiable and holy and good because God wills them so that they have no moral Entity and Goodness but what they receive from the Signature of God's Will and Command upon them However whether we seek of things that are Intrinsically Good or of things that are Meerly Good from the Command of God injoyning them yet surely their Goâ—dness is not Independant and the measure of it self but doth wholly consist in that beautiful Resemblance and harmomious Analogy which they have with God's holy Will For all Created Excellency it shineth with a borrowed light whatever Goodness is in the Creature it is only by way of Participation from God pre-supposing (g) Omnis Sanctitas participata supponit Sanctitatem per essentiam the same transcendently treasured up in him even as the Impression presupposes the Seal that made it So that there is no form nor comeliness nor beauty in any thing that we should desire it any further than we find either the bright Stamp of divine Sovereignty or the plain Superscription of his Holiness in legible Characters written upon it (h) Nihil est bonitatis creatae in toto entis ambitu quin a deo producta a deo exemplata a deo conservata et in
deum ordinata est For God himself is the Centre of all Good and Holiness from which the Lines of all Moral Rectitudes and Divine Virtues are drawn according to which they are regulated in which they are conserved and into which returning they must ultimately resolve themselves SINCE Holiness then is nothing else but an harmonious Conformity with and a Transcript of his righteous Will concerning us Why should we count our having a Respect to eternal Glory any Forfeiture of our Holiness ¶ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech. Mystag 5. pag. 244. or go about to censure that Practice as Unlawful for which we have God's own Fiat Were not this to make more Sins than God ever made and to go about by a kind of Interpretative Blasphemy to impeach the infinitely Holy God of giving not only his Imprimator but his Fiat also to unholy Practises commanding Men to seek after Heaven and Glory from the beholding whereof they should according to what some †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hier. Cat. 6. p. 55. â— Dogmatize turn away their eyes as the greatest Vanity But dare we say That Mens walking in the Light of the Sun is Darkness to them Or That Conformity with God's Righteous Will is the cause of any unrighteous Practise Sirs to question the Legality and Holiness of Duties commanded is to question his Holiness and the Lawfulness of his Authority who commanded them How dare we then say that is Bitter in the Fruit which we know to be Sweet in the Root How can we count that Impure in the Streams which we dare not but confess to be Pure in the Fountain How dare we traduce that as Sinful in the Practise which we know to be Holy and Just and Good in the Precept How dare we to be short look upon Christians as Disingenuous and Transgressing in that which they purely Act in Obedience to God's Commands If God Christian bid thee by patient continuance in well-doing seâ—k for Heaven and Glory do not doubt but his Command will sufficiently secure thee from the Censure of a Legalist or Mercenary in so doing before Men and Angels For Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect in those Precepts which are justified by the Holy Precepts and Commandments of God himself injoyning them Rom. 8.33 2. WE may lawfully have Respect in our Obedience to the Recompence of the Reward because the most Eminent of God's faithful Servants have done so before us We have not only Precept but President to warrant our Practise in this case there being none of the People of God but by striving to enter in at the strait Gate by laying up for themselves a Treasure in Heaven by Suffering with Christ that they might be Glorified together with him have clearly Commented and Paraphrased upon those and the like Portions of Holy Scripture that we knowing thus the mind of God therein may go and do likewise Thus David a Man after God's own Heart Psalm 119.112 and therefore surely no Mercenary he inclin'd his Heart to perform God's holy Statutes alway as expecting in the end the Reward of eternal Glory In the Original it is even to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fructus praemium eò quod fructus postremum et finis laboris est and so our own Translation renders it But yet the same Word doth also signify a Reward which is not usually given before the end of our Works clearly implying That David having an Eye to the Recompence of the Reward did more Cheerfully run the way of God's Commandments David was willing to take pains in God's Vineyard spontaneously inclining his Heart to perform God's holy Statutes all his dayes as expecting at the evening of his Death to receive the Penny of eternal Life and Glory in God's heavenly Kingdom This also we find to be the Practice of holy Paul a man so Ambitiously desirous to promote God's Glory that through an holy Transport of Love thereto he once wished himself suspended and put apart from the Comforts of Christ in the Jews stead that God might but be glorified thereby Rom. 9.3 And yet he hath an Eye in all his Obedience to the Recompence of the Reward putting forth himself with the greatest Intenseness of Zeal and Diligence imaginable for the Price of his High-calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graece quod magnam habet Emphasim significat enim manus totumque Corpus protendere ad scopum ut eum apprehendas ante quam pedibus eum attigeris A lapide in locum He did not grudge to Spend and be Spent in the Service of but stretching forward and extending himself usque ad extremum virium he pursues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Aim which he had taken the Reward set before him so the Original Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as impatiently desiring to be seized of God's Kingdom and Glory to which he was called And though he was a man daily exposed to Reproach Persecutions and greatest Dificulties in Heaven's way for the cause of Christ 2 Cor. 4.18 yet whilst he looked at the things which are not seen making Heaven and Glory the scope and end of his Life as the Original may well import he was incouraged thereby with cheerfulness and alacrity of Spirit to encounter them all not thinking his Life dear if by any means he might win the Crown and be landed safe at the Haven of eternal Rest So that the Respect which this holy Apostle had to the Recompence of Reward it was instead of a Cordial to comfort him amidst all his Afflictions it was a strong Incentive with him to Obedience putting Life and Vigour into all his Endeavours and from this he took Incouragement most gladly to Spend and be Spent in the Service of God Heb. 10.32 The like we may say of those Primitive Christians mentioned in the Epistle to the Hebrews who though they were encountred with a whole Army of Afflictions though they were spoiled in their Goods by wicked men as so many Harpies preying upon them at their pleasure though they were Theatriz'd and brought forth upon the Stage not only as Spectacles of Scorn and Reproach but also as Objects of Persecution for wicked men to exercise their Malice and Cruelty upon from whom they received not only bitter Words but also hard Blows Yet they joyfully underwent it all enduring the Cross and despising the Shame as Christ their Redeemer had done before them and all this because they had an Eye to the Recompence of Reward believing themseves to have in Heaven an induring Substance a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory that would abundantly make amends for all their Sufferings So that the grand Reason inducing these Primitive Christians to indure Afflictions and take joyfully the spoyling of their Goods on Earth was their Hope of a better and more induring Substance when they came to Heaven Besides these many pregnant Instances might be given
And this is your Husband said he and bringing forth his Staff and Scrip Why this adds he is like to be your Dowrey But now the Lord doth what in him lyes to Incourage us telling us what Treasures of Love and Sweetness 1 Cor. 2.9 what heaps of Joy and fulness of Glory what unseen unheard of unconceivable and Soul-ravishing Pleasures are prepared for us in case we will but love him and walk in Obedience before him 'T was one of the Devil's Master pieces when he Tempted Christ hoping to draw him to his impious Desires that he carried him up into an exceeding high Mountain shewing him from thence all the Kingdoms of the World and then promised him saying All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Why thus with holy reverence be it spoken what the Devil did to Christ Wickedly the Lord doth Graciously to his own People He takes them up into Mount Nebo from thence shewing them thrô the Perspective of his Promises not the Kingdom of this World but the Kingdom of Heaven with all the Royalties and Glory thereof assuring them Mat. 5.3 that all shall be their own if they will but walk humbly before him indeavouring to worship him in Spirit and Truth The Lord understands full well the Frailties of our Nature and what great Discouragements we are like to meet with in Heaven's way And therefore he is pleased most Graciously to draw us on the wayes of Holiness by the proposal of such Rewards as may incourage us to go on therein whatever it cost us Our Condition in this World is like that of the Israelites passing towards the Land of Canaan we must go through the Red Sea of Persecutions and through an howling Wilderness where we shall often be Stung with fiery Serpents before ever we can get to the heavenly Canaan and therefore the Lord he allures us by all sorts of Promises and sweet Inticements I will allure her saith God Hos 2.14 speaking of his Church and bring her into the Wilderness The word in the Original which we Translate Allure doth also signify to Deceive Seduce or to Beguile But here it 's taken in a good Sense implying with much Emphasis That God doth sweetly till men on in ways of Holiness and by an heavenly Artifice wrapt up in Promises of Life graciously seduce them into the Obedience of his own Commandments In the Precept he acquaints us with our Duty and in the Promise he shews us what shall be our Reward By that he appoints us our Work and by this he would incourage us Cheerfully to go through with it that having the Promise of an eternal Recompence we may never grow weary in well-doing 2 Thess 3.13 Gal. 6.9 Such is the goodness of God that he sweetens all his Commandments with Promises And whenever he calls us out to any Duty he incourageth us to the Performance thereof by the Proposal of some glorious Recompence Rom. 8.13 He bid us through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the Body and that we may not want Incouragement to so difficult a Work he tells us that so doing our Souls shall live He bids us to take up our Cross not detrecting to suffer for Christ And he gives us this incouragement thereto That if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 He bids us in a word Sow to the Spirit indeavouring to be fruitful in every good word and work And for our incouragement to that holy practise he tells us that so doing we shall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting Gal. 6.8 So then since God himself is graciously pleased to allure and draw us on in wayes of Obedience by the proposal of an eternal Recompence we may lawfully sure having Respect thereunto take Incouragement from it For to what end should God sweeten his Commandments with Promises but to make us more Cheerful in the way of Duty when we know how transcendently great and glorious our Reward shall be Promissiones nullas dedisset deus pijs de beatitudine nisi vellet ut inter bene agendum easdem respiceremus Daven Col. c. 1. v. 5 p. 46. Those men do begrudge the Lord's Bounty and would seem wiser than God himself who deny us a Liberty to make use of the Spirit 's Motives Pietas habet promissiones vitae praesentis et futurae at frustrà si non licet intuitu illarum excitari ad bene agendum Dav. ubi sup In vain hath God made Promises of Life to such as keep his Commandments if in keeping thereof we may have no respect to that Life that Happiness that Glory which is held forth in the Promises to us Doubtless Christians 't is not Ingenuity but Ingratitude to deprive ourselves of those Incouragements to Obedience and of that Comfort in a way of Duty which the Lord himself hath graciously allowed us to make use of And thô possibly you may think that you highly please the Lord whilst you walk on in a way of Duty without any respect to your own Happiness yet the Truth is you do Presumptuously tempt him as Ahaz did when refusing to ask a Sign which God promised to give them Isa 7.11.12 The Lord knew the necessity of giving a Sign to his People in that Exigence in order whereunto he bids Ahaz ask a Sign but he 's Modest he 's ashamed that God should be put upon the working of a Miracle to confirm his Faith far be it from him so to Tempt the Lord and to question his Faithfulness he will believe him without a Sign that he will However here were specious Pretences yet the Lord was no little displeased that his Favour should be made so light of and a Sign under a pretence of Modesty refused as if they better knew what was needful for themselves than the God of Heaven Hear ye me now O House of David it 's a small thing for you to weary men but will ye weary my God also Thus Christians when we refuse to take Incouragements from the Promises of Life to walk in Obedience before the God of Heaven when under a pretence of Ingenuity and a Gospel Frame of Spirit we take on us to serve God for himself He bids us seek for Glory and Honour for Immortality and eternal Life by patient continuance in well doing but far be it from us to be Mercenary or to seek ourselves we will serve God and run the way of his Commandments without any Respect at all to Heaven and Glory that we will why now we weary the Lord and making light of his Favour to us we Tempt him as if we knew better what Motives to make use of and what to seek in our Obedience than God himself For to be sure we do no less Tempt the Lord in not seeking after what he hath Commanded than we do in expecting what he never Promised We do no less Tempt the Lord in creating occasions of Desperation than in
