looke vp to the heauens hee beholdeth nothing but a dreadfull darknesse if hee looke downe to the seas he vieweth nothing but the tossing waues if he behold his ship he heares the ioynts thereof cracke very fearfully if he cast his eyes vpon his companions they looke pale and pitifully and in a word there is nothing to be seene but feare and dread on euery side and if it happen that the ship of mans fraile body do saile safely and quietly in the sea of this troublesome world commonly men haue small care of arriuing at the hauen of eternall blisse Those that are in danger of drowning Jonas 1 5. wil cast all into the sea to saue their liues should not we cast all away to saue our soules Shall the feare of drowning in the sea make vs forgo our goods shall not the dread of drowning in hell cause vs to forsake them It is good counsell therfore Aug. in Psa 36. Trample the sea of this world vnder thy feete lest thou be drowned in it Who is he that expecting and hoping for saluation in the life to come would hazard the same for these trifles which hee must needs forgo and how soone or in what maner he knowes not Fie vpon it that all the naturall ornaments of the soule or bodie or all the externall vanities in the world which can be enioyed but a few yeares should cause any Christian man to neglect his soule and the life which can neuer haue an end As for the prophane worldling and secure Atheist I would propound this question to him though his cogitations being carnal he cannot conceit the ioyes of heauen For there is no nation so barbarous but it doth acknowledg there is a God Cic. de leg l. 1. and though he be growne more sottish then the barbarous heathen that he say in his heart there is no God yet let him tell me whether he do not sometimes feare at the remembrance of hell yea though he labor mightily to deface obscure the cogitation thereof would he not giue much that he might be sure to be free from the danger of it yea though he become not onely carnall and brutish For they do beleeue and tremble Iam. 2. but euen worse then the diuels Suppose for the more euident demonstratiō of his folly it were doubtfull whether there were any hell iudgement or torments prepared for the wicked yet what madnesse is it for the loue of these things which are certainly vaine and must certainly be forsaken to be in any possible danger of such intollerable torments And I would faine know of this wretch who doth thus labour to nourish Atheisme that he may securely hoise vp the sailes of vanitie For the wicked perswades himselfe there is no God that he may boldly become abominable Psal 14.1 safely set open the floud gates of iniquitie and without feare or danger haue full scope in the field of impietie what present benefite he hath by his prophanesse and profuse abusing of temporall blessings more then the godly Christian by his religious conuersation and sober vsing of them And what sensible I will not say godly man doth not rather desire to liue like the gracious Emperours Gratianus Vt referunt Eusebius Socrates c. Constantine Theodosius then those gracelesse wretches Caligula Nero and Heliogabalus But leauing the Atheist to his conuersion or confusion let none that feare God and desire heauen suffer themselues by their seruile affections to be made slaues to these base and contemptible things Cypr. A man cannot with one eye behold the earth and with the other at the same time looke vp to the heauens neither can he affect these earthly vanities and withall long after eternall felicitie Chrysost in Iohan. hom 53. in fine He that hath his hands full of siluer must first emptie them before he can catch any gold in them so cannot a man lay hold on heauenly things till he haue let goe the loue of earthly For as in naturall operations the corruption of one must be the generation of another and the diminishing of one the augmentatiō of the other so in spirituall apprehensions the forsaking of one must be the meanes of embracing another you cannot serue God and Mammon Mat. 6.24 First therefore labour good Christian with thy selfe to win and waine thy affections from the loue of this world which I know will be a matter of much difficulty and doth therfore require the greater diligence For Sathan doubtlesse will deale with thee as he did with our Sauiour Mat. 4.8 when he shewed him the kingdomes of the world he shewed him also the glory of them so is it his policie to varnish those vanities which hee meanes to vtter as pictures coursly wrought seeme faire a far off so if thou behold them with a superficiall view they may easily delude thee but come neare and touch them and try them and thou shalt finde they are all meere vanities Some haue thought that at least all the three kinds of goods that is of fortune Philo in lib quid deter potior insul alij the bodie and the minde being conioyned doe produce an absolute felicitie as the Elements combined though not seuerally do make the world but that was their error For albeit in their first frame the bodie with all his members the soule with all her faculties and the earth with all her partes beeing viewed vno actu by the Creator were like the many strings of a sweete and well tuned instrument Gen 1.31 euen all very good Yet since the fall of man they are fallē to such a discord that they can neuer agree together in anie gracious harmony Rom. 8.20.22 til Christ at his second comming doe set them in tune The viewe therefore of their vanitie should cause thee to despise them and to conclude with Salomon Eccl. 12.13 Let vs heare the end of all feare God and keepe his commandements To this purpose haue I penned the first part of this treatise that the same may be a preparatiue to the other following Where thy house is ruinous thou wilt haue care to repaire it and where thy body is ill affected thou wilt take physicke to cure it be not then lesse carefull for thy soule then thou art for these earthly tabernacles So that where thou seest thy self caried forward with the immoderate loue of these vaine delights there apply such medicines as are here prepared for thee to the which if they proue weake in operation thou mayest adde more simples out of the heauenly garden of Gods word but in any case apply them with prayer the onely meanes to make them effectuall CHAP. 1. SECTION 1. A view of the vaine condition of man in respect of the goods of the mind and first of the vnderstanding Eccles 1.2 VAnitie of vanities saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanity If euer there were any man
thousand witnesses that which seemed doubtfull she proceedeth to pronounce sentence Then doth the prodigall child crye out Luk. 15.19 I am not worthie to be called thy sonne Then doth the Prophet censure himselfe and his people thus O Lord righteousnesse doth belong to thee Dan. 9.7 but to vs open shame and confusion of face 5. Lastly sentence being thus pronounced Quò enim cor meum fugeret à corde meo Aug. confes lib. 4. cap. 7. what is to be expected but execution to flie it is not possible a man may escape others but to flie from an euill conscience it is no lesse impossible then for a man to flie froÌ„ his shadow which the faster the bodie flyeth the faster it followeth then will the conscience inflict the punishment Thus when Dauid with diffidence of Gods assistance affiance in his own forces had numbred the people it is said that his heart smote him or scourged him Lo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sa. 24.10 this is the fruite of sinne both to the vniust and to the Saints for in both of them the conscience watcheth accuseth witnesseth condemneth and punisheth but these proceedings of the conscience are to the elect like the Apostles power To edification not to destruction 2. Cor. 13.10 The godly being hereby schooled are sent to Christ Gal. 3.24 whereby peace is spoken to their soules and they are repriued and pardoned the wicked despaire and flie from him and so they are eternally tormented But some man will peraduenture obiect that all the wicked feele not these throbbes because some that haue wholy deuoted themselues to iniquitie and all abhomination do yet liue merily and are not vexed with such stormes of terror or remorse Whereunto I aunswer that many which seem to liue thus merily haue yet many inward gripings Pro. 14.10 when onely The heart knoweth the bitternesse of the soule Caligula that proude Atheist Qui deos tantoperè contemneret Sueton. in vita Cal. cap. 51. who did so scorn the Gods was wont to winke and wrappe the clothes about his head at the least flashes of lightening and at the greater would hide himselfe vnder his bed Did not his conscience terrifie him and tell him that there was a reuenging power But suppose they were alwaies exempted from these terrors as some no doubt are who haue senslesse hearts cauterised consciences 1. Tim. 4.2 yet is their condition no lesse miserable whilest this lethargie of their soules will not suffer them to seeke to the Physitian to be cured Poyson is poyson how plesantly soeuer it be confected and though these men bee led by Sathan Carion Chr. lib. 5. like Baiazeth by Tamberlaine in fetters of gold yet remember that they are speeding to hell Let me then for conclusion of this point propound vnto thee my Christian brother Rom. 6.21 the Apostles question to the Romanes What fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed Consider the fruites of sinne and thou shalt finde them to be nothing but shame and sorrow and horror of conscience besides which if there were no other reason of restraint yet were this sufficient to withdraw any man not senslesse in his sinnes For what a miserable thing is it to be alwaies hanging ouer a dangerous and deepe water by some small bough and what a lamentable case is this to be euer fearefully looking for the dreadfull iudgment and violent fire Heb. 10.27 that shal deuoure the aduersarie Crucifie therefore thy affections with the lusts thereof and hold it not sufficient like the foolish Israelites to make them tributaries Ios 23.13 lest they proue worse then the Cananites not a whippe on thy side and thornes in thine eyes but a sword of sorrow wounding thy sinfull soule Indeuour also to embrace a holy conuersation and that will yeelde thee a quiet and good conscience and a good conscience will be a continuall feast Pro. 15.15 SECT 3. The third steppe of the wicked into hell in this life which is their dolefulll dying THe cuppe that yeeldes bitternesse in the first draught must needes be very bitter in the bottome If the life of a wretched sinner be so full of terror as hath bene shewed how terrible do we thinke his death shall bee Exod. 5. The Israelites were in great slauery in Aegypt but when they were readie to leaue the land their thraldome was much increased and so it fareth with incorrigible sinners in their liues they are Sathans slaues and their consciences are subiect to the scourges of remorse but at their death their miserie is augmented and their terrors trebled 1 It must needs be a great griefe to them to leaue the world with all the delights thereof which they haue loued so dearely Those that haue made this life their heauen it must needes bee a hell vnto them to lose it as it was a death vnto the children of Israell to leaue the flesh pots of Aegypt 2. They must part with their friends whether it be wife children or other associates no friendship can obtaine it no substance can procure it that the life may be prolonged Psal 49.7 For no man can by any meanes redeeme his brother he cannot giue his râ—nsome to God 3. They must leaue their friend Mammon the wealth and riches to which their soule cleaueth O death Eccles 41.1 how â—itter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions If onely the remembrance of future death be so bitter to a man in wealth prosperitie how irkesome shall it be to him when death it selfe standeth before his face readie to arrest him Well might Salomon say Eccles 5.15 this is an euill sicknesse But what should I speake of the losse of these toyes and trifles They must part with their liues Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath Iob. 2.4 will he giue for his life Life is sweet but not to be bought with all the wealth kingdomes of the world for death will claime his due and nature must be paid her tribute This is the way of all flesh but not the end of all flesh Happie were many if this were the tragicall catastrophe of their sinfull life that their sinnes might dye and be buried with them If the guest might take his meate and drinke and depart without paying any râ—ckoning it were well for him so if the wicked that hath taken his repast in sin might leaue the world and so an end their case were nothing lamentable but this is the death that after all this there is a reckoning to bee made Thus must a man part with his friends his pleasures his wealth yea and his life too The remembrance of his pleasures will possesse him with a double passion with griefe because he must leaue them with detestation because they haue bene the causes of his ruine the sight of friends shall vex him enuying
