to imbrace as the true Religion But such I find the Christian Religion to be to me Therefore c. The Proposition here is manifestly false for it contains grounds common to all Religioâ—s publiquely owned and profest throughout the world and sure all cannot be true And hence the conclusion though materially considered it be true yet formâ—lly considered as a conclusion issuing from such premises must needs be false and what then is become of thy Orthodoxie when as to the formal object of thy Faith thou believest but as M hometanâ— and Pâ—gans do when thou art of this Faith by Fate or Chance only not Choice or rational Inducement Next as to the effects of thy Faith Let them be inquired into also and they will certainly bear proportion to the grounds of it The Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one thâ—t 〈◊〉 to them that believe it noâ— it â—â—gnifies nothing The Word of God received with a Divine Faith as the Word of God 〈◊〉 works â—â—â—ttually upon all that so receive 〈◊〉 i. e. all that believe what such efficacioâ—s workings of it hast thou felt upon thy soul Certainly it s most connaturural effect is that very change of heart and inclinations God-ward of which we have been speaking What is so sutable to the Gospel Revelation as a good temper of heart Godward and how absurd it is to introduce the cause on purpose to exclude its genuine inseparable effect But evident it is though true Faith cannot that superficial irrational â—ssent in which alone many glory may too well consist with a disaffected heart towards God and can it then signifie any thing towards thy blessedness sure to be so a solifidian is to be a nullâ—fidian Faith not working by love is not Faith at least profits nothing For thy outward conformity in the solemnities of worship 't is imputable to so corrupâ—â— motâ—ves and principles that the thing it self abâ—â—actively considered can never be thought characteristical and distinguishing of the heirs of blessedness The worst of men 〈◊〉 perform the best of outward duties Thy most glorious loasted vertues if they grow not from the proper root love to 〈◊〉 they are but splendid sins as above appears and hath been truly said of old Thy repentance is either true or false if true it is that very change of mind and heart I speak of and is therefore eminently signaliz'd by that note 't is repentance towards God If false God will not be mocked For thy Regeneration in 〈◊〉 what can it avail thee as to this blessedness if the present All worldly evils are willingly endured and all such good things quitted and forsaken for Christs sake and his Elects And if the question be ask't as it was once of Alexander when so frankly distributing his treasures among his followers what do you reserve for your self The resolved Christian makes with him that short and brave reply HOPE He lives upon things future and unseen The objects any one converses with most and in which his life is as it were bound up are suitable to the ruling principle of life in him They that are after the flesh do savour the things of the flesh they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit The Principle of the fleshly life is Sense The principle of the Spiritual life is Faith Sense is a mean low narrow incomprehensive principle limited to a point This Center of Earth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this now of time It can reach no higher then terrene things nor further then present things So bruitish is the life of him that is led by it wholly confined to matter and time But the righteous live by Faith Their Faith governs and maintains the life They stear not their course according to what they see but according to what they believe And their daily sustenance is by the same kind of things Their Faith influences not their actions only but their comforts and enjoyments They subsist by the things they believe even invisible and eternal things But it is by the intervening exercise of hope whose object is the same The Apostle having told us from the Prophet that the just shall live by Faith presently subjoyns a description ' of that Faith they live by viz. that it is the sustance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen it substantiates and reallizes evidences and demonstrates those glorious objects so far above the reach and Sphere of sense It is constantly sent out to forage in the invisible Regions for the maintenance of this life And thence fetches in the provisions upon which hope feeds to the strengthening of the heart the renewing of life and spirits Our inward man saith the Apostle is renewed day by day while we look or take aime which is next in the series of the discourse for the intervening verse is manifestly parenthetical not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen for the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal And the word here rendred look doth plainly signifie the act of hope as well as that of faith for it doth not import a meer intuition or beholding a taking notice or assenting onely that there is such things but a designing or scoping at them which is the very word with an appropriative eye as things that notwithstanding their distance or whatsoever imaginable difficultie are hoped to be attained to and enjoyed And here are evidenly the distinct parts of Faith and Hope in this business Faith upon the Authority and credit of the Divine Word and Promise perswades the heart that there is such a glorious state of Nor is that aversation the lesse culpable for that it is so hardly overcome but the more 'T is an aversation of will and who sees not that every man is more wicked ac-according as his will is more wickedly bent Hence his impotencie or inability to turn to God is not such as that he cannot turn if he would but it consists in this that he is not willing He affects a distance from God Which shews therefore the necessity still of this change For the possibility of it and the incouragement according to the Methods wherein God is wont to dispense his Grace the Sinner hath to hope and indeavour it will more â—itly fall into consideration else where CHAP. XIII Fourth Inference That the Soul in which such a change is wrought restlesly pursues it till it be attain'd Fifth Inference That the knowing of God and conformity to him are satisfying things and do now in a degree satisfie according to the measure wherein they are attained Sixth Inference That the love of God towards his people is great that hath designed for them so great and even a satisfying good 4. 'T Is further to be inferr'd that a soul wherein such a change is wrought pursues this blessedness with restless
that only is capable of being imprest by the intervening ministry of our own understanding viz. by its Vision intimated as was formerly observed in that of the Apostle We shall be like for we shall see him c. It s natural perfections are antecedent and presupposed therefore not so fitly to be understood here And I say both these wayes for as we cannot form an intire Idea of God without taking in together his perfections of both sorts communicable and incommunicable the former whereof must serve instead of a genns the latter of a differentia in composing the notion of God so nor will his impresse on us be intire without something in it respecting both in the senses already given What it will contribute to future blessedness we shall shortly see in its place when we have made a brief enquiry which is the next thing according to our order proposed concerning Thirdly The satisfaction that shall hence accrue Where it will not be besides our purpose to take some notice of the significancy of the word And not to insist on its affinity to the word used for swearing or rather being sworn which an oath being the end of controversies and beyond which we go no further nor expect more in way of testifying would the more fitly here represent to us the soul in its non-ultra having attained the end of all its motions and contentions Its equal nearness to the word signifying the number of seven is not altogether unworthy observation That number is we know often used in Scripture as denoting plenitude and perfection and God hath as it were signalliz'd it by his rest on the seventh day and if this were not designedly pointed at here in the present use of this word as it must be acknowledged to be frequently used where we have no reason to think it is with such an intendment It may yet occasion us to look upon the holy soul now entered into the eternal Sabbath the rest of God which secluding all respect to that circumstance is yet the very substance and true notion of the thing it self to the consideration whereof I now passe under the word held forth to us For this satisfaction is the souls rest in God It s perfect enjoyment of the most perfect good The expletion of the whole capacity of its will the total filling up of that vast enlarged appetite the perfecting of all its desires in delight and joy Now delight or joy for they differ not save that the latter word is thought something more appropriate to reasonable nature is more fitly defined the rest of the desiring faculty in the thing desired Desire and Delight are but two acts of Love diversified only by the distance or presence of the same Object which when 't is distant the soul acted and prompted by love desires moves towards it pursues it when present and attained delights in it enjoyes it staies upon it satisfies it self in it according to the measure of goodness it finds there Desire is therefore love in motion Delight is love in rest and of this latter delight or joy Scripture evidently gives us this Notion He will rejoyce over thee with joy unto which is presently added as exegetical he will rest in his love Which resting can be but the same thing with being satisfied This satisfaction then is nothing else but the repose and rest of the soul amidst infinite delights It s peaceful acquiescence having attained the ultimate tearm of all its motions beyond which it cares to go no further the solace it finds in an adequate full good which it accounts enough for it and beyond which it desires no more reckons its state as good as it can be and is void of all hovering thoughts which perfect rest must needs exclude or inclination to change And so doth this being satisfied not only generally signifie the soul to be at rest but it specifies that rest and gives us a distinct account of the nature of it As that it is not a forced violent rest such as proceeds from a beguiled ignorance a drowsie sloth a languishing weakness or a desire and hope of happiness by often frustrations bafled into despair to all which the native import and propriety of that word satisfaction doth strongly repugne But it discovers it to be a natural rest I mean from an internal principle the soul is not held in its present state of enjoyment by a strong and violent hand but rests in it by a connaturalness thereunto is attempered to it by its own inward constitution and frame It rests not as a descending stone intercepted by something by the way that holds and stops it else it would fall further but as a thing would rest in its own centre with such a rest as the earth is supposed to have in its proper place that being hung upon nothing is yet unmoved ponderibus librata suis equally ballanced by its own weights every way It is a rational judicious rest upon certain knowledge that its present state is simply best and not capable of being changed for a better The soul cannot be held under a perpetual cheat so as alwayes to be satisfied with a â—hadow It may be so befool'd for a while but if it remain satisfied in a state that never admits of change that state must be such as commends it self to the most throughly informed reason and judgement It is hence a free voluntary chosen rest Such as God professes his own to be in Zion This is my rest here will I dwell for I have desired it It is a complacential rest wherein the soul abides steady bound only by the cords of love a rest in the midst of pleasantnesses The Lord is my portion the lots are fallen to me in amanitatibus it cannot be more fitly exprest than amidst pleasantnesses And this speaks not only what the Psalmists condition was but the sense and account he had of it That temper of mind gives us some Idea of that contentful satisfied abode with God which the blessed shall have He intimates how undesirous he was of any change Their sorrows he told us above should be multiplied that hasten after another God Hereafter there will be infinitely less appearance of reason for any such thought Now it is the sense of an holy soul Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none I desire on earth besides thee q. d. Heaven and Earth yield not a tempting Object to divert me from thee 't is now so at sometimes when faith and love are in their triumph and exaltation but the Lord knows how seldom but much more when we see him as he is and are satisfied with his likeness It 's an active vigorous rest Action about the end shall be perpetuated here though action towards it ceases 'T is the rest of an awâ—kned not of a drowsie sluggish soul of a soul satiâ—fiâ—d by heavenly sensations and fruitions