'T is fictioned by the Poets in their Mythology of Prometheus that he did work and fashion the Bodies of Men out of Clay but he was fain to steal Fire from Heaven for the informing and quickning of them with living Souls (a) Psal 139.1 When the Body is curiously formed and admirably organized in the lower Parts of the Earth yet still it would remain a lifeless and unspirited piece of Clay did not God animate and quicken it with a living Soul with a celestial Spark lighted by his own Breath from Heaven THE Body of Man is but a Flower springing out of the Earth that will quickly wither and return to its Dust but his Soul hath Immortality written upon it it s a Bud of Eternity that can never be blasted nor wither away into nothing The Body indeed is nothing but a Compound of Death and Mortality it will quickly crumble away into dust and rottenness but the Soul having no Principles of Death and Corruption bound up in it will run a Line parallel to aâ—l Eternity it can never be confined by time but will for ever be launching forth in the boundless Ocean of an endless Duration †Matth. 10.28 The Body is obnoxious to the stroke of Death and by the Hand of Violence may before its time be matriculated amongst those that sleep in the Dust but the Soul being an immaterial Substance is above that fatal blow and hath from the spirituality of its own Nature everlasting impregnable security against every Hand of Violence written upon it so that Death itself is not able to touch the Life of the Soul THE Soul therefore being thus Divine in its Original and Eternal in its Being and Duration there is no Man unless he will renounce his own Understanding and apostatize from his own essence but must acknowledge it a point of the most important and masculine reason in all the World to consult the Salvation of our Immortal Souls providing above all things for their Eternal Welfare Should we prefer the Casket before the Jewel a frail Mansion of Mortality before an heavenly Inhabitant or the dark Lanthorn of the Body before the Soul that Divine Lamp which if fed by the Oyl of Grace would always shine forth with most radiant dazling beams of Brightness The excellency of our Souls is so transcendently Great and Glorious that it justly lays claim to our principal care and because they will never be raked up with our Bodies in the cold Embers of Death why therefore hath the Lord made it the great end of our Lives to work out Salvation for them giving diligence to make them meet through Grace for everlasting Mansions of Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven But how can we thus take care of them or design their Eternal Happiness as the great end of our Lives in case we may not have respect to the recompence of the reward seeking Life and Eternal Glory by patient continuance in well-doing to Crown them withal Can the Salvation of our Souls be the object of our principal care next to Gods own Glory when out of a pretended Zeal for that we would seem altogether careless and unsolicitous about the saving of our own Souls How can we say we make salvation the great end of our lives endeavouring that our Souls may be happy when we hold it unlawful to bend and level all our desires for the hitting of that fair mark Believe it Christians they that would perswade you 't is unlawful to have respect in our obedience to Heaven and Glory do in effect go about to argue your Souls into the careless neglect of their own everlasting welfare But can you be regardless of your own Salvation Can you sleight the great end of your lives and turn your back upon your own happiness Can you indeed neglect your immortal Souls that must either be happy or miserable either imparadised Souls in Heaven or damned Spirits in Hell to all eternity Do you know what Salvation is how everlastingly blessed those Souls will be that may approach the presence of their God that may see his Face that may rest in his eternal embraces that may enter into the joy of their Lord and drink freely of those Rivers of pleasure which are at his right hand for evermore Oh then make not light of so great Salvation but give all diligence to get an interest therein for your immortal Souls To make sure of eternal happiness was the great errand upon which God sent us into the World oh therefore take heed that you do not leave it upon uncertainties seeking after the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof as if you were loth to find it 10 WE may lawfully have respect in our obedience to the recompence of the reward because the very nature and proper genius of true Grace is to make a blessed divorce betwixt the world and the heart wherein it is resident and so to carry out the heart in strong desires and unsatisfiable breathings after Heaven and Glory True Grace is an Heaven-born Spark and therefore it doth naturally ascend upward aspiring after Heaven and Glory as its proper region As all the Lines meet in the Center and as all the Rivers do run into the Sea uniting themselves in the vast Ocean so all the desires of a gracious Soul they meet in Heaven uniting all their forces in one continued and insatiate anhâ—lation after fulness of Communion with God in Glory The Sun though seen in the Water yet hath his Tabernacle fixed in Heaven (a) Phil. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar Hom. 17. so though a Christian hath his commoration upon Earth yet his Conversation his Trade his Commerce is daily in Heaven the place of his Eternal Abode The Men of this World are ever inveloping themselves in thick Clay they are not soaring Eagles but crawling Muck-worms but now all those that are truly gracious they are Men of another Spirit they live in the highest Region and are compared to Eagles in regard of their Heavenly-mindedness (b) Isa 40.31 Life enables Men to lift up their Body from the Earth and to tread upon it with their Feet (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar Homil. 16. Thus whoever have the Life of Grace begun in them they tread upon all earthly Enjoyments and are carried upon the Wing of desire quite above all sublunary Comforts into Heaven itself The heart that is seasoned with saving Grace is restless till it come to be fixed in a sure State of Glory and Happiness just like the Needle that is touched with a Load-stone upon which there is nothing but unquiet agitations and tremblings till it be firmly fixed and settle immovably in the North Point We read of Noah's Dove that she found no place whereupon to rest the sole of her Foot but only in the Ark so the People of God they find no place but in Heaven whereupon to rest themselves and therefore all their breathings
saving of his own Soul doth thereby advance God's Glory and set the Crown upon his Head For God out of the Riches of his Grace hath so joyned his Glory and our salvation together that he who duely seeks the one must seek the other and he who neglects the one must needs make light of the other also Let Men pretend never such Hyperboles of love to God and Transports of Zeal for his Glory yet if they will go on in a voluntary neglect of life and eternal salvation never seeking after them by patient continuance in welldoing they do certainly make forfeiture of all their pretended Zeal as Men that do even embezel God's Honour and fall short of his Glory For no Man can rightly aim at God's Honour and Glory as his ultimate end who doth not also intend the beatifical vision of God and everlasting communion with him in the Kingdom of Heaven as his greatest Happiness Neither do those rare and almost unparallelable instances of Zeal for God's Glory in Moses and Paul any thing prejudice but rather establish and add strength to this reason whilst ambitious to express an Hyperbole of love to God if such a thing may be and how much they were affected with his Glory they do it by a certain velleity or a kind of incompleat willingness to be divorced from something of their own happiness rather than that the Lord Jehovah should suffer any thing in Point of Honour thereby fully assuring us that next to God's Glory their own welfare and eternal salvation was most precious in their Eyes And truly had they not first made Choice of God as their happiness and reward they would never have been so tender of his Honour desiring with such an holy ambition to promote his Glory For 't is only the hope of everlasting communion with God in Heaven firmly botomed upon our interest in him that can beget a true Zeal for God and make us willing to Sacrifice all our interests on Earth how precious and dear soever to his Glory Men like Jehu may go far and pretend much for God and his Glory till the Lord's interest and their own fall asunder But they only will run the hazard of losing all (k) Acts 20.24 and most zealously contend for God's Glory in this Interim of Mortality who do most earnestly seek after Glory Honour and Blessed immortality in the life to come As no Man can raise up a stately edifice till first he have layed a good foundation so truly unless a care to provide for our own eternal happiness be first laid as a foundation we shall never be able to raise up a sumptuous building of Glory or any monument of due praise to the God of Heaven For though God's essential Glory be independent like himself (l) Job 35.6 7. Psal 16.2 Nec crescit Deus accedente te nec decrescit decedente te Aug. in Psal 145. Totum quod rectè colitur Deus ab homine prodesse homini non Deo idem De Civit. Dei Lib. 10. cap. 5. and so infinitely excellent that being always in the full of Divine splendour and brightness it can neither admit of * Tibi autem qui semper idem es nihil accedit si amando proficimus ad te nihil decedit si non amando deficimus à te Guil. à S. Theodor. de Amor. Dei Cap. 8. waxings nor wanings by any transactions of sinful mortals as we are yet his declarative Glory doth still shine forth and is eclipsed according to our conversation in the world so that God hath then most Glory by us when we walk most Heavenly seeking life and eternal salvation by patient continuance in well-doing whereas his Glory undergoes an eclipse and the Lord always suffers in point of Honour when at any time we seek not the Kingdom of God and his righteousness but begin to make light of our own salvation If then the Lord hath thus inseparably conjoyned knit together his own Glory and our salvation so that whoever turns away his eyes from beholding the one must needs neglect and make light of the other also how can we look upon it as unlawful to have respect in our obedience to the recompence of the reward Is the end our duty and the means our Sin Is God most transcendently glorified in our eternal Salvation and yet may we not lawfully take care for the saving of our immortal Souls Is it the Honour of the God whom we worship and that which sets the Crown of Glory upon his Head that he is a rewarder of all those who diligently seek him and yet is it not lawful but sin in us to have respect whilst here we seek him and walk in obedience before him to that eternal recompence of reward which out of the Riches of his Grace he hath provided for us Believe it Christians since the Glory of God is bound up in the bundle of your life and must needs be eclipsed when ever that is neglected you need doubt no longer but that you may lawfully have an eye to the recompence of the reward seeking life and eternal salvation in all your obedience CHAP. VI. The Doctrin branched forth into several uses and prosecuteth the first by way of Information in Four Particulars 4 AND lastly having hitherto given you to understand in several particulars what it is to have a respect to the recompence of the reward how you are to do so and withall let you know the arguments evincing the lawfulness of such a practice there is now only remaining the practical improvement of the Doctrine by way of use and application which indeed is the life of all Doctrinal discourses bringing every thing home to the Soul in a close and particular accommodation and therefore more longly to be insisted upon For as the Sun in the firmament of Heaven hath a twofold virtue the one of illumination whereby sending forth its beams of light it guides this lower part of the World and the other of influence whereby it communicates itself to inferiour Bodies covering them all over with its * 2 Tim. 3.16 healing wings So in every portion of holy Writ there is an illumination of truth upon the mind and understanding and withall there is an influence of Grace and Goodness upon the Will and Affections As therefore I have hitherto shewed you the light of truth for the irradiating of your minds in the doctrinal part of my Text so in the next place I am to make some use of the words that they may shed forth their influence of Grace upon your Hearts covering them all over with their healing virtue And truly the Doctrine observed from the words is like a box of precious oyntment which in the Application I shall endeavour to break that it may send forth a spiritual fragrancy and a sweet smelling savor to refresh your Souls 'T is not an empty Vine but a Tree of life richly laden with fruits of Paradise