so bee partakers of a threefold blessednesse mentioned by our Sauiour and his seruants Blessâ—d are they that dwell in thy house Psal 84.4 they shall euer be praising of thee there is the blessed habitation Mat. 5.8 Blessed are they that are pure in heart for they shall see God there is the glorious vision Reue. 19.9 Blessed are they that are bidden to the Lambes supper there is the happie fruition Yea the godly being thus happie in heauen do enioy ioye without sadnesse health without sicknesse light without darknes life without death ease without labour wealth without want and in a word an Ocean of all felicitie without the least droppe of miserie 3 Lastly this should causâ— euery one to embrace ouâ— Sauiours exhortation Mat. 6. First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Euery one would willingly enioy the kingdome but it will not be except they also do embrace the righteousnesse thereof Num. 23. Balaâ—m may cry Oh that I might dye the death of the righteouâ— but all in vaine except he indeuour to liue the life of the righteous Dauids question should be the demaund of euery Christian Psal 15.1 Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle who shall rest vpon thy holy hill And behold there is an answer as it were an eccho froÌ„ heauen Those that walke vprightly and worke righteousnesse and speake the truth in their heart Heauen is a glorious place and it is reserued for gracious men the ioyes thereof are the crowne of righteousnesse which shall not be set vpon the head of those that haue made themselues the base vassalles and slaues to sinne and Sathan Shall the prophane carnall and licentious that do sinke and soake in their sinnes haue any place there no no 1. Co. 15.50 flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of heauen Our Sauiour said well Mat. 15. It is not meet to giue the childrens bread to dogges neither shall the damned spirits haue any portion in the heauenly Manna Reu. 2.17 the foode of holy men and Angels The earthly Paradise was no place for Adam when he had defiled himselfe with sinne Gen. 3.23 and the heuenly Paradise will giue entrance and entertainement to no vncleane thing Reu. 21.27 Hee that will be caried into Abrahams bosome must walk in the pathes of Abrahams faith and obedience Doest thou hope to attaine to this kingdome then remember that euery one which hath this hope 1. Ioh. 3.3 purgeth himselfe And to a man that is of such a sanctified life I may say with our Sauiour Reâ— 22.14 Blâ—ssed are they that do his commâ—undements that their right may be in the tree of life SECT 3. The third and last degree of happinesse after the last iudgement namely The eternitie of celestiall glorie THe Prophet Dauid hath one petition to make to God aboue all other whatsoeuer Psal 27.4 One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require That I may dwell alwaies in the house of the Lord to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his temple And if the blessed estate in heauen before mentioned be duly considered wee must needes acknowledge that the same should be the principall prayer of euerie Christian euen To dwell alwaies in the Lords house and to behold his beautie without ceassing When the disciples heard our Sauiour speake of the heauenly nature of the bread of life they presently fell to this prayer Lord Ioh. 6.34 euermore giue vs this bread so when a man heares and reades of these vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen his prayer should be Lord euermore giue me these ioyes And if this be thy desire my Christian brother I may say to thee as the Lord said to Lot Gen. 19.21 Thy request is also receiued concerning this For he that is once partaker of these ioyes shall neuer lose them hee that is possessed of this inheritance shall neuer be dispossessed of it and he that once dwels in the Lords house shall dwell therein for euer Now for the enlargement of our comfort and the increase of our industrie it will be very expedient to meditate vpon this eternitie of ioy Greg. mor. li. 26. ca. 27. When man reasoneth of eternitie a blind man speaketh of light for how can those meditations or cogitations that are bounded within their limites of finitenesse comprehend that which is infinit and eternal Yet Cic. de leg lib. 1. as the Heathen know that there is a God though they know not what a one he is so may our hearts be able to conceiue that the ioyes of heauen are infinite and eternall though they be not able to comprehend the nature of this infinitenesse and eternitie And this we know that the word of God which propoundeth and promiseth life glory ioy a crowne saluation an inheritance an habitation to the godly Mat. 19.29 2. Cor. 4.17 Ioh. 16 22. 1. Pet. 5.4 telleth vs that this life is euerlasting this glorie is eternall this ioy is permanent the crowne neuer fadeth the saluation is perdurable the inheritance immortall Esa 45.17 1 Pet. 1.4 Luk. 16.9 the habitation perpetuall Behold what a cloud of witnesses here are to strengthen the perpetuity of this heauenly inheritance Hâ—b 12.28 For him I hold to be the vndoubted author of that Epistle Vide Bezâ— super inscr Piscat prolegom Iun. paralel l. 3. Saint Paule saith We receiue a kingdome which cannot be shaken There was neuer any kingdome or monarchie so surely established vpon the earth but it hath bene shaken and shiuered in peeces also but of this kingdome there shall neuer be an end Ierusalem was a glorious citie yet was it so battered that there was not left a stone vpon a stone according to our Sauiours threatning Mat. 24. but the celestiall IerusaleÌ„ shal neuer be destroyed but be a blessed habitation for the Saints of God world without end Therefore as Christ saith that the righteous shall shine in the kingdome of their Father Dan. 12.3 so Daniel saith that they shall shine for euer and euer The Stars of the firmament shall fall from heauen at the day of iudgement but the godly shall shine like bright stars in the glorious heauens and neuer lose the light or brightnesse of their glorie As the Moone and Starres do receiue their light from the Sunne so do we both our light of grace and glorie from Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse And this is our happinesse that albeit in this life we do often labour in obscuritie yet in the life to come wee shall neuer be eclipsed because all earthly interpositions shall then be vtterly abolished Gen. 3. When Adam had made himselfe miserable by eating of the tree of Knowledge of good and euill hee might not eate of the tree of life lest he should liue for euer but now the children of God being deliuered froÌ„ this miserie Reu. 22.2 shall eate of
A THREE-FOLD RESOLVTION verie necessarie to saluation Describing EARTHS VANITIE HELS HORROR HEAVENS FELICITIE PSAL. 107.43 Who so is wise will ponder these things By IOHN DENISON Batchelour in Diuinitie LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Iohn Norton 1608. ⧠To the right worshipfull Sir William Willoughby Knight the best blessings of this life and euerlasting blessednesse in the life to come ALthough right worshipfull my many employments well knowne vnto you might seeme a sufficient remora to my pen yet my desire by all meanes to do good hath more preuailed with me then those lets wherewith I haue conuersed These meditations a testimonie of my desires I make bold to present vnto you to whom if they be worthy of any respect they do belong in many respects as I might sufficiently manifest but that I hold it more expedient to remaine a thankfull silent debter then to become a publicke trumpeter of your priuate fauours If you iudge them worthie vouchsafe them I pray you your patronage if not your pardon at least your acceptance as a token of his thankefull minde who will euer rest Your Worships at commaundment in Christ Iesus I. D. 1 Let heauens powre downe their sweetest influence Let them inrich you with the earths best treasures Let them withall instill truths quintessence Heau'ns ioyes do far surmount all earthly pleasures 2 Let the celestiall powers you guard and guide And countermine when wicked powers conspire Let spotlesse bloud which ran from harmelesse side Quench vnto you the euer burning fire 3 And let the winged Posts voyd of delayes From glorious throne when great Iehoua sendeth Translate your soule when death shal end your daies To that celestiall blisse which neuer endeth To the Reader THe last period and principall Resolution of euery Christian is or should be to glorifie God in the fruition of eternall felicitie Wherein we must remember that remote ends haue subordinate meanes to produce their effects which ought in no case to be neglected And as the sea-man for the getting of his prize must haue care of three principall points first to ballance his ship discreetly secondly to shun the daungerous gulfes of the sea thirdly to get good landing in a safe hauen So euerie Christian that desireth the fruition of true felicitie must first so ballance his affections that they be not ouer-burdened with the loue of this world secondly hee must haue a care to shun the gulfe of hell and eternall destruction thirdly hee must labour to get the kingdome of heauen for his hauen Vpon these pointes good Christian must thy Resolution cast anker if euer thou resolue to be eternally happie Now to helpe forward thy resolution behold here the Worlds vanities deciphered Hels torments displayed and Heauens happines described Meditations in my conceit neuer more fit then in these wretched dayes wherein men are become too great louers of the world haue lost the dread of hell and the desire of heauen The Lord blesse them to thy comfort and saluation And if thou receiue any good by them recompence my paines with thy prayers 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 last iudgement 〈…〉 2. Society with the diuels the daâ— 3. Eternitie of the hellish torment 〈◊〉 3. Heauens felicitie 1. Before the day of iudgment 1. Sanctimonie of life 2. Peace of conscience 3. Comfort at the day of death 2. At the day of iudgment 1. Ioy at the resurrection 2. Comfort to meet and come before 3. Consolation vpon the sentence 〈◊〉 blessed 3. After the last iudgeâ—â—â—â— 1. Freedome from torments and mâ— 2. Fruition of celestiall glâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 The first part Of the Earths vanitie in generall AS it was in the dayes of Noah and Lot Luke 17.26.29 so shall the coÌ„ming of the sonne of man be saith our blessed Sauiour that Sonne of man For as in those times they did eate and drinke marrie build and plant that is exceedingly prosecute the vaine profites and pleasures of the world till the floud came and destroyed them so shall it be when the Sonne of man shall be reuealed Was the world euer more addicted and deuoted to these vanities then now it is and haue we not therefore iust cause to expect that refining fire 2. Pet. 3.10 which shall burne vp all the corruption vpon the face of the earth Almightie God hath giueÌ„ to men three mansions of a diuerse qualitie first the world wherein they liue 2. the graue wherein they corrupt 3. either heauen wherein they are crowned or hell wherein they are tormented In the world their companion is vanitie in the graue the worme in heauen the Angels and in hell the diuels Yet such is the folly of most men that they would haue perpetuall habitations and euerlasting happines in this vaine world to whoÌ„ Augustines speech is very fit August confess lib. 4. cap. 12. Seeke for that which you seek but not where you seeke it you seeke a blessed life in the region of death alas it is not there What extreme folly is this to seeke felicitie where nothing can be found worthy the affecting and following if all were weyed in the ballance of iudgement and discretion What is the world with the things of the world but enimitie against God euen pitch which defileth birdlime which intangleth and a snare which intrappeth Is not her coate misery her crest iniquitie and her motto vanitie Neither are these adiuncts lesse permanent then eminent both in the entrance continuance and conclusion of this life For we come into the world wailing and weeping we liue in it with toyling and moyling and we leaue it with grieuing and groning Iob. 1.21 Vide Praefa Plin. ad lib. 7. Naked came we out of our mothers wombe and naked must we returne againe Thus both the Orient and Occident the Prologue and the Epilogue of our life is nakednesse And if we view the sundry times places and courses of our life behold they yeeld nothing but vanitie and misery Infancie is weake and feeble youth is rash and dissolute old age froward and doting The pleading places yeeld contention the house cares the countrey labour the Court enuie the sea tempests and pirats the land theeues and robbers Pouertie is despised wealth is enuied wit is distrusted folly is derided yea which is most lamentable vice is aduanced and vertue disgraced Man is by many writers called a little world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not vnfitly in that he is a modell of the miseries of this greater world hauing within him sinne rebelling against him without the world to allure him before Satans snares to intangle him behind a wary conscience to dog him on the right hand prosperitie to inueigle him on the left hand aduersity to vexe him vâ—der his feet the graue open to swallow him and ouer his head the iudgements of God readie to fall vpon him So that a man in this life may verie well be compared to a sea-man in a dangerous and tempestuous nauigation if he