was I am all Spirit and life I feel my self disburthened and unclogg'd of all the heavy oppressive weights that hung upon me No body of death doth now incumber me no deadness of heart no coldness of love no drowsie sloth no aversness from God no earthly mind no sensual inclinations or affections no sinful devisions oâ— heart between God and Creatures He hath now the whole of me I injoy and delight in none but him O blessed change O happy day 2. If in contemplating it self cloathed with this likeness it respect the state of damned souls What transporâ—s must that occasion What ravishing resentments When it compares humane nature in its highest perfection with the same nature in its utmost depravation An unspeakably more unequal comparison than that would be of the most amiable lovely person flourishing in the prime of youthful strength and beauty with a putrified rotten carcasse deformed by the corruption of a loathsome grave When glorified Spirits shall make such a reflection as this Lo here we shine in the glorious brightness of the divine Image and behold yonder deformed accursed souls They were as capable of this glory as we Had the same nature with us the same reason the same intellectual faculties and powers but what monsters are they now become They eternally hate the eternal excellency Sin and death are finished upon them They have each of them an hell of horror and wickedness in it self Whence is this amazing difference Though this cannot but be an awful wonder it cannot also but be temper'd with pleasure and joy 3. We may suppose this likeness to be considered in reference to its pattern and in comparison therewith which will then be another way of heightning the pleasure that shall arise thence Such a frame and constitution of Spirit is full of delights in it self but when it shall be refer'd to its original and the correspondency between the one and the other be observ'd and view'd how exactly they accord and answer each other as face doth face in the water this cannot still but add pleasure to pleasure one delight to another When the blessed soul shall interchangeably turn its eye to God and it self and consider the agreement of glory to glory the several derived excellencies to the original He is wise and so am I holy and so am I. I am now made perfect as my heavenly Father is this gives a new relish to the former pleasure How will this likeness please under that notion as it is his a likeness to him O the accent that will be put upon those appropriative words to be made partakers of His holiness and of the divine nature Personal excellencies in themselves considered cannot be reflected on but with some pleasure but to the ingenuity of a child how especially grateful will it be to observe in it self such and such graceful deportments wherein it naturally imitates its father So he was wont to speak and act and demean himself how natural is it unto love to affect and aim at the imitation of the person loved So natural it must be to take complacency therein when we have hit our mark and atchiev'd our design The pursuits and attainments of love are proportionable and correspondent each to other And what heart can compass the greatness of this thought to be made like God! Lord was there no lower pattern than thy self thy glorious blessed self according to which to form a worm This cannot want its due resentments in a glorified state 4. This transformation of the blessed soul into the likeness of God may be viewed by it in reference to the way of accomplishment as an end brought about by so amazing stupendous means which will certainly be a pleasing contemplation When it reflects on the method and course insisted on for bringing this matter to pass views over the work of redemption in its tendency to this end The restoring Gods Image in souls Considers Christ manifested to us in order to his being revealed and formed in us That God was made in the likeness man to make men after the likeness of God That he partook with us of the humane nature that we might with him partake of the divine that he assumed our flesh in order to impart to us his Spirit When it shall be considered for this end had we so many great and precious promises for this end did the glory of the Lord shine upon us through the glass of the Gospel that we might be made partakers c. That we might be changed c. Yea when it shall be called to mind though it be far from following hence that this is the only or principal way wherein the life and death of Christ have influence in order to our eternal happiness that our Lord Jesus lived for this end that we might learn so to walk as he also walked that he dyed that we mught be conformed to his death that he rose again that we might with him attain the resurrection of the dead that he was in us the hope of glory that he might be in us that is that same Image that bears his Name our final consummate glory it self also With what pleasure will these harmonious congruities these apt correspondencies be look'd into at last Now may the glorified Saint say I here see the end the Lord Jesus came into the world for I see for what he was lift up made a spectacle that he might be a transforming one What the effusions of his Spirit were for why it so earnestly strove with my way-ward heart I now behold in my own soul the fruit of the travel of his Soul This was the project of redeeming love the design of all-powerful Gospel grace Glorious atchievement blessed end of that great and notable undertaking happy issue of that high desin 5. With reference to all their own expectations and indeavours When it shall be considered by a Saint in glory the attainment of this perfect likeness to God was the utmost mark of all my designs and aims the term of all my hopes and desires This is that I long'd and laboured for that which I pray'd and waited for which I so earnestly breath'd after and restlestly pursu'd It was but to recover the defaced image of God To be again made like him as once I was Now I have attained my end I have the fruit of all my labour and travels I see now the truth of those often incouraging words Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Be not weary of well doing for ye shall reap if ye faint not What would I once have given for a steady abiding frame of holiness for an heart constantly bent and biassed toward God constantly serious constantly tender lively watchful heavenly spiritual meek humble chearful self-denying How have I cryed and striven for this to get such an heart such a temper of spirit how have I pleaded with God and my own
Christian Doctrine as if they were of another Religion How unlike is the Christian world to the Christian Doctrine The seal is fair and excellent but the impression is languid or not visible Where is that serious godliness that heavenliness that purity that spirituality that righteousness that peace unto which the Christian Religion is most aptly designed to work and form the Spirits of men we think to be saved by an empty name and glory in the shew and appearance of that the life and power whereof we hate and deride 'T is a reproach with us not to be called a Christian and a greater reproach to be one If such and such Doctrines obtain not in our professed Belief we are Hereticks or Infidels if they do in our practice we are precisians and fools To be so serious and circumspect and strict and holy to make the practice of godliness so much our business as the known and avowed principles of our Religion do plainly exact from us yea though we come as we cannot but do unspeakably short of that required measure is to make ones self a common derision and scorn Not to be professedly religious is barbarous to be so in good earnest ridiculous In other things men are wont to act and practise according to the known Rules of their several Callings and Professions and he would be reckon'd the common fool of the neighbour-hood that should not do so The Husbandman that should sow when others reap or contrive his Harvest into the depth of Winter or sow Fitches and expect to reap Wheat The Merchant that should venture abroad his most precious Commodities in a leaky bottom without Pilot or Compass or to places not likely to afford him any valuable return In Religion only it must be counted absurd to be and do according to it s known agreed Principles and he a fool that shall but practise as all about him professe to believe Lord whence is this apprehended inconsistency between the profession and practise of Religion what hath thus stupify'd and unman'd the world that seriousness in Religion should be thought the character of a fool that men must visibly make a mockery of the most Fundamental Articles of Faith onely to save their reputation and be afraid to be serious least they should be thought mad Were the Doctrine here opened believed in earnest were the due proper impresse of it upon our Spirits or as the Pagan Moralists expression is were our mind transfigured into it what manner of persons should we be in all holy conversation and godliness But 't is thought enough to have it in our Creed though never in our hearts and such as will not deride the holiness it should produce yet indeavour it not nor go about to apply and urge truths upon their own souls to any such purpose What should turn into Grace and Spirit and Life turns all into Notion and Talk and men think all is well if their head be fill'd and their tongues tipt with what should transform their souls and govern their lives How are the most awful Truths and that should have greatest power upon mens Spirits trifled with as matters only of speculation and discourse They are heard but as empty airy words and presently evaporate pass away into words again like food as Seneca speaks that comes up presently the same that it was taken in which as he saith profits not nor makes any accession to the body at all A like case as another ingeniously speaks as if sheep when they have been feeding should present their Shepherds with the very grass it self which they have cropt and shew how much they had eaten No saith he they concoct it and so yield them Wool and Milk And so saith he do not you viz. when you have been instructed presently go and utter words among the more ignorant meaning they should not do so in a way of ostentation to shew how much they knew more than others but works that follow upon the concoction of what hath been by words made known to them Let Christians be ashamed that they need this instruction from heathen Teachers Thy words were found and I did eat them saith the Prophet and thy word was to me the joy and rejoycing of my heart Divine truth is only so far at present grateful or useful for future as 't is received by faith and consideration and in the love thereof into the very heart and there turned in succum sanguinem into real nutriment to the soul So shall man live by the word of God Hence is the application of it both personal and ministerial of so great necessity If the Truths of the Gospel were of the same alloy with some parts of Philosophy whose end is attained as soon as they are known If the Scripture Doctrine the whole entire System of it were not a Doctrine after godliness if it were not designed to sanctifie and make men holy or if the hearts of men did not reluctate were easily receptive of its impressions our work were as soon done as such a Doctrine were nakedly proposed But the state of the case in these respects is known and evident The tenour and aspect of Gospel truth speaks its end and experience too plainly speaks the oppositeness of mens Spirits All therefore we read and hear is lost if it be not urgently apply'd The Lord grant it be not then too Therefore Reader let thy mind and heart concur in the following improvement of this Doctrine which will be wholly comprehended under these Two heads Inferences of Truth Rules of Duty that are consequent and connatural thereto 1. Inferences of Truth educible from it 1. True Blessedness consists not in any sensual injoyment The blessedness of a man can be but one Most onely one He can have but one highest and best good And its proper character is that it finally satisfies and gives rest to his Spirit This the face and likeness of God doth his glory beheld and participated Here then alone his full blessedness must be understood to lye Therefore as this might many other wayes be evinced to be true so it evidently appears to be the proper issue of the present truth and is plainly proved by it But alas it needs a great deal more to be pressed than proved O that it were but as much considered as it is known The experience of almost 6000. years hath one would think sufficiently testified the incompetency of every worldly thing to make men happy that the present pleasing of our senses and the gratification of our animal part is not blessedness that men are still left unsatisfied notwithstanding But the practice and course of the world is such as if this were some late and rare experiment which for curiosity every one must be trying over again Every age renews the inquiry after an earthly felicity the design is intail'd as the Spanish designs are said to be and reinforc'd with as great a confidence and vigor
correctioâ—s what awakenings and terrours what remorses what purposes what tasts and relishes do some find in their own hearts that yet are blasted and come to nothing How many miserable abortions after travailing pangs and throwes and fair hopes of an happy birth of the new Creature Often somewhat is produced that much resembles it but is not it No gracious principle but may have its counterfeit in an ungracious heart whence they deceive not others only but themselves and think verily they are true converts while they are yet in their sins How many wretched souls that lie dubiously strugling a long time under the contrary alternate impressions of the Gospel on the one hand and the present evil world on the other and give the day to their own sensual inclinations at last In some degree escape the corruptions of the world by the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but are again intangled and overcome so as their latter end is worse then their beginning Such a man is so far from being advantaged by his former faint inclinations towards God that he will be found at last under this aggravated wickedness beyond all other men that when others wandred from God through inadvertency and inconsideration this man will be found to have been his enemy upon deliberation and again the various strivings of his convinced heart to the contrary This is more eminently victorious and raigning enmity such a one takes great pains to perish Alas 't is not a slight touch an overly superficial tincture some evaned sentiments of piety a few good thoughts or wishes that bespeak a new man a new creature 'T is a thorough prevailing change that quite alters the habitual posture of a mans soul and determines it towards God so as that the after course of this life may be capable of that denomination a living to God a living after the Spirit That exalts the love of God into that Supremacy in him that it becomes the governing principle of his life and the reason and measure of his actioâ—s that as he loves him above all things else better then his own life so he can truly though possibly sometimes with a doubtful trembling heart resolve the ordinary course of his daily walking and practice into that love as the directive principle of it I pray I read I hear because I love God I desire to be just sober charitable meek patient because I love God This is the perfection and end of the love of God therefore that must needs be the principle hereof obedience to his will Herein appears that power of godliness denied God knowes by too many that have the form The Spirit of love power and of a sound mind That onely is a sound mind in which such love rules in such power Is not love to God often pretended by such that when ever it comes to an actual competitioâ— discover they love their own flesh a gâ—eat deal more that seldom ever cross their own wills to do his or hazard their own fleshly interest to promote his interest we may justly say as the Apostle in a case fitly enough reducible hiâ—her how dwells the love of God 〈◊〉 that man Notwithstanding such a subdued ineffectual love to God such a one shall be denominated and dealt with as an enemy 'T is not likely any man on earth hates God so perfectly as those in Hell And is not every quality not yet perfect in its kind and that is yet growing more and more