Balaams Wish OR The Reward of Righteousness in and after Death Considered and explicated by occasion of the Late Decease of M rs BARBARA WHITEFOOT Late of HAPTON in the County of NORFOLK Who Deceased April 9. and was Interred April 11 1667. By JOHN HORNE Preacher of the Gospel in former times in the Parish of Lin-Allhallows in the same County Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit for they rest from their labors and their works follow them Psal 31.19 Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for those that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor but the way of the wicked seduceth them Quid prodest cum magnis difficultatibus cultum Dei tenere quae est summa virtus nisi eum Divinum Praemium Beatitudinis subsequatur Lactan. Divin Institut lib. 7. De Divino Praemio cap. 1. LONDON Printed in the Year 1667. To Mr. Daniel Whitefoote and Mrs. Barbara Waller the onely Son and Daughter of the Deceased Mrs. Barbara Whitefoote late of Hapton Mercy Grace and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be extended and multiplyed Dear Friends I Have you may see though with some reluctancy as being conscious to my self of my own weakness in speaking to the great things of God and Christ accomplished your desires for publishing what was upon my thoughts and as to some Heads thereof was spoken to and in the Family of your Deceased Mother by occasion of her Death and Burial I pray God add his blessing with it that it may provoke some at least yea all that read it if it may be to consider their ways whether they be good and righteous and what the end toward which they tend so that they that believe and live amiss may be there-through awakened to repentance and to seek after righteousness even the righteousness which is of God by Faith not resting with Balaam in good Wishes and Desires or rather in Wishes and Desires of Good so as to miss as he did of the good they wish but that awakening from sin to righteousnesse and following after it in seeking the Lord they may both desire and attain what is truly good and that they that are in the way of righteousness may through the consideration of its good and glorious end and reward hold on their way to the end So should my labour herein be well bestowed And oh that both I and you may our selves do what we desire and have herein in some measure endeavoured for others that while we seek their good we also minding the good way may share with all that are good or get good hereby in the reward This briefly in General Besides which I would adde a word to either of you Severally And First to you Mr. Daniel let me say Remember the good and grave counsel and advice of your Dear deceased Mother especially her dying farewell and endeavour so to seek after the Lord read and mind his good word believe his love and grace toward mankind in his Son and yield up your self to obey and follow his heavenly Counsels preferring the Gospel as your good Mother advised you not onely above the pleasures of sin for a season and what vain Companions sports and pastimes can afford or vain persons entice you to but also above your worldly estate and so adhere to the good advice of such as be sober staid and godly friends that she may at least reap the fruit of all her serious wishes desires prayers and tears for your good and of all her tender affectionate love to you in her receiving you in the resurrection of the just at the comming of the Lord in the lot and state of the righteous and holy Saints and servants of God You are young and need help and direction I would have you think so and be sober minded not thinking your self so wise as that you may chuse for your self your ways and need none to guide and counsel you mind Solomons saying Prov. 27.10 And thine own friend and thy Mothers friend forsake thou not Not taking any for your friends that would flatter you into vain courses to follow your will and pleasures to your ruine in all things mind Gods word and call upon him for his grace and blessing in and through Christ Jesus and he will bless you and do you good Seriously peruse also this Treatise and let its contents be ever with you And the Lord bless it to you That 's all I shall say to you at present As for thee Dear Sister thou hast cause to bless God for the good he hath done to you and the mercy and grace he hath shewed you both in your self and in your Dear deceased Mother Oh let not his goodness ever be forgotten by you or slip out of your heart follow yet on after righteousness and seek the Lord the prize is before you and ascertained in Christ to you in following after it onely watch and take heed of what may divert or subvert you from it especially of knowing your self in what you know and in the gifts God hath bestowed on you and so of being puffed up with any spiritual pride Though not of that only but also of every way of the world or sinful temptation by which the adversary will not be wanting to endeavour your harm and whereof this Treatise also affords some notice and warning but that 's one main temptation he uses against such as are going on the right way to make them reflect so upon their own beauty put upon them by Christ as there-through to adulterate from Christ as in Ezek. 16.14 15 16 17 c. It was probably the way he fell himself the looking upon and falling in love with his own created excellencies and thence lifting up himself to desire that that was proper to the Creator and its the way he sets upon many persons knowing persons especially to corrupt them from the simplicity of Christ and an humble faithful dependance on him and walking in the fâ—â—â— of God through him in whom all their fulness and safety is But I hope he that hath called you by and into his grace will keep you through his grace from that and every other evil thing and so cleanse sanctifie and make you perfect in every good thing as that you shall without fail attain to the glory and glorious kingdom that he hath prepared for and promised to them that love him And in that hope and perswasion for you I commit you to him and to his blessing And so taking my leave of you both and desiring that this treatise may further both your happinesses I rest Your truly Loving Friend JOHN HORNE From my House in Lin Regis Jan. 6. 1667. ERRATA Courteous Reader thou art desired with thy Pen to correct these ensuing escapes of