fit and able in respect of his wealth to trie of industry to search and his wisdome to iudge of the things of this life it was Salomon the King and Preacher of Ierusalem 1. Ki. 10.27 His wealth was such that he made siluer as plentifull in Ierusalem as the stones in the streets His wisdome was exceeding much 1. Kin. 4.29 for he had a large heart euen as the sand that is on the sea shore His industrie also was verie great Eccles 1.13 14. for behold he applied his heart to search and find out wisdome by all things vnder the Sunne And when he had imployed his wealth wisedome and industry in this diligent scrutinie and distilled forth euen the purest spirites of these terrestriall bodies he found amongst them nothing but vanitie yea the vttermost elixar was vanitie of vanities If any thing in the world were worth respecting it must needes be man for whose vse all things in the world were created but coÌ„cerning him behold what the Prophet Dauid saieth The children of men are vaniâ—y and as though that were not enough he addeth Lay them on the ballance Psal 62.9 and they shall be found lighter then vanitie If there were any thing excellent in man it must needs be the internall ornaments of his soule but behold as they are meerely naturall they are exceedingly corrupted and depraued The wit of man may fitly be compared to the Israelites iewels whereof they made a calfe for as the same gold being in iewells was precious but being cast into an Idole became odious so the wit of man which in the dayes of his innocencie was good and gracious is in his corrupted estate become vaine and vitious The vnderstanding is in the sacred Scripture compared to the eye the principall obiect it should behold is the kingdome of heauen Mat. 6.22 with al the adiuncts of blessednes but in that office it is as blind as a beetle And this is herein euident in that wheÌ„ the bright sunne of righteousnesse appeared being the most glorious and most resplendent light that euer shined in the world hauing Iohn the Baptist the day-star going before him and manie trumpetters of his manifestation Ioh. 1.5 yet that light shined in the darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not Tit. 2.11 For had the nature of man bene capable of this grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men they would neuer haue shut their eyes against the light of that gladde tidings 1. Cor. 2.8 nor haue crucified the Lord of glory and so haue shamefully depriued him of life who offered himselfe to deliuer them from eternall death Verse 14. But the naturall man perceiueth not the things that are of God yea they seeme foolishnesse to him Nicodemus was a teacher in Israel yet what grosse ignorance doth hee shew in the doctrine of our regeneration When our Sauiour said Ioh. 3.4.9 A man must be borne of God else can he not see the kingdome of God Nicodemus wondered at it and thought he had neuer heard a more absurd speech in all his life and howe much adoe hath Christ to fasten an instructioÌ„ vpon him Hath not experience manifested this in manie of the worldes wise men Rom. 1.22 who professing themselues to be wise haue become fooles And surely the grosse dotage of mankinde is not more apparent in any thing then in the sottish idolatrie of those that haue turned the glorie of the immortall God into the similitude of corruptible and base creatures Verse 23. If there were any sparke of spiritual knowledge shining in the soule of man would not the worshippers of idols say to them selues Esa 44 19â— I haue burnt halfe in the fire and haue baked bread vppon the coales thereof I haue rosted flesh and eat it shall I make the residue thereof an abhomination shall I bow to the stocke of a tree But thus haue the wise naturall men being left to the guidance of their own corrupt hearts become exceeding vaine in their cogitations Rom. 1.22 verifying the Prophets speech Ier. 10.14 Euery one is a beast by his owne knowledge Sundry beasts haue wit to finde out remedies for the cure of their maladies as experience together with the naturall Historian sheweth Plia lib. 8. Yea all liuing creatures haue naturally a care of their safetie but onely man being wounded by sinne hath not by the light of nature any wit to seeke for remedy Amb. Offic. lib. 1. ca. 17. yea only man is carelesse of his eternall saluation Euery one is wise enough to do euill Ier. 4.22 but to do wel they haue no vnderstanding And no maruell for as the clearest eie beholdeth not the brightest obiect except the Sun beames doe come betweene to enlighten it so the sharpest wits are not able to coÌ„ceiue the heauenly mysteries of our redemption regeneration and eternall saluation without the bright beames of Gods spirit shining into them to enlighten them 2 True it is that in humane and ciuill matters the vnderstanding of man hath by nature some insight yet is the same mixed with manifold imperfections The Philosophers ignoraÌ„t of the fall of man and the naturall corruption and contagion imprinted in his soule by reason of the same compare the soule of man to plaine waxe hauing nothing printed on it but fit for any impression Chrysost Lactan. lib. 5. cap. 15. and to smooth tables without characters yet apt to receiue anie inscription But Diuines much better because more consonant to the Scriptures do compare it to an vntilled field Ier. 4.4 not only lying barren but yeelding the thornes weedes and brambles of iniquitie till it be husbanded by the spirit of God Yea Chrisostom maketh the soule worse then such a field Chrâ—s in Ioâ—an hom 17 initio and that in sundrie respects For the earth hauing once receiued seede brings foorth much fruite and needs no other sowing but it is not so with our mindes which must be often and diligently sowed that they may once receiue the seed of the word and then are they subiect to thornes to choake it and to theeues to steale it they must be kept in continuall dressing till they come to ripenesse and then also in continuall tilling that they may retaine their goodnes Neither is this imperfection incident to some onely but to all the sonnes of Adam as might be instanced in the wisest Grecians and the most politike Romanes Rom. 1.14 euen wheÌ„ they haue intended to improue their wits The best minerals haue their poisons till they be extracted and the sweetest flowers their faeces till they be separated so the best wits haue their folly till by Gods spirit they be refined And how can this be otherwise if we consider that the soule is in the bodie as a stranger in a poore cottage 2 Cor. 5. and must needs therefore be subiect to infinite wants And if that wits be
and blasphemie are their practises insomuch that they set their mouth against heauen Alexander the Great was once so puft vp with pride Q. Curt. l. 7. that he thought himselfe immortall but being striken with a stone he felt the paine of a festered wound and then he faw his folly and acknowledged his mortalitie So we haue need that sicknesse ring vs sometimes the warning peales of death without which we are in dangâ—r to grow secure and forgetfull of our miserable condition It is a hard thing to perswade a man that sicknesse can haue any goodnesse in it For no chastening for the present seemeth ioyous but grieuous Heb. 12.11 and men commonly look vpoÌ„ that which is present and so do finde irksomnesse because of the feare of death the paines of bodie and the losse of pleasure but if they would cast their eyes vpon the future effects of it they should find that afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruites of righteousnesse to them that are thereby exercised 1 It is the pathway to humiliation and repentance Moab being at rest from his youth setled on his lees of sinne Ier. 48.11 had the taste of his iniquitie remaining and the sent of his abhomination was not chaunged but Israel being smitten sought God early Psal 78.34 Gen. 20. And Abimelech when his family was visited with sicknesse for Saraes sake repented and rose vp early to restore her to her husband 2 It is an argument of Gods loue Pâ—ou 3.12 For as fathers chastise those children whoÌ„ they fauour so dealeth Almightie God with his children whom he loueth he chasteneth Reu. 3.19 and scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth 3 It stirreth vp to the studious loue and practise of pietie and therefore Dauid saith Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest ô Lord and teachest in thy law in which respect that saying is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae nocent docent Corrections are instructions 4 It is a meanes to keepe from hell and condemnation as Saint Paul sheweth who speaking of the Corinthians visitation with weaknesse sicknesse and death saith that they were thus chastened of the Lord 1. Cor. 11.30 32. that they might not be condemned with the world For as Physitians do sometimes cast their patients into the fit of an ague to deliuer them from a more daungerous sicknesse so Almightie God doth many times inflict vpon his children some temporall affliction that he may deliuer them from eternall destruction Percutu vt sanes Aug. Confes lib. 2 cap. 2. 5 It is a meanes to make vs loath this transitorie life and to lift vp our hearts to the expectation of eternall life Whilest the Israelites had peace in Aegypt they neuer thought vpon the land of Chanaan so men being alwayes in health are verie much besotted with the loue of this world and forget their saluation but sicknesse catcheth vs by the hand Gen. 19. as the Angell caught Lot when he lingred in Sodome and biddeth vs haste to our euerlasting habitation in that kingdome which hath neither sorow nor sicknesse Here then in viewing the vanitie of health we may see the worlds erroneous opinion concerning the same For if a man might liue in health all his life time and neuer be troubled with aches sicknesse sores or any corporall infirmities hee should be deemed the happiest man liuing but wo be to them that haue their consolation in this world saith our Sauior Luk. 6. for except God be exceedingly mercifull to them they are in the way to eternall destruction and howsoeuer the world iudge yet questionlesse they are happie whom the Lord chasteneth for them he loueth It is a fond conceit to thinke that wee may go to heauen as it were in feather beds the Cherubims kept the East side of Paradise and affliction is the porter to the kingdome of heauen If thou enioy health praise God for it but take heede it be not an occasion of thy ruine and if God visite thee with sicknesse embrace it thankfully as an argument of his loue a meanes to restraine thee from sinne and an excellent pledge of thy euerlasting happinesse SECTION 4. Of long life ALthough long life be a blessing of Gâ—d and a temporall reward of pietie Ephes 6.2 yet is it being considered in it selfe nothing else but vanity For if the present fruition of the things of this life be vaine how can the continuance thereof be otherwise there is nothing more vncertaine then long life as the Scriptures teach and experience doth manifest We come into this world like actors vpon a stage and though some haue longer parts then others yet whosoeuer liueth longest and leades the merriest life may say with Iacob at the last Few and euill haue the dayes of my pilgrimage bene Gen 47.9 This life is but a pilgrimage and this world an Inne to rest at not a house to inhabite the dayes we spend are few saith Iacob Cic. de Sen. Heb. 13.14 yet was hee an hundred and thirtie yeares old Of the time that is past wee iudge rightly but of that to come erroneously for it is hope of long life that makes life seeme long as Augustine hath well obserued In Psal 6. and nothing seemes to haue benc more speedie then that which is past The Prophet Dauid casting the ordinarie summe of mans yeares hauing therein in my conceit some particular respect to his owne age sayth Psal 90.10 The time of our life is threescore yeares and tenne and though some be so strong that they come to fourescore yeares yet is their strength then but labor and sorrow it is cut off quickly and we flie away If Dauids fourescore yeares yeeld labour and sorrow how much more shall Iacobs six score ten It is a strange thing and to be admired to see how men delight in youth and yet desire old age and how they desire long life and yet long after the end of their life whilest they wish for this day and that and haue still a longing expectation of the future time but thus do the cogitations of their hearts striue like the twins in Rebeccaes wombe Gen. 25. 2 My dayes haue bene euill saith Iacob and so he condemnes them as well for the qualitie as the quantitie and the same censure that Iacob giues vpon his owne dayes Salomon pronounceth vpon euery mans Eccles 1.8 All things are full of labour man cannot vtter it If Salomon could not who shal be able to expresse the calamities of this life The sea hath but twelue contrary windes but when wee are borne wee launch into an Ocean replenished with twelue thousand calamities Hereof Elias had experience when sitting downe vnder the Iuniper tree he desired that he might die saying It is now enough O Lord 1. Kin. 19.4 take my soule for I am no better then my fathers Yea this was not vnconsidered of the Transians Herodot in