intense in the mean time allayed by some degree of its contrary Yet that over-mastered degree denominates not its subject nor ought a man from such a supposed love to God have the name of a â—over of him That principle only is capable of denominating the man that is prevalent and practical that hath a governing influence on his heart and life He in whom the love of God hath not such power and rule whatever his fainter inclinations may be is an ungodly man And now methinks these several considerations compared and weighed together should contribute something to the settling of right thoughts in the minds of secure sinners touching the nature and necessity of this heart-change and do surely leave no place for the forementioned vain pretences that occasioned them For to give you a summary view of what hath been propounded in those foregoing considerations It now plainly appears that the holy Scripture requires in him that shall injoy this blessedness a mighty change of the very temper of his soul as that which must dispose him thereto and which must therefore chiefly consist iâ— the right framing of his heart towards God towards whom it is most fixed averse and therefore not easily susceptible of such a change And that any slighter or more feeble inclination toward God will not serve the turn but such onely whereby the soul is prevalently and habitually turned to him And then what can be more absurd or unsavory what more contrary to Christian Doctrine or common Reason then instead of this necessary heart-change to insist upon so poor a Plea as that mentioned above as the onely ground of so great a hope How empty and frivolous will it appear in comparison of this great Soul-transforming change if we severally consider the particulars of it As for Orthodoxie indoctrinals 't is in its self an highly laudible thing and in respect of the Fundamentals for therefore are they so called indispensibly necessary to the blessedness As that cannot be without holiness so nor holiness without truth But Besides that this is that which every one pretends to is every thing which is necessary sufficient As to natural necessity which is that we now speak to reason an intellectual nature are also necessary shall therefore all men yea and Devils too be saved Besides are you sure you believe the grand Articles of the Christian Religion consider a little The Grounds Effects of that petended Faith First its grounds every assent is as the grounds of it are Deal truly here with thy soul. Can you tell wherefore you are a Christian what are thy inducements to be of this Religion are they not such as are common to thee with them that are of a false Religion I am here happily prevented by a worthy Author to which I recommend thee but at the present a little bethink thy self Is it not possible thou may'st be a Christian for the same reasons for which one may be a Jew or a Mahometan or a meer Pâ—gâ—â— as viz. Education Custome Law Example Outward advantage c. Now consider if thou â—ind this upon enquiry to be thy case the Motives of thy being a Christian admit of being cast together into this form of reasoning That Religion which a Mans Forefathers were of which is established by Law or generally obtains in the Country where he lives The Profession whereof most conduces to or best consists with his credit and other outward advantages that Religion he is
petite questions that with many are so hotly agitated for recreation sake or to try his wit and exercise his reasâ—n without stirring his passions to the disturbance of others or himself here an innocent divertisement and the best purpose that things of that nature are capable of serving But when contention becomes a mans element and he cannot live out of that fire strains his wit and racks his invention to find matter of quarrel is resolved nothing said or done by others shall please him onely because he means to please him in dissentiâ—g Disputes onely that he may dispute and loves dissension for it self This is the unnatural humour that hath so unspeakably troubled the Church and despised Religion and filled mens Souls with wind and vanity Yea with fire and fury This hath made Christians gladiaters and the Christian World a clamorous Theater while men have equally affected to contend and to make ostentation of their ability so to do And surely as it is highly pleasurable to reâ—â—re ones sâ—lf so it is charitable to call aside others out of this noise and throng to consider silently and feed upon the known and agree'd things of our Religion which immediately lead to both the duties and delights of it Among which there are none more evident and undoubted none lesse intangled with controversie none more profitable and pleasant then the future blessedness of the righteous which this discourse Treats of The last end is a matter to little disputable that 't is commonly thought which is elsewhere more distinctly spoken to not to be the object of election and so not of deliberation consequently but of simple intention onely because men are supposed to be generally agree'd as touching that And the knowledge and intention of it is apparently the very soul of Religion animates direct enlivens and sweetens the whole thereof Without which Religion were the vainest irrational and most unsavoury thing in the World And because the more clearly this our last end is understood the more powerfully and sweetly it attracts and moves the Soul this Treatise endeavours to give as plain and positive a state and nation of it as the Text insisted on compared with other Scriptures would afford to so weak an eye And because men are so apt to abuse themselves with the vain and self-contradicting hopes of attaining this end without ever having their spirits framed to it or walking in the way that leads thereto as if they could come to Heaven by chance or without any design or care of theirs The proportion is indeavoured to be shewn between that Divine likeness in the vision and participation whereof this Blessedness consists and the Righteousness that disposes and leads to it Which may it be monitory to the ungodly and profane who hate and scorn the likeness of God where-ever they hehold it And let me tell such from better-instructed Pagans That there is nothing more like or more acceptable to God then a man that is in the temper of his Soul truly good who excells other men as he is himself excelled pardon his Hyperbole by the immortal God That between God and good men there is a friendship by means of vertue a friendship yea a kindred a likeness inasmuch truly as the good man differs from God but in time here sprinkle a grain or two being his Disciple Imitatour and very of-spring That God is full of indignation against such as reproach one that is alike to him or that praise one that is contrarily affected or unlike buâ— such is the good man i. e. he is one like God A good man as it shortly after follows is the holiest thing in the World and a wicked man the most polluted thing And let me warn such haters of holiness and holy men in the words of this Authâ—urs immediately subjoyned And this I say for this cause that thou being but a man the son of a man no more offend in speaking aginst an Hero One who is a Son of God Me thinks men should be ashamed to proâ—esse the belief of a life to come while they cannot behold withâ—ut indignation nor mention but with derision that holiness without which it can never be attained and which is indeed the seed and principle of the thing it self But such are not likely much to trouble themselves with this discourse There 's little in it indeed of Art or Ornament to invite or gratifie such as the Subject it self invites not And nothing at all but what was apprehended might be some way useful The affectation of garnishing a margent with the names of Authours I have ever thought a vain pedantry yet have not declined the occasional use of a few that occurred He that writes to the World must reckon himself debter to the wise and unwise If what is done shall be found with any to have promoted its proper end His praises to God shall follow it as his prayers do that it may who professes himself A Well willer to the Souls of men J. H. Christian Reader YOu whose hearts are set on Heaven who are dayly laying up a treasure there here is a welcome messenger to tell you more thâ—n perhaps you have well considered of the nature of your future Blessedness and to illustrate â—he Map of the Land of promise and to bring you another cluster of its grapes Here is a useful help to make you know that Holiness doth perticipate of Glory and that Heaven is at least Virtually in â—he Seed of Grace Though this life be properly called a life of Faith as contradistinct from the â—â—ntuition and fruition hereafter as well as from the lower life of sence yet is it a great truth and not sufficiently considered and improved that we have here more than Faith to acquaint us with the Blessedness expected Between Faith and Glory there is the Spirit of Holiness the love of God the heavenly desires which are kindled by Faith and are thâ—se branches on which the happy flower and fruit must grow They are the name and mark of God upon us They are our Earnest our Pledg and the first fruits And is not this more than a word of prâ—mise only Therefore though all Christians must lively Faith marvell not that I tell you that you may you must have more than Faith Is not a Pledge and Earnest a first Fruits more Therefore have Christians not only a Spirit to evidence their Title but also some foretast â—f Heaven it self for Faith in Christ is to recover us to God and so much as we have of God so much of fruition And so much as Faith hath kindled in you of â— love of God so much foretaste you have of Heâ—ven for you are deceived if you think that any â— Notion speaketh more to you of Heaven and of yâ—â— Ultimate end than THE LOVE OF GOD And though no unsound ill-grounded Faith â—â—serve to cause this sacred Love yet when it caused it over-tops this cause
and he that peâ—ceiveth the operations of a strong effectual Lovâ— hath an acquaintance with God and Heaven whiâ—â— is above that of believing Faith seeth the Feaâ—â— but Love is the tasting of it And therefore it that the Holiest souls sticks closest unto God because though their reâ—soning faculty may be dâ—fective they know him by the highest and mâ— Tenacious kind of knowledge which this Worâ—â—ffâ—rdeth as I have lately shewed elsewhere â— Here you have described to you the true witness the spirit Not that of supposed Internal Voiceâ— which they are usually most taken up with whâ— have the smallest knowledge and Faith and Love and the greatest self esteem or spiritual pride with the strongest phantasies and pâ—ssiâ—ns But the objective and the sealing Testimony the Divinâ— Nature the renewed Image of God whose Children are known by being like to their Heavenly Father even by being Holy as he is Holy This is the Spirit of Adoption by which we are inclined by Holy Love to God and confidence in him to cry Abba Father and to flie unto him The Spirit of Sanctification is thereby in us the Spirit of Adoption For both signifie but the giving us that Love to God which is the filial nature and our â—athers Image And this Treatise doth happily direct thee to â—â—at faithful beholding God in Righteousness which â—ust here begin this blessed Assimilation which full â—tuition will for ever perfect It is a happy sign that God is about to repair our â—ins and divisions when he stirreth up his serâ—ants to speak so much of Heaven and to call â— the minds of impatient complainers and conâ—tious censurers and ignorant self conceited diâ—ders and of worldly unskilful and unmerciful â—stors to look to that state where all the godly shall one and to turn those thoughts to the furtherance Holiness to provoke one another to Love and to â—od works which two many lay out upon their hay â—â—d stubble And to call men from judging and â—spising each other and worse then both those out their Meats and Drinks and Dayes to study â—â—ghteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost â—r he that in these things serveth Christ in which â— Kingdom doth consist is acceptable to God and proved of men that are wise and good Let us â—â—erefore follow after the things which make for â—ace and things wherewith one may edifie anoâ—â—er whilest the contentious for meat will destroy â—e work of God Rom. 14. 17 18 19 20. The â—ion between Peace and Holiness is so strict that he â—o truly promoteth one promoteth both Heb. 12. â—4 Jam. 3. 17. The true way of our Union is exâ—lently described Eph. 4. 11 12 13 14 15 â—6 If any plain unlearned Readers shall blame the â—curateness of the stile they must remember that those persons have not the least need to hear of Heâ—ven and to be drawn up from the vanities of earâ—â— who cannot digest a looser stile As God hath endued the worthy Authour with more thâ—n ordinary measure of judiciousness 〈◊〉 soundness and accurateness of understanding 〈◊〉 seriousness spirituality and a heavenly mind we have for our common benefit the effects of these happy qualifications in this judicious heâ—venly discourse And if my recommendations mâ— in any measure further your acceptance in provement and practising of so edifying a Treatâ—â— it will answer the ends of him who waiteth with 〈◊〉 in hope for the same Salvation Rich. Baxter Acton May 30. 1668 THE BLESSEDNESSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS A Proemial Discourse to the intended Subject THe continual mixture of Good and Evil in this present state of things with its uncertain fluctuations and subjection to perpetual changes do naturally prompt a considering mind to the belief and hope of another that may be both more perfect and more permanent For certainly it could never be a design adequate or any way agreeable to the Divine Wisdom and goodness that the blessed God should raise such a thing as this lower Creation out of nothing Only to give himself the temporary pleasure of beholding the alternate Joys and Sorrows of the best part thereof his reasonable creature seated in it Nor a delight at all proportionable to an eternal happy being when he hath connaturalliz'd such a creature to this sensible world onely to take notice how variously the passions he hath planted in him may be mov'd and stir'd by this variety of occasions which he shal thence be presented with And what suddain and contrary impressions may be made upon his easie passive senses by the interchanged strokes and touches of contrary objects How quickly he can raise him into a transport of high contentment and pleasure and then how soon he can again reduce him to a very Paroxism of anguish and despair It would discover us to have very vile and low thoughts of God if we did not judge it altogether unanswerable to his perfections to design no further thing in creating this world and placing such a creature as man in it then onely to please himself for a while with such a spectacle and then at last clear the Stage and shut up all again in an eternal Silent darkness If we could suppose a man furnished with such power he would surely adde little to the reputation of his being wise or good beyond other men by a design so to use it Much less can we think it worthy of God to perpetuate such a state of things as this and continue a succession of such persons and actions as we now behold in the world through eternal generations onely to perpetuate to himself the same pleasure in the exercise of his immense power upon created natures over which he hath so infinite advantage And indeed nothing can be more unconceivable then that the great Creatour and Authour of all things should frame a Creature of so vast comprehension as the Spirit of man put into it a capacity of knowing and conversing with himself give it some prospect of his own glory and blessedness raise thereby in many boundless unsatisfied desires after him and an unexpressible pleasure in the preconceived hope of being received into the communion of that glory and blessedness and yet defeat and blast so great an expectation by the unsuspected reducement of the very subject of it again to nothing Yea and that he should deal herein as in that case he must the most hardly with the best And that such souls whose meer love and devotedness to him had made them abandon the pleasures of this life and run thorough whatsoever difficulties for his sake should fare worse then the very worst were beyond all the rest most utterly unimaginable and a thought which Pagan-reason hath not known how to digest or entertain If saith one and he speaks the sense of many another as well as his own with the dissolution of our bodies the essence of the Souls whatsoever that be should be dissolved too and for ever cease to be any thing I know not how
