thereof they store up â—s a substaâ—ce for their Babes Now all 's but a belly-full it is but as meat for their belly and the belly for it both which God will destroy 1 Cor. 6.13 And the men to whom this falls in portion they are but men of the world and so cannot long enjoy these delicious dainties They are mortals and so must yield to the stroke of death which will put an end both to their life and portion after which they shall never enjoy good any more God's mercy it is his own and he will extend the line of it as he pleaseth God so disposeth of his mercy that there are some that shall have Heaven and Earth to be their portion anâ— their portion is indeed a blesseâ— portion There are some thaâ— shall have earth but not heaveâ— and their portion is poor anâ— mean and sad There are others that shall have heaven buâ— not earth and their portion 〈◊〉 good And there are other that shall neither have heaveâ— nor earth and their portioâ— you 'll say is miserable indeeâ— God's mercy is his own to dispose of as he will and to leâ— out as he pleaseth It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdoâ— Luke 12.32 We read of Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 21.3 That he gavâ— to his other sons gifts but thâ— kingdom he gave to Jehoram So Abraham calls for Ismael anâ— Hagar and he gives them â— piece of Bread and a bottle oâ— Water and sends them away There 's an end of them theâ— may go and wander in the wilderness of Beer-sheba Gen. 21.14 So God hath people to whom hâ— gives pieces of bread and bottles â—f water yea some to whom he â—ives great gifts in this world â—ut he keeps the inheritance for â—is Isaac and the kingdom for â—ehoram As for the other who â—ave their good in this present â—â—fe they are as sent away and may take their portion with â—hem for there 's their All. CHAP. V. Containing some Reasons why there is such a large Dole of outward Mercies given to the Wicked in this present world And why the Lord is oftentimes so bountiful towards them ALL the Works of God are rationally carried on I mean there is a spiritual reason in them though because of that darkness that is naturally upon man's understanding and so has clouded the discursive faculty of the soul through sin he cannoâ— so fully apprehend them as theâ— are truly in themselves Noâ— whereas it is the good pleasurâ— of the Almighty to give somâ—times unto the wicked a largâ— Dole of the good things of thâ— present life so as they flouriâ— in all wealth and store doubâ— less the work of God therein â— right and done in truth anâ— there is ground of such his bounty towards them Therefore wâ— will enquire into the Reason that are more obvious Wâ— God will give good things to thâ— Wicked in this present life Whâ— there is such a large Dole of outwarâ— Mercies oftentimes shared out 〈◊〉 those who are Enemies unto Him who is the Author of every gooâ— and perfect Gift which is thâ— second thing offered to enquirâ— in the handling the Point we aâ— upon Sect. I. And first they are all God'â— creatures though sin have depraved and corrupted their naâ—â—res and rendred them traiâ—urs and rebels to their Creaâ—â—r yet they are God's creaâ—â—res still though rebellious â—â—ey are the workmanship of his â—nds though Satan bear sway 〈◊〉 their hearts And upon that â—ry account as being his workâ—anship God has some respect â—r them Luk. 6.35 He is kind to the unâ—â—ankful and to the evil Though â—â—ey have cast him off yet he â—es not utterly cast them out â—om all the good things of this â—â—esent life He owns them as â—s creatures still who disown â—m as their Lord and Sovereign â—hough they will not have him 〈◊〉 rule over them yet he canâ—ot forget the workmanship of â—s hands Saith Jehu concernâ—g Jezabel Go 2 Kings 9.34 take away this â—rsed woman though she be â—nder the execution of the just â—â—ntence of God upon her and 〈◊〉 liable to the uttermost of reâ—roach that can be inflicted yet shew some respect unto her her not lye there in the streeâ— but take her away For she iâ— kings daughter So saith Goâ— Well though these be cursâ— and fuel only fit for the evâ—â—lasting burnings yet they 〈◊〉 my creatures I cannot utteâ— here as yet forsake the woâ— of mine own hands some â—spect they shall have from mâ— some good I 'll communicate them they are men of the worâ— and therefore they shall havâ— belly-full of worldly treasurâ— Whose belly thou fillest with thâ— hid treasure Psal 17.14 Tâ—â— deep vein of silver and the hâ—â—den place of gold those secâ— but rich recesses shall powâ— out abundantly into their â—â—soms and I 'll give them thâ— portion here and that becaâ— though but men of the worâ— yet they are my creatures Bâ— it is not an argument strong â—nough that because you aâ— God's creatures therefore yâ— shâ—ll have eternal mercies that â—â—cause God is your Creator â—erefore he will be your Saviour a peoples title to eternal merâ—â—es be no more than this then 〈◊〉 to them For he thâ—t made â—m will have no mercy on them â—d he that formed them will shew â—em no favor Isa 27.11 Sect. II. Secondly The time of this â—e is the time of God's paâ—â—ence and the day of his long-â—â—fferance Now God waits Isa 30.18 that 〈◊〉 may be gracious and his paâ—â—ence bears long suspending â—â—dgment Rom. 2.4 Now the goodness of â—od is leading men to repentance â—â—m 2.4 And though the riches â—his goodness and forbearance â—â—d long-suffering be despised â—y the wicked yet the time of â—â—is life is the day of his goodâ—ess and patience still And â—erefore the wicked have their â—ercies here In their life-time â—â—ey have their good things God â—nows Oh that they would consider it that there is â—â—ternity before them where to pay them home fully for their sins Deut. 32.42 when there shall be 〈◊〉 time of revenges upon the enemâ— whereof there shall be a begiâ—ning but never end So as tâ—â— time of this life being the dâ— of God's patience and lonâ— suffering therefore he deals oâ— such a bountiful dole unto maâ— of the wicked Says God 〈◊〉 him take his fill and measure 〈◊〉 his sin let him be filthy stiâ—â— since it is his wilful choice 〈◊〉 wallow in his own vomit aâ—â— to defile himself in the mire 〈◊〉 his lusts I shall not envy hiâ— any the good things of this prâ—sent life psal 37.35 Job 21.11 12 13. Let him spread himseâ— as a green bay-tree Let him seâ—â— forth his little ones like a flock aâ—â— let his children dance let theâ— take the timbrel and harp and râ—joyce at the sound of the organâ— Let them spend their days in wealtâ— for this is the time of my long-suâ—ferance but in a moment they sha◠〈◊〉 down
Portion thou hast the curse of God along upon thee And if so thou art the man that is likely to have all thy good things here He for whom there is a reservation of eternal mercies in the life to come has the blessing of God going along with his enjoyments here sanctifying them unto him and enabling him through grace to a right improvement of them so as his soul is bettered by them growing more thankfull more holy more heavenly this is the fruit of Gods grace and blessing as well upon a prosperous as adverse condition For all conditions of themselves are equally insufficient for the production of any spiritual good without the concurrence of Gods grace and blessing with them Now this argues something of good reserved in store for us for the time to come where the blessing of God is upon us in our enjoyments here keeping us low humble holy and self denying But where the mercies of God abound and the heart grows worse and worse so as the more that Worldly Good comes in the less of Spiritual Good there 's to be found this aboads the condition evil as having the curse of God upon it As if a man should eat meat at ones table and as soon as he hath eaten it begin to swell he will conclude certainly the meat was poysoned So when thy estate rises and thy heart riseth in pride together with it surely thy corruption poysoneth thy estate unto thee and instead of a blessing thou hast the curse of God upon it And if so thou mayest take the World here for thy portion for thou art the man who art likely to have no good thing hereafter §. XII Twelfthly Whether hath God convinced thee of that which stops the great current of his mercy and of the right way to have it opened What it is that laies as it were a restraint and why upon the current of his choice mercies and how that restraint is to be removed If the choice mercies in Christ be designed for thy portion this he has or will certainly convince thee of Now that which stops the great current of Gods choice mercies is Divine Justice and this by reason of our sin So that untill Divine Justice be satisfied and sin removed and taken away the great current of Gods choice mercies cannot be opened But now the Lord Christ the Son of God and Second Person in the Blessed Trinity he is come into the World and by his Blessed Mediation for us satisfies Divine Justice and is that Lamb of God Isa 53.11 Joh. 1.29 which takes away the sin of the World and in and through him only the great current of Gods Eternal Grace is opened even the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Ephes 2.7 Now hath the Lord convinced thee of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 20.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 2.2 and let thee see thy great need of Christ and that without him thou art undone for ever so that thy heart breaths after him as the great and alone peace-maker between God and thy Soul Doest thou see that wide breach which thy sins have made between God and thee and which by no other means can be made up but only by the Mediation of the Son of God And art thou convinced that the current of Gods Eternal Mercies can flow out no other way towards thee but only through the Golden Pipe of the Lord Christ's Mediation And therefore thou sayest Lord it is not from any righteousness of mine nor from any thing that any Creature in Heaven or Earth can do that I expect to have my Portion but through the Mediation of the Son of God That 's the thing I look after my heart closes with that Mediation I looked upon that as the mean of all my worth and of the conveyance of all my mercies If it be thus with thee then here 's the man indeed that is not like to have his good things in this World He looks for other guess mercies from the Mediation of Christ than any this World can afford and in due time shall have them But now the man that has his Portion in this World looks no further but to Gods general bounty never considers what stops the great current of Gods Grace is not convinced of the indispensable perfection of Gods Justice nor of that infinite breach which sin as made betwixt God and Man is not sensible of the absolute need there is of Christ and of his satisfaction unto Divine Justice and so to pant after Christ for relief and succour through whom alone he may enjoy the pardon of his sin and have the Conduit of Gods choice mercies opened No these are all as Ridles to him he understands not what they mean all he looks after is some overflowings of Gods General bounty here in this World towards him in the enjoyment whereof had he 'em but he could securely acquiesce and sing a requiem to his Soul now Soul take thine ease as if his Soul were no other than of a brute This now is the man that is like to have all his good things here For those to whom God gives Eternal Mercies he convinces them of the evil of their sin of that infinite breach that sin has made between God and their Souls and how that no Creature in Heaven or in Earth could satisfie Divine Justice and make up that breach and open the current of Gods Eternal Grace but only the Lord Christ must come through whom alone there is Peace and Reconcilation to be enjoyed and so lets them see their absolute need of Christ for Salvation and stirs up all the powers of their Souls to breath after him and Eternal mercies in him Now if it be not thus with thee that God has not caused this Conviction-work to pass upon thy Soul and enlarged thy heart after these things through which he carries on his People to a full enjoyment of himself in Glory but thou sittest down under the shade of Gods general bounty and so makest to thy self a fig-leaf covering and there takest up thy rest know that the issues of Gods general bounty are like to be thy Portion and thou hast all thy good things here §. XIII Moreover that man is like to have all his good things in this present life whose days are spent and past away without some fear upon his heart lest God should put him off with the things of this present world He that enjoys a considerable Income of outward mercies and has not his Spirit sometimes touched with a fear and dread least God should put him off so this is very likely to be the man all whose good things are here There is some danger in this respect and