then the great kings of Tyrus and BabyloÌ„ that conquering Lord of Bezeck or that mightie Monarch of Greece Behold they are all gone and haue lost left their pompe behind them yea their honourable memoriall is perished with them Almost euery one saith with Saul honour me amongst the people 1. Sam. 15. and that is the limit of their base conceipt Many stand gloriously vpon their honor and reputation but fewe haue due regard of honestie and religion But our blessed Sauiour when he came into the world taught vs to despise worldy pompe and credite both by his birth life and death In his birth he disrobed himselfe of diuine honour Phil. 2.7 and tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant In his life he refused the dignitie of a king and sought not his owne glorie Ioh. 8.18 And in his death he suffered himselfe to be stript of all externall reputation when he was buffetted by the rascall souldiers Mat. 27.30 35.39 crucified on the reprochfull crosse and derided by the base passengers Christians therefore should learne his precept and imitate his practise according to that Learne of me Mat. 11.32 for I am meeke and lowlie of heart If we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him Rom. 8.17 and if we be humbled with him we shall bee exalted with him Let your light so shine before men Mat. 5. that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen saith our Sauiour Let your conscience be vpright and your conuersation holy so shall you glorifie God and haue praise with God tenne thousand times more woorth then all the vaine and momentanie applauses of men yea if thou desire to be truly honorable in the eyes of men do this Worldly honour and estimation is not vnfitly compared to the Crocodile which flyeth being pursued but pursueth a man when he flieth For those that contemne this transitorie honor and seeke the aduancement of Gods glorie shall vndoubtedly haue true honour pursuing them though they lose it in their fathers house with Ioseph yet shall they find it in Egypt though they leaue it in Pharoos Court with Moses they shall meete with it in the wildernesse and forsaking it in their owne countrey with Abraham shall finde it in Canaan For those that honour the Lord he will honour them 1. Sam. 2.30 The womans cost and kindnesse in honouring our blessed Sauior with the box of oyntment shall neuer be forgotten Mat. 26.13 But wheresoeuer the Gospell shall be preached throughout the world there shall also this that shee hath done be spoken of for a memoriall of her And when as the vnworthie honor of the wicked shal be buried in obliuion or be turned into reproch Psal 112.6 the righteous euen in this life shall be had in euerlasting remembrance and in the life to come shall enioy a glorious kingdome thrones of maiestie and the neuer-fading crownes of eternall glorie Lo thus shall be done to the man whome the Lord will honour SECT 9. Of Pleasures VVE are now entring into the garden of Adonis as it is in the Prouerbe which the world makes her garden of Eden The flowers that grow therin are the vaine plants of pleasure which albeit they make a glorious shew to the eye yet is their root bitternesse their glosse vanitie and their fruite deadly poyson What is pleasure but a delightfull motion seated in the senses Cic. defiâ— bon lib. 2. so that the fiue senses are as so many rootes foorth of the which pleasures doe spring and grow Beautifull obiects delight the eye sweete sounds doe please the eares fragrant aires affect the nose delicate substances content the branched nerues daintie viands satisfie the tongue and what hath man in all this which is not common to him with the bruite beasts 2. Pet. 2.12 In regard whereof Saint Peter calleth those that are led with sensualitie bruite beasts And are not these senses so many faire windowes by the which pleasures giue sinne passage and entrance into the heart and soule of men The serpent was more subtile then any beast of the field Gen. 3.1 and so was a daungerous snare vnto Eue but alas when she gaue entertainement to pleasure she was assaulted by a more dangerous beast For pleasure directed her eye and guided her hand to the forbidden fruite brought it to her mouth and perswaded her to take and tast it Now as pleasures are brutish so are they exceeding momentanie like the fierie Comets which last no longer then their exhaled matter indureth and that cannot be long So that euen now you may see Baltasar quaffing in great iolitie Dan. 5. and by and by behold his countenance chaunged his knees beat together and his pleasure turned into horrour To day you may see the Israelites stretch themselues vpon their beds of Iuorie Amos. 6.4 eate the lambes of the flocke drinke wine in bowles and sing to the sound of the Violl and to morrowe behold them in great misery and thraldome by the Assyrians and Babylonians If a man will not leaue his pleasures when he is young they will assuredly leaue him when he is old and theâ—fore Salomon I sought in my heart to dâ—aw foorth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles 2.3.11 when he had drawne out the threede of delight and stretched the webbe of pleasures on the largest tenter of varietie saith he found nothing in it but vanitie and vexation of spirit The learned both heathen and Christians haue compared pleasures to the anglers baite Plato Cice. Ambr. de bon mort cap. 6. which hath a hooke hid vnder it wherewith those that are inconsiderate are caught and killed The golden cuppe in the spiritual whores hands is a goodly cup Reu. 17.4 but it is full of abhominations so is pleasures cup a very faire one but it is full of deadly poyson The Bee hath honie and waxe but she hath a sting withall so hath pleasure the honie to intice and the waxe to enflame but take heed of the deadly sting wherewith shee strikes The best fruite that can grow from pleasures is Repentance and remorse of conscience For sweet meate must haue sower sauce and the soule that tooke pleasure in sinning must needes suffer paine in sorrowing So shall it befall the soule giuen to pleasures Esa 13.22 as Esay threateneth to Babylon Iim shall cry in their pallaces and dragons in their pleasant places those soules and bodies that should haue bene the temples of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.19 but haue bene made the pallaces of worldly pleasures shall haue the Fairies Furies of anguish and horror lodging and liuing there 2 Are not pleasures the occasions of sicknesse and weaknesse Chrys ad pop Antio hom 55. in ipso initio for as the course of waters doe weare weaken the banke and at last carie it cleane away so doe pleasures diminish
vanities with the ingrediences of his fauour that they may bee holesome or at the least harmelesse receipts vnto his children so doth he season and sauce them to the reprobate with the powder of his curses that they may become their bane and poisoÌ„ they are cursed in the towne and in the field Deut. 28. cursed in their comming in and going out cursed in their goods and in their grounds cursed in their soules and in their bodies So that herein they resemble miserable Ierusalem Esa 1. which from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head had nothing whole For in euery place euery time euery action and in euery respect they are accursed and this accursed estate is an entrance to that dreadfull curse which shall be cast vpon them at the last day Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire 2 When the prodigall child went astray he was brought to this extremitie that he fed vpon Acornes with the hogges and being pinched with penurie said How many hired seruants at my fathers house haue bread enough Luk. 15. and I dye for hunger Lo this is the condition of euery dissolute sinner when he goeth astray and hath spent his patrimonie of grace in lewd liuing Sathan giues him the husks of sinne to feede vpon and he taketh repast with those base creatures whose beastly life he doth imitate and though he liue a natural life yet being a stranger froÌ„ the life of God Ephes 4.18 his life is but a miserable death In this respect was the Lords threatning to Adam fulfilled Gen. 2.17 In that day thou eatest of the tree of knowledge thou shalt dye the death For Adam in the day of his disobedience entred into the gates of eternall death which had opened receiued and swallowed him had not the most blessed seede of the blessed woman rescued him 1 Tim. 5.6 And the Apostle saith that she which liueth in pleasures is dead while she liueth like a man conuicted and condemned though his execution be deferred For he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie Ioh. 3.18 So that it may be said to euery impenitent sinner as the Lord said to Abimelech Gen. 20.3 Thou art but a dead man And this death is an earnest-penny of the second death Reu. 10.6 3 The wicked and vngodly are not onely the Lords laughing stocke Psal 2. but sinnes slaues and Sathans drudges also For they are in the snare of the diuell 2. Tim. 2.26 of whom they are taken prisoner at his pleasure Rom. 6.16 Know you not that to whomsouer you giue your selues seruants to obey his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sin vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse Io. 8.33.34 When our Sauiour perswaded the Iewes to sticke to the truth whereby they might be made free they poore soules stood vppon their supposed priuiledges of being the children of Abraham when they were the seruants of sinne and Sathan And how many thousands are there in the world which weare the diuels liuerie yet professe theÌ„selues the Lords seruants which exercise their toungs in speaking of heauen but haue their feete standing in hell Doe wee not pitie the Israelites when we reade of their thraldome vnder Pharao Alas this thraldome and slauerie of men vnder Sathan is much more lameÌ„table and may iustly cause the seruants of God to wish that their head were a fountaine of teares to bewaile the slauerie of seduced souls Saint Paul cals the day of temptation the euill day Ephes 6.13 Oh how many euill dayes haue many in the world whose whole life is nothing but impietie and profanenesse Iacob said to Pharao Few and euill haue the dayes of my pilgrimage bene Gen. 47. but they may say Many and euill haue the dayes of our slauerie bene whilest they haue bene Sathans seruants who will taske them in his workes of wickednesse like Pharao the tyrant and giue them no libertie to worship and serue their God 4 The wayes of the wicked are darknesse saith Salomon Prou. 4.19 and in this respect doth their life also consort with hell the kingdome of darknesse Mat. 8.12 and Sathan the Prince of darknesse And in this kingdome of darknesse their estate is miserable like theirs of whom the Prophet Dauid speaketh Psa 107.10 They dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death being fast bound in miserie and iron For the bands of Sathan and the darknesse of their hellish life do farre exceede the miserie of all corporall bands and darkenesse whatsoeuer Thus whilest the wicked are straungers from the life of God and exposed to his curse whilest they are the slaues of Sathan and prisoners of the infernall kingdome of darkenesse whilest their words and deeds and thoughts do all sauour of hell they haue in part taken possession of that habitatioÌ„ which they shall one day fully fearefully and finally enioy Loe then this is the estate and condition of all those that haue sold themselues to work wickednesse though in the world they haue a name that they liue yet are they dead Reu. 3.1 like the Church of Sardis though they thinke themselues in Dothan yet if they had grace to lift vp their eyes they should perceiue themselues in the midst of Samaria 1. King 6. and thogh in the outward view they seeme with Capernaum to be lifted vp to heauen Mat. 11 22 yet behold they are in the confines of hell and whereas the godly haue their liues hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 they haue their liues locked vp in Sathans custodie Psal 37.1 Fret nâ—t thy selfe because of the vngodly neither be thou enuious for the euill doers saith the Psalmist Me thinkes it should be an easie matter to disswade any man from enuying them who are rather to be pitied because they are set in slipperie places for they stand as it were on the pit brinke of hell readie euery hower to slip into it and to be swallowed vp of it Consider then deare Christian thy estate wherein thou standest if thou be giuen ouer to sinne and iniquitie remember that thou art the diuels slaue and thy foote standeth at the mouth of hell Now is the Prophets exhortation needfull Turne you Ezec. 33.11 Rom. 6.12 turne you for why will you dye Let not sinne raigne in thy mortall bodie but if thou haue striken handes with sinne shake hands with it for a farewell shunne it and abhorre it as thou wouldest flie from a serpent indeuour to amend thy estate that thou mayest be no longer a slaue of sinne a captiue to Sathan nor a companion with the damned but that by bâ—eaking off thy sinnes by righteousnesse Dan. 4.24 thou mayest be a fellow Citizen with the Saints and one of the houshold of faith and loe the holy Angels shall reioyce at thy conuersion SECT 2. The second steppe into hell which is