intermingled frowns the light of that pleasing countenance be obscured by no intervening cloud when goodness which is love issuing into benefaction or doing good grace which adds freeness unto goodness mercy which is grace towards the miserable shall conspire in their distinct and variegated appearances to set off each other and enhance the pleasure of the admiring soul when the wonted doubts shall all cease and the difficulty vanish of reconciling once necessary fatherly severity with Love When the full sense shall be unfolded to the life of that description of the divine nature God is Love and the soul be no longer put to read the love of God in his name as Moses was when the sight of his face could not yet be obtained shall not need to spell it by letters and syllables but behold it in His very nature it self and see how intimately Essential it is to the divine Being How glorious will this appearance of God be we now hear something of the glory of his grace and how satisfying the intuition of that glory Now is the proper season for the full exercise and discovery of Love This day hath been long expected and lo now 't is dawned upon the awaking soul It 's now called forth its senses unbound all its powers inspirited on purpose for love visions and enjoyments 't is now to take its fill of loves The Apostles extatical prayer is now answered to the highest degree possible with respect to such a one He is now according to the riches of divine glory strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height to know the love that passeth knowledge c. He shall now no longer stand amazed spending his ghesses What manner of love this should be and expecting fuller discoveries further effects of it that did not yet appear but sees the utmost all that his soul can bear or wish to see He hath now traced home the rivulets to their fountain the beams to the very Sun of Love He hath got the prospect at last into that heart where where the great thoughts of love were lodg'd from everlasting where all its counsels and designs were formed He sees what made God become a man what cloathed a Deity with humane flesh what made Eternity become the birth of time when come to its parturient fulness what mov'd the heart of the Son of God to pitch his Tabernacle among men what ingaged him to the enterprize of redeeming sinners what mov'd him so earnestly to contest with a perishing world led him at last to the Cross made him content to become a sacrifice to God a spectacle to Angels and men in a bitter reproachful death inflicted by the Sacrilegious hands of those whom he was all this while designing to save The amazed soul now sees into the bottom of this design understands why it self was not made a prey to Divine revenge whence it was that it perish't not in its enmity against God that he was not provoked by the obstinacy of its disobedience and malice of its unbelief beyond the possibility of an atonement why he so long suffered its injurious neglects of him and unkind repulses of a merciful Saviour and perswaded till at last he overcame made the averse heart yield the careless disaffected soul cry out Where is my God now a Christ or I perish All this is now resolved into love And the adoring soul sees how well the effects agree to their cause and are owned by it Nothing but heaven it self that gives the sense can give the notion of this pleasure 4. Nor will the glory of holiness be less resplendent that great Attribute which even in a remote descent from its original is frequently mentioned with the adjunct of beauties What loveliness will those beauties add to this blessed face Not here to insist which is besides my purpose upon the various notions of holiness Real holiness Scripture states in purity an alienation from sin 't is set in opposition to all filthiness to all moral impurity and in that notion it best agrees to God and comprehends his righteousness and veracity and indeed whatever we can conceive in him under the notion of a moral excellency This may therefore be styl'd a transcendental attribute that as it were runs through the rest and casts a glory upon every one 'T is an attribute of attributes Those are fit predications holy power holy truth holy love c. And so it is the very lustre and glory of his other perfections He is glorious in holiness Hence in matters of greatest moment he is sometimes brought in Swearing by his holiness which he is not wont to do by any one single attribute as though it were a fuller expression of himself an adaequalior conceptus than any of the rest What is of so great account with him will not be of least account with his holy ones when they appear in his glorious presence Their own holiness is a conformity to his the likeness of it And as their beholding it forms them into that likeness so that likeness makes them capable of beholding it with pleasure Divine holiness doth now more ravish than affright This hath been the language of sinful dust Who can stand before this holy God when holiness hath appeared arm'd with terrors guarded with flames and the Divine Majesty been represented as a consuming fire Such apprehensions sin and guilt naturally beget The sinners of Sion were afraid But so far as the new man is put on created after God and they who were darkness are made light in the Lord he is not under any notion more acceptable to them than as he is the holy one They love his Law because holy and love each other because holy and hate themselves because they are no more so Holiness hath still a pleasing aspect when they find it in an Ordinance meet it in a Sabbath every glimpse of it is lovely But with what triumphs hath the holiness of God himself been celebrated even by Saints on earth Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness There is none holy as the Lord for there is none besides thee Sing unto the Lord all ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness What thoughts will they have of it when their eyes can behold that glory when they immediately look on the archetypal holiness of which their own is but the image and can view that glorious pattern they were so long in framing to How joyfully will they then fall in with the rest of the heavenly hoast and joyn in the same adoration and praise in the same acclamation and triumphant song holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth How unconceiveable is the pleasure of this sight when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first pulchritude the original beauty offers it self to view
Holiness is intellectual beauty Divine holiness is the most perfect and the measure of all other And what is the pleasure or satisfaction of which we speak but the perfection and rest of love Now Love as love respects and connotes a pulchritude in its object And then the most perfect pulchritude the ineffable and immortal pulchritude that cannot be declared by words or seen with eyes they are an Heathens expressions concerning it how can it but perfectly and eternally please and satisfie And we are told by the great Pagan Theologue in what state we can have the felicity of that spectacle not in our present state When we have indeed but obscure representations of such things as are with souls of highest excellency But when we are associated to the blessed quire When we are delivered from the body which we now carry about as the Oyster doth its shell When we are no longer sensible of the evills of time when we wholly apply our selves to that blessed vision are admitted to the beholding of the simple permanent sights and behold them being our selves pure in the pure light Then have we the view of the bright shining pulchritude c. 2. It is an entire or united glory We have something of the divine glory shining now upon us but the many interpositions cause a multifarious refraction of its light We have but its dispersed rayes it s scattered dischevel'd beams we shall then have it perfect and full 'T is the eternal glory we are hereafter to behold Eternity as the notion of it is wont to be stated is a duration that excludes both Succession and End And if it be an unsuccessive duration though it is more difficult to apprehend how the being or injoyments of a creature can come under that mensuration the glory presented to the view of a blessed soul cannot be presented by parcels but at once In our temporary state while we are under the measure of time we are not capable of the fulness of blessedness or misery for time exists not altogether but by parts And indeed we can neither injoy nor suffer more at once than can can be compast within one moment for no more exists together But our relation to eternity according to this notion of it will render the same invariable appearance of glory alwayes presentaneous to us in the entire fulness of it We read indeed of certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterings of Faith as it may be significantly enough rendred let but the novelty of the expression be pardoned things lacking we read it but there will be here no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterings of glory What is perfect admits no increase 't is already full and why should not a full glory satisfie there 's here no expectation of greater future to abate the pleasure of present discoveries Why therefore shall not this satisfaction be conceived full and perfect It must be the fulness of joy 3. 'T is permanent glory a never fading unwithering glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory that will never be sullied or obscured never be in a declination This blessed face never grows old never any wrinkle hath place in it 'T is the eternal glory in the other parts of the notion of eternity as it imports an endless duration neither subject to decay in it self or to injury or impairment from without As stable as the divine being thy God thy Glory the Lord thy everlasting light if that have a true sense with respect to any state of the Church militâ—â—â— on earth it must needs have a more full tâ—nse in reference to it triumphing in heaven As therefore full entire glory afford's fulness of joy permanent everlasting glory affords pleasures for ever more An appropriate glory even to them 't is so a glory wherein they are really interessed 'T is The glory of their God And their happiness is designed to them from it They are not unconcern'd in it as 't is the glory of God It cannot but be grateful to them to behold the shining glory of their God whom they feared and served before while they could have no such sight of him That glory of his was once under a cloud concealed from the world wrapt up in obscurity It now breaks the cloud and justifies the fear and reverence of his faithful and Loyal servants against Atheistical Rebels that feared him not 'T is infinitely pleasing to see him now so glorious whom they thought to have a glory beyond all their conceptions before while others would not think so of him but judg'd it safe to slight and set him at nought Subjects share in their Princes glory Children in their Fathers But besides that collateral interest that interest by reflection They have a more direct interest in this glory A true and real right upon a manifold title The Fathers gift Sons purchase Holy Ghosts obsignation and earnest The promises tender their faiths acceptance their forerunners prepossession yea 't is their inheritance they are children and therefore heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ to the same glory with him They are by him received to the glory of God called to his Kingdom and glory Will it not contribute exceedingly to their satisfaction when they shall look upon this glory not as unconcern'd spectators but as interressed persons This is my happiness to behold and enjoy this blessed God what a rapturous expression is that God our own God shall bless us and that Thy God thy glory Upon interest in God follows their interest in his glory and blessedness Which is so much the dearer and more valuable as it is theirs Their glory from their God They shall be blessed by God their own God Drink waters out of their own well How indearing a thing is propriety Another mans son is ingenious comely personable this may be matter of envy but mine â—wn is so this is a joy I read in the life of a devout Nobleman of France that receiving a Letter from a friend in which were incerted these words Deus meus omnia my God and my all he thus returns back to him I know not what your intent was to put into your letter these words Deus meus omnia my God and my all Only you invite thereby to return the same to you and to all creatures My God and my all my God and my all my God and my all If perhaps you take this for your Motto and use it to express how full your heart is of it think you it possible I should be silent upon such an invitation and not express my sense thereof Likewise be it known unto you therefore that he is my God and my all and if you doubt of it I shall speak it an hundred times over I shall add no more for any thing else is superfluous to him that is truly penetrated with my God and my all I leave you