that life being ended there 's an end so put unto all those good things and all other good things too as thou art never to expect them any more The Words under this explication clearly present their proper drift and purport And also from them may be collected divers particular Observations which as so many several Heads of Fruit do arise and grow out of the particular Branches of the Text. And they are such as these As 1st From that Term or Appellation Son we may Note The sweet temper and blessed frame Obs I of the Saints in Heaven in whom there is no bitterness no reproachful or invective Speech or Carriage no railing Accusations but their whole frame and course made up and carried on in a way of love Jude 9. 1 John 4.7 8. 2ly From the title given to the things of this present life the blessings and comforts thereof are called good things Hence Note That the Mercies and Blessings of Obs II this present life they are good things Though they are often through the corruption of man's heart abused yet in themselves considered they are good things Josh 23.14 Job 22.18 3ly In that these good things are said to be received hence Note That all the Blessings and Enjoyments Obs III of this present life are received as given to us They are not meerly gotten by us as of our own work but chiefly dispensed unto us as of God's mercy Deut. 8.17 18. 4ly In that it is said thy good things the which he called so and did appropriate to himself as his own Hence we may Note Obs IV That the good things of this present life which for a while are but committed to the wicked they do espouse them as their own they hugg themselves in the enjoyment of them as their own they can look upon nothing as theirs but what they have here in this present world and this they câ—ll their own Hos 12.8 It 's the Tempters language of old whereby he prevails to captivate and ensnare the wicked The world and the glory of it is mine and if thou wilt worship me all shall be thine Luke 4.6 7. 5ly In that it is said in thy â—ife-time hence Note That the good things of this present Obs V world in the reception and enjoyment of them are confined to this present life So as when this life is ended they are to be enjoyed no more Eccles 11.7 8. 6ly From the word remember thence we may observe That the wicked though now they Obs VI overlook and inconsiderately let slip the Mercies they do enjoy yet there shall a time come wherein they shall be brought to their remembrance Not a Mercy shall be lost or buried though out of their remembrance but shall be recalled quickened and brought back to mind to the justification of God's goodness the aggravation of their misery and the increase of endless torment Rev. 20.12 13. 7ly Lastly from the Words under an entire consideration yet with some reference had to some of the peculiar Notes foregoing this general Observation may be offered and which in a genuine and proper manner also from the whole contexture does arise Obs VII That there are a generation of men to whom God grants the enjoyment of some good things only in this present life which ended after that they shall have no more Here 's their all of good that ever they are like to enjoy This Seventh and last Point is laid as the Subject and Foundation of this ensuing Treatise and the main that is intended to be insisted on But before we enter upon it there lye some Queries in the way which seem to start out of this Scripture and require a word at least in transcourse CHAP. II. Containing an Answer to some Queries which are briefly touched as offering themselves on the by Sect. I. Quer. Quer. 1 WHether there be any Society or Intercourse of â—ommunion betwixt the Celestial and â—nfernal Inhabitants or the Blessed and Damned Spirits which â—his Parable may seem to hold forth â—nd accordingly has been alledged â—s a choice Pillar for the upholding such a Tenent Answ Thereto it 's answered Answer â—hat there is no intercourse of communion at all betwixt the Spirits of Just Men made perfect and the Damned Reprobates The great Gulph interposed verse 26. quashes the force of â—uch a fancy Isa 63.16 If Abraham be ignorant of his Seed here upon earth and Israel do not acknowledge them as the Prophet telâ— us then much less do the bleâ—sed Saints and Patriarchs coâ—verse or treat with the Damneâ— Souls so as to acquaint theâ— either with their conditions iâ— bliss and happiness or to receive a report from them oâ— their wretched state in woe anâ— torment Therefore we are tâ— look upon the Parable in iâ— main drift and scope and iâ— what it aims at and not to endeavour an establishing of Doctrines thereupon not only tâ— the perversion of a part thereoâ— from its genuine purport buâ— the subversion of the Doctrinâ— and Analogy of the true Chrâ—stian Faith and the Souls thaâ— are builded thereupon as bâ— many Arguments might be eviâ—ced in Scriptures and in thâ— Writings of the Fathers at largâ— laid down Sect. II. Quere How are the good thingâ— which the wicked in this present liâ—◠〈◊〉 enjoy said to be their own â—here they are called thy good â—ngs Answ We are not to look â—on the men of the world as â—er usurpers for what they â—fully get in the world as if â—â—ey were to answer meerly for â—â—eir using what they have as â—t having a right to use True â—s they shall answer for their â—t right using but they shall â—t answer for their right to use â—â—at which they have lawfully â—tten in the World There is â—right unto things upon divers â—counts by which they may be â—d to be our own 1. A right from justice when â—e can lay claim to things upon â—e account of justice and say â—â—at's mine own upon the acâ—â—unt of justice it 's due unto â—e by the rules of justice Thus â—e good things of this life no â—an of himself can lay claim â—to as his own 2. There 's a right from Creation God gave to man a rigâ—â— to things at his first Creation He gave him to be Lord over aâ— the Creatures by Sea and Land He set him over the works of hâ—â— hands and put them in subjectiâ—â— under his feet He made hiâ— Vice-Gerent under him througâ— out the whole Universe Thâ— by Creation he had a right to aâ— the good things of this preseâ— life But this is lost by sin anâ— with a fiery flaming Sword Maâ— being expelled and driven out is hindred from returning to hâ— Paradice of Pleasure his foâ—mer Soveraignty under Goâ— over the Creatures And thâ— his right by Creation's gone Psal 8.6 3. There is a right by promise God has now promise to give good things unto hâ— people and those who are interested in the promises have 〈◊〉 right to
these good things Noâ— this right the wicked cannoâ— plead they have no interest iâ— Christ in whom All the promise◠〈◊〉 God are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 〈◊〉 20. and so can have no interâ—t in the promises and thereâ—â—re not a right by vertue of the â—romise to the good things of â—is life This is the peculiar â—riviledge and plea of true beâ—evers But 4ly There is a right from â—onation God is pleased to â—â—ve to wicked men his bounâ—y is extended towards them in â—he large distribution and dole â—f outward things Cum quis propter nullam aliam causam donat quam ut libertatem munificentiam exerceat haec proprie Donatio appellatur Julian D. de Donation lib. 1. But â—heir right to hold is but 〈◊〉 this manner even as a â—an that is condemned to â—ye for some notorious Crime and there being a â—â—ttle reprieving for two â—r three days before his â—xecution the Prince out of his â—ndulgence and grace gives orâ—er to have provision made for â—im according to his quality â—hat if he be a Gentleman he â—hall have such provision if a Knight a Nobleman a Peer of the Realm he shall have prâ—sion according to his quaâ— till his execution Now no 〈◊〉 can say this man usurps thoâ— he hath forfeited all his righâ— his land and estate yet if King will give him this refrâ—ment he is no usurper Buâ— is a poor right he hath it s a riâ— from donation And thus 〈◊〉 gives to the ungodly men in 〈◊〉 world they have a right outward comforts but thiâ— all the right they have 〈◊〉 have your good things but 〈◊〉 see how you hold them and 〈◊〉 on what account they are calâ— your own Or otherwise but more 〈◊〉 properly the good things the wiâ—ed do enjoy in this present 〈◊〉 may be said to be their own frâ— the endeared affection and loâ— they bear unto them thâ— souls are bound up in them 〈◊〉 in the bundle of life and thâ— know no other no better gooâ— for in them is lodged their Aâ— Moreover they look upon themâ—elves as having the first and â—rime interest in them and that â—n the highest manner of right â—hey belong unto them as if â—here were none above them â—or Lord over them from whom â—hey hold Psal 12.4 And thus â—hey entitle themselves to the good things of this present life and hold and account of them as their own Sect. III. Quer. Whether in another world there be any remembrance of the things that have passed in this or that all whatever was done had or suffered in this present life be then forgotten Answ Though the joys of Heaven be infinitely great and glorious and the spirits of just men made perfect be swallowed up in the beatifical vision of the Almighty yet the powers and faculties of the Soul which are essential thereunto are so far by that glory from being destroyed that they are thereby heightneâ— and quickned and made morâ— spiritually active and vigoroâ—â— in a blessed way The undeâ—standing perfectly clear the wâ— freely and perfectly obedieâ—tial the memory purged froâ— that dross and corruption whicâ— rendred it too oblivious and iâ— retentive of good things frâ—quently keeping in the drosâ— but letting go the purer mettaâ— But now all this good is broughâ— to remembrance and the contemplation thereof with no littlâ— joy affecting the soul What caâ— we say but that in glory all thâ— powers of the soul are perfecteâ— in an holy way The work oâ— grace in holiness here begun iâ— there in glory full compleated wherein all the faculties of thâ— soul are concerned And as foâ— the torments of the damned though they be great even tâ— perfection and such whereiâ— the smallest mercy even the leaâ—â— drop of water to cool the tongue cannot be granted yet the Esâ—ence and Being of the soul is not destroyed therein and therefore neither are the powers and â—aculties thereof which are esâ—ential thereto taken away Well were it for those damned â—pirits if those torments would â—tterly consume their substance â—nd through some annihilating â—ower reduce them to non entiâ—â—es back again for so their torâ—ents would come to an end 〈◊〉 the making an end of them â—ut that cannot be for their â—mmortal substance runs parallel â—ith eternity and so is capable â—f eternal torments And furâ—er that which adds to the â—rievousness of their torments is â—â—e remembrance they have of â—rmer things and those passed 〈◊〉 their life-time in this present â—orld As whatever may tend 〈◊〉 make the condition of the â—essed more happy is rememâ—ed by them so whatever may â—gravate the misery of the damned comes up upon theâ—â— minds in a fresh return Oâ— the sad aggravations they lyâ— under when they remember thâ— Mercies they have enjoyed thâ— blessed means they have neglected the precious time they havâ— mispent the opportunities theâ— have lost the patience theâ— have abused the motions aâ—â— waitings of grace they haâ—â— slighted the precious blooâ— they have trampled under foot the Covenants they have broken the resolutions they havâ— altered from the many Sermoâ— calls to repentance they haâ—â— stopped their ears against thâ— sin they have chosen the gooâ— Master they deserted the bâ— Lord they sold themselves untâ— the happiness they have losâ— which once was offered to them and the torments they have noâ— cast themselves into to all eteâ—nity which in time they migâ—â— have avoided Surely the râ—membrance of these and tâ— like must needs so aggravate the â—orments of the damned and cruciate their minds with such exquisitely-vexatious torture as shall equalize if not exceed their other torment Now this way â—o glorifie it self upon them juâ—tice would be deprived of were their memories in Hell extinguished And therefore Son â—saith he Remember that thou in â—hy life-time receivedst thy good â—hings Thus having done with the Queries that are obvious from â—he Words the subject Matter â—f our Discourse and Observaâ—ion principally aimed at unto which what is said is but premised as making way now â—ollows to be more largely ut â—x proposito insisted on CHAP. III. The Subject Matter of the ensuiâ— Treatise laid down and offereâ— in several parts in order to methodical procedure therein THe Subject now lying befoâ—â— us and which is the priâ—cipal Scope of the Discourse eâ—suing we laid down and offereâ— in the Seventh Observation bâ—fore mentioned in these words viz. That there are a Generation 〈◊〉 Men to whom God grants tâ— enjoyment of some good thinâ—â— only in this present life whiâ—â— ended after that they shall haâ— no more Here 's their All good that ever they are like enjoy In the handling of this Poinâ— that we may more fully sift oâ— the Matter in it and more oâ— â—erly step from one part thereof â—nto another and in that the â—nvailing of a Method and â—eering the course designed in â—he entreating on a Subject from â—â—l corrupt and self-reserved-proâ—edure has always been judged â— more advantageous way thereâ—ore that