remain ungrateful under such transcendently great and glorious discoveries Doth God allow you to walk at all times with Heaven in your Eye and will you not strive to make melody to the Lord in your Hearts Shall your heavenly Father shew you his back parts and cause all his Glory to pass before you and yet can you be unthankful not endeavouring to glorifie his great Name The God of all Consolation Christians is no niggard of his Cordials to us And shall we then shew our selves niggards in our retribution of thanks to him Shall God's Hand be opened and ours shut Is his Heart enlarged and shall we be straitned in our Bowels Can we make so light of Heaven and Eternal Glory as to think the Lord unworthy our Praises for allowing us a full prospect of them If the Disciples were in such an extasy of admiration when taken up into the Mount with Christ and beholding some obscure glimpses of heavenly Glory How much more cause have we to stand as in an extasy admiring the Goodness of God whom he allows to live every Day upon the mount of transfiguration shewing us all the Beauty and causing us to anticipate the Pleasures Glory and Happiness of the World to come God might have left us under a necessity of obedience without any hope of an Eternal reward in Heaven and yet even in that case all thankful acknowledgments had been done to him How much more when our Work is sweetned with the assured Hope of an Eternal reward so that now going on in the way we may look at Heaven and Glory as that which will be the end of every Duty Oh let us all with enlarged and ravished affections with the utmost vigour and activity of enflamed Hearts recount the wonderful condescention and stupendious love of God in vouchsafing us for our encouragement a prospect of the Land of Promise in the Way thither To admire the Riches of free Grace and to warble out the Praises of God will be a great part of our Work when we come to Heaven (a) Artem nunc aliquam laudandi Dominum addiscamus quam oporteat aliquando infinitis seculis exercere Arrow Tact. Sacr. lib. 3. Sect. 15. pag. 361. let us now therefore begin the employment of Heaven whilst we live on Earth adoring the Lord 's remunerative Goodness whereby we have so great encouragement no less than a Crown of Glory to all Holy Self-denying and upright walking before him When God shews us Heaven and Glory as in a mirrour that by the bright reflections of it our Hearts may be rejoiced 't is but equal that we should strive to become the Monument of his Praise at all times blessing the Lord in our Hearts and with our Mouths speaking good of his Name The Glory of Heaven is so transcendently great that we may sooner lose our selves in the admiration of it than ever return thanks to God proportionate to the least glimpse that proceeds from it Oh be not any longer unwilling to be much in thanksgiving and praise to him who sowillingly allows you the encouragement of so transcendently blessed and glorious a reward in all your obedience What can you bless God for giving you a Crum and not for shewing you a Crown of Life as the certain reward of all holy performances If liberty to use the good things of this World be matter of thankfulness to God how much more shall we thank the Lord admiring his Goodness for the Liberty which in all our obedience he allows us to have respect to all the Good things of Heaven and Glory and the World to come If enjoying the Meat that perisheth we are bound to bless the Lord and speak good of his Name for such a temporal fruition how much more should we adore the Lord whilst eying the Meat that will endure to Life everlasting though but yet in expectation The Queen of Sheba having obtained a sight of Solomon's Glory was so strangely transported that she had almost lost her Soul in an extasy of admiration In what an extasy of admiration should it then put us causing us with all thankfulness to adore the divine remunerative Goodness when the Lord gives us a sight of his own Glory every Day making us to behold in our prospect here on Earth all the Royalties Immunities and Soul-entrancing delights of the heavenly Jerusalem Had God Christians given you the Kingdoms of the World with all the Glory of them they had not been worth so much as the least glimpse of that Glory to which the Lord allows you to have an Eye in all your endeavours Be therefore no longer unthankful to God but admire him rather (b) Psal 63.3 Because thy loving kindness saith the Psalmist is better than Life my lips shall praise thee So my Brethren because the Lord allows you that respect to the recompence of reward that sight of Heaven that prospect of Eternal Glory which is better than Life it self why therefore let your Lips yea and your Lives too praise him The sight of Heavenly Glory puts Life into the Soul and so makes it go on with delight in ways of obedience Oh therefore let that God who thus makes your Hearts chearful be sure to find them thankful and your Mouths running over with his Praises in every condition For remember it he that is not truly thankful to God for Glory in expectation shall never have Heaven and eternal Glory in their full fruition You must now admire the goodness of God in the hope of Eternal Life or you can never taste how good the Lord is in the bestowance of Eternal Life upon you 2 Walk uprightly doing all that you do in the Ways of God not for vain-glory nor from any ambitious desire of popular applause but purely from a principle of love to that God who in all your obedience hath allowed you the strong and everlasting encouragement of having an Eye to the recompence of the reward You need not Christians to look asquint in your obedience nor do any thing that you do to be seen of Men so long as the Lord sets before you the reward of Eternal Glory allowing you to look on that as a Feast wherewith to refresh you as Robes of Righteousness wherewith to adorn you as a consort of Celestial Musick wherewith to delight you and as a Royal Diadem wherewith to crown you after all your labours when once you come to Heaven (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar Hom. 19. Let not therefore vain-glory nor any such low and sordid principles act you in the Ways of God but let the Love of God who allows you by way of encouragement a respect to the recompence of Eternal Life be the spring of all holy motions in your Souls Look you may at the recompence of the reward but shall never receive it if in all your obedience you have not God and Eternal Glory but the praise of Man and vain-glory for your end Be
Bags and Coffers are stored with Gold Because the World dandles you upon her Lap 't is no sure sign that you shall rest for ever in Abraham's bosom You may not think to be Heirs of Heaven because you are the Possessours of the Earth For not getting an Interest in the Recompence of the Reward now you are sure to go without it to all Eternity The good things of this present World you may love but the good things of Heaven and Glory you shall never have You may have a large Portion of earthly Enjoyments But shall never enjoy the Inheritance of Saints in Light †Psal 17.14 'T is no new thing for God to fill their Bellies with his hidden Treasures with the choicest of all earthly Comforts who never take any care to lay up for themselves a Treasure in Heaven But what alas will it profit you to have Earth in Hand if you have not Heaven in hope What though Riches and Honour are the Lot of your Inheritance amongst those whose Lot is Happiness and eternal Glory What relish think you hath Dives now left him of all his Delicacies or Esau of his dear-bought Pottage What pleasure hath the Rich Fool of his full Barns or that young Man of his large Possessions What delight hath Jezabel in her Paint or Ahab in Naboth's Vineyard What comfort can a Man have in the choicest Quintessence of any or in the greatest Confluence of all earthly Enjoyments who must receive them as his Portion and can never expect any other Happiness any other Portion or Reward in God's heavenly Kingdom It may be for the present thy Mony is thy Idol and thou art held in Thraldom under thy own Possessions but what will remain of thy Silver and Gold to carry thy Soul through the Storm of Death save only the (b) Jam. 5.3 rust thereof to joyn in Judgment against thee and torment thee eating thy Flesh like Fire for ever It may be thou art acted now by vain Glory and Desires of popular Applause but what will it then avail thee to be admired by thy fellow Prisoners and condemned by thy Judge It may be thou servest thy own Lust and another's Beauty but what Pleasure will there be in all this when the Fire of Lust shall be turned into the Fire of Hell It may be thy worldly Comforts and Accommodations are now looked upon by thee as thy greatest Happiness but what miserable Comforters will these be when peeping out of thy Grave thou shalt see Heaven and Earth all on a fire and Christ coming in the Flames thereof to take Vengeance upon thee There is a blessed God that could comfort in such an hour but thou must never see him There is a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away there is a Kingdom that cannot be moved there is all fulness of Joy and Soul-satisfying Pleasure but having thy Portion in this present World thou shalt never have these to comfort thee in the World to come Make the best of your Portion here of your Riches Honours and Pleasures on Earth for you must never receive any Portion hereafter you must never look to be Crowned with Life and Eternity of Glory in Heaven Oh then how unhappy are all those who neglect to get an Interest in the Recompence of the Reward have no Heaven but Earth no Glory but what will end in everlasting Shame and perpetual Contempt no Pleasures but what must shortly be changed into Hellish Intolerable and remediless Torments If you love your immortal Souls come away from all worldly Vanities and be sure to get an Interest in this glorious Reward that your Lives and your Happiness your Rejoycing and all your Comfort may not end together The greatest Portion in this Life will afford you but small Comfort of upon good Grounds you cannot look for a better Portion after Death 2 CONSIDER the Recompence of the Reward which God sets before us it 's a thing feasable and that which you may obtain if you will but seek it The Riches Kingdom and Glory of this World may be sought and yet never found But whoever by patient continuance in well-doing shall seek for Glory and Honour * Rom. 2.7 and blessed Immortality God will certainly Crown them with Life everlasting The Lord is willing to bestow Heaven the best of Rewards upon the worst of Sinners will they but embrace it This eternal Recompence of Reward 't is a thing indeed difficult to be obtained that none may despise it But yet it 's possible to be obtained that so none may sit down discouraged as despairing of it This Exhortation would be out of season to the Damned in Hell betwixt whom and eternal Glory there is a great Gulf fixed so that they are now no longer within the Possibilities of Life and Salvation But for you there is still Balm in Gilead to heal all your Wounds there is an all-sufficiency of Merit in Christ to expiate your Sins and there is still a most merciful Propensity of Will in God to Crown all those that diligently seek him with a glorious Reward And why then since Life is before you will you die the Death Why will you choose to be miserable under Tenders of Glory and eternal Happiness Why will you expose your selves to hellish Torments when the Lord himself doth so earnestly invite you to accept of Heaven Shall God be willing to give and yet you so unwilling to receive the Reward of eternal Life Oh why will you be such Enemies to your own Happiness making light of that great Salvation which though difficult is yet possible to be obtained Can you be content to fall short of eternal Glory and for ever to (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexand. Admonit ad Gentes pag. mihi 6. a. be shut out of Heaven where is fulness of Joy Shall God hold out the Golden Scepter of his Grace and will you not so much as touch it to save your own Lives Must he follow you with daily Importunities of Love intreating you to accept of this glorious Reward to make you happy and will you still with Disdain turn your backs upon him as if the Favour of God in Christ as if Heaven and eternal Glory were not worth the having (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hier. Praef Cateches pag. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem Cateches 1. pag. 3. The Lord is Bountiful and willing to give But yet he expects that you should be so dutiful as to receive with all thankfulness what he gives The bestowance of this glorious Reward doth indeed belong to God as his part But then the seeking and acceptance thereof doth belong to every one of you as your necessary indispensable Duty Give diligence then since God so freely offers with all thankfulness to embrace the Reward of eternal Life Were the Matter of this Exhortation an Impossibility exciting you to seek for what you could never find and to labour for what