in no suspence puzled with no doubts whether such consequencies withhold such conclusions be rightly infer'd anâ— so are not retarded from giving a present unwavering assent Here are no perplexing intricacies no dubious hallucinations or uncertain guesses we see things as they are by â— simple and undeceiving light with both subjective and objective certainty being secure both from doubt and error 2. Faith How magnificent things doth Scripture speak of this grace which the experience also of such as have been wont to liâ—â— by it i. e. to make it the governing principle of their lives doth abundantly confirm Hoâ— clear are its apprehensions 't is the evidence â— things not seen how sweet its enjoyments whom not seeing ye love and though now you 〈◊〉 him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Even the Heathen Theology hath magnifie it above knowledge What is it saith one that unites us with the self-goodness and 〈◊〉 joyns us thereto that it quiets or gives reâ—â— to all our action and motion I will expressâ— it in one word 't is faith it self which unâ—speakably and after a hidden manner doâ— unite and conjoyn happy souls with the selâ— good For saith he it concerns us neither in a way of Science or with any iâ— perfection to enquire after the good but 〈◊〉 behold our selves in the divine light and 〈◊〉 shutting our eyes to be placed in thâ— unknown and secret unity of beings And a latter writer gives us this as a conclusion from that former Author That as Faith which is credulity is below Science so that Faith which is truly so called is super-substantially above Science and intelligence immediately uniting us to God But 't is evident intuitive knowledge far exceeds even faith also 1. 'T is more distinct and clear Faith is taking a thing upon report Who hath believed â—ur report And they are more general languid apprehensions we have of things this way Faith enters at the â—ar it comes by hearing And if we comâ—â—re the perceptions of these two external 〈◊〉 that of hearing and sight the latter is unspeakably more clear and satisfying He that hath knowledge of a forreign Country only by report of another hath very indistinct apprehensions of it in comparison of him who hath travell'd it himself While the Queen of Sheba only heard of Solomons glory she could not satisfie her self without an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—ght of her own eye and when she saw it 〈◊〉 â—aith the one half was not told her of whâ—â— she now beheld The Ear more slowly and gradually receives and the Tongue more defectively expresses to another an account of things than ones ocular inspection would take it in But as to the excellency of this 〈…〉 above Faith the comparison 〈…〉 knowing by the ministry of a more 〈◊〉 sense and a less noble but knowing by dependance on a less noble and without dependence upon any at all When God hath been pleased to afford discoveries in that way of Vision to men in the body his Prophets c. he hath usually bound up all their senses by sleep or trances sense hath had no part or lot in this matter unto believing it must necessarily concurr 2. More affective What we see even with our external eye much more powerfully moves our heart than what we onely give credit to upon hearsay The Queen of Sheba much admired no doubt Solomons famed splendor and magnificence while she only heard of it but when she saw it it puts her into an extasie it ravish'd away her soul she had no more spirit c. What would the sight of the Divine glory do if God did not strengthen with all might were there not as well glorious power to support as powerful glory to transform Job had heard of God by the hearing of the ear but when once his eye saw him whether that were by the appearance of any sensible glory which is probable enough for 't is said the Lord answered him out of the whirlewind or whether by a more immediate revelation 't is less-material what work did it make in his soul The Devils believe and tremble so impressive are the pre-apprehensions of Judgment to come and the consequents thereof with them yet their present torment thence is no torment in comparison art thou come to torment us before the time of what they expect Let wicked men consider this they will have their intuitions in hell too were your belief and terror thereupon with reference to the eternal Judgment and the impendent wrath of God equal to what the Devils themselves have upon the same account actual sensation will make you more exceed your selves in point of misery than the Devils do now exceed you There is no doubt a proportionable difference between the impressions of present faith and future vision with holy souls Now not seeing yet believing they rejoyce with joy unspeakable their present joy cannot be spoken their future then cannot be thought Experience daily tells us how greatly sensible present objects have the advantage upon us beyond those that are spiritual and distant though infinitely more excellent and important When the tables are turned the now sensible things disappear a new scene of things invisible and eternal is immediately presented to our view the excellency of the objects the disposedness of the subjects the nature of the act shall all multiply the advantages on this part How affective will this vision be beyond what we have ever found the faint apprehensions of our so much disadvantaged faith to amount to A kind message from an indulgent Father to his far-distant Son informing of his welfare and yet continuing love will much affect but the sight of his Fathers face will even transport and overcome him with joy But further consider this intuition a little more particularly and absolutely in it self So you may take this somewhat distincter account of it in some few particulars corresponding to those by which the object the glory to be beheld was lately characterized 1. It will be a vigorous efficacious intuition as that which it beholds is the most excellent even the divine glory such an object cannot be beheld but with an eye full of lively vigour a sparkling a radient eye A weak eye would be struck blind would fail and be closed up at the first glance We must suppose then this Vision to be accompanied with the highest vitality the strongest energy A mighty plenitude of Spirit and Power no lesse than the divine nothing but the divine power can sufficiently fortifie the soul to behold divine glory When the Apostle speaks only of his desire of glory he that hath wrought us to this self same thing saith he is God he that hath moulded us suitably framed us for this thing as the word signifieth is God 't is the work of a Deity to make a Soul desire Glory certainly then 't is his work to give the
There will be not only an habitual but actual intireness of the frame of holiness in the blessed Soul 2. Again this Image will be perfect in degree so as to exclude all degrees of its contrary and include all degrees of it self There will now be no longer any colluctation with contrary principles no law in the members warring against the law of the mind No lustings of the flesh against the Spirit That war is now ended in a glorious victory and eternal peace There will be no remaining blindness of mind nor errour of iudgement nor perverseness of will nor irregularity or rebellion of affections No ignorance of God no aversation from him or disaffection towards him This likeness removes all culpable dissimilitude or unlikeness This communicated glory fills up the whole soul causes all clouds and darkness to vanish leaves no place for any thing that is vile or inglorious 't is pure glory free from mixture of any thing that is alien to it And it is it self full The Soul is replenish't not with airy evanid shadows but with substantial solid glory a massie mighty glory for I know not but subjective glory may be taken in within the significancy of that known Scripture if it be not more principally intended in as much as the Text speaks of a glory to be wrought out by afflictions which are the files and furnaces as it were to polish or refine the Soul into a glorious frame 'T is cumulated glory glory added to glory Here 't is growing progressive glory we are changed into the same image from glory to glory It shall now be stable consistent glory that carries a self-fulness with it which some include also in the notion of purity 't is full of it self includes every degree requisite to its own perfection God hath now put the last hand to this glorious Image added to it its ultimate accomplishments Now a conformity to Christ even in the resurrection from the dead in his glorious state is fully attained That prize of the high calling of God is now won And the humble sense of not having attained as yet and of not being already perfect in which humility the foundations of the temple of God in a Saint is laid and the building raised is turned into joyful acclamations Grace Grace for the laying on of the top stone the finishing of this glorious work And when this Temple is filled with the glory of the Lord the soul it self replenished with the divine fulness will not its joy be full too For here is no sacrifice to be offered but that of praise and joy is the proper seasoning for that sacrifice Now the new creature hath arrived to the measure of the stature of a perfect man in Christ Jesus The first formation of this Spiritual as well as of the natural man was hidden and secret it was curiously wrought and in a way no more liable to observation than that of framing the Child in the Womb as that is as hidden as the concoction of Minerals or precious stones in the lower parts of the earth no secrets of Nature can outvie the the Mysteries of godliness Its growth is also by very insensible degrees as it is with the products of nature but its arrival to perfection is infinitely more strange than any thing in nature ever was how sudden and wonderful is the change when in the twinkling of an eye the blessed soul instantly awakes out of drowsie languishings and miserable weakness into perfect strength and vigour As a man is so is his strength and as his strength is so is his joy and pleasure The Sun is said to go forth as a strong man rejoicing to run his race When a man goes in the fulness of his strength upon any enterprize how do blood and spirits triumph beforehand no motion of hand or foot is without a sensible delight The strength of a mans Spirit is unspeakably more than that of the outward man Its faculties and powers more refined and raised and hence are rational or intellectual exercises and operations much more delightful than corporal ones can be But still as the man is so is his strength 't is an incomparably greater strength that attends the heaven-born man This man born of God begotten of God after his own likeness This Hero this Son of God was born to Conflicts to Victories to Triumphs While he is yet but in his growing age he overcomes the world as Hercules the Serpents in his Cradle overcomes the wicked one and is at last more than Conquerour A mighty power attends godliness a Spirit of power and of a sound mind but how much this divine creature grows so much the more like God and being perfect Conflicts cease he had overcome and won the Crown before And now all his strength runs out into acts of pleasure Now when he shall go forth in his might to love God as we are required to love him now with all our might and every act of praise shall be an act of power done with a fulness of strength as 't is said their praises at the bringing home of the Ark were with all their might O! what will the pleasure be that shall accompany this state of perfection Perfect power and perfect pleasure are here met and shall for ever dwell together and be alwayes commensurate to one another They are so here in their imperfect state our feeble spiritless duties weak dead prayers they have no more sweetness than strength no more pleasure than power in them Therefore we are listless and have no mind to duties as we find we are more frequently destitute of a spiritual livelyness and vigour therein When a spirit of might and power goes on with us in the wonâ—â—d course of our converses with God we then forecast opportunities and gladly welcome the season when it extraordinarily occurs of drawing nigh to him It cannot be thought that the connexion and proportion between these should fail in glory or that when every thing else is perfect The blessed Soul it self made perfect even as God himself is perfect this bearing his likeness should be unlike him in bliss or its satisfaction be imperfect CHAP. VIII The satisfaction carried in the glory of God impressed further shew'n by instances Certain particulars of this impression instanc't in A dependent frame of Spirit Subjection or self-devoting Love Purity Liberty Tranquility BUt besides the general consideration of this likeness we shall instance in some of the particular excellencies comprehended in it Wherein the blessed shall imitate and resemble God Whence we may further estimate the pleasure and satisfaction that being like God will afford Only here let it be remembred that as we all along in this discourse speak of likeness to God in respect of moral excellencies So by likeness to him in respect of thâ—se we understand not only a participation of those which are communicable but a correspondent impresse also as to those