them rather than others and so exercise not themselves in things too high for them Rom. 12.3 4. 2 Cor. 3.5 Rom. 7.14 Psal 131.1 2. and so are sober And though proud aspiring high conceited thoughts of themselves and their parts gifts attainments abilities doings and worthiness may be darted into them by Satan or spring up in them from their own corruption yet through their cleaving to this grace of God in Christ they are helped to repel them or humble themselves before God for them on discovery of them Mat. 18.1 2 3. 2 Chron. 32.25 26. Coll. 3.12 Eph. 4.2 5. Yea and in considering the same things of their unworthiness and their being all that they are by the grace of God c. they are also moderated and made sober in their desires of pursuits after and use and enjoyment of the things of this life not judging themselves worthy of great things by way of riches honours apparels buildings c. yea in the belief of the only fulness in Christ seeing the vanity of this world and their portion being in Christ and laid up with him in heaven and that their life is in him and in what they have there they are not transported with their enjoyments of any great or good things of this life nor give up themselves to pride or vaunt themselves of and in them or fill themselves to excess with them but are sober in all things so as repelling by the grace of God the contrary motions and risings of corruptions or repenting and humbling themselves for them if at any time overtaken with them Heb. 11.13 14 15 16. 6. In the view of the same grace in Christ and the righteousness of God towards us in and through Christ and his love of righteousness testifyed in all he hath done in Christ for us and his hatred of unrighteousness there also manifested they are led and framed to a righteous demeanor toward others so as beholding all things ordered of God in Christ whose wisdom goodness and holiness is so brightly displayed in the Gospel they are led to submit to his orders and so to those he sets over them for his sake as Kings Magistrates Rulers Governours Fathers Mothers Masters c. or in any place of superiority not withholding from them that honour subjection duty love and obedience he requires of them toward them whether they be good or froward knowing and minding that they be well and wisely and holily ordered of God over them and for good by way of protection maintenance encouragement or tryal or exercise of their faith and obedience to God As also beholding those that are their inferiors and any way committed to their care or to be walked before as such as are to be helped in the way to life to take such care of them and to act forth and exercise such righteousness toward them as becomes our places and stations and so to wrong or injury none in word or deed as to their honour life chastity and purity estate name or otherwise loving to all especially their Brethren in Christ content with their own portion knowing that their portion in Christ and God is exceeding good and that in walking with and depending on him he will in all things do what is best for them by the help of Gods grace repelling all contrary motions and temptations 7. Yea the view of his love and grace towards them and all men principles and instructs them to be loving and charitable to all men and so righteous in giving forth or ministring to them of those things spiritual or temporal that are deposited or betrusted with them for them and their good according to their needs and wants and their own furnitures and capacities for extending relief and help to them by instruction counsels comfort outward supplies in giving to relieve their poverty exercising their skill for healing and helpfulness in sicknesses sores c. and some observe that the word righteousness is put sometimes for alms or charity as in Psal 112.9 with 2 Cor. 9.9 So the righteous man is sometime described to be a merciful man and the merciful man joyned with the mention of the righteous or upright as Psal 37.26 The righteous is ever merciful and lendeth his seed is in the blessing and in Isa 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layes it to heart and merciful men or men of kindness are taken away none considering that they are taken from the evil And indeed it is but right and just that as we have all our life and hope of happiness in and from the mercy of the Lord to us so we again should put on the bowels of mercies and kindness and be full thereof to others and that as God doth in and by Christ give us talents of outward or inward blessings for the good of others so that we should not withhold good from the owners thereof or those for whose good we are betrusted with it Prov. 3.28 29. Luc. 6.36 and 16.9.11 12. Col. 3.12 Eph. 5.1 2. 8. In a word this grace of God in Christ believed and lived upon leads and instructs the soul and the righteous and upright are answerably in their being led by it framed and helped to acknowledge God in and through Jesus Christ in all things so as in all their straights needs and afflictions to have to do with him hoping in his mercy and believing his promises to make their requests and addresses to him in Christ Jesus for such supplies of grace and mercy for help in the things of this life or for help against the enemies of their souls as to things pertaining to the life to come or for supplying with what is requisite to promote their faith in Christ or service of God as also in such straits and tryals eying them as ordered of God in wisdom faithfulness and righteousness to submit to him therein and justifie or glorifie him in them in all services and sufferings to lean upon him and trust in him and his strength and righteousness and in all benefits and mercies received whether for this life or that to come to give thanks to him by Jesus Christ yeilding up themselves more readily chearfully and perfectly to be his and to serve and glorifie him in word and conversation so in all things exercising themselves to Godliness in the hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie promised from before the ancient times and the promise whereof he hath confirmed both by his Oath and by the blood of his only begotten Son through whom and whose mediation he may and is led to look for it and confidently expect it at his blessed appearing Tit. 2.12 13. 1 Pet. 1.13 17. Eph. 5.20 Coll. 3.17 Philip. 4.5 6 7. Heb. 13. 15. Prov. 3.4 5 6. Tit. 1.2 Heb. 6.13 17 18. and 9 15. Phil. 3.20.21 9. And lastly upon sight of shortness in these things or any of them or any other matter that the grace of God instructs and leads to to