I neuer knew you depart from me you workers of iniquitie And this Depart from me is the first degree of punishment vnto the vngodly being now not in the suburbes but entred within the walles and gates of hell It is indeed but a priuatiue punishment which Diuines do vsually call poena damni but it hath a positiue effect for as the absence of the Sunne causeth darkenesse and the lacke of meat leanenesse so the want of Gods presence bringeth exceeding griefe and heauinesse Psa 16.11 yea as the fulnesse of ioy and pleasure is had by the enioying of his presence so the fulnesse of sorrow and miserie shall possesse the hearts of men by being excluded from the fruition thereof It must needes be a great miserie not to be with him without whom there is no being It is written that when the Arke of God was taken by the Philistims old Eli with griefe fel backward and dyed 1. Sam. 4.18.19 and his daughter in lawe Phineas wife fell on trauelling through sorrow and lost her life If the losse of the Arke which was onely a figure pledge of Gods presence was thus grieuous to them how shall the losse and lack of Gods presence it selfe cause the condemned to trauell with griefe and heauinesse of heart and to wish that they might with Eli and his daughter end their miserie with ending of their liues If a man had bene in some good possibilitie of an earthly kingdome Chrysâ—st ad pop Ant. Hom. 48. and through his owne folly had lost it how do you thinke it would haue grieued him Is there any comparison betweene the meanest mansion in the kingdome of heauen and the greatest Monarchie in the world Now then when a man hauing bene not onely in possibility of this kingdome but euen sure of it if he would haue vsed his indeuour to attaine vnto it shall by his negligence haue lost it will it not vexe and torment him will it not cause him to rate himselfe and say What a beast was I through mine owne folly to lose such a blessed inheritance It was exceeding â—rkesome to Absalon 2. Sam. 14.32 to be banished foorth of his fathers presence so that hee might not behold his face what a hell then shal it be to be banished for euer forth of his presence 2. Cor. 1.3 who is the father of mercie and God of all consolation whose loue to his children is more then Dauids to his sonne Absalon or his brother Ionathan yea greater then the mothers loue to her tender babe Esa 49.15 It was not the least part of Adams punishment that hee was cast out of Paradise and depriued of Gods presence neither is it a small miserie to be excluded forth of the kingdome of heauen and to lose the face and fauour of Almightie God Chrysostome iudgeth it to be much more bitter then the pains of hell yea worse then a thousand hels Super. Mat. Hom. 33. if there were so many howsoeuer it is Ibid. Hom. 28. surely it must needes bee exceeding grieuous We haue a Prouerbe Where the eye seeth not the heart grieues not If the damned soules might not behold the felicitie that they haue lost by their folly their griefe would be the lesse but as the elect shall haue fruition thereof to their perpetuall comfort so the view thereof shall yeeld an euerlasting corrasiue to the coÌ„science of the reprobate The Captaine of the King of Israel would not beleeue that it was possible by any meanes there should bee such a plentie as Elizaeus had promised but the Prophet tels him Behold 2. King 7.2 thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not eate thereof As this was added to the punishment of his infidelitie that though he should not tast it yet he should see it so shall it be to the reprobate at the day of iudgement when Christ with all his holy Angels and blessed Saints shall appeare in glory that which the Psalmist hath shall bee fulfilled Psa 112.10 The vngodly shall see it and it shall grieue him he shall gnash with his teeth and consume away the desire of the vngodly shall perish It shall grieue the vngodly to see the Saints of God in glorie and he shall pine away with griefe he shall desire that hee might bee partaker thereof with them but this desire of his shall be fruitelesse according to our Sauiours saying Luk 13.28 There shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth when they shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the kingdome of God and themselues thrust out of doores And what greater disgrace can come to a man then to be thus contemptuously thrust foorth of the blessed society of heauen and to be shut without where shall bee dogges and inchaunters Reu. 22.15 and whoremongers and murtherers Idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lyes Now shall those that haue denyed Christ before men be denyed before the face of Almightie God and those that haue despised and scorned the societie of the godly shall be scorned and contemned in the presence of men and Angels If the losse of a deare friend be grieuous and the separation of the soule from the bodie exceeding terrible the losse of the fellowship of Saints cannot but bee much more grieuous and the separation both of soule and body from Almightie God must needs be both terrible and intollerable He therefore spake truly who said That the teares of hell are not sufficient to bewaile the losse of heauen Seeing then the losse of Gods presence and the coÌ„forts of heauenly ioyes is so great and grieuous is it not extreame folly in men that will rather incurre this dangerous and dolefull losse then they will lose their smallest profites or trifling pleasures yet such is the folly of most men But wouldst thou escape this misery then thinke vpon the Prophets words 2. Chr. 15.2 The Lord is with you whilest you are with him and if you seek him he wil be found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you If thou be with God in the kingdome of grace thou shalt be with him in the kingdome of glorie but if thou forsake him in this life he will forsake thee in the life to come Cast me not away from thy presence ô Lord Psal 51.11 and take not thy holy Spirit from me saith Dauid Is this thy prayer behold then if thou grieue not Gods Spirit hee will not take it from thee and except thou cast thy selfe out of Gods presence by infidelity and disobedience hee wil not cast thee foorth It is said of Henoch Gen. 5.24 that he walked with God and it is immediatly added that he was no more seene for God tooke him away so shall it be done to all those that vnfainedly feare God He that walkes with God in holines as Henoch did shall not be excluded from his presence but bee taken vp into
torments I wonder to think of some that vse to confirme their speeches with this fearefull execration Would I were damned if c. Alas alas full little do they know what they say if they cōsidered the horror of condemnatiō they wold trēble to take such words in their mouths Here that exhortation hath notable vse Psal 4.4 Stand in awe and sinne not If we be in some great mans daunger that is able to be reuenged vpon vs Lord how wee creepe and crouch feare But we shold feare him which is able to destroy both soule bodie in hell Mat. 10.18 If men had harts to conceiue grace to beleeue and minds to meditate vpon these fearefull torments it must needes make them stand in awe and restraine them from sinne but alas for pitie the force of sin hath banished the feare of God and the dread of hell else would men neuer liue as they doe There are some vngodly men and women so nice and tender that they cannot abide the heate of the Sunne and the biting of a flea will not suffer them to sleepe oh that such could consider what it is to frie in the vnquencheable flames of fire brimstone and to haue the neuer-dying worme gnawing at their consciences Some are so coy that they cannot abide to looke vpon the sores of poore Lazarus and so vnmercifull that they stoppe their eares at the cry of their distressed brethren oh that they would remember what a filthie prison is prepared for the damned and what yelling and howling the mercilesse shall one day heare Some there are to whom the seruice of God is exceeding painefull and irkesome as to kneele at prayer to be any thing long at a Sermon or the like oh that such had grace to meditate vpon the irkesome and painefull torments prepared for the damned For would not the consideratiō remembrance and meditation hereof correct their lewd affections drie vp the fountaine of their filthie words change the course of their vaine conuersation and make them willing to do any thing so they might escape those torments If a man haue but some extreme fi◠of the gowt collicke or tooth-ach what paines and cost will he be at to be eased But what are these to the paines of hell yet fewe there are that will bestow cost or care to auoide them Do but thinke a little vpon Diues how that for one droppe of water to coole his tongue he would haue giuen the whole world if he had bene Lord of it yet could not obtaine it and it will cause thee with prayers and teares and true repentance to finish thy saluation in the feare of God Chrys in 2. Epist ad Corin. hom 10. If thou shouldest come into a loathsome prison and there see some looke pale and wan others bound in chaines and fetters others hungring and thirsting others shut vp in the darke and filthie dungeon making piteous lamentation would it not mooue thy heart with commiseration and cause thee carefully to auoide those courses that might bring thee into the like daunger Then thinke vpon the prison and dungeon of hell and consider seriously with thy selfe how many poore souls looke pitifully there how many are bound strongly in Sathans fetters how many are shut vp in the place of vtter darkenesse and being continually tormented with the hellish fiends doe nothing but waile and weepe and gnash their teeth and it must needs make thee remember the rich mans speech Luk. 16.28 I beseech thee father Abraham send Lazarus to warne my brethren lest they come into this place of torments What art thou like Thomas Iob. 20. that thou wilt not beleeue except thou see and feele Exod. 10.7 art thou like Pharao that thou wilt not feare before Aegypt be destroyed I meane wilt thou feele the torments of hel before thou feare them and wilt thou be destroyed before thou wilt leaue thy sinnes Alas that any man should be so carelesse and senslesse in the view of such torments The bodie is subiect to bad repletion diseases by sweet meates but it must be purged by bitter potions so must the discreete Christian purge his soule of the filthie humors of sinne and the repletion of vanitie by deepe meditation of the bitter paines of hell We reade of one who vpon the violence of any temptation to sinne would lay his hand on burning coles and being not able to endure the same wold say to himselfe Oh how vnable shall I be to endure the paines of hell and this cogitation did mightily restraine him from euill If thou wilt not practise this experiment yet at the least ponder seriously these meditations and they will I hope through Gods gracicious assistance make thee carefull and able to maister thy corruptions and to ouercome Sathans temptations SECT 3. The last period of the paines of the damned which is the Eternitie of their torments WHen I consider the condition of the damned it makes me remember Nebuchadnetsar Dan. 4. who for his pride was driuen from his kingdome had his dwelling with the beastes was made to eate grasse with the oxen and wet with the dew of heauen till his haires were growne as Eagles feathers and his nailes like birds clawes for so shall the damned for their wickednesse be driuen at the day of iudgement from the kingdome of God haue their dwelling with the Diuels bee tormented in the flames of fire and transformed into the lothsome form of the vgly fiends of hell Herein indeed Nebuchadnetsar and they do differ his deposing was but carnall and temporall theirs is spirituall and eternall he was punished thus onely till seuen times passed ouer him they shall be thus plagued till seuentie times seuen times seuen times be passed ouer euen for euer and euer That is a long sentence that hath no period a large day that yeelds no euening and ample torments that haue no end behold such a sentence such a day and such tormēts art thou come now to meditate vpon my Christian brother and therefore inlarge thy meditation to the vttermost that thou mayest fruitefully ponder these fearefull torments The greatnes of the pains of hell in regard of the qualitie is lamentable but the grieuousnesse thereof in respect of the quantity makes them intolerable Wee haue an old saying That is no bad day that hath a good night The sharpest conflicts to the souldier the roughest tempest to the mariner and weariest iourney to the traueller are not without comfort because they yeeld an expectation of an end but the torments of hell being as endlesse in quantitie as they are easelesse in qualitie yeeld not the least glimpse of consolation to the damned spirits Was it not wonderfull in the dayes of Iosua that the Sunne and Moone stood still Iosua 10.13 and hasted not to go downe for a whole day that the people might be auenged on their enemies But how wonderfull will it be when the Sun and Moone