I assent to him I follow him with all my heart not because I cannot avoit it And another Lead me to whatsoever I am appointed and I will follow thee chearfully but if I refuse or be unwilling I shall follow notwithstanding A Soul cast into such a mould formed into an obediential subject frame what sweet peace doth it enjoy how pleasant rest every thing rests most composedly in its proper place A bone out of joynt knows no ease nor lets the body enjoy any The creature is not in its place but when 't is thus subject is in this subordination to God By flying out of this subordination the world of mankind is become one great disjoynted body full of weary tossings unacquainted with ease or rest That soul that is but in a degree reduc't to that blessed state temper is as it were in a new world so great and happy a change doth it now feel in it self But when this transformation shall be compleated in it and the will of God shall be no sooner known than rested in with a complacential approbation and every motion of the first and great mover shall be an efficacious law to guide and determine all our motions and the lesser-wheeles shall presently run at the first impulse of the great and master-wheel without the least rub or hesitation when the law of sin shall no longer check the law of God when all the contentions of a rebellious flesh all the counter-strivings of a perverse ungovernable heart shall cease for ever O unconceivable blessedness of this consent the pleasure of this joyful harmony this peaceful accord Obedience where 't is due but from one creature to another carries its no small advantages with it and conducibleness to a pleasant unsolicitous life To be particularly prescribed to in things about which our minds would otherwise be tost with various apprehensions anxious uncertain thoughts how great a priviledge is it I cannot forget a pertinent passage of an excellent person of recent memory And saith he for pleasure I shall profess my self so far from doting on that popular Idol liberty that I hardly think it possible for any kind of obedience to be more painful than an unrestrained liberty Were there not true bounds of Magistrates of Laws of piety of reason in the heart every man would have a fool I add a mad Tyrant to his Master that would multiply him more sorrows than bryars and thorns did to Adam when â—e was freed from the bliss at once and the restraint of Paradise and was sure greater slave in the wilderness than in the inclosure would but the Scripture permit me that kind of Idolatry the binding my faith and obedience to any one visible infallible Judg or Prince were it the Pope or the Mufti or the grand Tartar might it be reconcilible with my Creed it would be certainly with my interâ—st to get presently into that posture of obedience I should learn so much of the Barbarian Ambassadors in Appian which came on purpose to the Romans to negotiate for leave to be their servants 'T would be my policy if not my piety and may now be my wish though not my faith that I might never have the trouble to deliberate to dispute to doubt to chuse those so many profitless uneasinesses but only the favour to receive commands and the meekness to obey them How pleasurable then must obedience be to the perfect will of the blessed God when our wills shall also be perfectly attempered and conformed there unto Therefore are we taught Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven What is most perfect in its kind gives rule to the rest 3. Love This is an eminent part of the image or likeness of God in his Saints As it is that great Attribute of the divine being that is alone put to give us a notion of God God is love This is an excellency consider it whether in its original or copie made up of pleasantnesses All love hath complacency or pleasure in the nature and most formal notion of it To search for pleasure in love is the same thing as if a man should be solicitous to find water in the Sea or light in the body of the Sun Love to a friend is not without high pleasure when especially he is actually present and injoye'd Love to a Saint rises higher in nobleness and pleasure according to the more excellent qualification of its object 'T is now in its highest improvement in both these aspects of it where whatsoever tends to gratifie our nature whether as humane or holy will be in its full perfection Now doth the soul take up its stated dwelling in Love even in God who is Love and as he is Love 't is now enclosed with Love encompas'd with Love 't is conversant in the proper region and element of Love The Love of God is now perfected in it That Love which is not only participated from him but terminated in him That perfect Love casts out tormenting Fear So that here is pleasure without mixture How naturally will the blessed soul now dissolve and melt into pleasure It is new fram'd on purpose for Love-imbraces and injoyments It shall now love like God as one composed of Love It shall no longer be its complaint and burden that it cannot retaliate in this kind that being beloved it cannot love 4. Purity Herein also must the blessed soul resemble God and delight it self Every one that hath this hope viz. of being hereafter lâ—ke God and seeing him as he is purifieth himself as he is pure A God-like purity is intimately connext with the expectation of future blessedness much more with the fruition Blessed are the pure in heart besides the reason there annext for they shall see God which is to be considered under the other head the pleasure unto which this likeness disposes that proposition carries its own reason in it self It is an incomparable pleasure that purity carries in its own nature As sin hath in its very nature besides its consequent guilt and sorrow trouble and torment beyond expression Whatsoever defiles doth also disturb Nor do any but pure pleasures deserve the name An Epicurus himself will tell us there cannot be pleasure without wisdom honesty and righteousness 'T is least of all possible there should when once a person shall have a right knowledge of himself and which is moral impurity whereof we speak the filthiness of sin I doubt not but much of the torment of Hell will consist in those too-late and despairing self-loathings those sickly resentments the impure wretches will be possessed with when they see what hideous deformed monsters their own wickedness hath made them Here the gratifications of sense that attend it bribe and seduce their judgments into another estimate of sin but then it shall be no longer thought of under the more favourable notion of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall taste nothing but
So things are reckon'd upon several accounts either as they are more rare and unfrequent which is the vulgar way of estimating wonders or as their causes are of more difficult investigation or if they are moral wonders as they are more unreasonable or causeless upon this last account Christ marvelled at the Jews unbelief And so is this hatred justly marvellous as being altogether without a cause But thence to infer there is no such thing were to dispute against the Sun No truth hath more of light and evidence in it though none more of â—â—rrâ—ur and prodigie To how many thousand objects is the mind of man indifferent can turn it self to this or that run with facility all points of the Compass among the whole universe of beings but assay only to draw it to God and it recoiles Thoughts and affections revolt and decline all converse with that blessed object Toward other objects it freely opens and dilates it self as under the benign beams of a warm Sun there are placid complacential emotions amicable sprightly converses and imbraces Towards God only it is presently contracted and shut up Life retires and it becomes as a stone cold â—rigid and impenetrable The quite contrary to what is required which also those very precepts do plainly imply 't is alive to sin to the world to vanity but crucified mortified dead to God and Jesus Christ. The natures of many men that are harsh fierce and savage admit of various cultivations and refinings and by moral precept the exercise and improvement of reason with a severe animadversion and observance of themselves they become mild tractable gentle meek The story of the Physiognamists guess at the temper of Socrates is known but of all other the disaffected soul is least inclinable ever to become good natur'd towards God wherein grace or holiness doth consist Here 't is most unperswadable never facile to this change One would have thought no affection should have been so natural so deeply inwrought into the spirit of man as an affection towards the Father of Spirits but here he most of all discovers himself to be without natural â—ffection surely here is a sad proof that such affection doth not ascend The whole duty of man as to the principle of it resolves into love That is the fulfilling of the Law As to its object the two Tables devide it between God and our neighbour And accordingly divide that love Upon those two Branches whereof love to God and love to our neighbour hang all the Law and the Prophets The wickedness of the world hath kil'd this love at the very root and indisposed the nature of man to all exercises of it either way whether towards God or his neighbour It hath not only rendred man unmeet for holy communion with God but in a great measure for civil society with one another It hath destroyed good nature made men false envious barbarous turn'd the world especially the dark places of the Earth where the light of the Gospel shines not into habitations of cruelty But who sees not the enmity and disaffection of mens hearts towards God is the more deeply rooted and less superable evil The beloved Apostle gives us a plain and sad intimation how the case is as to this when he reasons thus He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen He argues from the less to the greater and this is the ground upon which his argument is built That the loving of God is a matter of greater difficulty and from which the Spirit of mâ—n is more remote then the loving of his neighbour And he withall insinuates an account why it is so Gods remoteness from our sense which is indeed a cause but no excuse For is our so gross sensuality no sin that nothing should affect our hearts but what we can see with our eyes as if our sense were the onely measure or judg of excellencies We are not all flesh what have we done with our souls if we cannot see God with our eyes why do we not with our minds at least so much of him we might as to discern his excellency above all things else How come our souls to lose their dominion and to be so slavishly subject to a ruling sense But the reason less concerns our present purpose that whereof it is the reason that implyed assertion that men are in a less disposition to the love of God then their neighbour is the sad truth we are now considering There are certain homilitical vertues that much adorn and polish the nature of man Urbanity Fidelity Justice Patience of Injuries Compassion towards the Miserable c. and indeed without these the world would break up and all civil societies disband if at least they did not in some degree obtain But in the mean time men are at the greatest distance imaginable from any disposition to society with God They have some love for one another but none for him And yet it must be remembred that love to our neighbour and all the consequent exertions of it becoming dutie by the Divine Law ought to be performed as acts of obedience to God and therefore ought to grow from the stock and root of a Divine Love I mean love to God They are otherwise but Spurious Vertues Bastard Fruits men gather not Grapes of Thorns c. they grow from a Tree of another kind and what ever semblance they may have of the true they want their constituent form their life and soul. Though love to the brethren is made a character of the regenerate state of having past from death to life 'T is yet but a more remote and is it self brought to trial by this higher and more immediate one and which is more intimately connatural to the new creature even the Love of God By this we know we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments A respect to God specifies every Vertue and Duty What ever is loved and served and not in him and for him servato ordine finiâ— as the School-phrase is becomes an Idol and that love and service is Idolatry And what a discovery is here of disaffection to God that in the exercise of such the above mentioned vertues one single act shall be torn from it self from its specifying moral â—orm onely to leave out him A promise shall be kept but without any respect to God for even the promises made to him are broken without any scruple That which is anothers shall be rendred to him but God shall not be regarded in the business An alms given for the Lords sake left out That which concerns my neighbour often done but what concerns God therein as it were studiously omitted This is what he that runs may read that though the hearts of men are not to one another as they should they are much more â—verse towards God Men are easier of acquaintance
speaks in another case is the love of God perfected as to its exercise it hath now perfectly attained its end when it hath not left so much as a craving desire not a wish unsatisfied the soul cannot say I wish it were better O thâ—t I hâ—d â—ut this one thing more to 〈◊〉 my hâ—ppiâ—â—ss It hath neither pretence nor inclination to think such a thought Divine Love is now at rest It was travailing big with gracious designs before it hath now delivered it self It would rather create new heavens every moment then not satisfie but it hath now done it to the full the utmost capacity of the soul is filled up it can be no happier then it is This is loves triumph over all the miseries wants and desires of a languishing soul. The appropriate peculiar glory of Dâ—vâ—ne love If all the excellencies of their whole creation besides were contracted into one glorious creature it would never be capable of this boast I have satisfied one soul. The love of God leaves none unsatisfied but the proud despisers of it Now is the eternal Sabbath of love Now it enters into rest having finish't all its works it views them over now with delight for â—o they are all Good its works of Pardon of Justification and Adoption Its works of Regeneration of Conversion and Sanctification its establishing quickning comforting works they are all good good in themselves and in this their end the satisfaction and reposâ— of blessed souls Now divine love puts on the Crown ascends the Throne and the many Miriads of glorified Spirits fall down about it and adore All professe to owe to it the satisfying pleasures they all injoy Who can consider the unspeakable satisfaction of those blessed Spirits and not also reflect upon this exalted greatness of divine love 2. 