we may more readily â—old on our course not letted â—y the bar of intricacy in the â—anner of the discourse we shall â—onsider the whole under these â—articulars 1. View some Examples recorded in Scripture of such men who have had all their good in this present life From whence the truth of the Assertion is in general evinced to us Chap. IV. 2. We shall enquire into the Reasons Why God will give good things to the wicked in this present life Why there is such a large dole of outward Mercies sometimes given to them Chapter V. 3. Shew that all the good thing they do enjoy are confined to thiâ— present life so as when theiâ— life ends all their good is aâ— an end if it end not before Chap. VI. 4. We shall examin what the condition of such men is who havâ— all their good in this present life with respect to the nature of thâ— good things that they do here enjoy Chap. VII 5. Endeavour to mark out so faâ— as we can being guided by thâ— Notes of Holy Scripture whâ— that man or woman is that iâ— such a condition is like to havâ— all their good in this present life Chap. VIII 6. Conclude the whole in somâ—Vses and Improvements in order to a Spiritual Advantage from the premised Considerations with divers proper Helpâ— to a better Portion Chap. IX X XI XII The Argument that now lies before us calls for a most serious consideration from us for therein is matter of chief concernment to examin our selves about As St. Hierom sometimes spake of that saying Arise ye dead and come to judgment that it was a dreadful Scripture that sounded continually in his Ears he thought he heard a Voice night and day ever and anon proclaiming the same So may this Scripture duely considered strike a trembling into the heart and amuse the stoutest spirit Son in your life-time you had your good things Here you have your reward and after this you are never like to have any more Let none separate themselves or put off this Scripture as if they were out of its reach or that it did not concern them For before we have done you shall find that though true it is this Scripture may be of nearer concernment to some than others yet it is of exceeding great usefulness in thâ— several Notes therefrom anâ— practical Improvements thereabout unto us all CHAP. IV. Containing several Examples recorded in Scripture of sucâ— men who had all their good thing in this present life AS to the first particular proposed in the handling oâ— the Point laid down we are to take a view of some Examples recorded in Scripture of such persons who had all their good in this present life They did enjoy their felicity here in this present world Gen. 27.39 Had not Esau a goodly portion of outward things what an ample blessing was conferred upon him His Cup did even overflow His dwelling was the fatness of the earth and of the dew of Heaven from above The Heavens did as 't were conspire together â—o distil down a blessing upon Esau and to make his soil fat and plenteous Nay Esau had so much that he said He had enough When his brother Jacob did present him with a drove of Cattel to find grace in his sight â—ays he I have enough my brother keep that thou hast to thy self Prov. 30.15 Gen. 33.9 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Polit. l. 1. c. 9. How far â—oth Esau outstrip all the Worldlings of our days who are as the daughters of the Horseleech crying Give â—ive and never say it is enough Brother says he I have enough most rich men are complaining they go not so far as Esau they have their Portion and yet comâ—lain Now Esau hath his Porâ—ion and thought he had enough What a Portion had Nabal of the good things of this life 1 Sam. 25.2 He was very great upon the account of his possessions and blessed himself in his abundance and yet this man void of humane courtesie for he was chuâ—lish ver 14 21. and of Piety for he waâ— evil in his doings and of Pitty for he had no commiseration oâ— David in his distress and oâ— Moral ingenuity for he did noâ— know to requite good to them that had done good to him buâ— railed on David and his men who had been his benefactors and requited evil for good untâ— them And yet we see this maâ— flourished in all abundance haâ— his belly full of worldly treasure but this was all the good thaâ— ever he was to enjoy for he waâ— a man of Belial verse 25. Nabal was hiâ— name and folly was with him and before death utterly smotâ— him his heart died as a stonâ— within him 1 Sam. 25.37 38. The Rich man spoken oâ— Luke 12. whose grounds broughâ— forth so plentifully that he haâ— no room where to bestow hiâ— fruits but might ampliate his Granaries and enlarge his Buildings that so he might house â—is plentiful Crop surely he had a large portion of these outward things and they were good things somewhat adequate â—o his hearts desire too otherwise he would never have cheered up his soul in the enjoyment of them thus saying Soul soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry other than which what could he have said if he had had the soul of a swine Yet these were all the good things that ever he was like to enjoy for the Fool 's Soul that night was required of him And that put an end to all his present hopes of future comfort Luke 12.20 You read of a generation of men Job 22.17 18. who were so drowned in sensuality that they did not only utterly depart from God themselves but bid God himself depart from them too and despighted the Almighty aâ— if there were nothing of gooâ— that he could do unto them They said unto God deparâ— from us and what can the Almighty do for them And yeâ— such were the overflowings oâ— God's bounty towards them that he filled their houses witâ— good things They had a fulâ— portion for a time but presently they were cut down out of time and their foundation was overflowâ— with a flood and so all their good came to an end Job 22.16 Some of Christ's hearers in Luke 6.24 they had their good things in this life Wo unto you for here is your consolation saith our Lord Christ unto them Oh dreadful Speech Wo to thiâ— man wo to these here is their consolation They have and may take some comfort in sensual delights here for a time but these once ended they are never to expect any more The Psalmist tells us of some â—en who have their portion in his life and whose belly God â—lls with his hid treasure Psalm â—7 14 and they leave the rest of their substance to their Babes They have their bellies filled with outward good things and â—he surplus
and afterwards receive me to glorâ— If the wicked have such a larâ— measure of worldly wisdom surely I shall not want thy couâ—sel says David unto God they be glorious with their goâ—den chains so as pride compassâ— them about as a chain ver 6. surly the glory reserved for tâ—â— children is exceeding great which after a while they shâ— be received to Fugiendum est ad clarissimam patriam ibi pater ibi omnia Aug. de Civit Dei Thus David iâ—ferrs and applies to himself 〈◊〉 particular Thou shalt guide 〈◊〉 with thy counsel and afterwarâ— receive me to glory And mark â—ow the Psalmist pursues this â—nference in a glorious acclamaâ—ion Whom have I in heaven but â—hee and there is none upon earth â—hat I desire besides thee My flesh â—nd my heart faileth but God is â—he strength of my heart and my â—ortion for ever The wicked â—hey have their portion here and the lines do often fall to them in pleasant places Surely then it shall go well with them â—hat fear God which fear before him Eccles 8.12 The Lord himself he will be their portion â—f the Dogs fare so well the father keeps a good house If the hang-bies may have such Doles certainly there is good provision for the children within As by the afflictions that lie upon the Godly in this world God doth declare to wicked men what fearful Judgments do abode them and would have them from thence to argue to their future dreadful state and the great evils that are like to befal them For if judgment begin at the house of God what shaâ—â— the end be of them thâ—t obey nâ—â— the Gospel of God 1 Pet. 4.17 So by the prosperity of the wicked in this world God dotâ— declare to his children whaâ— choice things are reserved foâ— them and would have them from thence to argue to their future happy estate and the great good things they shall enjoy Sect. VII Seventhly The Lord knows that he hath time enough to manifest his Justice upon the wicked hereafter Magna Dei ira est quando peccantibus non irascatur Deus Hier. Epist 33. ad Castrat and therefore he will let them enjoy somewhat here The Lord has an eternity hereafter for the punishment of the wicked Their sweet bits shall cost them dear enough and their pleasant morsels go down with a sufficiently bitter sauce Saith God I have an Eternity for the declaration of my â—ustice in heaven and therefoâ—e let â—hem have somewhat for a while As you know it is natural in all when they see a man going to Execution that is not like to â—ive above an hour or two every one is ready to pity him and to be any way officious to him Oh Aeternitas â—on est peâ— sâ—d ratime paenae sed decidit propter aeternitatem personae punitae culpae remanentis Scot. in quart Sentent distinct 46. qu. 4. saith every one the Man shall not have comfort long we cannot do much for him he shall have pain enough e'er long and misery enough e'er long and so every one pities him and that because his misâ—ry is near and before him Even so the misery of the wicked is not far off it is before them even a misery that shall run parallel with Eternity And therefore saith God let them rejoyce a while and let their hearts cheer them in this their day they have not long to be merry in let them walk in the waâ—s of their heart and in the sight of their eyes after a while I will bring them into judgment Eccles 11.9 Dan. 5.5 6. Surely this Consideration should be like Belshazzar's hand-writing upon thâ— Plaister of the Wall to all wicâ—ed and ungodly ones in thâ— midst of their worldly fulnesâ— causing their countenances tâ— change and their thoughts tâ— be troubled in them and thâ— joynts of their loyns to be looâ—ed and their knees to smite onâ— against another to think Oâ— could they but lay it to heart â— that this pleasant life will endure but for a while these dayâ— will quickly be at an end anâ— then they launch out into thâ— miserable gulph of all Eternity when their torment does begin but shall never end and thaâ— all the good things of this present life they do enjoy are buâ— indulged them for a season anâ— this because there is time enougâ— for their misery in Eternal Confinement yet behind to seiâ— upon them Sect. VIII Eighthly God gives a large â—â—rtion of outward Mercies unto â—e wicked in this life because 〈◊〉 takes occasion from hence to â—â—ch a great deal of glory to his â—â—n Name In this way and â—urse of dealing with the wickâ— he gains great glory to himâ—â—â—f in bringing about his own â—ds As sometimes he doth it â—â—at they might stumble and â—rden their hearts How many â—cked men stumble upon the â—ock of their own enjoyments â—heir table becomes a snare before â—â—m Psal 69.22 and that which should have â—n for their welfare does become â—rap Psal 9.16 They are snared in the â—rk of their own hands And â—w are their hearts hardened â—â—rough their fulness even to â—ch a pitch of hardness that â—ey are even as a piece of the â—her milstone Isa 8.15 Though at last â—ey shall be broken by judgâ—ent yet by mercies they canâ—t be melted Thus their mercies cause them to stumble and 〈◊〉 and be bâ—oken and snared 〈◊〉 taken Their mercies frequeâ—â—ly work to ripen them in thâ— sins and from the pleasant râ— of worldly enjoyments thâ— grows in them the bitter fâ—â— of gall and wormwood Deut. 29.18 〈◊〉 wicked suck as 't were a juâ— from their worldly fulness whâ— feeds and ripens them in thâ— sin Like the Spider turnâ— what she extracts from sweetest flower into deadly pâ—â—son Tit. 1.15 Vnto them that are desâ— and unbelieving is nothing prâ— saith the Apostle but even thâ— mind and conscience is defilâ— Hence the Lord lets wicked 〈◊〉 go on a long time till their be fully ripe and then to gloâ—â—fie his great Name in a way 〈◊〉 justice on them he puts in 〈◊〉 sickle So Isa 33.1 Isa 33.1 Wo to tâ— that spoilest and thou wast not spâ—ed and dealest treacherously 〈◊〉 they dealt not treacherously wâ— thee when thou shalt cease to spâ— tâ—ou shalt be spoiled Thou maist on a while and spoil as thou â—lt but when thou hast done â—oiling thou shalt be spoiled â—he King of Assyria may grow â—ell and wax great he may â—ise himself upon the ruins of â—od's people but his heart is â—eed up thereby to his destruâ—ion For it shall come to pass â—en the Lord hath performed his â—ole work upon mount Sion Isa 10.12 16. and 〈◊〉 Jerusalem that he will punish â—â—e fruit of the stout heart of the â—ng of Assyria and the glory of â—s high looks The Lord of hosts â—ll send among his fat ones leanâ—ss and under his glory he will â—ndle a
themâ—â—lves and yet fall so as to rise â—o no more They are but set 〈◊〉 slippery places as the Psalmist â—eaks and then cast down into â—â—struction and brought into deâ—â—lation as in a moment they are â—terly consumed with terrours â—sal 73.18 19. Psal 73.18 19. Thus they flatâ—â—r themselves in their own â—â—es until their iniquity be â—â—und to be hateful They say â—â—ey shall die in their nest and â—ultiply their days as the sand â—his was the ground upon which â—ob's friends argued so strongly â—gainst him That surely God â—d not love him because it â—ent so ill with him Thereâ—re they did not speak of God â—e thing that was right measuring his thoughts by outwarâ— providences in this world aâ— modelling all their Argumenâ— according to this Rule Now thâ— is too low a way to measure thâ— mind of God who is infiniâ— in knowledge and of whoâ— understanding there is no reaâ— It is as high as heaven what caâ— thou do deeper than hell whâ— dost thou know the measure theâ— of is longer than the earth aâ— deeper than the sea Job 11. 8 â— Job 11.8 9. The Lord would teach his peopâ—â— from the plenty of outwaâ—â— Mercies the wicked do enjoâ— to look for other evidences 〈◊〉 his love evidences of anothâ—â— nature than these things are 〈◊〉 which the love of God may cleared up unto them Tâ—â— seems to be the carriage of tâ— Almighty in these his works Providence unto his peoplâ— You see how the draff and sâ— of this world is cast befâ—â—â— them and how they wall therein and fill their bellies â—ot you look upon these things â—s arguments of my love to â—hose persons who enjoy them â—or you see what kind of creaâ—ures they are sometimes cast â—mong even amongst my most â—itter and cruel enemies such â—s are and will be so and who â—buse these good things to a furâ—her hardening them in their â—nmity but do not you regard 〈◊〉 envy not their Portion neiâ—her judge their Condition â—herefore happy measure not â—ny Love by outward Mercies â—or I thus promiscuously cast â—hem abroad into the world to â—ive check to such thoughts as â—ould argue either love or haâ—red from them Eccles 9.1 Sect. XII Lastly The Lord gives such 〈◊〉 large Dole of outward Merâ—ies unto the wicked in this preâ—ent world because this is all â—hat ever they are like to have They are never to expect any â—ore The Lord deals with them as Abraham did with tâ—â— Sons of the Concubines whiâ— he had he gave them gifts aâ— sent them away from Isaac his sâ— eastward into the east-countreâ— but he gave all that he had unâ— Isaac Gen. 25.5 6. So tâ—â— Lord gives worldly gifts unâ— the wicked and as it werâ— packs them far away they mâ— have nothing to do with hâ— habitation and his holy placâ— the Heavenly Jerusalem is reseâ—ved for his Isaacs the childrâ— of the Promise These Sons 〈◊〉 the Concubine they may tâ— vail into the East-countrey and there gather their gold aâ—â— silver and precious stones â—mong the smooth stones of the streâ— as the Prophet speaks in anothâ—â— case is their Portion Isa 57.6 And thâ— is all that ever they are like 〈◊〉 have they are to go their waâ— and expect no more Thus deaâ— Jehoshaphat likewise with thoâ— Sons that were not to plead 〈◊〉 Title to his Kingdom intenâ—iâ—g the Throne and Crown for â—ehoram their father gave them â—reat gifts of silver 2 Chron. 