you could never obtain you might well in such case make light of it But when thus you have a Crown a Kingdom an eternal Wâ—â—ght of Glory set before you together with this Encouragement that in seeking you shall be sure to find them how inexcusable must you needs be if still you should go on in the careless neglect of them Because the Recompence of eternal Life is possible to be obtained therefore impossible will it be for those that seek it not that ever they should escape the Vengeance of eternal Death 3 CONSIDER how unable all your Creature-enjoyments will be to afford you any solid Comfort at Death and Judgment not having an Interest in the Recompence of eternal Life What the Holy Ghost saith of Riches may truly be affirmed of all Creature-enjoyments and worldly Accommodations they profit not in a Day of Wrath. The Night approaching we lose the benefit of the Sun for a time and can no longer we enjoy the Light of his beauteous Beams So the darksom Night of Death and Judgment approaching you can now no longer enjoy the Comfort of Riches Honours and the like worldly Accommodations but must lose them for ever You may cry Brethren to your Riches and cry to your Honours and cry to your Friends and cry bitterly to your dearest Relations but not having an Interest in the Recompence of Reward all these will then answer you as the King of Israel (e) Kings 6.26.27 sometime answered the poor Woman of Samaria if God do not help you whence shall we help you The good things of this Life they are only calculated for the Meridian of Time and do only shine with a borrowed light So that when Death shall seize upon you and Judgment overtake you they will then be gone and like a Shadow disappear for ever And will you not labour all this considered that you may not be comfortless when all your Creature-comforts fail you not without good ground of rejoycing when all your Enjoyments will avail you nothing Oh that you were but wise to consider this that you would but remember your latter end Will your Health and your Strength and your Life endure for ever or have you any thing in this present World that can deliver you from Death and the Jaws of Hell Boast you may for a while of your worldly Enjoyments without an Interest in heavenly Glory but when you come Sirs to look pale Death in the Face and must hold up thy Hand to be judged at the Bar of Christ the Righteous Judge of all the World though now you had the very Quintessence and most refined Spirits of all Creatures mingled in one Cup for your Comfort yet assuredly you would find them but a cold Cordial Though Sirs you were Cloathed in Scarlet faring deliciously every day though you were all bespangled with the Pearls of Heaven enjoying the whole Empire of the World as your own Yet what alas were all this against the fatal Stroak of impartial Death or against the Judgment of the great God now Sentencing your Soul and Body to the Vengeance of eternal Fire Never think that your Riches Honours and the like earthly Comforts will avail you any thing against the Thunder and Fire of Heaven in such a day An Interest in heavenly Glory this indeed will be able to comfort you But have all the Riches Honours and Pleasures that the World can afford and yet without this your condition is equally helpless with the Damned in Hell And shall not all this constrain you to seek the Kingdom of God endeavouring to get an Interest in eternal Glory Since Earth cannot relieve you why will you not resolve to look after Heaven 4 CONSIDER how small the number is of such as shall ever obtain the reward of Eternal Life and let that make you labour the more for an interest in it The Lord hath indeed prepared a Kingdom yet not for the reception of all promiscuously whatever good or bad (a) Luke 12.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But only for the housing of that twice little diminutive Flock for whose sake the good Shepherd hath laid down his Life This glorious recompence of the reward will be given but to very few because so many refuse to work in God's Vineyard for it Of those many that are called (b) Matth. 20.16 there are but few that are chosen to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ And yet how few are all those that are called in comparison of such as never yet had any call from Christ in the Gospel If the learned Brerewood compute right who divideth the whole World into thirty parts assigning nineteen of those thirty to idolatrous Pagans six to Mahumetans and but five to Christians within how narrow a compass will salvation be confined Salvation to be sure is no plant of India nor is it any commodity to be found in Turkey Such Goats and Swine as inhabit there whether Idolaters worshipping false Gods or Infidels worshipping the true God out of Christ they must never think to enter into Paradise nor to gather fruit from the Tree of Life So that if any where Salvation may be found 't is only amongst those that are Christians And yet even here such is the number of seduced erroneous Papists on the one hand and of profane formal Protestants on the other that undoubtedly there are not many of them that shall ever be saved (c) Luke 8. Of the four sorts of grounds that we read of in the Parable of the Sower there is not three good and one only bad nor two good and two bad but only one good and all the rest bad to teach us how small the number is of sincere Christians who receive the blessing of Eternal Life in comparison of those impenitent fruitless and ungodly Christians who are nigh unto cursing (d) Heb. 6.8 and whose end is to be burned Amongst all the inhabitants of the Earth there are but few to be found that will ever find the right way to Heaven and Glory (e) Matth. 7.14 For strait is the gate saith Christ and narrow is the way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Though all Men desire and many seek yet few they be that find the Way to true Blessedness This is the mark that all Men aim at but so many take their aim amiss that but few hit it This is that wished Harbour for which all Men are bound but so many sail by a false Compass that small is the number of those who steer a right course thither There are multitudes of Men and Women that perish in the Broad Way which leadeth to Destruction But few that walk in the narrow Way which leadeth unto Happiness and blessed immortality in the Kingdom of God And what will make you cast off Presumption and offer violence to the Kingdom of Heaven if not this consideration that there is but a very few who have either part or lot in
Hearts and make us walk with a lightsome Countenance in the saddest Condition Whilst Israel marched through the Wilderness their brightest Day had a Pillar of Cloud and their darkest Night a Pillar of Fire So in this Life things never go so ill with God's People but they have some Light nor so well but they have daily occasion of Sorrow and go groaning under some Affliction However an Eye fixed upon future Glory will be sure to mitigate the sense of our present Troubles What need he much be cast down for any loss whose Eye is fixed upon that heavenly Treasure which can never be lost What in all the World need fill his Heart with over-much Sorrow who sees fulness of Joy and Pleasures for evermore laid up in Heaven for him This eternal Reward Christians did you carefully eye it like the Tree thrown into the Waters of Marah would sweeten all your Afflictions it would make a Prison sweet and Pain easie it will turn a Wilderness into a Paradise give light in darkness and make the Heart merry amidst all worldly Troubles 'T is dogmatized by Naturalists that if a Man were above the second Region of the Air he would then be above all Storms This is true of those blessed Souls who live in Heaven by divine Contemplation they have rest from the day of Trouble no Storm can move them their Hearts are at ease in God let them suffer what they will in the World Let Friends and Goods and Life and all forsake us yet having an Eye to the Reward of eternal Glory that will be sweeter than either Goods or Friends or Life to us 4 A due respect had to this glorious Reward will work in your Hearts a blessed contempt of this present World enabling you to trample with an holy Scorn upon all its Pomps and lying Vanities The World frowning is more terrible but the World smiling is more deadly If Adversity kills its thousand to be sure Prosperity hath killed its ten thousands (a) 2 Sam. 1.19 21. In montibus Gilboae mortui sunt Nobiles Israel sic in honoribus prosperitatibus hujus seculi multi amittunt â—itam Stella Upon the Mountains of Gilboa did the Nobles of Israel fall Thus upon the high towering Mountains of worldly Prosperity do many catch a fall into eternal Misery But now an Eye stedfastly fixed upon the recompence of the Reward that prevents all this Danger enabling a Man to count all things but as loss and dung for the excellency that he sees by Faith to be in Heavens Glory Such is the force of Faith when vigourously exercised about this glorious Reward that it can put bitterness into all that the World counts most sweet and draw a veil of contempt over all the Pageantry of secular enjoyments disgracing them with every believing Soul into Vanity A Man long gazing upon the Sun hath his Eyes so dazled with the Splendour and brightness of it that he cannot discern the Beauty of inferior objects (b) Affectanti caelestia terrena non sapiunt aternis inhianti fastidio sunt transitoria Bern. Thus a Man eying by Faith the Glory and Royalties of this Eternal Reward will afterward find no Form or Comliness or Beauty in any of this World's enjoyments that he should desire them The Earth with all its Jingles must needs be low in our Thoughts when once we look as high as Heaven fixing the Eye of our Faith upon that undefiled Inheritance If God's Kingdom and the Glory thereof be once precious in our Sight and with delight looked after farewell all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them though now they were all transubstantiated into massy Gold yet the Soul is out of Love with them all looking upon them as no better than the serious Trifles of poor carnal Men whose unhappiness it is to have them their Portion in this present Life Excellently to this purpose we find Galeacius the renowned Marquess of Vâ—co bidding defiance to all worldly enjoyments who when offered a vast Sum of Gold upon condition of his Return to Popery makes scorn of that sordid motion saying their Mony perish with them that think all the Gold in the World worth ones Days communion with a precious Christ whom surely he saw by Faith like Stephen standing on the right Hand of God in Glory But I need not go far from my Text for an Instance of this kind we having it given in as the Fruit of Moses his eying the Recompence of the Reward that he esteemed the reproach of Christ Riches greater Riches than the Treasures in Egypt So easily could this holy Man trample upon all the World's Honours Riches Pleasures as nothing worth not worth so much as the reproach of Christ when fixing his Eye upon the Glory to be revealed in him If then Christians you would not love the World get above the World and by Faith live in Heaven (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Hom. 15. â—d pop Antioch Could a Man take a Station in Heaven whatsoever is here below would appear but small in his sight by reason of its distance Thus betwixt heavenly Glory and all earthly enjoyments there is that vast distance that the World 's greatest Comforts will seem but small and almost dwindle away into nothing could you but six the station of your Thoughts upon the pavement of the heavenly Jerusalem Men admire the World's Glory because they never saw a greater as one who had never seen the Sun might well admire a Star But those that by Faith can look within the Vail and take a prospect of Heaven's Glory can never be much taken with the small glimmering Stars of Creature-enjoyments The best way here to avoid stumbling Stones is to look down upon the Earth But if we would not have the World prove a stumbling Stone to us throwing us headlong into destruction we must always walk with our Faces as high as Heaven He that walks continually with Glory in his Eye will be sure to keep the World under his Feet not suffering any worldly enjoyments through his inordinate Love of them to block up his Way to Heaven 5 A due respect had to this glorious Reward will be Life in Duty making you chearful spontaneous always abounding in the work of the Lord. Those may well be out of Heart in Duty who are out of all hope to receive the Reward of Duty But Faith eying the Reward of Eternal Glory must needs be like Wings to the Bird like Oyl to the Chariot wheels of the Soul making a Man diligent and lively in all holy exercises A Prospect of Sion's Glory it 's the whetstone of endeavour it 's an holy bribe put into the Souls Hand to make her serve the Lord with chearfulness delighting greatly in his Commandments (d) Psal 112.1 God's People are never more light-hearted in his service than when that far more exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory is in their Eye There