comparison that Saint Iohn vseth in describing the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen calling them the Lambes supper Reu. 19 9. but indeed all the delicates in the world are not to be compared to the feasting of a good conscience This the Spouse sheweth in the second of the Canticles Can. 2.5 He brought me into his wineseller Loue was his banner ouer me Lo here the Ambrosian Nectar wherewith Christ Iesus maketh the heart of his spouse glad causing her to cry out Stay me with flagons Ver. 6. and comfort me with apples for I am sicke with loue where the sacred soule is cast into a holy swound being rauished with the vnspeakeable comfort that she enioyes vpon this peace of conscience Indeed these heauenly ioyes and comforts are not tasted of the wicked for how can they see that haue no eyes or those rellish the peace of coÌ„science which want their spirituall tast Yea who is able to expresse the excellencie of this peace nay who is able to conceiue it but those that enioy it Neither indeed are they able for it passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4.7 In respect of which large excelleÌ„cie of the peace of conscience it may very wel be counted a part of the kingdome of heauen whose ioyes are endlesse and infinite If we consider the fountains also from whence this spirituall peace doth spring wee shall perceiue that our present comfort vpon earth and future consolation to be enioyed hereafter in heauen do both arise and flow from the same heads and fall into the same Ocean of felicitie 1 A iustifying faith yeelds this peace Rom. 5.2 for being iustified by faith wee haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ And this peace yeelds ioy as it followeth in the next verse and that no small ioy for they that doe truely beleeue in Christ Iesus 1. Pet. 1.8 doe reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious What could the Apostle haue said more of the ioy which the Saints shall enioy hereafter in the kingdome of heauen then to call it Vnspeakable glorious no maruell for as the first sight of the blind man wherby he saw men walke like trees Mar. 8.28 was the same whereby he saw them to be men a far off though it was at the first more confused so the inchoate ioy and peace of coÌ„science which wee obtaine in this life being vnspeakeable glorious and passing all vnderstanding hath more then a resemblance of that celestiall glorie which shall be imparted more abundantly and perfectly in the life to come 2 The children of God are endued with the spirit of God whereby they receiue the comfortable testimonie of their adoption Rom. 8. the same manumitting spirit doth also yeeld them most heauenly consolation Ioh. 14.16 3. This peace of conscience is the fruite of a holy conuersation as I said before and the Apostle can tell vs of his owne experience for his reioycing is this 2. Cor. 1.12 the testimonie of his conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse he hath had his conuersation in the world Besides this there is also an vndoubted Hope which being the first fruites of the spirit doth after a sort put the children of God in possession of the kingdome of heauen So that wheÌ„ they do from the watch tower of a good conscience lift vp this Iacobs staffe or rather this Iacobs ladder Gen. 28.12 of a stedfast hope vnto the heauens and there behold with holy Stephen the glory of God Act. 7. it rauisheth and reioyceth their hearts more then any tongue is able to expresse Thus do the godly in this life tast of the ioyes of heauen the sweetnesse whereof is such that it swalloweth vp all the waues of temporall distresses causing them with Paule and Silas to sing Psalmes in the prison and to say with Dauid Act. 16.25 Psa 94.19 In the middest of all my troubles thy comforts ô Lord haue refreshed my soule Which maruellous effect this peace of conscience could neuer haue in encountering and conquering these infinite earthly calamities were it not of a diuine and heauenly Nature But what haue all the children of God this peace and comfort alike Surely no but according to Zeba Zalmunnaes words As the man is Iud. 8.21 so is his strength it may be said in this case as the man is so is his comfort and ioy For where the life is qualified with a great measure of grace there the heart is replenished with a great measure of ioy Neither are these ioyes alwaies participated alike but as the heauens are sometime bright and sometime obscured so the Sunne of comfort shineth sometimes more brightly sometimes obscurely in the hearts of Gods children So that one while they complaine thus Psal 77. Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will hee shew no more fauour and other whiles Psal 35.9 their soule is ioyfull in the Lord and all their bones do say Who is like vnto thee ô Lord yet euen in their greatest distresse Dulciores sunt lachrymae orantâ—uÌ„ quà m gaudia Theatrorum Aug. super Psal 1â—7 the very teares of the godly are sweeter then all the showtes laughters at the Theaters This being the excellencie of the peace of conscience let it be thy care good Christian to obtaine and maintaine it A kinde and comfortable friend is much woorth but who can prize the peace of a quiet conscience Lo it was the best hymne the blessed Angels could sing Luk. 2.14 Glorie be to God in the highest heauens and peace on the earth The best Legacie our Sauiour could leaue to his seruants My peace I leaue with you Iohn 14.27 my peace I giue you The best prayer the Apostle could make for the Thessalonians Now the Lord of peace 2. Thes 3.16 giue you peace alwaies by all means Though there be many that say Psal 4. Who will shew vs any good and haue their minds wholy set vpon their corne their wine and oyle yet the godly haue more true gladnesse from the Lords countenance by a thousand degrees then the worldling hath in all these transitorie trifles Hast thou a good conscience then cherish it it is the greatest blessing vnder heauen Is this peace and comfort of conscience wanting or weake in thee then vse the meanes whereby the same is procured and preserued Labour to obtaine a sound faith a sanctified life Esa 32.17 for the worke of righteousnesse is peace Melchizedec being king of righteousnesse Heb. 7.2 was after that the king of peace get righteousnesse and peace will follow it Psal 85.11 For righteousnesse and peace will kisse each other yea the more thou art conuersant in holinesse of conuersation the more abundant shalt thou be in the comfortable peace of conscience For where righteousnesse flourisheth Psal 72.7 there shall be abundance of peace Behold it will be thy companion both
by day and by night at home and abroad in life and in death yea it will not onely guide thee as Moses did the children of Israel to the celestiall Canaan but as Iosua did will there take vp her habitation with thee for euer And as the starre led the Wise men till they came to Christ Mat. â— and then stood still so shall this light of ioy leade thee to the kingdome of heauen and there stand still in the firmament of thy soule world without end SECT 3. The third steppe to Heauen before the day of iudgement namely Ioy comfort at the day of death THe traueller that hath a long iourney to take though happely hee meete with many delights by the way yet is glad when he cometh within the kenne of his countrie but reioyceth exceedingly when hee hath attained the end of his iourney Behold the waies of righteousnesse are the steps we take in our trauaile the peace of conscience setteth before vs the ioy of the heauenly mansions but the day of death giueth vs fruition thereof and is therefore to be desired of all those that are trauelling the right way to the kingdome of heauen The heauenly bodies are best seene in the euening when the Sunne is set and the heauenly ioyes are most enioyed at the euening of our dayes when the Sunne of our life is set by reason that the soule is then deliuered from a masse of corruptions and both soule and bodie from a mixture of infinite miseries The godly may now especially be said to set foote into heauen in a twofold respect First because they are freed from the calamities of this life the bitternesse whereof doth greatly allay the sweetnesse of the heauenly ioyes Secondly Eccles 12 7 because their soules returning to God do actually possesse those eternall ioyes which the kingdome of heauen doth yeeld 1 Concerning this life what is it but a vale of miserie and what is the fruite thereof Psal 90.10 but labour and sorrow therefore doth the Oracle of heauen rightly pronounce Reu. 14 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord because they cease from their labours The sea-faring man is glad when he meets with a pleasant gale of winde that will bring him to the hauen where he would bee Lo this world is the sea the bodie the shippe the soule the mariner and death the pleasant gale of wind that brings vs into the hauen of eternal blisse This the Apostle insinuates in an elegant Metaphor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.23 when he saith I long to be dissâ—lued and to bee with Christ. When Noah had bin tossed vp and downe in the floud almost a whole yeare was he not glad thinke you of mount Ararat whereupon he rested the Arke So the children of God hauing bene tossed vp and downe the waters of this wicked world peraduenture for many yeares haue they not reason to be glad of the day of death the mount Ararat that giues rest to the beaten barke of their turmoyled soules bodies Is the soule kept in the bodie as it were in a prison Seneca Tully c. and is not the day of death therefore to be desired as the day of deliuerance from imprisonment Surely yes and that makes Simeon to say Lord Luk 2.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou loosest now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word The dayes of man saith Iob are as the dayes of an hireling Iob. 7.2 And as the seruant longeth for the shadow and an hireling looketh for the end of his worke so do the godly looke and long for the euening Sun-set of their age because then the time of labour is past and the day of paiment comes in which causeth theÌ„ to pray Euen so Reu. 22.20 come Lord Iesus 2 As the faithfull are by death deliuered from the miseries of this life which hindred their felicitie so are they by it as it were by a gate led and let into the ioyes of heauen For the soules of the iust when by death they pay the old debt do receiue a new reward of ioy which they shall neuer repay Salomon saith comfortably Pro. 14.32 The righteous hath hope in his death but the Apostle more comfortably We know 2. Cor. 5.1 that if our earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed we haue a building giuen of God euen an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens If the godly dyed doubtfully and with a staggering confidence there were some reason they should suffer a wonderfull conflict and reluctation in death but seeing they commit their soules into the hands of a faithfull Creator 1. Pet. 4.19 and their bodies to the ground with an assured confidence that at the last day they shall with the same eyes behold their Redeemer Iob. 19. who will send his Angels to fetch them and hath promised to glorifie them seeing that being dissolued they shall be with Christ Phil. 1.23 haue the reward of their workes following them to heauen Reu. 14.13 where their time shall bee spent in singing the hymnes of prayses to the harpe of glorie Reu. 5.8.9 haue they not reason to long for death to search for it more then for treasures and to reioyce when they finde it Dauid saith that the death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord. Psa 116.15 And our Sauiour makes the day of death the Saints seede time for that happie haruest wherein the Angels shall be reapers to gather the good corne into the Lords barne the kingdome of heauen For except the wheate corne fall into the ground and dye Ioh. 12.24 it bideth alone but if it dye it bringeth foorth much fruite Seeing now that death is of such singular vse to the godly wee see that to bee a most false position of the Philosopher and an erroneous opinion of many Christians That death is the worst and most terrible thing that can happen to man For albeit that to the wicked it be so yet to the godly it is not to whome if either you respect their freedome from temporall miseries or the fruition of eternall felicitie The day of death is better Eccles 7.3 then the day that they are borne If the house wherein thou dwellest were rotten Cypr. de mortal sect 17. and readie to fall on thy head if the shippe wherein thou art carried leaked very daungerously and like to drowne thee wouldest thou not leaue thy house and desire the shore that might yeeld thee safetie Then maruell not that the godly desire to be freed from the crazed houses and leaking shippes of their mortall bodies and long for the houses hauens of euerlasting securitie What though death be a serpent and sting the wicked griping them at the heart yet to the elect Christ hath vanquished this serpent and plucked out his sting yea deaths sting being sinne