21.3 and of gold â—nd of precious things with fenced â—ties in Judah but the kingdom â—ave he to Jehoram because he was â—â—e first-born So God deals wâ—tâ—â—any of the wicked in this â—orld as Jehoshaphat did with â—is other Sons who gave them â—heir Dole before hand in great â—ifts and so committed their â—ortion into their hands and â—hey were not to expect any â—ore the kingdom it was for the â—â—rst-born Thus the wicked have â—reat gifts in this world their â—ortion is put into their hands â—nd they are to expect no more They are not from hence to arâ—ue That because he hath done â—o well for them that therefore â—e will do better and intends â—hem a further good cujus conâ—rarium est verum Nay you may â—ather gather an Argument â—uite the other way because God intends no further good unto you hereafter therefore is you have so much now Thâ— we use to answer men that haâ—â— had their Dole already givâ— them and they will come agaiâ— Why do you come again yâ— have had your Dole alreadâ— So God will answer to maâ— men when they shall cry to hiâ— for mercy at that day Wâ— come you to me for more yâ—â— have had your Dole alreadâ— Have not you had more than 〈◊〉 your work comes to Did nâ—â— your cup overflow in your lifâ— time Psal 73.7 Had not you more thâ— heart could wish Why do yoâ— come again Did not I saâ— God shew my self glorious 〈◊〉 mercy in your day that you bâ—ing so wicked as you were haâ— yet so much of the good thingâ— of the world as you had I diâ— not only spare you and eke oâ— my long-sufferance towards yoâ— but I loaded you then with bâ—nefits and heap'd my blessing on you if so be you would therâ— by have been led to repentance Rom. 2.4 â—nd therefore though you be â—enied eternal mercies hereafâ—â—r yet you have cause to tell â—e Devils themselves and â—mned creatures that shall be â—ur companions That God was â—ry merciful to you while you â—ed in this world You had a â—rge Portion here but here 's â—ur All. Son remember that â—ou in thy life-time receivedst â—y good things thou canst not â—pect them hereafter too CHAP. VI. â—â—at the good things the Wicked do enjoy are confined to this present life and why Sect. I. THE Third Particular propounded in the handling this Point is to shew That 〈◊〉 the good things the wicked do enjoy are confined to this presenâ— life so as when their life ends then all their good is at an enâ— When the wicked man dieth he shall carry nothing away His glory shall not descend aftâ—â— him Psalm 49.17 Naked 〈◊〉 came into the world and nakeâ— he shall return All his goâ— things have their period wiâ—â— him he cannot carry them aloâ—â— into another world when deaâ— seizeth on him then he is parâ—ed from them And then whâ— shall those things be which he hâ— provided Luk. 12.20 Though whiles he â—ved he blessed his soul aâ— his flatterers were about hiâ— and his cogging Parasites aâ— they praised him yet he sâ—â— go to the generation of his fâ—thers Psal 49.18 and shall never see lighâ— and then all his good thiâ— are concluded with him Aâ— it is so that the Portion of tâ—â— wicked cannot outlive bâ— is confined to this present lifâ— because First That there are some men whose names are written in â—he earth Cum homines beati esse volunt si vere volunt profecto esse
Infinite Justiâ— that so he might open the â—rent the Sluce of God's Infiâ—â— and Eternal Mercies Now hâ—â—py are those creatures who hâ— an interest in the Lord Chriâ—â— They are under the Influence God's Eternal Mercies the goâ— things of the Life to come 〈◊〉 theirs He hath satisfied 〈◊〉 Justice of God the Father 〈◊〉 them and so the great Pipeâ— opened the Conduit of Eterâ— Mercies and then flowes in 〈◊〉 Grace Infinite Eternal Grâ— till running out towards them â—w the men of the World â—ey live under the droppings of â—mmon bounty Job 21.12 13. Psal 65.11 12. Psal 73.7 Jerem. 12.1 and so God's â—ths may drop fatness on them â—t the current of Eternal Merâ—s is stopp'd towards them â—â—ey have no Interest in the Son 〈◊〉 these men have is but a little â—zling of God's general bounâ— through some crannies and â—s is all the good that ever â—â—ey are like to have which â—â—en it ends they shall have no â—ore The fruits of God's geâ—rall bounty and patience are â—e sole and only portion of â—me men who are under the â—urse of Justice and these shall â—ve what they earn and no â—ore they are at work upon â—e haâ—d terms of the Covenant 〈◊〉 works but strangers to and â—â—t within the bounds of the â—ovenant of grace and thereâ—â—re the Mercies of this Coveâ—nt which is full Ordered in all â—ings and sure they shall not have the drizlings of commâ— bounty upon them as creatuâ— shall be the all 2 Sam. 23 5. Isa 55.3 Acts. 13.34 they shall enjâ— Now Christ the head of the Câ—venant undertaking for belâ—vers satisfies God's Justice aâ— opens for them the Flood-gateâ— Eternal Mercies But as for â— unbelievers who by their unbâ—lief exclude themselves Justâ— blocks up the way of mercy â— them And here is the very â— between the condition of soâ— men and of others that soâ— have all their good things heâ— and others have an higher goâ— in the World to come Thâ— have an Interest in Christ thâ— have none §. VI. Sixthly They are no sons â— children and therefore they â— not to expect the portion tâ— belongs to children There â— some gifts that servants sâ— have and there are portioâ— â—at are left for children and â—ese are vastly different one â—om the other As rich men â—en they are to die and so â—ake their Wills and a dispoâ—ion of their estates they will â—ave some legacies to their serâ—â—nts and retainers who have â—ed with them and in some reâ—rds been serviceable to them â—rhaps to every servant in the â—use five pounds a piece or so â—t when they come to write in â—eir Will concerning their chilâ—en what such a son or such a â—ughter shall have that 's anoâ—er manner of business than â—ur or five pounds the portiâ—s they leave to them are great â—rtions such as are meet for the â—ildren of such a father Nay â—â—ey divide the all they have â—â—ong them excepting those â—w small bequests which are not â—orth the naming Now the â—uth is the whole World may â— divided between children and â—â—rvants for though the wicked be at defiance with God 〈◊〉 God by his over-ruling poweâ— so swaies the Scepter throughoâ—â— the World that he makes theâ— servants one way or other so 〈◊〉 they serve those Superintendeâ— designs of his in the Worlâ— which all things move in Subseâ—viency to though the course 〈◊〉 hidden Now these as servanâ— shall have some little legacy bâ— they must not expect the chiâ—drens portions This legacy 〈◊〉 allotted to them here and therâ—fore the portion of hereafteâ— which is the childrens righâ— they must not look for â— Ezek. 46.16 Thus saith tâ—â— Lord If the Prince give a gift nâ— any of his sons the inheritanâ— thereof shall be his sons it shall 〈◊〉 their possession by inheritance Bâ— if he give a gift of his inherâ—tance to one of his servants then â— shall be his to the year of libertâ— This was God's Law That if Prince gave a gift to his son thâ— son should inherit it for everâ— but if he gave it but to a servant â—â—en it should continue with him â—ut for a while So here lies the â—â—fference of God's Administraâ—â—on of all his gifts some to sons â—nd some to servants The â—â—ft he gives to servants shall â—ontinue but for a while withâ— a short time they shall all be â—lled for in again All the good â—â—ey have and comforts they enâ—y all those sweet morsels they â—ave fed upon and pleasant deâ—â—cacies they have delighted â—â—emselves in shall be all called â—or in again But that which he â—ives to his sons and children â—â—all be theirs for ever they â—â—all have mercy for ever though â—ot to enjoy it in the same way â—leasures that shall never fade â—heir comforts shall abide their â—ortion endure and their joy â—one shall take away from them â—oh 16.22 §. VII Seventhly The good things thâ— wicked enjoy are limited to thâ— present Life after which they shaâ— have no more in that all they have does come from God's patience Now the day of patience shine upon them and all the good the do enjoy is indulged them upoâ— that account but the time wiâ— come when patience shall wait nâ— longer and forbearance shall bâ— no more God's Spirit shall nâ— alwaies strive with man Gen. 6.3 Impenitent and wicked man And then when the day of patience is over and their Sun sets in a cloud and the blackness oâ— darkness covers them all theiâ— good things are gone Theâ— flowed from patience whilst it was manifested and during that time their good things they did enjoy but that day being past and the curtain drawn they bid adieu to all their good for ever As there are some Graces of the â—pirit of God in the Saints that â—n regard of their excercise shall â—ave an end here in this World â—o there are some Attributes of God that in regard of and as to â—he manifestation of them in that way that now God doth manifest â—hem in shall here in this World â—ave an end As the patience â—f God towards ungodly ones â—hen they die If the long sufâ—ering of God wait upon them â—ll their life long yet then it â—hall wait upon them no longer There 's no room for nor call â—nto repentance in the grave Now if the wicked hold all upon â—atience when the time of the â—xercise thereof in this World â—hall come to an end then all â—heir good shall end and determine with it §. VIII Eiâ—hâ—hly After this Life all the â—ood things of the wicked cease for they shall have to deal wiâ— God immediately in the worldâ— come This is worth the whiâ— of our observance The ungodâ— shall have to deal immediateâ— with God in the World to comâ— Now they have to deal with Goâ— through creatures and in the mâ—diation and intervention â— creatures is all their conversâ— And while they have to deâ— with God through creatures â— unjust Stewards they may
get great deal and may shift foâ— much but when they shall comâ— to deal with God immediatelâ— then it will be otherwise witâ— them As at great mens houses there are a great many of Hang-bies and Parasites these perhaps when they come to have tâ— deal with the servants get somâ— bits and scraps and many thing from the servants and to thaâ— end endeavour to ingratiatâ— themselves into the acquaintancâ— of such servants who are more facile and whom they can betteâ— â—ork their designs upon But â— they know they can have noâ—â—ing but from the very hand of â—â—e Knight or Lord of the house â—imself this presently checks â—heir attempts and they will exâ—ect no great matter in such â—ay as otherwise from the â—ands of the servants So the â—icked men of this World they â—re as Hang-bies and all that â—hey have are but as scraps from â—he servants they have to deal â—nly with creatures they look no â—urther but hereafter things shall â—e settled another way and all â—hings shall be weighed by God â—imself in a just balance distriâ—utions accodingly made by the â—ands of God himself immediateâ—y and now things will be carried â—fter another manner the Lord â—imself will come to dispose of â—hings Here in this World the Lord suffered them to intermedâ—e with his creatures and they â—craped and gathered together and spent upon their Lusts whatsoever they hooked in they look'd upon as their own and the Lord as 't were overlook'd them all the while Bâ— now he will come near to them tâ— judgment Malach. 