a Land all whose Rivers run heavenly Nectar and all whose Trees are ever laden with the sweet delicious Grapes of Paradise (o) Si tanta nobis tribuis in careere quid dabis in patria Aug. de civit Dei If here in the Land of your Pilgrimage so much of Heavens Glory be revealed to you what Tongue of Man or Angel can tell the Happiness the Glory to be revealed in you when at home in your own Country The Crown of Life if now so bright and orient to an Eye of Faith beholding it Oh then what a far more excâ—â—ding and Eternal Weight os Glory will be found in it when a glorious Christ shall set it upon your Head with his own remunerative Hands 12 AND lastly a due respect had to this glorious Reward will bring you safe to it never leaving you till your Souls be crowned with fulness of Glory The Loadstone will draw Iron to itself when intra Spheram activitatis suae within the reach of its own attractive influence Thus the Reward of Eternal Life as an heavenly Loadstone hath that magnetick Virtue in it that if you put yourselves by a due respect had thereto under it it will draw you home to itself The wise Men keeping their Eye upon the Star which went before them were at length brought to Christ Thus keeping your Eye Christians upon this Eternal Reward as a glorious Star it will bring you at length to Christ in Glory whom fully to enjoy is our Life our Comfort our Happiness yea the Heaven of Heavens 'T is true Christians we must be uncloathed of this Body of Death before we can enter into the Joy of our Lord and be cloathed upon with the white Robes of Blessed Immortality Death must break down the Prison Walls of a Mortal Body before our Souls can ever come to the glorious Liberty of God's Children (a) 2 Cor. 5.1 Till our earthly Tabernacle be dissolved there is no having of a Building of God an House not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens And why should we not be willing that God should pull down these Cottages of Clay who hath promised to raise us up a more glorious Temple The Loadstone cannot draw Iron as some say whilst the Diamond is in Presence Doubtless were it not for a Body of Death that is still present with us an Eye fixed upon Heaven's Glory would immediately draw us into Heaven For besides the interposition of an earthly gross Body together with those corruptions whose Foundation is in that Dust there is nothing as one well observes that hinders a Christian from the full enjoyment of God in Glory So that Death's peculiar Office is to break down this Wall of separation that the Soul may the better come to her God her beloved Redeemer her Eternal Habitation in the Kingdom of Heaven The Soul when once loosed from this dying Body then she hath the Crown of Life set upon her Head then she sees God no longer through a Glass darkly but Face to Face then she is ravished with the unconceivable sweetness of the beatifical Vision (b) Mori plane timeat sed qui ex aqua spiritu non renatus Gehennae ignibus mancipatur mori timeat qui non Christi cruce passione censetur mori timeat qui ad secundam mortem de hac morte transibit quem de seculo recedentem perennibus poenis aeterna torquebit flamma Cyp. de Mortalit pag. 344. Let those therefore tremble at the knocking and approaches of Death who know not what will become of their immortal Souls who not being born again from above are every moment liable to infernal Flames who have no interest in the Glory purchased by Christ who must pass from Death to Death from short momentany Pleasures to everlasting hellish Torments Death to the Wicked is the Trap-door that opening lets them fall down irrecoverably into the dark vault of Eternal Misery But to the Gracious Soul there is no cause of Terrour in Death no Fear in the Grave no Sting to perplex in a bodily dissolution as that which only ushers in her everlastingly Blessed and Glorious Coronation Death comes to a Man dying the recompence of Reward like Moses to the Israelites to deliver him as the Angel to Peter in Prison to set him free as God's fiery Chariot to carry him like Elias into heavenly Glory And are you Christians afraid of entring upon your own Blessedness are you afraid to be cloathed upon with your House from Heaven Get a right notion of Death which as Bernard calls it is nothing but the Gate of Life the Portal of eternal security Though Death look upon thee with a grim Countenance yet it comes upon a good errand to God's People to fetch them out of their Wilderness-condition and to bring them to an everlasting estate of Happiness By Death we go from Earth to Heaven from conversing with Sinful Men to converse with Millions of glorious Angels and what makes us so loath to remove Who would not leave a Cottage to gain a Kingdom Who would not leave an Egypt to inherit Canaan Who would not leave gladly an oppressive Babylon to be made a Citizen of Sion of the heavenly Jerusalem OUR greatest Misery lies not in Death but in Life 'T is the Veil of Flesh that keeps us from entring into the holiest of all c Death gives us a pasport from corruptible Joys to an incorruptible Crown from a Mortal Life to a Life of blessed Immortality from a troublesome condition to a State of perfect tranquillity So that the name of Death should not offend us But the Happiness and Glory to which it leads should delight us The Moon never comes to the full til after her change Thus through the change of Death a Christian comes to all fulness of Joy and hath the white Robes of Glory given him Now the Bridegroom comes to meet the Soul in Happiness now all Tears are wiped away and Heaven Gates are set wide open to give her everlasting glorious entertainment Now the Reward of life everlasting now the Joy of Eternal Salvation now the full possession of the heavenly Paradise comes Now heavenly Mansions instead of earthly Tabernacles now greatest Glory instead of small and Eternal Happiness instead of poor temporal enjoyments are bestowed upon every Child of God What Man that is well in his Wits woâ—ld not part with Life and bid Death welcome upon terms of such everlasting blessed and glorious advantage (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad pop Ant. hom 7. Death in the true notion (c) Mors haec transitus universorum est transitur à corruptione ad incorruptionem à mortalitate ad immortalitatem à perturbatione ad tranquillitatem Non igitur nomen mortis te offendat sed boni transitûs beneficia delectent Ambros lib. de Bono mort cap. 4. Proemium vitae gaudium salutis aeternae perpetua laetitia possessio Paradisi
Eternal Reward that God sets before us Heart Purity with a Life of practical Godliness that 's the Regia Via the King of Heaven's High-way which leads to Glory So that whoever hath a due respect to heavenly Glory desiring that as the Reward of all his Labours can no more make liâ—ht Performances than a Man who desires Life can sâ—t Light by Food and Raiment with such like Comforts that are as Oyl to feed that Lamp ¶ Scientia id praestat ut quomodo et quo perveniendum sit noverimus virtus ut perveniamus Alterum sine altero nihil valet ex scientia enim virtus ex virtuâ—e Summum Bonum nascitur Lact. Instit lib. 3. câ—p 12. p. 271. As there is no possibility of arriving at Heaven without Knowledge of the way So neither is it possible that we should ever come to Heaven the way being known without walking therein 'T is not the Jacob's Staff of Speculation but the Jacob's Ladder of a Godly Conversation by which we must Climb the Tree of Life The School-men have large Disputes pro and con about the Nature of Divinity Whether it consist more in Speculation or in Practise Aquinas makes Theologiam Speculativam and Scotus will have it Practicam but indeed 't is the Complication of both these that makes a good Christian whose Gospel Light must be Animated with a Gospel Life and all whose Knowledge must Expatiate into Obedience These things if you know saith the Lord of Life happy are ye if you do them John 13.17 Knowledge may be our Pilot to guide us in our course but Practise is the Ship in which we must Sail to the Shore of eternal Soul-satisfying Happiness Hence the Apostle James 1.25 pronounces the Practical Hearer Blessed though not for his Deed yet in his Deed clearly making Practise the Evidence thô not the Ground of our Happiness the Way that leads to a Crown of Life though not the Price whereby we should think to purchase it As God is a plentiful Rewarder of those that diligently seek him so he will be sought before ever the reward of eternal Glory can be had Having therefore our Eyes upon the Star of True Happiness let us keep our Hands to the Helm of Practical Holiness [†] Qui vult sapiens ac beatus esse audiat Dei vocem discat justitiam humana contemnat divina suscipiat ut Summum illud Bonum ad quod natus est possit adipisci Lact. He that would be Blessed desiring to be Wise to Salvation let him hear the Voice of God let him work Righteousness let him despise humane Vanities let him enterprize divine Offices that he may come at length to the full Enjoyment of that Chiefest Good for which he came into the World We must quit ourselves like Men on Earth or never look to be made glorious like the Angels in Heaven True Happiness is a rich Jewel Lockt up in the Cabinet of Heaven in the Kingdom of God Holiness must turn the Key or the Door of Blessedness the Gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem will never open to us Keep we therefore our Eyes upon Heaven's Glory and then forbear we to do the Work of God upon Earth if we can It 's hope of Gain that makes the diligent Tradesman be up so early and so patient to endure hardship How much more should the Hope of gaining not Earth but Heaven not those Riches which perish in the using but the Riches of eternal Glory make us labour to be Holy Oh let Carking for this World be expelled with our Care for Heaven Let this eat up our Hearts with desire to have the Injoyment of that glorious Inheritance 'T is Fabled of Leobis and Biton that their Father having been imploring the greatest Blessing from the Gods upon these his Two Sons the next morning they were found both Dead in their Beds The greatest Blessing that can befall a Child of God is to dye in the Lord bidding Adieu to this vale of Tears and so entring upon his Master's Joy The Happiness of God's People doth indeed dawn in this Life in the Beauties of Holiness from the womb of the Morning but the Noon-tide of their Happiness the Meridian Light of Glory doth never shine forth upon them till they come to Heaven Most of a Christian's Drink in this Life is Oxymel Heaven alone puts that pure Cup of Consolation into his hand wherein there is no sour Ingredients True Blessedness grows indeed upon the Tree of Godliness which hath indeed some Bloomings and Buds of Comfort here but it comes not to it 's full growth till another Life This World is too Cold a Climate to bring it to Ripeness it must first be transplanted into the heavenly Canaan and have the Sun of Righteousness shining upon it in full strength before the blessed Fruit of this Tree will ever be brought to it's full Maturity So that a Christian doth not Wither when plucked up of Death as it were by the Roots but he changes the place of his growth leaving the Wilderness to be Planted in Canaan where the Fruit of Holiness is now Crowned with Life everlasting COME ¶ Veniant qui esuriunt ut coelesti cibo saturati sempiternam famem ponant Veniant qui sitiunt ut aquam salutarem de perenni Coelestique Fonte plenissimis faucibus trahant Hoc cibatu atque potu Dei et coeci videbunt et surdi audient muti Loquentur claudi ambulabunt stulti sapient aegroti valebunt mortui revivescent Lact. de vit Beat cap. 27. pag. 732. Edit Gal. then come all ye that Hunger that being satisfy'd with this heavenly Food ye may lay aside your Hunger for ever This Meat and Drink which God hath provided in Heaven is of that Sovereign Virtue that it both makes the Blind to See and the Deaf to Hear and the Lame to Leap for Joy and the Foolish to know Understanding and the Sick it restores to Health and the Dead it makes to Live a life of endless Glory Tully would have a Prince fed with Honour and drawn to Heroick Atchievements by the desire of Glory and Renown And I â—â—kewise would have God's People to live upon the Glory to come as that which will draw them to walk worthy of God who hath called them out of Darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son Can any Man that sees Heaven and knows what it is to be with the Lord for ever go on in a course of sensual brutish living not regarding to prepare himself for the Glory to be revealed in him So sweet is the Pleasure of that eternal Light that if we should enjoy the same no more than one short hour yet for this one hour's Happiness we ought and that deservedly to despise all the Delights and Pleasures that the universal confluence of Worldly enjoyments could afford us TELL me then if God's People be not well advised to study Holiness Tell me