we leade a sanctified life for such honour and happinesse haue all his Saints SECT 3. The third steppe into heauen at the day of iudgement namely The comfortable and honorable sentence of acquiting Come you blessed of my Father THe Lord by his Euangelicall Prophet did in times past make this gracious promise concerning his forlorne desolate Church In an acceptable time haue I heard thee Esa 49 8. in the day of saluation haue I helped thee And Saint Paule making the time of promulgation of the Gospell the period of his promise addeth by the way of exemplification 2. Cor. 6.2 Behold now the accepted time behold the day of saluation If the Apostle spake thus of the time wherein saluation was published and offered how much more may it bee said of the day wherein saluation is giuen and receiued Behold the day of saluation euen now behold it when the Sauiour of the world is become the Iudge of the world and shall pronounce the comfortable sentence of mercie and absolution Come yee blessed of my Father Mat. 25.34 possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world In which sentence euery word hath his woorth and weight and deserues to be ingraued in letters of gold Come saith Christ there is a blessed vocation ye blessed of my Father a gracious appellation possâ—sse the kingdome a happie exaltation prepared for you from the beginning of the world the foundation of all consolation It is worthie the obseruation that all Christs words are words of consolation his deedes are deedes of compassion and his workes the workes of propitiation Thus is Christ alwaies lâ—ke himselfe exceeding compassionate In the time of his life hee cryes Come vnto me all you that labour and are heauie laden Mat. 11.28 and I will refresh you Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke At his death vpon the crosse his armes are stretched out and his bloud gusheth forth as if he should say Come that I may wash thee come that I may embrace thee At the day of iudgement he cals Come ye blessed of my Father receiue the kingdome prepared for you And this Come is most comfortable of all others being such a word as Salomon speakes of Like apples of gold Prou. 25.11 with pictures of siluer euen as precious and pleasant as possibly may be Come yea but who You blessed of my father There are sundry kinds of blessings mentioned in the word of God Psal 5. Thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous and with fauour wilt crowne him as with a shield there is the blessing of protection The Lord blessed the house of O bed Edom 1. Ch. 13.14 and all that hee had there is the blessing of prosperitie Psa 128.3 Thy children shall bee like the Oliue plants round about thy table there is the blessing of procreatioÌ„ Thou crownest the yeare with thy goodnesse Psal 65.11 and thy steppes droppe fatnesse there is the blessing of plentie Euen in these and such like are the godlâ— often blessed but the Blessing of blessings is that which is here mentioned Come you blessed Mat. 25.34 receiue the kingdome And this blessednesse is both obtained by Christ and pronounced by him Isaiah 65.8 Destroy not my Vine saith the Lord and why for a blessing is in it Receiue the kingdome saith our Sauiour why because you are the blessed of my Father Happie are the people that are in such a case yea happie and thrise happie are they who are the blessed of the Lord. Our Sauiour somtimes promiseth the kingdome of God Luk. 12. Feare not little flocke it is your Fathers will to giue you a kingdome Sometimes hee exhorteth men to seeke the kingdome of God Mat. 6. First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and his promise is comfortable his exhortation profitable But behold here hee takes men by the hand and bids them come and take possession of the kingdome which is much more comfortable because fruition farre exceedeth expectation That was a gladsome speech of Christ to the penitent thiefe Luk. 23.43 This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise but this is farre more gladsom when Christ shall say Come and possesse it and so shall presently take both soule and bodie into his eternall kingdome If Dauid said Psa 1.122 I was glad when they said vnto me We will go into the house of the Lord how ioyfull and glad shall the children of God be wheÌ„ Christ shall say vnto them Come you blessed of my Father into the house of God euen the kingdome of heauen This was Gods bountifull goodnesse to Adam that before he was created the Lord had prouided abundantly for him and furnished most exquisitly as it were for a great guest the tables both of heauen the earth and the sea with all things necessarie for his vse and delight But behold here a greater mercie of the Lord towards the elect that altogether without their merite not onely before they were borne but euen before the foundations of the world were laid the Lord hath prepared a blessed and glorious kingdome for theÌ„ And this is the elects happinesse that at the last day when these foundations of heauen and earth shall bee shaken Christ will call them most graciously to possesse the kingdome which cannot be shaken Heb. 12. Wee reade in the first of Luke Luk. 1.44 that Elizabeth wondered at the blessed Virgins visiting of her and said that so soone as the voice of her salutation sounded in her eares the babe in her wombe did leape for ioy Shall not our Sauiours sentence bee more admirable then the Virgins salutation and as soone as it sounds in the eares of the elect shall it not cause the hearts in their bellies euen to leape for ioy Seeing now that the condition of the godly is so happie that they shall bee partakers of this thrise happie sentence let euery ones care and carriage bee such that he may enioy the comfort thereof For as they onely are the sheepe of Christ which heare his voice in the ministerie of his holy word Ioh. 10.27 and follow him in the steppes of righteousnesse so shall they onely be the sheepe on his right hand they onely shall heare him say vnto them Come you blessed of my Father and follow him into his kingdome Mat. 25.33 To those that haue fedde him being hungrie clothed him being naked and visited him being sicke and in prison to those that haue sanctified his Sabboths honoured his name embraced his word and dealt vprightly with their neighbours to them I say doth this blessing belong Let no man then bee ouercome with Dauids infirmitie to say I haue cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocencie For the Apostles words shall euer bee found true Your worke shall not bee in vaine in the Lord. 1. Co. 15.58 And behold here
meditations is rather to stirre vp the affections of the godly then to conuerse with the conceipts of any curiously affected August de Genes ad Li er lib. 2. cap. 9. I like his iudgement who holds the disputes about the forme and figure of the heauens to bee vnprofitable and his censure Damasc de Orthodox fid lib. 2. c. 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who saith That to search out the substance of them is vnlawfull whereunto if I may adde my owne opinioÌ„ I hold it impossible Farewell theÌ„ to the schoolemens friuolous and fruitlesse discourses about the forme the substance and quantity of the heauens Very glorious things are spoken of thee Psal 87.3 thou citie of God If the Prophet might say so of the terrestriall Ierusalem how much more may it iustly bee said of the celestiall citie which is aboue and the mother of vs all And Saint Iohn indeede hath made a very excellent description of that glorious kingdome Reu. 21. calling it first in generall Reu. 21.11 The holy Ierusalem which had the gloâ—ie of God shining in it and her shining was like a stone most precious as a Iasper stone and cleare as Christall Then in particular he sets downe the forme of it which was very perfect being quadrangular then the quantitie it was large and spacious containing many cubits then the matter and ornaments of it which was pure gold and all manner of precious stones then the adiuncts belonging to it the brightnes of glorie shining therein By which speeches borrowed from things which are most precious in mens estimation Saint Iohn would teach vs to conceiue of those excellencies Ioh. 14.1 which no man indeed is able to value Our Sauiour cals heauen his Fathers house and therefore it must needes be exceeding beautifull and glorious Dan. 4. Nebuchadnetsar spake ambitiously of his Pallace Is not this great Babel which I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie But of the Lords house it may be iustly said Is not that great Bethel which the Lord himselfe hath built for the house of his kingdome the habitations of his Saints and for the honour and ornament of his Maiestie If the heauens which are subiect to vanitie Psal 19.1 do declare the glorie of God what shall the pure and Christall heauens doe when they are changed and refined Hâ—b 1. If the builders of the tabernacle were renowmed as those that had perfected an excellent worke Psal 74.5 how much more excellent shall that tabernacle bee whose maker and builder is Heb. 11.10 God Psal 84.1 Oh how amiable are thy dwelling places ô Lord of hostes Doth the beautie of the temple exceede Dauids conceipt and leaue him to the taske of admiration Oh how admirable amiable and glorious do wee thinke the kingdome of heauen shall bee Reu. 21.22 where the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the temple where the king is Veritie the lawes Charitie the honour Equitie the peace Felicitie the life Eternitie as Saint Augustine saith Plutar. in vita Them 2 Themistocles hauing a peece of ground to sell appointed the Cryer to proclaime in the sale thereof that whosoeuer would buy it should haue a good neighbour so although the kindome of heauen be excellent of it selfe yet Almightie God sending foorth his Criers and Ambassadors to offer the same to the world Mat. 3. 2. Cor. 5. hath caused them to adde this in their proclamation That whosoeuer obtaineth it shall haue many good neighbours euen the holy Saints and blessed Angels that which is aboue all he shall behold God Almightie and Christ Iesus the immaculate Lambe of God shining there in most resplendent glorie Reue. 22.4 They shal see his face and his name shall bee in their foreheads This was one of the last requests made by Christ in the behalfe of his Church Father I will that those which thou hast giuen me Ioh. 17.24 be with me euen whâ—re I am that they may behâ—ld my glorie which thou hast giuen me a gracious petition for a blessed habitation and a glorious vision How earnestly did Moses importune the Lord Exo. 33.18 saying I beseech thee shew me thy glorie and it was a singular fauour that the Lord vouchsafed to shew him a glimpse of his glorie which he calleth his backe parts Vers 23. because a man is almost past fight when his backe is turned But behold Christ hath prayed for and the Lord hath promised a more glorious view of him in the life to come 1. Ioh. 3.2 For wee know that when he shall be made manifest we shall see him as he is A man that lookes into the sea cannot see to the bottome and he that lookes vp to the heauens can behold no further then the HorizoÌ„ and so indeed is this vision of Gods Saints bounded in the limites of finitenesse Yet is there as great difference betweene their present and future contemplation of glorie 1. Cor. 13. as betweene looking a man in the face and beholding him in a glasse for then they shall as fully behold the glorie of God as the fraile condition of mankinde may possibly permit When the Queene of Sheba had seene al the honour and magnificence of Salomon shee said with admiration Happie are thy men 1. Kin. 10.8 happie are these thy seruants that stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome If those were so happie who stood before Salomon to behold and heare his wisedome oh how happie shall they bee who shall stand before Almightie God and our blessed Sauiour to behold and see their glorie Psal 16.11 For in their presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thâ—ir right hand are pleasures for euermore And this is the cause Psa 42 1.2 that as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of waters so do the soules of the godlie pant after the Lord longing to appeare before his presence The ponderous stone inclineth downeward and lighter substances are carried vpward thus euery thing seeks his center Now the Lord is the Soules Center and like Noahs doue it finds no rest till it returne to him that gaue it Aug. Confes lib. 1. cap. 1 according to Augustines saying O Lord thou hast made vs for thy selfe and our heart is vnquiet till it rest in thy selfe But when the soule of man hath once attained this mercie then can the child of God say Psal 17.15 I will behold thy face in righteousnesse and 〈◊〉 satisfied with it because it yeelds him the fulnesse of comfort and contentation 3 When Christ was transfigured vpoÌ„ the mount wee reade that Peter albeit himselfe was not changed Luk. 9.33 said vnto our Sauiour Iesus maister it is good to be here If Peter spake thus onely vpon the view of Christs transfiguration how much more shall the children of God reioyce at the last