3.5 and all shall be weighed in an even balance the righâ— they have to these things shall bâ— examined and their title tried and having now to deal witâ— God immediately the course oâ— things shall be quite altered anâ— they themselves stript bare anâ— naked and then whose shall thesâ— things be which they have provided Luke 12.20 §. IX Ninthly All the good things oâ— the wicked shall end when thiâ— Life is done they are bounded aâ— the utmost with this preseâ— Life for they have nothing tâ— put into the scale for the gooâ— things of another that may barâ— any proportion with them Noâ— the good thâ—ngs of Eternity aâ—â— dispensed as well in a way of â—â—stice as of mercy As God is â—ercifull so he is just in giving â—t an Eternal Portion to his â—â—ildren so as their happiness 〈◊〉 all Eternity is founded in a â—ay of justice as well as of merâ—y The children of God have â—he righteousness of Christ to â—ut into the Scale which noâ—hing can counterpoise but an â—xceeding and eternal weight of gloâ—y 2 Cor. 3.17 The righteousness and saâ—isfaction of the Lord Christ â—heir Mediator will be put into â—ne Scale and the portion of â—he Saints into the other and â—heir portion will be weighed by â—he righteousness of Christ and â—he work of his Mediation for â—hem But when the wicked â—ome before God and are â—rought to the ballance alas what have they to put into the Scale Interest in Christ they have none a title to his righteousness they cannot plead they despighted him all their daies and rejected the counsell of God â—â—ainst themselves Luk. 7.30 19.14 Rom. 10.3 they would â— have him to reign over them neâ—ther submitted themselves to 〈◊〉 righteousness of God And therefore of this prize sometimes iâ— the hands of them Fools theâ— have utterly deprived themselves Well but to the Scaâ— they must come Now to pâ— in their sins they see these weigâ— down to the lowest Hell anâ— call for their Wages at the handâ— of a Just Rom. 6.23 Righteous and Infinitelâ— Holy God they cry aloud foâ— wrath and vengeance to all Eternity And therefore these iâ— it was possible they would smother and hide oh they shalâ— then wish they had never committed them and seeing the ugliness and dreadfull evill of sinâ— they could in that respect desirâ— the mountains to fall upon them and the rocks to cover them Shall they put into the Scale their formal services unto Godâ— their comming to Church their attendance upon God's Publick â—rdinances some good civil â—tions or moral works that â—ey have done Saith God to â—em That which thou hast had â—ready weighs down all these â—r all this thou hast had thy reâ—ard already and much more 〈◊〉 there be nothing to put into â—he Scale but this thou art unâ—one and there 's nothing foâ—â—hee for Eternity And this is â—nother ground of the confineâ—ent of the good things of the â—icked to this present Life They have nothing upon the acâ—ount whereof they may plead â—nd lay claim to the good things of another nothing of worth to put into the Scale being laid â—n the ballance all they have can bare no weight and is not only vanity but lighter than vanity it self and vexation of Spirit too Their sin is their sorrow their righteousness and works shall not profit them when they cry their companies shall not deliver them the wind shall carry them all away â—nity shall take them when he tâ—â— putteth his trust in God shall posseâ— the land and shall inherit his Hâ— Mountain Isa 57.12 13. §. X. Lastly The good things 〈◊〉 the wicked are confined to thâ— present Life in that all theâ—â— good is temporal such a gooâ— as suits the sensible part of maâ— and answers the lower and inferiour faculties of the soul Noâ— we know that temporal gooâ— things they are not long liv'd they cannot last to Eternity Nay do we not see how sooâ— they are out of date They eveâ— perish with the using and are â— vanishing Col. 2.22 1 Cor. 7.31 whilst we are in the enjoyment of them Few oâ— them last out man's time and iâ— there be any that run parelleâ— with the date of his daies yet when his time is out they deâ—ermine too and cannot go along with much less follow their poâ—sions into the other World 〈◊〉 not all the good of worldly â—n temporal to eat and drink 〈◊〉 sport and play to buy sell â—d get gain Is not their â—ength study parts time â—wer and policy all laid out â—d employed for the getting â—d gaining of earthly things â—d for the encompassing of carâ—l ends Spiritual good which of a lasting nature they have â—one yea are utterly unacquaintâ—d with The Graces of the â—pirit Faith Hope Charity they â—now not what they mean â—hose branches of the Kingdom â—f God righteousness Rom. 14.17 peace and â—y in the Holy Ghost find no place 〈◊〉 them Grace here which is â—onsummate in Glory hereafter â—nd from which a lasting good â—oth spring so as where it is â—here an Eternal good shall folâ—ow of this they have no work â—pon their hearts How shall â—hey enjoy an Eternal good who have not any thing as a prâ—vious foundation here laid in oâ—der thereunto 1 Tim. 6.19 Or how shall theâ— present good stretch beyond tâ— bounds of this temporary Life which is of the same kind
How will your mindes be changed in you when you come to see that you have provided nothing for Eternal Life have made no Provision for Eternity And now all the Worldly Good you have enjoyed must be left behind you Oh the great difference there is between the same men within a few daies He that now flourisheth in all aâ—undance when he enters upon â—is Eternal Estate sees how he â—ust make his return naked and â—l his good shall go no further â—ith him His thoughts now â—ow are they changed from what â—â—ey were the difference will be 〈◊〉 vast and large that it seems 〈◊〉 bespeak him another man â—o uncertain and deceitfull is all â—is Worldly Good that it will â—ot carry him into another World §. VI. Sixthly All the good thou hast 〈◊〉 this present World it is no â—ther but what may stand with â—â—e Eternal hatred of an Infinite â—od towards thee It is consiâ—ent with God's Eternal hatred â—nd wilt thou rejoyce in this as 〈◊〉 thing of worth It may be â—â—e Portion of a Reprobate â—nd will this serve thy turn â—ill that give satisfaction to thy Soul that a Reprobate may havâ— at large as his Portion Therâ— are many now that are sweltrinâ— under the wrath of the Infinitâ— and Eternal God that have haâ— as much yea much more of thâ— good things of this present Lifâ— than ever you enjoyed The have had greater Estates thaâ— you more Honour and Glory iâ— the World than you lived meâ—rier lives than you and yet aâ—â— now under the wrath of God and like so to continue to all Eternity Will a Reprobates Portion serve thy turn Wilt thoâ— sit down contented with that notwithstanding which the wratâ— of God may abide upon thee Joâ— 3.36 Oh those things sureâ— are very low and mean thaâ— may stand with God's Eternaâ— hatred Consider the having thâ— Dominion of all the World maâ— but to have the least dram of saving Grace cannot stand witâ— God's Eternal hatred What â— difference then is there betweeâ— the having the least dram of true â—aving Grace and the enjoyment â—f all the World What a Goodly Portion is that then â—hat the Men of the World do so much rejoyce in and busie themâ—elves about Surely the straitness of thy heart is the cause why these creature good things seem so large unto thee They would not appear so big and large were not thy heart very strait and norrow As in a little Vessel a thing will appear big and great but in a mighty wide Vessel the same thing appears but small and little So when the Lord shall widen and enlarge thy heart by Grace then all the things of the World will be little to thee When God shall open and enlarge thine eye to see Spiritual things then will the things below comparatively appear to be exceeding small Grace hath the Image of God in it it bears God's likeness Now you know what God saies of himself Isa 40.15 That 〈◊〉 the World is but as a drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the ballance And so through thâ— Image of God in a Graciouâ— Heart the Soul saith thus oâ— the World as God saith of thâ— World that all the World iâ— but as the drop of a bucket and thâ— dust of the ballance to me Thâ— enlargment of the Heart through Grace effects a strange changâ— in the creature when the minâ— is renewed there 's a kind of transformation wrought So the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.2 Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind When the Lord promised to perswade Japhet to dwell is the Tents of Shem. Gen. 9.27 the words that is rendred perswade it signifies also to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dilatet Deus enlarge that he would enlarge the Heart of Japhet And indeed when God doth convert a Soul the Lord doth enlarge that Soul doth enlarge that Heart and therefore all the things of the World are now but little Grace raiseth up mans thoughts on high and so he looks upon that which is below as little Indeed if a man be below here and looks upon that which is next to him that hath any bigness in it it â—hews somewhat great but if a man were advanced on high upon the top of a Pinacle then that which seemed great appears but little to him So the men of the World that lye graveling here below and the curse of the serpent is upon them upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat Gen. 3.14 they think the things of the World to be great matters but Grace â—ifts up the Heart on high to God and Christ mounts it up to Eternity and then they can look upon all these things here below as mean things nay so altogether mean as they are consistent with the Eternal hatred of an Infinite God towards those who do enjoy them §. VII Seventhly All that the wickeâ— have in this World they holâ— but by a weak and feeble tenure they do not hold their good iâ— Capite Alas they have no Interest in the Lord Christ froâ— whom mercies are rightly derived unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Hom. 2. ad pop Antioc and who is the head of whom they do not hold Col. 2.19 They have no right unto the promises upon which the claim does lye They are noâ— within the bounds of the Covenant by vertue whereof they are issued out Yet neither do 〈◊〉 think the men of the World to be usurpers for what they lawfully get in the World I do not think they shall answer meerly for their using what they have meerly for their right to use but they shall answer for their noâ— right using They have some right unto the things they hold but their Tenure is such as may make them quake A right unto â—â—ings is diverse as from Justice â—reation Promise and Donation 1. There is a right from Juâ—â—ice when a claim is laid to a â—hing by Justice when it is no â—ore but what 's just and equal â—hat we enjoy that which we â—ay claim unto This right unto â—ood all mankind has lost by sinâ—ing All have sinned and come â—hort of this Sin has shut up all in â—ustice under Vengeance made men the object of Gods wrath â—nd hatred and the Subjects upon whom his Curse in Justice â—hould be inflicted all to Eternity For the wages of sin is death Rom. â—6 23 2. There is a right from Creation That right man had when first created and in his Innocency it was put into his hands Let them have dominion saith God over the Fish of the Sea and over the Fowl of the Air and over the Cattel and over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth Thâ— Dominion gives a right by Creation This Dominion is derived from God to Man and 〈◊〉 his right comes by Creation yet not simply by Creation bâ— as so
this present World but after this Life was over were never to have any more And now I am afraid I am one of them and so there 's an end of my Portion only I must go to my other Portion that will be very dreadfull How can I bear the thoughts Oh I die I perish I am consumed with dying Num. 17.12 13. CHAP. VIII Wherein is endeavoured to mark out who or what manner of persons they are that are like to have all their Good in this present World THe fifth particular proposed in the entrance upon this point and for carrying on the discourse was to endeavour to mark out so far as may be who that man or woman is that in such a condition is like to have all their Good things in this present World For every one is apt to put it off from themselves and to shift the charge whilst in general upon another Every one is ready to go away and say I hope it is not I I hope that God hath a better Portion for me We are unwilling to look upon our selves as the persons in particular to be concerned if the thing spoken of be represented as evil or under the face of danger Fain would we catch at what is good as belonging to us though we have no Title to it and loth are we to apply unto our selves the evil as having nothing to do therewith though the thing it self do immediately concern us And therefore as a narrow impartial search into the state of our hearts and waies is our undoubted duty so help for the carrying on this search and the discovery of our state cannot be but exceeding usefull Now let us endeavour to enquire and search out who that man or woman is that is like to have all his or her Good in this present World that living and dying in such a condition as I am now about to speak of in the present condition wherein he is if there be not a saving change wrought upon him is certainly the man to whom the Lord pronounceth it this day that his Portion is in this present World Now who is he §. I. Answer First That Man to whom God gives nothing in this Life but what meerly belongs to this Life that is the man apparently who is like to have all his Portion here If God give thee an estate and load thee with outward mercies yet if he give thee not somewhat besides thy Estate a Principle that is a seed of Eternal Life in thee here in this World certainly he never intends Good to thee in the World to come If thou hast health and strength of body vigour and ingenuity of the mind with a rare accomplished ripeness of the faculties of the Soul if thou hast Power and Authority in thy hand with an honourable respect from those with whom thou doest converse If a rich and ample confluence of all outward mercies requisite to felicitate the Life of man meet upon thee so as nothing's wanting of all that thy Soul desires yet if by a work of regeneration there be not here a Principle and seed of Eternal Life laid and implanted in thee John 4.14 and a Well of water springing up into everlasting Life but thou livest and dyest in the midst of these enjoyments without the earnest of an Eternal Inheritance upon thy Heart certainly thou art the man who hast all thy good things here and never art to expect any good hereafter For those to whom God intends good hereafter he gives to such an earnest of that Eternal Good here in this World by putting a Principle that is a seed of Eternall Life into them There are many men have a great deal in this World they are rich and fat and full and they say they hope God will be mercifull to them in the