't was not any Momentary Pleasure lasting only for a Season but it was Fulness of Joy in God's presence it was perfect freedom from Sin it was Grace glorified it was the Beatifical Vision of God in Heaven together with those Soul-satisfying Pleasures that are at his right hand for evermore to which in all his obedience we find Moses so stedfastly looking SO then from the practise of Moses the Man of God thus fixing his eye in all his obedience upon the recompence of Reward and encouraging himself therewith chearfully to bear the Cross of Christ to Mortification Self-denyal and the like wholsome severities of Religion you may observe with me this point of DOCTRINE That God's People for their better encouragement to all holy self-denying and obediential walking before him they may lawfully have Respect to the Recompence of the Reward WHILST we are denying our selves running the way of God's Commandments and doing the work which he hath given us to finish here on Earth 't is no Soloecism at all in Christianity for us to have our eye stedfastly fixed upon that eternally glorious Reward which the Lord hath laid up with himself for us in the Kingdom of Heaven We may lawfully walking with God all our life be encouraged against whatever Difficulties and Persecutions we meet with in Heaven's way to think how incorruptible the Crown is how glorious the Kingdom how unspeakable the Joy how secure the Rest how endless the Pleasures how undefiled the Inheritance how full uninterruptible and everlastingly satisfying the Communion with God over all blessed for ever is whereof we shall take Possession in the hour of death HOLY Daniel when praying in the Land of his Captivity he opened his Window and set his face towards Jerusalem Thus when Praying when Repenting when Suffering and Dying for Christ we may lawfully open the Eye of Faith and set our faces towards the heavenly Jerusalem towards the promised Canaan towards the Temple of God in Zion the place of our eternally blessed and glorious Rest 'T IS a bold attempt for Men to make restrictions where God himself hath made none for Men to say we must not when God himself saith we may in all our obedience have an eye to the recompense of Reward to the full enjoyment of him in Glory THE example of Moses in this place doth evince beyond all exception that some respect may lawfully be had to the recompence of the Reward at least by way of motive and encouragement to stir us up and to quicken us both in doing and suffering for the God of Heaven For this you see is given in as one special reason Why he refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter Why he chose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season And why he esteemed the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Aegypt even because he had a respect to the Recompence of the Reward esteeming of all the Riches Honours Pleasures and Enjoyments of this World as not worthy to be compared with the Glory that was to be revealed in him AND if Moses might thus incourage himself to indure hardship as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ by having an eye fixed upon the recompence of Reward upon Glory Honour and Immortality why should it not be lawful for Christians to do the same How can that be unlawful in Christians which the Holy Ghost hath left upon eternal record as a matter of high commendation in him Let us not think that the Lord will condemn us for looking at that in our Obedience for which he hath so highly commended his Servant Moses That which was imputed to him for a Virtue will never be imputed to us for a Crime But we also as well as he may for our better encouragement in all the ways of obedience have respect to the recompence of reward to that far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory The Husbandman can cheerfully undergo the Labour and Charges of Seed-time though many times very great when his eye is fixed upon the Harvest Thus to make us chearful in sowing to the Spirit we may lawfully have an eye to the great Harvest when every one that now soweth Righteousness shall be sure to Reap a full Crop of Eternal Glory Gal. 6.8.9 CHAP. II. The Method laid down with two introductory Propositions for the better understanding of the Doctrin IN the prosecution of this Heavenly Truth having first premised something by way of Introduction I purpose annuente Deo to observe this Method I. I shall shew you What it is to have respect to the Recompence of the Reward II. I shall endeavour to let you understand How you are to have Respect to the Recompence of Reward III. I shall give you Some Scripture Reasons proving that you may have respect to the recompence of reward IV. AND lastly I shall help you to improve this Truth by way of Use and Application that so it may not be Unprofitable but every way Advantageous to your Souls BEFORE I come to these things you must give me leave to premise something as was hinted by way of introduction which I shall wholly comprize in these two particulars 1. THAT we are bound to serve the Lord and to walk in all dutiful obedience before him though there were no Heaven no Glory nor reward of Eternal Life to be expected from him The obligation of our obedience to the Lord Jehovah ariseth not so much from the promise of Eternal Life annexed to the Commandment as from the authority of God's Commanding INDEED when-ever God sweetens his Precepts with Promises crowning our Temporal Obedience with an Eternally Glorious Recompence this lays us under a stronger engagement But yet if you separate betwixt the Precept and the Promise if you take away the Reward of Eternal Life yet all this will not dissolve nor nullify that obligation of Obedience to God that lies upon us For impossible it is and utterly repugnant to the quality of Rational Creatures as we are not to be subject to the will of our Creator and indebted in all possible Obedience to him that made us SUCH is the transcendent Excellency of God that in himself he is infinitely worthy of all our Services and such is the Sovereignty of God over us that though we should serve him ten thousand years together in the most holy seraphick and heavenly manner that ever Saint or Angel did yet after all this he might annihilate us and yet do us no wrong WHATSOEVER we are whatsoever we have whatsoever we are able to do in this world the Lord hath more interest in it than we have our selves and therefore we owe our selves we owe our enjoyments and services to him so that he may justly require them at our hands upon any terms and we are bound to surrender them though he should never vouchsafe us the least recompence of Reward for so doing
length you may attain to the full injoyment of God in Glory Here also I confess the Truth meets with some Adversaries who do tell us That to make Heaven the end of our Duties seeking in all our Obedience our own Happiness our own Glory our own Salvation is Mercenary and utterly inconsistent with the free Spirit of a Christian But the truth is if we consult holy Scripture we shall find this Practice so far from being Mercenary and inconsistent with the free Spirit of a Christian that he is unworthy the Name of a Christian who in all his Obedience and Performances is not found so doing For if Christ himself hath Commanded us That we should seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof in the first place That we should lay up for our selves a Treasure in Heaven not labouring for the Meats that Perish but for the Meat which shall endure to eternal Life How can we then count that Man a Christian who despising the Authority of Christ cares for none of these things but carelesly goes on in a way of Duty as if Heaven and Glory were not worth the looking after YOU may Believe it Sirs the main Errand upon which God sent you into the World was to work out not only his Glory but your own Salvation with fear and trembling And let me tell you so inseparably is the Glory of God and your own Salvation joined together that you never Dishonour God more than when Salvation-work is neglected by you and you begin to be unmindful of your own Happiness GOD's Glory I must confess must be the Ultimate and Highest End of all our Obedience as will farther be shewed you But yet this hinders not but that in all our Obedience we may design our own Happiness making the eternal Salvation of our immortal Souls the great End next unto God's Glory of our Lives For Subordinata non Pugnant is a sure Maxim We do never Oppose God's Glory when we only make Heaven our End and seek the Salvation of our own Souls with a due Respect had unto his Glory THERE is indeed a Two-fold End Fine Operis Finis Operantis the End of the Work and the End of him that Worketh And though in some cases they are diverse if not contrary to one another yet in the Case now spoken of they are co incident and both of them materially the same thing (l) Nam quis alius noster est finis nisi pervenire ad regnum cujus nullus est finis August de Civit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 70. For not only doth the Scripture make Salvation the end of Faith and Obedience but also of Christians themselves Believing and Obeying the Lord when it teaches them to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling 1. Pet. 1.9 Phil. 2.12 BE not therefore such enemies to your own Souls as to neglect that Happiness which God in all your Obedience would have you to look after but now see that you make Heaven and eternal Glory the great end of your Life Whilst others are designing to make themselves Rich and Great and Honourable in the World Oh! let it be the grand design of your Souls to surprize Heaven and to take by an Holy Violence the Kingdom of God Mat. 11.12 IF Christians you would make again of Godliness be sure then that by all holy and godly Conversation you gain for yourselves in Heaven a Crown of Life Rest not satisfied with the low and beggarly injoyments of this World but now see that you set your Affections on things above endeavouring to lay hold on eternal Life Your present life is a flitting shadow a vanishing bubble a day which though never so pleasant must yet have the dark Curtains of death drawn over it and cannot be long but the life which is to come is a leaf never fading a light ever shining and such a day as shall know no evening Tell me then which is most rational to seek after that life and those Pleasures which are lost almost as soon as found or after that Life and those unfadable Pleasures which being once found can never be lost nor taken away from us Luke 10.42 (k) Praeferantur vera falsis aeterna brevibus utilia jucundis Lactant. de vero Cult c. 21. p. 123. LEARN now to prefer true Happiness before deceitful Riches eternal Comforts before short injoyments and those things that will prove everlastingly advantageous to your Souls before the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a Season God doth not grudge that you would seek your selves in his Service only he would have you to seek after your selves not in the Meat that perisheth but in the Meat which shall endure to eternal Life John 6.27 There is a kind of holy Ambition which our Blessed Lord hath not only allowed but also exhorted us to and that is that we should aim at and seek after a Kingdom Not an earthly Kingdom from which we may soon fall but an Heavenly Kingdom which connot be shaken wherein we shall reign with Christ for ever and ever Revel 22.5 Here then is a whet-stone to diligence and matter for our ambitious thoughts with warrant to be working upon Earthly Princes if under pretence of serving them you seek to possess your selves of their Crowns and Kingdoms will deal with you as Traytors but the King of eternal Glory he is never better pleased with you than when in serving him you aim at a Crown of Life indeavouring to get Possession of the Kingdom of Heaven For then you have respect indeed to the Recompence of the Reward when by patient continuance in well-doing you seek for Glory Honour and Immortality and therefore you need not to doubt but God will shortly render unto you eternal Life Rom. 2. (l) Nullus labor durus nullum tempus longum quo aeternitatis gloria comparatur THINK we therefore no Labour too much no time too long for the gaining of eternal Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven If upon uncertain hopes of a fading Kingdom whose foundation is in the dust Men will take such pains laying all at stake and hazarding not only Liberty but Life it self What should we do then but contemn the World run the hazard of greatest Sufferings and move chearfully forward in all the ways of Obedience towards the Crown of eternal Life towards a Kingdom that cannot be moved towards a City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God For (m) Quisquis corruptelas terrae virtute calcaverit arbiter iâ—â—o summus et verax ad lucem vitam quae perpetuam suscitabet Lact. de vit Beat. ad finem who ever contemning the corruptible Enjoyments of this Life shall aspire in the ways of Obedience after Heavenly Glory why God the Righteous Judge of all the World will make such an one meet to be a partaker of the Inheritance of Saints in light and will honour him at length with a Crown of Eternal