'T is again great love if we consider wherewith they shall be satisfied The sight and participation of the Divine glory his face his likeness his represented and impressed glory There may be great love that never undertakes nor studies to satisfie all the desires of the persons we cast our love upon especially where nothing will satisfie but high and great matters The love of God knows no difficulties nor can be overset The greater the performance or vouchsafement the more suitable to Divine Love It hath resolved to give the soul a plenary satisfaction perfectly to content all its desires and â—nce nothing else can do it but an eternal beholding of the glorious face of the Divine Majesty and a transformation into his own likeness that shall not be with-held Yea it hath created refined inlarged its capacity on purpose that it might be satisfied with nothing less Great love may sometimes be signified by a glance the offered view of a willing face Thus our Lord Jesus invites his Church to discover her own love and answer his Let me see thy face c. Cant. â— 14. Love is not more becomingly exprest or gratified then by mutual looks ubi amor 〈◊〉 oculus How great is that love that purposely layes aside the vail that never turns away its own nor permits the aversion of the beholders eye throughout eternity Now we see in a glass then face to face as if never weary of beholding on either part but on that part the condiscention lies is the transcendent admirable love That a generous beneficent the other till it be satisfied here a craving indigent love And how inexpressible a condiscension is this poor wretches many of whom possibly were once so low that a strutting Grandee would have thought himself affronted by their look and have met with threatning rebukes their overdaring venturous eye lo now they are permitted to stand before Princes that 's a mean thing to feed their eyes with Dâ—vine glory to view the face of God He sets them before his face for ever And that eternal vision begets in them an eternal likeness they behold and partake glory at once that their joy may be full They behold not a glorious God with deformed souls that would render them a perpetual abomination and torment to themselves Love cannot permit that Heaven should be their affliction that they should have cause to loath and be weary of themselves in that presence It satisfies them by cloathing and filling them with glory by making them partake of the Divine likeness as well as behold it 'T is reckon'd a great expression of a complying love but to give a Picture when the parties loved only permit themselves to view in a mute representation a vicarious face This is much more a vital image as before Gods one living likeness propagated in the soul the inchoation of it is called the Divine Nature the seed of God what amazing love is this of the great God to a worm not to give over till he have assimilated it to his own glory till it appear as a ray of light begotten of the Father of Lights Every one saith the Apostle that doth righteousness is â—orn of him and then it follows Behold what manner of love to be â—he sons of God to be likâ— him to see him as he is c. How great a word is that spoken in reference to our present state to make us partakers of his holiness And as well it might 't is instanc't as an effect and argâ—ment of love for sure chastening it self abstracted from that end of it doth not import love Whâ—m the Lord loveth he chesteneth and then by and by in the same series and line of discourse is added to make nâ— partakers of his his holiness Love always either supposes similitude or intends it and is sufficiently argued by it either way And sure the love of God cannot be more directly expressed then in his first intending to make a poor soul like him while he loves it with compassion and then imprinting and perfecting that likeness that he may love it with eternal delight Love is here the first and the last the beginning and end in all this business CHAP. XIV The 7th Inference That since this blessedness is limited to a qualified subject I in righteousness the unrighteous are necessarily lest excludâ—d The 8th Inference That righteousness is no vain thing in as much as it hath so happy an issue and ends so well 7. COnsidering this blessedness is not common but limited â—o a qualified subject I in righteousness person cloth'd in righteâ—usness Iâ— evidently follows Thâ— unrighteous are necâ—ssâ—â—ily excluded and shut out can have no pâ—râ— nor pâ—rtion in this blessedness The same thing that the Apostle tells us without an inference Know ye not that the unrighteouss shall not inherit the Kingdom of God c. Intimating that to be a most confessed known thing Know ye not is it possible ye can be ignorant of this The natural necessity of what hath been here infeâ—'d hath been argued already from the consideration of the nature of this blessedness The legal necessity of it arising from
that its tendencie thereto is direct and certain In the present case both these are obvious enough at the first view For as to the former of them all the world will agree without disputing the matter that the last end of man i. e. which he ultimately propounds to himself is his best good and that he can design no further good to himself then satisfaction nothing after or beyond that and what can afford it if the vision and participation of the Divine Glory do not As to the latter besides all that assurance given by Scripture-constitution to the righteous man concerning his future reward let the Consciences be consulted of the most besotted sinners in any lucid interval and they will give their suffrage Balaam that so earnestly followed the reward of unrighteousness not excepted that the way of righteousness is that only likely way to happiness and would therefore desire to die at least the righteous mans death and that their latter end should be like his So is wisdom I might call it righteousness too the wicked man is the Scripture-Fool and the righteous the wise man justified not by her children only but by her enemies also And sure 't is meet that she should be more openly justified by her Children and that they learn to silence and repress those misgiving thoughts Surely I have washed my hands in vain c. And be steadfast unmovable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as they know their labour is not in vain in the Lord. CHAP. XV. Two other Inferences from the Consideration of the season of this blessedness The former That in as much as this blessedness is not attained in this life The present happiness of Saints must in a great part consist in hope The latter That great is the wisdom and sagacity of the righteous man which waves a present temporary happiness and chuses that which is distant and future IN as much as the season of this blessedness is not on this side the Grave nor expected by Saints till they awake we may further infer Ninthly That their happiness in the mean time doth very much consist in hope Or that hope must needs be of very great necessity and use to them in their present state for their comfort and support It were not otherwise possible to subsist in the absence and want of their highest good while nothing in this lower world is as to kind and nature suitable to their desires or makes any colorable overture to them of satisfaction and happiness Others as the Psalmist observes have their portion in this life that good which as to the species and kind of it is most grateful to them is present under view within sight And as the Apostle Hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for it But those whose more refined spirits having received the first fruits of the holy Spirit of God prompt them to groan after something beyond time and above this Sublunarie Sphere of them the Apostle there tell us that they are saved by hope They as if he should say subsist by it they were never able to hold out were it not for their hope And that an hope too beyond this life as is the hope of a christian if in this life only we had hope in Christ c. the hope of a Christian as such is suitable to its productive cause the resurrection of Christ from the dead begotten to a lively hope by the resurrection c. Thence is it the hope of a renewed never dying life the hope of a blessed immortality whereof Christs resurrection was a certain argument and pledge Indeed the new creature is ab origine and all along an hoping creature both in its primum and its porro esse 'T is conceived and formed and nurst up in hope In its production and in its progress towards perfection 't is maniâ—â—â—â—ly influenc't thereby In the first return of the soul to God hope being then planted as a part of the holy gracious Nature now manifestly discovers it self when the soul begins to act as turning after the reception of the Divine influence is its act hope insinuates it self into or induces rather that very act Returning is not the act of a despairing but hoping soul. 'T is God apprehended as reconcileable that attracts and wins it while he is look't upon as an implacable enemy the soul naturally shuns him and comes not nigh till drawn with those cords of a man the bands of love While it says there is no hâ—pe it says with all desperately enough I have loved strangers and after them will I go But if there be any hope in Israel concerning this thing If it can yet apprehend God willing to forgive then Let us make a covenant c. This presently draws the hovering soul into a closure and league with him And thus is the union continued unsteadfâ—stness in the Covenant of God is resolved into this not setting or fixing of hope in him or which amounts to the same setting of hope in God is directed as a means to steadfastness of spirit with him and a keeping of his Covenant Râ—volting souls are encouraged to return to the Lord upon this conâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 that salvation is hâ—â—ed for in vain â—â—om any other The case being indeed the sâ—me in all after conversions as in the first God â—s multiplying 〈◊〉 pâ—rdâ—n and still retaining the same name the Lord the Lord grâ—ciâ—â—◠〈…〉 which name in all the seâ—â—rails that compose and make it up is in his Christ invites back to him the backsliding sinner and renews its thoughts of returning And so is he afterwards under the teachings of grace led on by hope thorough the whole course of Religion towards the future glory Grace appears teaching sinners to deny ungoodliness c. in the looking for the blessed hope the glorious appearing of the great God c. So do they keep themselves in the love of God Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life Thus is the new creature formed in hope and nourisht in hope And if its eye were upon pardon at first 't is more upon the promised glory afterwards And yet that last end hath in a degree its attractive influence upon it from the first formation of it 't is even then taught to design for glory 'T is begotten to the lively hope where though hope be taken objectively as the apposition shews of the following words to an inheritance yet the act is evidently connoted for the thing hoped for is meant under that notion as hoped for And its whose following course is an aiming at glory a seeking glory honâ—ur immortality c. Thus is the work of Sanctification carried on He that hath this hope â—urisieth himself Thus are losses sustained The spoiling of goods taken joyfully through the expectation of the better and enduring
Title to thy Estate would'st thou not think it reasonable to inquire into thy case and is it not much more desirable in a matter of this consequence to be at some certainty and prudent to indeavour it if it may possibly be attain'd Whence let me further ask Fourthly Canst thou pretend it to be impossible Hath God left thee under a necessitated ignorance in this matter or denied thee sufficient means of knowing how 't is with thee in respect of thy Spiritual Estate Though he have not given thee a List or told thee the Number or Names of his Sanctified ones yet hath he not sufficiently described the persons and given thee characters by which they may be known And hath he not furnish't thee with a self reflecting power by which thou art inabled to look into thy self and discern whether thou be of them or no Doth he not offer and afford to serious diligent souls the assisting light of his blessed Spirit to guide and succeed the inquirie And if thou find it difficult to come to a speedy clear issue to make a present certain judgment of thy case ought not that to ingage thee to a patient continued diligence rather then a rash despairing madness to desist and cast off all In as much as the difficultie though great is not insuperable and the necessity and advantage incomparably greater And though divers other things do confessedly fall in the principal difficultie lies in thy aversation and unwillingness Thou art not put to traverse the Creation to climb Heaven or dig through the Earth but thy work lies nigh thee in thy own heart and Spirit and what is so nigh or should be so familiar to thee as thy self 'T is but casting thy eye upon thy own soul to discern which way 't is inclin'd and bent thou art urged to Which is that we propounded next to discover Viz. 2. That we are to judge of the hopefulness of our enjoying this blessedness by the present habitude or disposedness of our spirits thereto For what is that righteousness which qualifies for it but the impress of the Gospel upon the minds and hearts of men The Gospel-revelation is the onely Rule and Measure of that righteousness It must therefore consist in conformity thereto And look to the frame and design of the Gospel-revelation and what doth so directly correspond to it as that very habitude and disposedness of spirit for this blessednesse whereof we speak Nothing so answers the Gospel as a propension of heart towards God gratifi'd in part now and increasing till it find a full satisfaction a desire of knowing him and of being like him 'T is the whole design of the Gospel which reveals his glory in the face of Jesus Christ to work and form the spirits of men to this They therefore whose spirits are thus wrought and framed are righteous by the Gospel-measure and by thâ—t righteousness are evidently entituled and fitted for this blessedness Yea that righteousness hath in it or rather is the elements the first Principles the seed of this blessedness There can therefore be no surer Rule or Mark whereby to judge our states whether we have to do with this blessedness may expect it yea or no than this How stand we affected towards it in what disposition are our hearts thereto Those fruits of righteousnesse by which the soul is qualified to appear without offence in the day of Christ the several graces of the Sanctifying Spirit are nothing else but so many holy Principles all disposing the soul towards this blessednesse and the way to it Mortification Self-denial and godly sorrow take it off from other objects the World Self and Sin Repentance â—that part of it which respects God turns the course of its motion towards God the end Faith directs it through Christ the way Love makes it more freely desire earnestly joy pleasantly hope confidently humility evenly fear circumspectly patience constantly and perseveringly All conspire to give the Soul aright disposition towards this blessedness The result of them all is heavenliness an heavenly temper of spirit For they all one way or other as so many Lines and Rayes have respect to a blessedness in God which is heaven as the point at which they aim and the cuspis the point in which they meet in order to the touching of that objective point is heavenliness This is the ultemate and immediate disposition of heart for this blessedness the result the terminus productus of the whole work of righteousness in the Soul by which 't is said to be as it were gnota ad gloriam begotten to the eternal inheritance Concerning this therefore chiefly institute thy inquiry Demand of thy self is my soul yet made heavenly bent upon eternal blessednesse or no And here thou mayest easily apprehend of how great concernment it is to have the right notion of heaven or future blessedness as was urged under the foregoing Rule For if thou take for it another thing thou missest thy mark and art quite beside thy business But if thou retain a right and scriptural state and notion of it the Rule thou art to judge by is sure They shall have heaven whose hearts are intent upon it and framed to it Scripture is every where pregnant and full of this The Apostle plainly intimates this will be the rule of Gods final judgment Certainly it cannot be unsafe for us to judge our selves by the same Rule He tells us when God shall judge every one according to his works the great business of the judgment day eternal life shall be the portion of them who by patient continuance in well doing sought glory and honour and immortality which are but other expressions of the same thing what can be more plain They shall have eternal life and glory that seek it whose hearts are towards it Again speaking of true Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in a way of contradiction from Pseudo-Christians such as he saith were enemies of the Crosse he gives us among other this brand of these latter that they did mind earthly things and tells us their end would be destruction but gives us this opposite character of the other our conversation is in heaven our trade and business our daily negotiations as well as the priviledges of our Citizen-ship lie there as his expression imports and thence intimates the opposite end of such whence we look for a Saviour not destruction but salvation And in the same Context of Scripture where they that are risen with Christ and who shall appear with him in glory are requir'd to fet their mind on things above not on things on the earth That we may understand this not to be their duty onely but their character we are immediately told they who do not so mortifie not their earthly members those lusts that dispose men towards the earth and to grovel in the dust as the graces of the Spirit dispose them heaven-ward and to converse with glory