World to come Now this is a certain truth that man who is a stranger to Spiritual mercies in this World God will deny Eternal Mercy to him in the World to come The one has an Infallible dependance upon the other Where there is not a work of true saving Grace there shall never be a State of Glory Grace must go before or Glory can never follow after It is against that Divine Order that God has fixed in Order to Eternal things to give Glory to Graceless Souls He gives Glory but Grace too The Lord will give Grace and Glory Psal 84.11 first Grace and then Glory This therefore should be thy care doth God encrease my Estate in this World say oh that the Lord would give me a proportionable measure of Grace too else it is nothing It will be nothing to my advantage to have an Estate unless I have Grace also aright to use it Say Lord thou givest me here a great Estate if thou givest me not a proportionable measure of Grace to use it to thy Glory I had better have been without it Is this your care Let me put it to your conscience Are you as solicitous for Grace to use your Estates aright as you are industrious for the gaining of them As your Estates encrease does your care in like manner grow and are you earnest at the Throne of Grace for the like due improvment of them to the Glory of the Donor If this be your course Luk. 10.42 Phil. 1.6 it is a good argument you have chosen the better part for your Portion and that there is a good work begun in you which will be performed untill the day of Christ And that you have laid up in store for your selves a good Foundation against the time to come 1 Tim. 6.19 that you may lay hold on Eternal Life But now if there be no work upon the Soul in Order to the Life to come it is not all a man's Worldly comforts and enjoyments here that can assure him in the least of an interest in Eternal Mercies but undoubtedly he is the man that has hâ— Good things here §. II. Secondly You may examine bâ— the workings of your Hearts about your present Portions Seâ— the frame and temper of yoâ— Hearts about your Worldly Comforts as whether youâ— Hearts terminate in what yoâ— do enjoy A Carnal Heart takeâ— up with its enjoyments Thâ— Creature is its resting-place â— desires no more can look no further than to the things of thiâ— present World Whereas one that is Godly and hath his Portion beyond these things though he enjoy the Good things of this Creation yet he looks beyond it and God alone is the Adequate Object of his Soul it is God alone that gives his Soul satisfaction When he can taste the Love â—f God in the Creature and see â—he goodness of God therein it â—s so far sweet unto him or else â—t is dry and barren and yields â—o more taste nor relish than â—here is as Job saies in the white â—f an egg Job 6.6 Thus the rich man â—akes up in his riches and speaks â—o his Soul take thine ease Luk.
their share why Ouâ— Saviour tells us plainly Verily â— say unto you saies he they havâ— their reward They have it theâ— have it in this World they havâ— it now What they look for anâ— what falls to their share thâ— have it in hand present paâ— down right and without delaâ— They look for reverence respeâ— and applause amongst men aâ— they have it They would bâ— called of men Rabbi Rabbi 〈◊〉 men call them so They would be fat and shine according to that of the Prophet Jer. 5.28 and have their cup with the good things of this life to overflow and they have their desire This is the reward they look for and they have it Verily I say unto you they have their reward And here is all that ever they are like to have Thus Hypocritical services sometimes meet with Temporal good things here but they never reach Eternal §. X. Tenthly Let me ask the question hast thou been heretofore forward in the profession of Religion having had some works of Conviction and Illumination passed over thy conscience and so hast tasted the good word of God and the powers of the World to come hast thou formerly heard the word preached and with joy received it Heb. 6.5 Luk. 8.13 Isa 58.2 Si quis Christo temporalia praeponat non est in eo fundamentum Christus Aug. de Civit Dei lib. 21. cap. 26. hast thou taken delight in approaching unto God and to know his waies and now art turned back to the old Vomit and hast forsaken the waies of God so as those Ordinances which sometimes were sweet to thee are as unsavoury laid aside and have lost their wonted relish in thy account oh this is a fearfull sign that the World and Lusts thereof have gotten a strong hold in thy heart and sway the Scepter there and that thou art one of those who shall have all their good things here There is â— dreadfull Scripture for this iâ— Jerem. 17.13 O Lord the hoâ—â— of Israel all that forsake thee shaâ— be ashamed and they that deparâ— from me shall be written in thâ— Earth because they have forsakeâ— the Lord the fountain of liviâ—â— waters All that depart froâ— God shall be written in the Earth An heavy Doom is this for all those that have profeâ—â—â—â— the knowledge of God and his wayes and yet turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them Oh 2 Pet. 2.21 it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness then after they have known it to turn aside To depart from God after there has been a turning to him is so evil in it's nature Multi amissa charitate propterea non exeunt foras quia secularibus emolumentis tenentur sua quaerentes non quae Jesu Christi non a Christi unitate sed a suis commodis nolunt recedere Aug. de Bapt. Contr. Donat lib. 4. cap. 10. that it is a grievous provocation As in all sin there is a departing from God so this is attended with an extraordinary aggravation Hence the Lord expostulates the case with Israel about this sin in an upbraiding manner Jer. 2.5 Thus saith the Lord what iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone farr from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain And threatens them ver 9. Wherefore I will yet plead with you saith the Lord and with your Childrens Children will I plead I will not only plead with you but with your Childrens Children I will remember this your sin to suceeding generations And here they that depart from God and forsake his waies shall be written in the Earth The names of true believers are written in Heaven Luk. 10.20 they are enrolled there in those everlasting records ne'er to be razed nor blotted out They have an everlasting name that shall not be cut off Isa 56.5 But those that depart from the Lord have their names written in the Earth they may take their Portion there their name and substance is lodged in the Earth and after a while shall rot and perish Sad is the sentence of having the name written in the Earth which when it is sought for is blotted out and cannot bâ— found yet thus it will be with all those that depart from God they shall have their names written in the Earth Psal 109.13 He loved the Earth saith God of the worldling and let him take it he had rather have had a great name in the Earth to call his Lands after his own name Psal 49.11 than to have his name written in the Book of Life and so he forsook my waies therefore his name shall be written in the Earth and let him take his good things there But when my People come up in remembrance before me and the Book of remembrance shall be opened Mal. 3.16 to give them Eternal Mercies the memory of this man whose name is written in the Earth shall perish Therefore if thou hast been forward heretofore and now when thou commest to be more antient thou art remiss and dull and careless in the way and work of the Lord here 's a text for thee go home and tremble least thou be the man or woman whose name is written in the Earth and so art never to enjoy the good things of Heaven §. XI In the Eleventh place consider whether God at present do not curse thy blessings so as thou findest that the more thou hast the worse thou growest Thou art not bettter but worse from time to time by the good things of the WorId that are heaped upon thee The outward Portion thou enjoyest it worketh not for the better but for the worse unto thee True it is thou art better as to thy body thine eyes may stand out with fatness Psal 73.7 8. Job 20.6 Job 21.7.12 13. and collops of fat are upon thy flanks as Job has it chap. 15.27 thy head it reacheth unto the Clouds and thy tongue it walketh through the Earth Psal 73.9 thou art mighty in power and thy House is safe from fear thou spendest thy daies in wealth rejoycing at the sound of the Organ Thus thou hast got a belly-full of the good things of this World but how fares it with thy soul all the while Alas it 's poor and lean and thin and bare thy body 's in good likeing but there 's leaness sent into thy soul Psal 106.15 It 's worse with thee now than it was formerly Since thy brests are fashioned and thine hair is grown Ezek. 16.7 't is worse with the than when thou wast naked and bare In former daies thou wast more humble and holy and self-denying more pitifull and compassionate to the needy more upright and conscientious in thy dealings Job 20.23 But now in the fulness of thy sufficiency pride compasseth thee about as a chain and violence covereth thee as a garment Psal 73.7 The more thou hast the worse thou art grown This is a sign that together with thy
Flesh fail yet God is the strength of the Heart and the Portion for â—ver Happy is that People that is in such a case whose God is the Lord. They are not liable to the same grievances or so to be afflicted under their afflictions as others are They may be troubled on every side yet not distressed perplexed but not in despair The reason is they have not their Portion here below 2 Cor. 4.8 but their good things are all above laid â—p there where none can take â—hem away from them We see â—herefore that it is a thing not â—o be wondred at why so many â—re of Baruch's temper sigh and â—aint and grieve and sorrow â—o is me say they for there is â—rief added to my sorrow Jer. 45.3 4 5. I faint â—n my sighing and I find no rest And when 's this when they â—re crossed and disappointed in â—heir Worldly designs and hopes When the Lord breaks down that which they have built and plucks up that which they have planted And why is all this they seek great things for themselves and their Portion is lodged in this present World Jer. 45.4 5. CHAP. X. Containing some instructions expressing the more particular duties of those to whom God has given some Evidences of their Interest in a better Portion than in this present World is to be enjoyed THe foregoing discourse seems to hint some thingâ— more particularly to those whom the Lord has been pleased to endow with a better gooâ— than this World affords whoâ— the Lord has given to see thâ— good of his chosen and who havâ— made choice of that good part which shall not be taken away from them Psal 106.5 Luk. 10.42 God might have put you off with the swill and draff of this present World have given you a belly full and so an end He might have dealt with you as it was with Hagar have given you a Loaf of Bread and a Bottel of Water and so have sent you away but he has not done so he has dealt otherwise with you than as with Slaves and Vassals he has adopted you for Sons and Daughters and given you Childrens Portions the lines are fallen to you in pleasant places you have a goodly Heritage Psal 16.56 for the Lord is the Portion of your Inheritance and of your Cup. Now seeing you have some evidences that God hath given you a better Portion and not put you off with the good things of â—his World it concerns you to â—earn and practise those instruâ—tions that your condition calls â—or As §. I. First Oh Bless the Lord for his goodness to you all your daies Say with the Psalmist Bless the Lord Psal 103.1 O my Soul and all that is within me Bless his Holy Name The Lord hath shewed you better things than these are he might have put you off with some outward Worldly Good and have made it to be your All But your line is fallen in pleasant places and you have a goodly Heritage Oh therefore let your Souls be enlarged in blessing and let the assured happiness of your State and your riches in reversion raise your Hearts The least mercy is in a sort infinitely beyond our deserts if we consider either the infinite excellency of the Author or the Wretched Unworthyness of our own Hearts and so justly engages us unto Blessings praise How much morâ— when we are made the Subjects of Eternal Mercies and are to have the Treasures of Eternity opened unto us as our own Surely our Resolutions should be knit up into that of David While I live will I Praise the Lord I will sing Praises unto my God while I have any Being Psal 146.2 §. II. Secondly If the Lord hath given you some Evidences of a better good stored up for you in Heaven the good of his chosen Psal 106.5 then these Evidences and hopes seem to impress upon you the Doctrine of contentment be contented then with your present state Do not murmure and repine because your condition as to the outwards of this World is not so good as others you perhaps want many comforts which you think others have you are abridged and cut short of many delights which you see others do enjoy Oh be not troubled at it for thou hast that which will make the happy to all Eternity Though thou hast no such a confluence of riches neither art attended with such Worldly Pomp Psal 73.7 doest not suck the blood of the Grape neither art fed with the fat of the Earth as others though thou doest not so swill in the Bowl of pleasures as those who have more than Heart could wish yet thou hast all this made up by inward incomes and thou hast so much in Reversion sure as ten thousand Worlds cannot ballance Take a true believer at his lowest Ebb and put it to him and he would not he cannot he dares not exchange conditions with the greatest Monarch in the World that 's barely so not having a work of Regeneration passed upon him At the very mentioning an exchange his thoughts startle and his Spirit recoils within him For all Worldly Created Comfort cannot give him satisfaction and should he be reversed into the condition of an unbeliever how miserably wretched were he to all Eternity Now should not such be contented with their Lot as it 's cast for them in this present World Why should such repine and murmure as dislikeing their 〈…〉 they will not change conditions with tâ—oâ—e were it put to them from whose felicity their corruption would take the occasion of discontentment Hath God given you Jesus Christ His beloved Son to redeem you Hath he given you the Holy Spirit to Sanctify your Natures Hath he given you himself to be your Portion And are you troubled that you have no more of that sensual delight which a reprobate yea a brute in some respects may have as well as you Oh be ashamed of any murmuring discontentments for want of the comforts of this World §. III. Thirdly Do not you envy any wicked men for their â—â—rtion Psal 37.35 though their Leaf be green and they spread like a Bay tree yet envy them not their good Let not thy Heart envy Sinners but be thou in 〈…〉 lonâ— saith Soloman Prov. 23.17 â—mplying that envy at the feliâ—â—y of the wicked is a great Enemy to the true fear of God expelling and driving it out of the Heart or keeping it from entring in 〈◊〉 that as 〈◊〉 comes in the fear of God goâ— out Envy puts out fear Now this is a startling consideration and strong argument against that bitter root of envy What shall such a worm be harboured in the bosome as preys upon the Vitalls Shall such a Thief be entertained into our inmost lodgings which will rob us of our choisest Treasure The fear of â—he Lord is his Treasure Isa 33.6 Now you to whom God gives Eternal Mercies have the â—east reason in the World to grudge the