us to and that will make it something clearer that we may lawfully have respect in our obedience to the recompence of the reward Think not that by sending you to Nature I go about to make void the Grace of God for though they both spring from the same Fountain of Love and Unity so that there are no Principles of discord betwixt them yet Nature is but the Handmaid Grace is the Mistress Nature teacheth you to consult your own Happiness but it 's Grace alone that can put you in the right way and at the end Crown you with it Men by nature are all of themselves in equal circumstances in order to eternal Happiness they may desire it but are all of them equally distant from it till God himself makes the difference according to his own Decrees which are all of them eternal and unconditionate However God hath left this natural desire of Happiness in us as a stock whereupon to graft the Plant of Grace Nature indeed could never make us happy without Grace and yet Grace presupposes Nature as that which affords it matter to work upon so that whilst by Nature we desire our own Happiness Grace doth not pluck up this desire as an unsavoury Weed but doth manure and cherish it and perfect it by putting us in the right way that leads to eternal Happiness What shall we then think of those that deny us the liberty of consulting our own Welfare would they have us banished from our own essence and walk Antipodes to the Law of Nature Judge in your selves is it comely for a Man to go about to blot out the Law of Self-preservation which God hath engraven upon every Being as with the point of a Diamond Doth not Nature itself teach you what a shame it is for a Man to be careless of his own Salvation never labouring to promote the welfare of his own Being If the Law of Nature teach us to consult our own Happiness to be sure the God of Nature for obeying her in that innocent dictate seeking Life and Eternal Glory in all that we do will never condemn us 9. WE may lawfully have respect to the recompence of the reward in our obedience because otherwise we should neglect our great end of our Lives which is to seek after the Happiness and Eternal Welfare of our own Souls The main care of every Man in this World should be as to glorifie God so to save his own Soul Our Souls are a sacred Depositum wherewith the Lord hath entrusted us and therefore he allows us not to be prodigal of their Welfare but expects that like faithful Depositaries we should give all diligence to keep them that no Man may take their Crown Christians should not be like the Married Woman who careth for the things of the World how she may please her Husband * 1 Cor. 7.34 But like the Chast Virgin they should care for the things of the Lord that being Holy both in Body and in Spirit they may save their Souls That which is the grand mark for the hitting whereof we should bend and direct all our endeavours that which is the Centre towards which we should always be moving is the Eternal Salvation of our Immortal Souls which above all things we should give diligence to Land safe at the Peaceful Haven of undisturbed rest and endless felicity †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Laert. in ejus vita I have read of Anaxagoras the Philosopher that being asked for what end he was Born answered To contemplate the Heavens and behold the Sun but the true end for which we were Born into the World is this that we may glorifie God and enjoy him for ever to the saving of our Souls God never sent us into the World with a design to make us Cosmopolites that should negotiate for nothing save the perishable Enjoyments of this present Life but the great thing which the Lord hath given us in charge is to have our Conversation in Heaven laying up for our selves a Treasure there * John 6.27 Labour we must all so long as we are cloathed with Mortality yet not for the Meat that perisheth but for the Meat which will endure to everlasting Life In this World we have no continuing City the Lord would therefore have us seek for one to come * Heb. 11.10 for a Kingdom that cannot be moved for a City that hath Foâ—ndations whose Builder and Maker is God The Lord hath sent us into the World as into his own ¶ Phil. 2.12 Vineyard and the great employment he hath set us about is to work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling Though using moderation we may consult the Welfare of our Bodies yet our great care must be to promote the Happiness of our precious Souls that when these earthly Tabernacles of our Bodies fail us we may be received into everlasting Habitations That which will infallibly be the end of a Christians Faith should designedly be the end of every Man's Life even the Eternal Salvation of his own Soul God will have our care proportionate to the worth and dignity of that object about which it is conversant Since therefore our Souls are as so many Orient Jewels of unvaluable worth good reason there is that our most â—â—incipal and sovereign care should be to provide for them that they may be eternally Blessed shining like the Sun in the Firmament of Heaven for ever with the bright reflexions of God's Benign Aspect and Glory upon them What I find spoken by Solomon in Wisdom's commendation may very well be †Pâ—o 3 15. accommodated to a rational Soul She is more precious than Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her THE * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar Homil. 46. Soul is the Glory of the whole Creation 't is the Quintessence of a rational Creature 't is an incarnate Angel ruling as Empress in the midst of Man who is the Microcosm the Epitome the compendious Abridgment of all the World The Body of Man is compounded of gross Materials 't is come of an earthly Extraction but now his Soul it s an Heaven-born Creature 't is the Off-spring of God himself as coming down from that Father of Spirits The Body is nothing but a piece of well refined Mud 't is an earthly Tabernacle raised out of the Dust for the Soul to dwell in but the Soul is of a more Noble and Divine Original 't is the sweet and delicious Breath of a Deity derived into the Body by Divine Inspiration from God himself THERE is that Beauty Comeliness and choice Embroidery to be seen upon the Body of Man which doth sufficiently prove it to be more than the mere Workmanship of any finite Creature but upon the Soul there are those signatures of a Deity those heavenly Characters and Divine Lineaments which seem clearly to evince it to be wholly the Workmanship of an Infinite God
enough we have Heaven in our eye and a Crown of Life lies before us What though you have but little in hand yet so long as you have Heaven in hope and a clear prospect of Eternal Glory in your eye why should you not be content and sit down satisfied Whatever Christians your conditions be in this present Life yet you may say with holy David considering that glorious recompence of Reward which God allows you to have an eye to in Heaven's way the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly Inheritance If as Solomon saith it be such a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the Sun and that which would give them content if with any thing they could be satisfied how much more should you count it pleasant to behold by the Eye of Faith the Sun of Righteousness to behold an eternal Reward of Glory giving diligence to sit down satisfied with so blessed a sight The poor weather beaten Sea-man how well satisfied is he though yet tossed with Storms and impetuous Tempests when once he discovers Land and comes within â—en of the Harbour And will not you Christians labour to be content when whatever Troubles abide you whatever pelting Storms you are tossed with upon the boysterous Sea of this ungrateful World yet still you may discover the Land of Promise and are always within ken of Heaven that wished Harbour of eternally blessed and glorious Rest That which learned St. Paul the great mystery of contentation enabling him to sit down as well satisfied in every condition was his stedfast fixed beholding of eternal Glory Paul though sadly troubled and perplexed and always delivered unto Death for Jesus sake yet he murmures not but is well content with all this as having fixed the Eye of his Faith not upon Earth but Heaven * 2 Cor. 4.17 not upon things that are seen but upon an eternal weight of unseen Glory And why is it that we having the same Reward set before us and the same Crown of eternal Glory to fix our eyes upon cannot learn of that blessed Man in every condition therewith to be content Oh take heed Christians that you murmure no longer against Heaven but strive that having stedfastly fixed your eye upon heavenly Glory you may well be satisfied in every condition not only when God gives but also when he taketh not only when we receive good from the Hand of the Lord but also when we receive evil not only when you abound with Blessings but with Crosses too not only when you enjoy all things but when you are stript of all Oh Christians how welcome should every thing be where nothing is deserved If we look at our own deserts we may wonder rather at what we have than repine against God for what we want If we want something 't is a Mercy that we want not all If we lie in a Prison 't is a favour that we are not shut up in Hell amongst damned Spirits If we have not so much in hand as many yet here is a miracle of Mercy to satisfie us that we have as much in hope as heart can wish This consideration then Christians like Hagar's Well may make us refrain our weeping and sit down content when our Bottles are empty Though here we should be stript naked yet hereafter we shall be cloathed with the Garments of Salvation Though here we should wander up and down in hunger seeking our Bread from desolate Places yet hereafter we shall feed with delight upon the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God Though here we sit in Darkness and have no Light yet this should make us content in every such disconsolate condition that hereafter we shall partake of the Inheritance of Saints in Light where we shall have a bright Sun-shine of eternal Glory 4 Walk humbly acknowledging your own unworthiness that ever God should give you the encouragement of so glorious a reward When the Lord for your better encouragement to all holy Self-denying and upright walking before himself allows you to look up to Heaven you have then cause if ever to walk humbly and be abased as low as Earth Where the guilt is great and the receiver as in this case altogether unworthy the most sutable return that can be is Humility and self-abasement God's People should never lie lower in Humility than when he raiseth them highest in their Hopes and full assurance of Eternal Glory (a) 2 Sam. 7.18 Thus holy David when God had spoken of establishing his Throne and Kingdom for ever he now as admiring the wonderful condescention of God in his preferment confesseth his own unworthiness saying who am I oh Lord God and what is my House that thou hast brought me hitherto Well! The Lord hath spoken to us of an everlasting Kingdom assuring us of that in the end as the reward of all our labours and shall not this teach us all humility causing every one to acknowledg his own unworthiness of so great Mercy (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. Praecept Coning The Moon doth never shine less than in her nearest approaches to the Sun from whom she borrows her light Thus Christians we should never think our selves to shine less than when God causeth us to approach nearest to himself in the tenders of Heaven and Glory which his Goodness affords us They that know not these Treasures of Love and Sweetness may admire themselves and have big-swelling thoughts of their own Worthiness But let those amongst you that are come to have a prospect of Heavenly Glory fixing their Eye upon an object of the first magnitude be vile in their own apprehensions losing themselves in the fulness of God's free Grace and remunerative Goodness There is nothing that should more humble us than to think how highly the great God is about to exalt us Nor any thing that should more debase us than to consider how Glorious the Lord promises at length to make us We should see our own Poverty in the Riches of God's Bounty to us And be ashamed of our own drop when he makes us thus lanch forth in the fathomless Ocean of his own remunerative Goodness The Stars vanish when the Sun appears and so the small Candle of our own worth should presently disappear and be put out under an everlasting extinguisher when once the Glory of Heaven ariseth in our thoughts (c) 1 King 19.13 Elijah wrapt his face in a Mantle when the Glory of the Lord passed before him Thus when God gives us a prospect of Heaven causing all his Glory for our better encouragement in a way of Duty to pass before us 't is time that we should now wrap our selves in the Mantle of true Humility The greatness of God's Mercy in giving us a sight of Heavenly Glory should make us if any thing can to be little in our own Eyes 'T is then most easy to see our own pollution and vileness when God takes us up