day in heauen when they enioy not onely the places beautie and the beholding of Christ his glorie but shall themselues also be glorified Mat. 13.43 and shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of their Father Shall they not be glad to be there and wish themselues euerlasting tabernacles in that glorious mount Sion And this shall assuredly be the condition of the godly at that day For as the Lords glorie reflected vpon Moses Exo. 34.30 made his face to shine when he was vpon the mount so shall the Saints of God become glorious in beholding the glory of God and of Christ 1. Ioh. 3.2 and so shall be like vnto him For as hee shall chaunge our vile bodies Phil. 3.21 that they may be like to his glorious bodie so shall he refine and beautifie the faculties of our soules 1. Co 12.10 that the perfection of grace may concurre with the fruition of glorie And euen as a little water mixed with much wine loseth his owne nature and taketh the tast and colour of the wine as iron put into the fire becomes white and like to the fire his old forme being chaunged and as the ayre perfused with the light of the Sunne is so transformed into the brightnesse thereof that it seemes not so much to be lightened as to be light it selfe so shall euery humane defect and deformitie bee now dissolued and abolished in the Saints of God and they shall bee transformed into the glorious image of Almightie God What tongue is able to expresse or heart conceiue the happinesse of Gods children being thus in glorie They enioy a kingdome Mat. 25. yea and that a glorious kingdome for it is the house of God the kingdome of heauen Tit. 1.2 they obtaine a life and that a blessed life for it can neuer see death they haue the hidden Manna Reu. 2.17 the white stone and the new name written in it They are clothed in the long white robes of honour and dignitie Reu. 7.9 and adorned with the palmes of triumph and victorie They sit vpon the glorious thrones of maiestie Reu. 3.21 and haue set vppon their heads the crownes of eternall glorie 2. Tim. 4.8 When Naomi returned from her peregrination shee said to her old acquaintance Ruth 1.20 Call me not Naomi but call mee Marah for the Almightie hath giuen mee much bitternesse but contrarily may the child of God say when hee returns from the pilgrimage of this world Call mee not Marah but call me Naomi for the Almightie hath giuen me much beautie and blessednesse The honour that Pharo did to Ioseph was very great but yet it was with this exception Gen. 41.40 In the kings throne will I be aboue thee Pharo will sit alone vpon his throne but behold the honour that Christ will do to his seruants when he will also vouchsafe them this dignitie that they shall sit with him vpon his throne for they are heires Rom. 8. yea coheires annexed with Christ who hath promised thus Reu. 3.21 To him that ouercommeth will I graunt to sit with me in my throne euen as I ouercame and do sit with my Father in his throne But here it may peraduenture be demanded whether there be an equalitie or difference of the degrees of blisse and glorie to all the elect in the kingdome of heauen For answer whereunto we must consider that there is a double equalitie to wit Proportionâ— quantitatis of proportion quantitie which ariseth not from the obiect Almighty God who is alwaies the same but from man the subiect who is not in euery particular alike capable of glorie For as the same meate is more delectable to the tast of some then of others the same obiect is better seene by some then by others the same matter better vnderstood of some then of others so the same glorie shineth more brightly into the soules of some then of others Two vessels of a diuerse content may be filled with the same wine yet by reason of their bignesse differ in quantitie of that they containe two mettals of a diuerse kind may be cast into the same fire yet receiue a different heate according to their different nature two men of sundrie statures may be fitted with the same cloth of gold each of them hauing that which is sufficient in proportion though in quantitie they differ so the soules of the godly may be all filled with the same wine of gladnesse be made feruent with the same heate of comfort and clothed with the same robes of glorie yet differ much in respect of their capacitie And according to the measure of grace shall be the measure of glorie 2. Cor. 9.6 for they that sow sparingly shall reape sparingly but they that sow liberally shall reape liberally so that whilest some shine like the brightnesse of the firmament Dan. 12.3 other some shall shine as the starres for euer and euer Yet happie and thrise happie shall that man be who shall be partaker euen of the least degree of heauenly glorie for it infinitly surmounteth all the glorie and dignitie of the world This being the blessed condition of the elect in heauen the meditation thereof should affect vs accordingly First it may make vs despise the vaine and base felicitie of this transitorie life and to count all doung and drosse in respect of those admirable ioyes that are prepared for the godly in the kingdome of heauen It was a hard thing for Abraham to leaue his owne countrie and to trauell as a pilgrime he knew not whither yet the expectation of the heauenly citie wonne his affection from his natiue habitation Heb. 11. so should the sweet consideration of heauenly happinesse weine our harts from the loue of earthly vanities Cic. Tuscu quaest lib. 1. Lactant. instit lib. 3. Cap. 18. It is written of one CleoÌ„brotus that reading Platoes booke of the Immortalitie of the Soule hee was so rauished with the conceipt thereof that hee cast himselfe headlong into the sea It was his sinful error to depriue himselfe of life but his desire of immortalitie may make many Christians ashamed whom neither the expectation of immortalitie glorie or felicitie can estrange from the loue of this vaine world Psal â—4 11 One day in the Lords house is better then a thousand yea surâ—ly one hower in the kingdome of heauen is better then a thousand yeares in the greatest blisse this vaine and wretched world can yeeld Let vs learne therefore to tune our affections to Dauids dittie that we may be able to say of the celestiall tabernacle as he speaketh of the terrestriall Ibid. I had rather be a doore keeper in the house of the Lord then to dwell in the tents of the vngodly 2 It may yeeld comfort to all those that haue liued godly because they shall enioy the comfort of a glorious vision a blessed habitation and the crowne of eternall glorie and
that tree of life which hath twelue kinds of fruites and beareth fruite euerie moneth and so shall liue for euer to enioy those ioyes that are infinite and permanent and they shall drinke of the Christall water that springs in Paradise being an Ocean without brimme or bottome which can neuer be dryed but floweth with her siluer streames to euerlasting life Ioh. 4 Therefore as Saint Paule saith that the ioyes of heauen are so great that no tongue is able to expresse or vtter them so may I say they are so permanent that no time can consume or end them This Meditation hath three principall vses 1 It may cause vs to beare patiently and take thankefully the crosses and calamities of this life considering that they being short and momentanie 2. Cor. 4.17 do procure vnto vs an euerlasting weight of glorie For who would not indure much miserie to enioy eternall felicitie If we be killed all the day long Psa 44.22 yea if we were tortured all our life long what were that to the endlesse ioy and blisse of the kingdome of heauen God forbid therefore that tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword or any or all the distresses and calamities in the world should cause vs to neglect our euerlasting inheritance Saint Paul hauing shewed that we shall be taken vp by Christ at his second comming 1. Thes 4.17 18. and be with him for euer concludeth thereupon Comfort your selues with these words A coÌ„fort indeed fit to counterpoise a greater miserie then death can yeeld But if the Apostles exhortation perswade not yet should Christs example preuaile with vs Heb. 12.2 Who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse despised the sham and is set at the right hand of the throne of God If then either sicknesse or pouertie persecution or any such affliction befall thee doe but thinke with Christ Iesus vpon the eternall glorie that is prepared in the kingdome of heauen and the meditation thereof will be as sugar to sweeten thy calamities 2 Seeing the ioyes of heauen are eternall it is our part with paines and perseuerance to labour for them Balaam was rauished with the ioyes of heauen Num. 23. yet did he not enioy them The Ruler that kneeled to our Sauiour Mar. 10.17 and said Good maister what shall I do to possesse eternall life had a good conceit of this blessednesse but this was his fault that he would not do what hee was commaunded to obtaine it And is not that the fault and folly of most people who though they seeme to be much affected with the ioyes of heauen will not yet take paines to attaine vnto them In them is our Sauiours saying verified Luk. 13.24 Many shall seeke to enter into heauen but shall not be able And why Doubtlesse because they take not paines with perseuerance in well doing And therefore hee bids Striue to enter into it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing a Metaphor drawne from Champions who bend all their forces and employ their best indeuors to attaine the price and the trophies of triumph When the spies which Iosua sent to view the land of Canaan returned they said Num. 13.28 Surely the land floweth with milke and honie and here is of the fruite of it neuerthelesse the people be strong that dwell in the land and the cities are walled and exceeding great and moreouer we saw the sons of Anak there Nu. 14.1.2 Thus were the children of Israel discouraged And so fareth it with many in the consideration of the kingdome of heauen They will confesse that it is a place which floweth with the milke and honie of vnspeakable ioy and yeeldeth the excellent fruite of eternall glorie yet because they must contend with many daungers and difficulties they must subdue their corrupt affections Rom. 7.5.23 which are like strong men and conquer the spirituall wickednesses which are in the high places Eph. 6.12 who resemble the Anakims they are dismayed and so do lose the blessed land euen the land of the liuing To such I may say with the children of Dan Iud. 18.9.10 Seeing the land is good and a place that lacketh nothing in the world let vs not sit still and be slouthfull to go and enter to possesse the land yea seeing the kingdome of heauen is a blessed place and lacketh no good thing that the tongue can expresse or heart imagine let vs not be carelesse and negligent in seeking to possâ—sse it which if we be our desire thereunto shall be fruitlesse for excellent things are difficult No paines seeme too great for the attaining of temporall pleasures and dignities which are very short and temporarie yea diuerse of the Philosophers haue exposed themselues not onely to daungers but euen to death it selfe for the attaining of a little vaine transitorie glorie how much more then should wee bâ— willing to spend our paines wit wealth strength yea and life it selfe for the obtaining of those pleasures and that glorie which are without measure and shall neuer haue an end 3 To conclude are the ioyes of heauen so exquisite is the felicitie permanent and the glorie eternall Where then is that audacious man liuing that dares say he hath merited them Ambros in Serm. 16 in Psal 119. yea or the least of them Who is able to match such excellent benefits of saluation with correspondent seruice If any thing were meritorious then were persecutions and afflictions But the Apostle iudgeth Rom. 8.18 that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glorie that shalâ— be reuealed vnto vs and elsewhere he giueth this reason of his iudgement 2. Cor. 4.17 Our afflictions are light the glorie is weightie our afflictions are but for a moment the glorie is eternall In so great a disproportion of value and estimation though there be a most certaine reward of mercie yet where is the recompence that should rise vpon merit Let vs learne therefore to confesse with Iacob I am vnworthie Lord Gen. 32.10 the least of all thy mercies much more of this eternall weight of glorie Let vs cast downe our crownes of glorie at the feet of Christ with the Elders in the ReuelatioÌ„ Reu. 4.10 and say with the blessed Apostle Vnto the God of all grace 1. Pet. 5.10 11. who hath called vs vnto his eternall glorie by Christ Iesus be glorie and dominion for euer and euer Amen FINIS