wicked their enjoyments If they have some litle â—efreshing before they dye some lightnings as they say before they launch out into the vast Ocean of dark â—ternity and so take an Eternaâ—â—arewell of all their joy and â—omfort â—hall you be displeased at this When your mercies are crown'd with further mercies Pro. 20.20 their Lamp it's puâ— out in obscure â—arkness when your account â—oncludes with joy theirs is â—umm'd up with a dismal total when your grace shall end in Heavenly Glory their Worldâ—y Glory shall shut up in Eternal woe and misery Oh then why â—hould you envy them their lucida intervalla a little before they dye I have read a story of a poor Souldier that was condemned to dye merely for taking a bunch of Grapes for there was a strict law that whosoever should take any thing from that place they went through should die for it Now this Souldier had taken a bunch of Grapes and was for that condemned to die and as he went to execution he went eating the bunch of Grapes and some came to him and said thou shouldest think of somewhat else he answered I beseech you Sirs do not envy me my Grapes they will cost me dear So may I say of all the men of the World we have no cause to envy them for any thing they have it will cost them dear §. IIII. Fourthly Hath God given you some Evidence of a better good reserved for you than in this world is to be enjoyed oh then study to know this good more and interest your selves therein more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.8 This good is incomprehensible the love of Christ passeth knowledge Ephes 3.19 And the riches of Christ they are unsearchable Ephes 3.8 Never think with your selves that you are sufficiently acquainted with your chief good The excellency thereof is such that it will yet be the Object of more study and yet of a further search into it and when you have done all and come to the furthest of your attainments your terme will determine in the admiration of it For any to sit down satisfied with a set measure of Grace argues they know not the Nature of Grace neither have a true work thereof upon their Hearts So to sit down with a knowledge of your Eternal Good and not press forward to know it more more fully more clearly more certainly argues you know it not at all Oh labour to know your Heavenly good things more use all good means for the advance of knowledge in this respect Pray that you may know and not barely to know but to know it as your own and your interest therein more and more to know it practically so as the knowledge thereof may have a full and thorough Influence upon your Hearts and Lives This will sweeten your knowledge to you when you know the thing as good and as your own Knowledge of a good without an interest therein is but of small Influence unless to vex and torment the mind The Devils they know but wanting interest it does but increase their torment The damned Spirits at the last day they shall see and know The rich man 't is said sees Lazarus in Abraham 's bosome Luk. 16.23 Mat. 25.41 And they shall see the Son of Man comming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great Glory all the Holy Angels with him They shall see the Sheep on his right hand They shall hear that a Kingdom is prepared for his sheep whilst they miserable wretches must depart from him Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25 41. This knowledge of theirs without interest shall gnaw their Souls in Hell Jam. 5.3 and shall eat their flesh as fire But now to know good things and to know them as our own oh this is an healing knowledge this sweetens knowledge to us Now your interest in the good things of Heaven is not so clearly apprehended by you but it may be more clear they are not so sure to you but you may come up to a further assurance of them though they be most sure in regard of promise yet Faith that laies hold upon the promise is capable of some gradual additions for the filling you with All joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 Therefore hath God given some Evidence of Eternal Mercies labour to clear this Evidence both more fully in respect of its Object and more particularly in regard of your personal interest and claim unto it §. V. Fifthly If you have some Evidences of an Eternal Good as your own oh then prize your Portion set a Value on that the worth whereof is beyond all value Heb. 12.16 17. Esau is branded as a prophane Person because for One morsel of meat he sold his Birth-right The Birth-right Gen. 25.34 which was attended with the Blessing he set a low price upon It was of more worth and value than so to have been despised by him But you 'l say it was for his life he was at the point to die Gen. 25.32 What then The Blessing was more worth than his Life should have been unto him he should rather have parted with his life than the Blessing of the first-born which was a Priviledge that led to Christ Afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears Oh let this sad Example of Esau be before your eyes and learn to prize your Blessing prize it above your lives And well you may for this Blessing will be Life in Death it will be unto you eternal life If Esau be called a prophane person and said to despise the blessing for parting with it when sore straited and his life in danger How much more are those justly to be accounted prophane and Despisers of their choicest good who turn their backs upon it as too many do without any necessity or force upon them Never did any Soul lose by sticking to its Portion Tho' a man lay down his life for his eternal good he loseth nothing thereby for he only changes a temporal life for an eternal a momentany and an uncertain good for a good that 's sure and abides for ever Things that are precious we do set a value on and rate them according to their worth Now what can be of more worth with us than that good which is of everlasting concernment for our Souls It is a sad thing to see how slightly the world looks upon eternal mercies what low thoughts men have of true Peace and of the things that belong unto it How are the great things of the Gospel slighted and contemned by them They deal no otherwise with them than as Swine would do with the choicest Pearls whilst in the mean time they hugg their God Mammon Oh let this their vain and wretched carelesness stir you up more seriously to consider
the Price that 's put into your hand and the less they value so much the more do you prize your eternal mercies Let it appear to all the World that your Treasure is in Heaven by directing your hearts thither And that you have something better than your lives in that you value it above your lives We cannot prize that too much which we can never prize enough Now if carnal men do so highly estimate their worldly good which will not long continue much more should gracious hearts prize their heavenly mercies which will endure for ever §. VI. Sixthly You that have some Evidences that God has not put you off with the good things of this World but reserved in store a further and better good for you in the life to come let this teach you to trust God for the Provisions of this present life wait upon God in the use of lawful means for a supply of those things the Lord sees to be needful for you He that has promised Never to leave you Heb. 13.5 nor forsake you will not fail to supply you You give check to those Evidences you have of eternal mercies should your â—houghts be suspended about outward Necessaries Hath God made an Eternal Provision for â—ou through his Son cleared the way and opened the Gate unâ—o Eternal Life Hath he shewed you those blessed Mansions â—hat are in Heaven prepared for â—ou and given you an heart to lose with and embrace them â—s your own Do you proâ—ess to live in expectancy of â—hose Riches that are in reverâ—â—on And yet do you fear the â—ant of outwards This surely â—annot be The Lord that feeds â—he Ravens will take care that â—is Sons and Daughters have â—heir Daily Bread And he â—hose Bounty over-flows to the â—icked will certainly supply â—he Necessities of his Saints â—erhaps you may want some of â—hose Superfluities which the men of the World enjoy buâ— did the Lord see them good foâ— you you should not want them he sees they would turn to sinâ— and therefore you shall noâ— have them He that gives Gracâ— and Glory will withhold no gooâ— thing from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 If the Lord have giveâ— you the upper Springs he will noâ— deny the nether Make use oâ— this as the great Argument tâ— strengthen your Faith in Goâ— for the Provisions of this present lifâ— Say has the Lorâ— brought me thus far and noâ— will he cast me off Hath he given me his Son Himself hiâ— Grace his Kingdom and shalâ— I perish with hunger Hath he opened to me the Treasures of the Everlasting Gospel Ephes 3.8 the unsearchable riches of Christ and shall I be forgotten in this world as a dead man out of mind Psal 31.12 This cannot be Argue as Manoah's Wife did If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have shewed us all these things neither â—ould he have told us such things â—s these Judges 13.23 §. VII Seventhly You that have some Evidences of the good things of â—he life to come as yours do â—ou live like such as God hath â—ot put off with the Portion of â—his World Manifest in your Conversations that you look for higher and better things â—han this present World affords How excellent is it when Christians declare their Country by their carriage as did the Fathers of old Hebr. 11.14 when by their heavenly-mindedness their holy Converse their Self-denial and resignation they manifest themselves to be Citizens of the New Jerusalem and shew themselves to be such as believe the Immortality of the Soul by an holy neglect of the body and who have hope of Eternal Life by the contempt of a temporary Many who profess these things surely they do not really believe them for did they believe that their Souls were immortal and that there were a life to come could they steer such a course as they do so unsuitable to an eternal life and the happiness of an immortal Soul as if they were born merely to live and lust and die and so an end But now you that not onely profess to believe a life to come but have some Evidences of an Interest in that life and that you have a Portion there laid up for you to all eternity Oh what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 How suitably to that Interest you profess your selves to have should you endeavour to lead your lives Phil. 3.20 The Apostle's Conversation was in Heavem and that which did influence upon his Converse to render it so divine and heavenly was that he had a Depositum in Heaven his treasure was there There was his Lord and Saviour from thence he look'd for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ His Portion was laid up there the Lord had it in keeping for him So he tells us 2 Tim. 2.12 I know says he whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day You that have such a blessed Portion it becomes you to live up to your Portion Beware of exposing the Portion you profess an expectancy of to scandal by the unsuitableness of your lives neither do you prostitute your hopes to reproach by a disagreeing converse Undoubtedly the glorious Name and Hopes you make a profession of will suffer amongst the men of the World if you live not suitably and up unto them if the frame of your lives be not agreeable to thiâ— nature of your hopes .. Your Portion it is holy heavenly noâ— of this World Oh let youâ— Conversations be holy heavenly and not according to thâ— Course of this World Ephes 2.2 Do not the Sons of Princes anâ— Monarchs and of the greaâ— men of the Earth live suitablâ— to their Enjoyments and Possessions Does not their Porâ— and Granduer make it appear that they are the Great One of the World Shall they live up to their earthly Portion and shall not the Sons of Sion live up to their heavenly Shalâ— earthly Enjoyments raise the heart of man to an higher pitch than the common rate and shall not an Interest in Heaven and a Portion there do it much more Oh shame not your Portion by the baseness of your ways neither reproach your Redeemer by the vassalry oâ— your lives in any evil way As if you were born to sin or redeemed not from but to serve the motions of your flesh or mind Ephes 2.3 Let your Souls enjoy their purchased freedom and your affections work gloriously according to the nature of your Portion You that have the Sun for your clothing and a Crown of twelve Stars upon your beads let the Moon be under your feet How should the holiness and self-denial of your lives evidence to all the World that you are of the number of those whose good things are not of this World but have their Treasure laid up in Heaven You read how it was