have Heaven with all the Glory and royalties thereof continually in our Eye before us Can any Man having fixed his Eyes upon and expecting an Eternal reward of Glory in Heaven indulge himself in the dead and powerless performance of holy duties not â—â—bouring to be carried on in the Work of the Lord with a mighty violence and holy activity of Spirit That Man is certainly unworthy the Glory of Heaven who thinks it not well worth his utmost diligence and labour of Love on Earth (a) Non enim dormientibus provenit regnum coelorum sed in Dei mandatis laborantibus Leo Serm. 2. de Epiphan pag. 25. The Kingdom of Heaven is prepared not for loyterers but for labourers Not for those that stand idle all the Day in Gods Vineyard but for those that make hast to run the Way of his Commandments * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. This Kingdom though not meritable by the endeavours of any mortal but the free gift of God yet is never to be taken but by an holy Storm Nor must any Man ever think to come there that is not willing to gain it in the sweat of his brows How then should this fill our Hearts with great thoughts and our Hands with all opportunities sending us forth to meet all advantages and engaging us to use all possible diligence in Heavens way And can you be content to lose Heaven rather than Labour for it To be shut our of the Paradise of God for ever rather than force your selves into it by an holy violence through the strait Gate Can you do too much for a Crown of Glory or expend more strength in the service of God than what the recompence of reward will make amends for Oh believe it Christians you can never put your time your strength your diligence to better usury than by laying forth all in the service of God! There is not a prayer not a sigh not a tear not the least struggle of the Spirit against the Flesh herein that shall ever be lost (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Epist ad Polyc. But as your diligence for Christ doth abound in the work of the Lord so the reward of Eternal Life by Christ shall much more abound unto you Your weak â—â—â—eavours shall be crowned with strong consolationâ— For your temporal obedience on earth you shall receive the recompence of Eternal Glory in Heaven And for your labour of love here you shall rest for ever hereafter in the sweet and delicious embraces of your best beloved the dear Lord Jesus whom to see without end will be endless happiness Oh then what diligence in the service of God what labour in the work of the Lord what exactness in all our Duties can be sufficient for that God who hath prepared such transcendently glorious and Soul-raping felicity for those that faithfully serve him Hast thou Christian such a Crown and yet run no faster Hast thou such an eternal Triumph and yet fight the Battels of the Lord with no more courage and activity Hast thou such a blessed and transcendently glorious Reward and yet no more diligent zealous and abounding in the Work of the Lord Oh take a prospect by the Eye of Faith of the Land of Promise view the Glory observe the royalties take notice of the many choyce immunities of that Heavenly Canaan let the recompence of Eternal Life be always in your Eye and then forbear to be fervent in spirit when serving the Lord if you can Their labour their Zeal their diligence for God should never be small to whom he vouchsafes a prospect of so transcendently great and glorious a Reward The endeavours of a Christian for God should always bear some proportion with what encouragements he receives from God Having therefore so clear a sight of what God hath layd up for us with himself in Heaven we should never think we can do enough for God on earth So long as God holds out a Crown of Glory we should never withhold our labour our pains our diligence in a way of duty Thou art unworthy Christian the least glympse of Heavens happiness if such a sight do not presently transform thee into 〈◊〉 incarnate Seraphim making thee burn with Heavenly Zeal in the service of God like Coles of Juniper as willing to undergo the greatest labour for so glorious a recompence Let us therefore with all intention of mind with all vigour of Soul with all due preparation of Heart run the way of God's Commandments remembring it is all for the life of our own Souls and that the recompence of Eternal Glory is still before us as the reward of all our Christian endeavours 7 WALK Heavenly-mindedly not loving the World nor the things of the World but wholy setting your Hearts upon things above In this case if any where your Eye should affect your Hearts so that the sight which God affords you of an eternal Reward in Heaven may attract and draw up your affections thither wholly divorcing them from the Love of all Creature-enjoyments The Lapwing is made an Emblem of infelicity by some because having a little Coronet upon her head she yet feeds upon the worst of excrements Well you that have a Crown of Glory though not already upon your head yet in your Eye take heed that you be not such Enemies to your own Happiness as to feed with delight upon the sordid enjoyments of this present World Themistocles that gallant Athenian Captain bid his Friend take up those Bracelets which he espied on the ground for saith he thou art not †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. Themist Themistocles implying that it was below a Person of his Place and Renown to be affected with such Vanities So Christians let the Worlds Friends stoop down and embrace her Profits Honours and outward Accomodations it 's below you that have Heaven in your Eye to be taken with them 'T is a thing unbecoming all you whose Reward is laid up in the highest Heavens to stoop so far below your selves as to lay out your affections upon Earth and earthly enjoyments If Alexander would not exercise at the Olympicks as thinking such Pedantick recreations too far below him (i) Nos contemnere malumus quà m continere opes innocentiam magis cupimus magis patientiam flagitamus malumus nos bonos esse quà m prodigos Min. Foel Oct. 118. how much more should a Christian scorn having Heaven and Glory in his Eye to be found like one of the base Fellows eagerly pursuing the lying Vanities of a dunghil World 'T is storiâ—â—â—â—â—one Tigranes that coming to redeem his Father and Friends with his Wife who were all taken Prisoners by Cyrus he was asked in particular what ransom he would give for his Wife To which he readily answered that he would purchase her Liberty with his own Life But prevailing upon easier terms as they returned every one commended Cyrus for a goodly Person and Tigranes would needs know
the Prodigal be feeding upon Husks when there is Bread enough to spare in your Fathers House Will you still be building Tabernacles for your selves on Earth when the Lord shews you such Mansions of Glory prepared in Heaven Foolish Children When such an eternally glorious Reward is held out to you by the Hand of your heavenly Father how can you with any patience behold the World or think it worthy that you should spend so much as one thought upon it You should live Christians in the highest Region of an heavenly Conversation leaving those to scramble for the World that have nothing else to live upon (g) Sua sibi habeant regna reges suas divitias divites suam verò prudentiam prudentes relinquant nobis stultitiam nostram Lact. de Just lib. 5. cap. 12. pag. 493. That of Lactantius was a brave heroick Spirit which if throughly imbibed would make you all say with him let the Kings of the Earth have their Kindoms let â—â—e Rich Men have their Riches and the Prudent of this World let them have their Prudence to themselves so that they will only leave us the folly of seeking by patient continuance in well-doing Glory and Honour and Immortality and Eternal Life Get your Hearts fixed upon your Treasure in Heaven and I dare say it will never grudge you to see the Lord filling the Bellies of the Wicked with his hidden Treasure on Earth It matters not much what they have in hand so long as God allows you to have always an immarcessible Crown of Glory in you to Eye Oh this is the Happiness of Gods People even in this present World that having gotten their Hearts once weaned from earthly Comforts they live in the suburbs of the heavenly Jerusalem When once they leave off to feed with delight upon the Garlick and Onions of Aegypt they shall then sit down under the shadow of Gods dearest Love in Canaan and there find his Fruit sweet to their tast When once they turn away their Eyes from beholding worldly Vanities they may behold with delight the promised reward and have their Eyes continually feasted with the bright entrancing beams of Heavenly Glory (h) Quis non illius vitae desiderio praesentem vitum despierat Quis non illius abundantiae delectamento divitias temporis labentis exhorreat Quis non illius regni dilectione omnia terrena Regna contemnat Fulgent ad Theodor. epist 6. pag. 551. Who then for the desire of such a Life would not despise this present World Who for the delight of that abundance would not even fear the Riches of gliding time Who for the Love of that glorious Kingdom would not contemn as things of no value all earthly Kingdoms Oh believe it Christians you will have Meat to eat which the World knows not of living Heavenly-minded The World can never feast her greatest Favourites with those redundancies of Joy and Comfort which you may expect getting weaned affections to things below and living above Let therefore the Price of earthly Commodities fall and the price of heavenly Commodities rise in your thoughts And tho you be absent from your Treasure in Body yet see that you be always present therewith in Spirit In vain doth God afford you a prospect of Glory on Earth if it prove not a spiritual Load-stone to attract and draw up your Hearts as high as Heaven 8 WALK patiently as well satisfied to suffer and bear the worst of Afflictions that at length you may come to Heaven the best of Rewards Their Hearts may well be established with divine Patience in every condition whose Eyes God allows to be fixed in every Duty upon heavenly Glory And truly the condition of God's People in this present World doth evince the great necessity of Divine Patience to all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus Luther makes it the very definition of a Christian to be a Crucian who denying himself must take up his Cross and follow Christ The Lord Jesus hath two Crowns the one of Thorns the other of Glory They that would enjoy the latter and be crowned with Glory they must first undergo the former and be crowned with Thorns What the Holy Ghost said of Christ that it behoved him to suffer and so to enter into his Glory the very same holds true of all his People (i) Acts. 14.22 who through many afflictions must enter into the Kingdom of God The stones in Solomon's Temple were first hewen and polished and then set up into a stately Building So God's People first they must be hewen and carved by sufferings before they can be fit to build the Temple of God in the heavenly Jerusalem To all the People of God this World is a Wilderness not a Canaan an Egypt not a Paradise a troublesome Sea not an Harbour of Rest The day that is without clouds the light that is without Darkness the Joy that hath no sorrow is reserved for Heaven So then the misery of our present condition may well let us see the necessity of Christian Patience to suffer and wait upon God in it Without Patience every burden will seem too heavy every Cup that our heavenly Father puts into our Hand too bitter and every affliction too long But get Patience and that will lighten every burden have Patience and that will sweeten the bitterest potion lengthen Patience and that will make the time of all your afflictions seem short There is â— passive obedience required of all Christians that they may quietly suffer and 't is patience must help them If we bring evil upon our selves then we should afflict our Souls with Godly Sorrow but if the Lord bring evil upon us then we must exercise Patience both quietly hoping (k) Lam 3.26 and waiting for his salvation Christian Patience is not only a comely Grace making misery it self by a pious deportment under it seem amiable but 't is also a necessary Grace making the very worst of Miseries seem tolerable by framing a Mans mind to his present condition when his condition is not to his mind There are many Men professing the Christian Faith who if deliverance come not at their own Time they presently grow impatient of waiting God's time resolving to trade for it in their own way But were their Hearts established with divine Patience they would never thus precipitate their Mercies nor think that deliverance worth the having which only springs up out of the ruines of Faith and a good Conscience 'T is the nature of Christian Patience to make a Man tenacious of his integrity working in him a strong resolution not to purchase the greatest good with the commission of any the least evil This makes a Man the same in Prison as at Liberty the same in Poverty as when abounding with Riches the same when under reproach persecution and sorest calamities in the World as when the Sun of outward prosperity shone bright upon him Let what Storms will bluster abroad in the