the Lusts of it That is cruel Love that shall enslave a man and subject him to so vile and ignoble a servitude And it discovers a sordid temper to be so imposed upon How low are our Spirits sunk that we disdain not so base a vassalage God and nature have obliged us to live in bodies for a time but they have not obliged us to measure our selves by them to confine our desires and designs to their compass to look no further then their concernments to entertain no previous joyes in the hope of being one day delivered from them No such hard law is laid upon us But how apt are we to become herein a most oppressive Law to our selves and not only to lodge in filthy earthen cottage but to love them and confine our selves to them loath so much as to peep out T is the apt expression of a Philosopher upbraiding hat base low temper The degenerous Soul saith he buried in the Body is as a slothful creeping thing that loves its hole and is loath to come forth And methinks if we have no love for our better and more noble self we should not be altogether unapprehensive of an obligation upon us to express a dutiful love to the Author of our beings doth it consist with the love we owe to him to desire always to lurk in the dark and never come into his blessed presence Is that our love that we never care to come nigh him Do we not know that while we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord should we not therefore be willing rather to be present with the Lord and absent from the body should we not put on a confidence an holy fortitude as 't is there exprest we are confident or of good courage and thence willing c. that might carry us through the Grave to him As is the brave Speech of that last mentioned Philosopher God will call thee ere long expect his call Old age will come upon thee and shew thee the way thither and death which he that is possest with a base fear laments and dreads as it draws on but he that is a lover of God expects it with joy and with courage meets it when it comes Is our love to God so faint and weak that it dares not encounter Death nor venture upon the imaginary terrours of the Grave to go to him How unsuitable is this to the character which is given of a Saints love And how expresly are we told that he who loves his life better then Christ or that even hates it not for his sake as certainly he cannot be said to do that is not willing to part with it to enjoy him cannot be his Disciple If our love to God be not Supreme 't is none or not such as can denominate us lovers of him and will we pretend to be so when we love a putide flesh and this base earth better then him And have we not professedly as a fruit of our avowed love to him surrendred our selves Are we not his devoted ones will we be his and yet our own or pretend our selves dedicated to his holy pleasure and will yet be at our own dispose and so dispose of our selves too as that we may be most ungrateful to him and most uncapable of converse with him How doth this love of a perishing life and of a little animated clay stop all the effusions of the Love of God suspends its sweet and pleasant fruits which should be always exerting themselves towards him Where is their fear obedience joy and praise who are through the fear of death all their lives subject to bondage And kept under a continual dismal expectation of an unavoidable dissolution But must the great God lose his due acknowledgements because we will not understand wherein he deals well with us Is his mercy therefore no mercy As we cannot nullify his truth by our unbelief so nor his goodness by our disesteem But yet consider doth it not better become thee to be grateful then repine that God will one day unbind thy Soul and set thee free Knock of thy Letters and deliver thee out of the house of thy bondage Couldst thou upon deliberate thoughts judge it tollerable should he doom thee to this earth forever He hath however judged otherwise as the Pagan Emperour and and Philosopher excellently speaks who is the Author both of the first composition of thy present being and now of the dissolution of it thou wert the cause of neither therefore depart and be thankful for he that dismisseth thee dealeth kindly with thee If yet thou understandest it not yet remember It is thy Father that disposes thus of thee how unworthy is it to distrust his Love What child would be afraid to compose it self to sleep in the Parents bosom It expresses nothing of the duty and ingenuity but much of the frowardness and folly of a child They sometimes cry vehemently in the undressing but should their cryes be regarded by the most indulgent Parent or are they fit to be imitated by us We have no excuse for this our frowardness The Blessed God hath told us his gracious purpose concerning us and we are capable of understanding him What if he had totally hidden from us our future state and that we know nothing but of going into an eternal silent-darkness The Authority of a Creator ought to have awed us into a silent submission But when we are told of such a glory that 't is but drawing aside this fleshly vaile and we presently behold it methinks the Blessed hour should be expected not with patience only but with ravishing joy Did we hear of a country in this world where we might live in continual felicity without toyl or sickness or grief or fear who would not wish to be there though the passage were troublesome have we not heard enough of Heaven to allure us thither Or is the eternal truth of suspected credit with us Are Gods own reports of the future glory unworthy our belief or regard How many upon the credit of his word are gone already triumphantly into glory That only seeing the promises afar off were perswaded of them and embraced them and never after owned themselves under any other notion then of Pilgrims on earth longing to be at home in their most desirable Heavenly Country We are not the first that are to open Heaven The main Body of Saints is already there 't is in comparison of their number but a scattering remnant that are now alive upon the earth How should we long to be associated to that glorious Assembly Methinks we should much more regret our being so long left behind But if we should desire still to be so why may not all others as well as we And as much expect to be gratified as we And then we should agree in desiring that our Redeemers triumph might be defer'd that his Body might yet remain incompleat that
homini datum est quando primum creatus est rectus potuit non peccare sed potuit peccare Hoc autem novissimum eâ— potentius erit quò peccare noa potuit Aug de Civitat Dei lib. 22. c. 30. Libertas nâ—stâ—a inhaerâ—t divina ut exemplari in pâ—â—pâ—luâ ejus imitatâ—one versatur sive ortum sive pâ—â—gressum sive conâ—â—mmâ—tionem ejus intue 〈◊〉 libertas nostra in oâ—tu est capacitas Dei In progressu libertas res est longe câ—arâ—or progress â—senim atâ—â—nditur pâ—nes accessâ—m hominis ad Dâ—â—m qâ—i quidem 〈…〉 sed imitatione â—ssâ—â—latione câ—nstâ—t eâ—t utiquc imâ—â—atioâ—e assiâ—il itioâ— secuadum quam siâ—ut Deus est sablimis excelsus seipso ita homo est sublimis excelsus Deo altitudo ejus Deus est ut inquit D Augustinuâ— Consummatio denique libertatis est cum homo in Deum felicissimo gloriae coelestis statu transformatur deus omnia illi esse incipit Qui quidem postremus status co dissert à priore quippe homo tum non modo inalligatus est creaturis sed nec circaillas negotiatur etiam referendo in finem nec in creaturis se insundit nec per illas procedit ut faciâ—bat cum esset viator sed in solo Deo conquiescit effundit se placidissimè motits ejus cum sit ad presentissimum conjunctissimum bonum similior est quieti quà m mâ—tui Gib l. 2. c. 14. Omnes turbulae tempestates quae procul à Deoâ—rum coelestium tranquilitate exulant c. Apuleius de Deis Sâ—câ—atis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Max. Tyâ— disser 1. Quod desideras autâ—m magâ—â—m summum 〈◊〉 Deoque vicinum noa concuti Sâ—n. de trâ—nquil Animi Psal. 116. Sen. de tranquill anim Phil. 4. 7. Act. 20. 24. Isa. 26. 3. Psal. 112. 7. Rom. 15. 13. 2 Cor. 5. 5. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Prov. 4 18. Phil. 2 7. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Psal 126. 6. * I would fain know what the Tertium shall be resulting from the Physical union some speak of Joh. 17. 11. ver 11. Ver. 21. 1 Cor. 6. 16. Gal. 6 7 8. Dr. Hâ—rv de Ovo * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15. 13. Gâ—â—◠〈◊〉 in Christa â—â—â—â—â—mus homâ—â—â—â— c. Orat. 1 Matth. 5. 6. 1 Thes. 5 6. Ephes 5. 14. * So well doth the Apostles watchword suit our case awake to righteousness and sin not c. 1 Cor. 15 34. Cant. 5 2. Psal. 39 6. * Viz. 〈◊〉 Who at the time of his death sprinkled water upon the servants about him addita voâ—e se liquorem illâ—m libare Joâ—i lâ—beratori Tacit Annal. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * In Phaedro Cant. 6. 12 Rom. 13 11. Arelius Beza c. Psal. 30. 5. * In his Saints rest p. 2. c. 10 Luke 23. 43. 2 Cor. 5 8. Phil. 1. 23. Heb. 12. 23. 'T is true that divers of the Fathers and others have spoken some dubiously some very diminishingly of the blessedness of separate souls many of whose words may be seen together in that elaborate Tractate of the learned Parker de descens lib secâ—nâ— p. 77. Yea and his own assertion in that very page be it spoken with reverence to the memory of so worthy a person argues something gross and I conceive unwarrantable thoughts of the souls dependance on a body of Earth His words are Tertium vulnus speaking of the prejudices the Soul receives by its separation from the body omnes operationes etiam suas quae sunt praesertim ad extra extinguit Where he makes it a difficulty to allow it any operations at all as apears by the praesertim inserted He first indeed denies it all operations and then more confidently and especially those ad extra And if he would be understood to exclude it only from its operations ad extra if he take operations ad extra as that Phrase is wont to be taken he must then mean by it all such operations as have their objects not only those that have their terms to which without the Agent i. e. not only all transient but all immanent acts that have their object without them As when we say all Gods acts ad extra are free we mean it even of his immanent acts that have their objects without him though they do not poâ—â—re terminum extra deum as his election his love of the elect And so he must be understood to deny the separate souls and that with a praesertim too the operations of knowing God of loving him and delighting in him which are all operations ad extra as having their objects extra animam though their terminus ad quâ—m be not so which makes the condition of the separate souls of Saints unspeakably inferiour to what it was in the body and what should occasion to dismal thoughts of that state of separation I see not Scripture gives no ground for them but evidently enough speaks the contrary Reason and Phylosophy offers nothing that can â—ender the sense we put upon the forementioned plain Scriptures self contradâ—ctions or impossible Yea such as had no other light or guide have thought the facility of the souls operations being separate from its earthly body much greater by that very separation And upon this score doth Saint Augustine with great indignation inveigh against the Pâ—ilosophers Plaâ—o more especially because they judg'd the separation of the Soul from the body necessary to its blessedness Quia videlicct ejus perfectâ—m beatitudinem tunc illi fieri exâ—stimâ—at cum omni prorsus corpore exuta ad Deum sâ—nâ— lex solâ— quodommodo nuda redierit De civit Dei l. 13 c. 16. unto which purpose the words of Philolâ—us Pythâ—goricus of Plato of Porphyrius are cited by Ludovicus vives in his Comment upon that bovementioned passage The first speaking thus Deposito corpore hominem Deum immortalem fieri The second thus Trahi nos à corpore ad ima à cogitatione superarum rerum subinde revocari ideo relinquendum corpus hîc quantum possumus in alterâ vitâ vitâ prorsum ut liberi expediti verum ipsi videamus optimum amemus The third denies Aliter fieri bâ—atum quenquam posse nisi relinquat corpus affigatur Deo I conceive it by the way not improbable that the severity of that Pious Father against that Dogma of the Philosophers might proceed upon this ground that what they said of the impossibilitie of being happy in an earthly body he understood meant by them of an impossibilitie to be happy in any body at all when 't is evidently the common opinion of the Platonists that the soul is alwayes united with some body or other and that even the Daeâ—oâ—s have bodies aereal or etherial ones which Plato himself is observed by St. Augustine to affirm whence he would fasten a contradiction on him ibid. not considering 't is likely that