and feeble resolutions to put on for an Eternal Portion and they have never brought forth but have always withered in the Bud and proved abortive and If I should hold on at this trifling rate I should lose my self for ever and my precious Soul which is oâ— more rate than ten thousanâ— Worlds would never comâ— into the Bundle of Life with thâ— Lord my God 1 Sam. 25.29 That Blessed Portion which the Lord Chrisâ— hath purchased by his Precious Death and which is now freely offered in the Gospel would be forfeited by me And therefore now I 'll press towards thâ— Mark and the more supinâ— and careless I have hitherto been so much the more through Grace I hope I shall reach oâ— for the future to Those thingâ— which are before Phillipians 3 13 14. If you could find youâ— hearts working at this rate iâ— would be a good Argument noâ— onely that your Judgments arâ— convinced but that your Wiâ—â— are overcome and that thâ— Day of Gods Power hath lightned upon you to make you willing Psalm 110.3 Do not we see that a man in his Journey when he hath lost some time in his way does speed his pace the more and hasten towards the latter end of the Day to redeem the lost time before Night come on And do we not see that the shorter time a man has to do his work in having slipt some time already so much the more does he double his Diligence and apply himself to his Business that he may regain what 's lost and inne all at latter end The Case is your own you have lost much time and trifled long in the way therefore now put on to make sure your Eternal Portion §. III. Thirdly There 's a possibility that yet you may enjoy an Eternal Good hereafter and therefore you should put on You know not of any definitive sentence that is out against you you know not neither can you say Heb. 3.18 Deut. 29.29 that God has sworn in his wrath that you shall never enter into his rest Secret things belong to God but things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children And God never told you neither hath ever revealed it to any man living that you shall be excluded his Eternal Mercies and therefore put on Argue with your selves the possibility of Eternal Happiness from the great sinners that have been received to mercy were not Manasseh the prodigall the thieâ— upon the cross and Paul thâ— chief of sinners all received to mercy 2 Chron. 33.12 13 Luk. 15.20 23.43 1 Tim. 1.15 Were not the Corinthians as vile as the vilest such were some of you saith the Apostle and yet they were washed and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of their God 1 Cor. 6.11 Had not the Ephesians their conversation in times past in the Lusts of the Flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the Mind and were by Nature the Children of Wrath even as others And yet God who is rich in mercy did quicken them together with Christ Eph. 2.3 4. Consider whilst you are on this side the Grave there 's hopes Isa 38.11 that yet you may see the Lord in the Land of the Living Say surely the Lord would not have lengthned out my dayes hitherto unless he had meant it to be a space for Repentance and for a time wherein to turn unto him he would not have offered mercy to me thus long and still hold on to offer mercy were my state hopeless and helpless and desperate Were I got beyond the time of possibility I should never hear such Gracious Invitations and tenders of mercy made as by Gods Messengers and Ambassadours of Reconciliation are from time to time held out unto me Say the Lord would never have put such thoughts into my Heart as these about my present and Eternal state and his wayes and dealings with me in order thereunto if there were not a possibility for me to be saved I 'll conclude therefore that it is possible and so I 'll put on for it Why may not I come to enjoy the sure mercies of David Isa 55.3 as well as others What should lett If I repent truly of my sins and by a stedfast Faith cleave unto the Promises of the Gospel does not Gods Eternal Faithfulness back them and his Justice rest satisfied in the Merit of his Son And is not he Faithfull and Just to forgive us our sins 1 Joh. 1.9 Surely the possibility that yet you may enjoy an Eternal good should be a cogent argument to put you on §. IIII. Fourthly Not only the possibility but the probability may much prevail with you For on Gods part it seemeth more probable thou mayest enjoy an Eternal Good than Millions in the World For howsoever many men by abuse of the means may make their condition far worse than that of Heathens and Pagans yet if we speak strictly in respect of the means themselves it is far more probable thou that hast the means shouldest enjoy an Eternal Good rather than those that enjoy them not The greatest part of the World sits in horrible darkness without any light to them the Word hath not come the light of the Gospell revealing an Eternal Good hath not shined forth so that on Gods part and the means it is far more likely that God wills thy enjoyment of an Eternall Portion of Good rather than those to whom he sends no Prophets at all It is true the Word is sometimes sent to harden men and it becomes the Savour of Death but this is after men have horribly abused it and it is not the proper and genuine effect of the Word but accidentall through the Indisposition and Obstinacy of the hearers Then only it is that God sayes Go and make the Heart of this People fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes Isa 6.10 Well then let this consideration encourage you to put on for an Eternal Good God hath not withdrawn or denied the means to thee yet he sends his Prophets and Ministers to call thee to him Why doth God Vouchsafe all this to me Who should awake and bethink themselves if I do not Who should put on for â—n interest in the Everlasting Good if I do not who am so â—ften exhorted Do any in the World stir up themselves to â—ake hold of the good of Gods chosen and shall not I who enâ—y the powerfull means of Grace Thus that probability which yet thou art under if duâ—y considered may put thee on §. V. Fifthly You know not how â—ong the offer of such a mercy â—s an Eternal Good may be â—ade unto you and therefore â—ow put on to make it sure The time of this offer will not â—ndure for ever You have now â—n opportunity but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the opportunity will not â—ong continue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the opportunity is couâ—â—ed within time and
same Glorious Image of Righteousness and Holyness and that from one degree unto another till he grow up into the measure of stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 Keep therefore the eye of your Soul fixed upon Eternal Mercies Look not as the Apostle sayes at the things which are seen 2 Cor. 4.18 but at the things which are not seen That so you may be changed into the same Image and behold your interest there You shall experiment a great advantage accrewing to your Souls in their Christian Course from an intended bent of mind to Spiritual Objects not looking upon them cursorily and passiing them over with a transient and superficial view but seriously weighing and duly considering them in their breadth and length and depth and height that so you may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulness of God Ephess 3.18 19. §. XI Moreover If you would have your Portion in the good things of Eternity set before you the examples of the faithfull which are upon record for your direction and who now enjoy a blessed Portion and follow them T is the Apostles exhortion be followers of them Heb. 6.12 who through Faith and Patience Inherit the promises The faithfull who are gone before us and whose lives â—nd ways are recorded in Holy Scripture are proposed as patâ—erns for our imitation To â—his end we have that great Cloud of Witnesses spread in â—he Eleventh Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews that by â—heir example we may be stirred â—p to lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us Heb. 12.1 2. and to run with Patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am oâ— Christ Saith the Apostle to the Corinthians And he tells thâ— Thessalonians that they the Apostles 2 Thess 3.7.9 were examples for them tâ— follow We reject the Counsel of God against our selves if wâ— cast aside the examples of thâ— faithfull whose ways in Chrisâ— are upon record made knowâ— unto us and the Scripture 〈◊〉 far as to us is rendred vaâ—â— and unprofitable unless to aggravate our Guilt and Condemnation if we have no more regarâ— unto it Wherefore are theâ— recorded but for our imitatâ—on The Praise in the Gospeâ— is not more theirs then the benefit intended thereby ours upon a good improvement of theiâ— examples Do we think to enjoy a Portion in Eternal Bliâ— and Happyness in another way than the faithfull have attain'd it who have gone before us So as their way was one and ours must be another As if there were not one but another Gospel Or as if the Gospel were divers from it self Do you think there are different and opposite ways to the same blessed end As though God were not one his word one the way the truth and the life one Surely these Imaginations are vain and empty and by the Principles of right reason to be exploded Let us therefore arm our selves with the same mind 1 Pet. 4.1 Phil. 3.16 Hebr. 13.7 which the faithfull had that have gone before us Let us walk by the â—ame rule by which they walked considering the end of their converâ—ation they aimed at Happyness and they constantly held on â—n a way of Holyness to the enâ—oyment of it Phil. 3.17 Be followers togeâ—her of mee saith the Apostle to â—he Philippians and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example Surely this frequent and earnest pressing the good examples of the faithfull for Christian imitation argueâ— the acceptance of them as patters to be a Christian duty Why are they urged if not to be accepted Why are they seâ— before us if not to be followeâ— by us Etiamsi codices omnes qui toto orbe habentur intercidissent vita passio Christi abundâ— Christianis omnibus sufficeret ad virtutem omnem veritatem perdiscendam Ludov. Blos specul spiritual cap. 10. But above all set beforâ— you that grand examplar thâ— Lord Jesus Christ in his Life and in his Death he hath left uâ— an example saith the Apostleâ— that we should follow his steps â— Pet. 2.21 By the same waâ— that the Captain of our Salvation came to the Crown in thâ— same way are all his followers tâ— be crowned and none are truâ—ly such but they that are led oâ— by him in the same steps thaâ— he hath troden out before them Oh therefore follow him 〈◊〉 you expect your Portion wiâ—â— him If you look that he 〈◊〉 dole out your share unto you from and out of that fulness that is in himself give up your selves to be guided by him As â—ou acccept him for your only Saviour so take him also for â—our most perfect pattern 1 Pet. 2.22 who did no sin neither was guile found â—n his mouth And then ye Mat. 19.28 which have thus followed him in â—he Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory ye also shall receive your Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 §. XII Twelfthly Whatever may be â—n hinderance in your course â—owards Eternall good things or a let to your enjoyment of â—hem cast that away lay that aâ—ide The Christian life it is a â—ace towards the obtainment of a prize Now we know that â—n a race the runners lay aside and put off whatever may be an â—inderance or let unto them They will not carry any thing of weight about them that may prove burdensome in their race but in order to their quickness and nimbleness and that they may speed away in their course they fairly acquit themselves of whatever otherwise might be an occasion of trouble to them So ought it to be with true believers in their Christian race towards the prize that 's set before them They are to lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset them Heb. 12.1 Whatever may prove a block in their way or if ported with them an occasion of trouble to them they are to bid adieu unto it Though it were a right hand or a right eye or a right foot yet they are to cut it off and pluck it out and cast it from them Though it were the dearest oâ— all outward things yet if iâ— would be an hinderance to them in their Heavenly course they are to say to it as our Saviouâ— Christ to Peter diswading hiâ— from going on upon that blessed design for which he came into the World Get thee behind me Satan Mat. 16.23 thou art an offence unto me Cast it off throw it aside whatever offers to interrupt you in your Heavenly race Hearken not to the voice of such charmes who would inchant you and by their Soul-deluding sorcery charm you out of the things that concern your Peace How many dear lusts and beloved sins shall