for that went to the grave but of the spirit which Paul proved either out of the body or in the body he knew not whether to be wrapt up into the third Heavens or into Paradise while he was not yet taken away by death but survived many years after 2 Cor. 12.6 7. otherwise called Abrahams Bosom Luke 16.22 Or to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 Or else to be disposed of to prison or a state of hell and doleful misery 1 Pet. 3.20 Luke 16.23 Yea and beside this men after bodily death differ from the beasts also in that 2. There shall be a state of Resurrection unto them when the dead and deceased shall both in body and spirit reunited be brought to a living state in union together as the Scriptures abundantly testifie a Resurrection both of the just and unjust Act. 24.15 For all that are in the grave whether good or bad righteous or wicked shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall come forth saith our Lord Jesus himself John 5.28 Yea the Sea shall give up her dead and Death and Hell shall give up the dead in them Rev. 20.13 And this in order to their being all brought before him as the Great and Soveraign Lord and Judge of all bath quick and dead For 3. There shall be a state of Judgement wherein all men being raised from the dead shall be brought to appear before the Tribunal or Judgement-seat of Christ to give account of themselves to him and receive of him rewards according to the things done in the body by them whether good or evil and then shall properly be the reward full recompence and end of every man good or bad according to his works 2 Cor. 5.10 Rom. 2.11.16 14.9 10. in which both they that have done good and they that have done evil shall be everlastingly disposed of by Jesus Christ in a way of infinite equity and righteousness therefore also it is called both The righteous Judgement of God Rom. 2.5 6. because of his righteousness in judging and disposing rewards and recompences and the eternal Judgement Heb. 6.2 because of the lastingness of that Judgement as to the rewards and recompences therein ordered and the state of man according to it that shall succeed and follow upon it And all these three may be included here in the latter end The grounds of this latter end Now that there shall be such a latter or after-part or end for men good and bad stands as upon the will and pleasure of God so upon that as manifested in Christ Jesus and his undertakings and performances I cannot say that if he had not come in the flesh and dyed for us there should have been nothing to man after death but an annihilation being made both in soul and body like the beasts that perish What manner of death or dying man must have sustained with the curse in it I cannot say but doubtless it would have been very miserable and what the state of the soul would have been after it is not expressed Something of it may be conjectured if not certainly known from the agonies in Death and the Hell into which Christ descended at or upon his Death in which his soul was not left in hell yet that it came into it is there implyed in that it is said it was not left in it as ours must have been had not his come into it or had it been left in it And what is writ in Psalm 18.4 5. 116.3 4. is applicable to Christ The sorrows of death compassed me about and the pains or pangs of hell took hold upon me I found wo and sorrow But sure it is that the after-state of man should not have been the same as now it will For as by Man came death so by Man also the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all die so in Christ all shall be made alive 1 Cor. 15.21 22. It is by vertue of Christs having been made flesh for us and suffering in the flesh for us the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God therein giving himself a ransom or price of redemption for all and by Death destroying Death and him that had the power of Death the Devil and so buying us all into his own Lordship and dispose and being filled with the fulness of the Spirit and Power of God and so made a quickning Spirit able by his Word and Spirit both to quicken dead souls that listen to him and hear his voice and to quicken and raise up dead bodies too that he is become the Resurrection and the Life and so having abolished death will raise up and revive all men from under the Sentence and Judgement of it and present them before himself to be judged by him as their proper Lord and Savior to whom they owe their life and ought to have lived and by whom they should have sought for salvation looking to him for it as in whom alone there is righteousness strength and salvation for them 1 Pet. 3.18 1 Tim. 2.6 Heb. 2.9 14. 2 Tim. 1.10 1 Cor. 15.45 John 5.21 22 26 28. 11. 25 26. 2 Cor. 5.10.14 15. Isa 45.22 23 24. Acts 4.11 12. Yea the dispose of men by him both in the state of death and separation of soul from body and in the state of resurrection depend upon and springs from his being Lord and Judge both of quick and dead through his having died risen and revived Acts 10.40.42 43. Rom. 14.9 10 12. that he may be honored and glorified in all and so the Father in him and to that purpose that his power wisdom mercy justice holiness love and other glorious Attributes might be most brightly displayed and glorified and he be admired in all his Saints c. Philip. 1.10 11. Isa 49.4 5. 2 Thes 1.8 9 10. for the greatness of his power will be gloriously displayed in his raising all and bringing them before him and executing Judgment on them His wisdom justice mercy goodness love and holiness c. in the final sentencing and disposing of them and in all the vertuousness and preciousness of his cross blood and sacrifice with God for men As Lord and Judge of the Dead it appertains to him and he will dispose of the dead and take care of them that none of them be lost as to their bodies but that they be forth coming and raised up by him at the last day John 6.38 39. and of their spirits that they be disposed of to Paradise or prison to Heaven with Christ or to hell torments till the last day as is noted before And as Lord and Judge of the living it appertains to him to and he doth order and dispose of all here in this life as he sees good And when he pleases puts an end to the lives both of good and bad and being raised again give them their rewards according to their works in equity and righteousness For which that there
bond of peace building up our selves in the most holy faith praying in the holy ghost keeping our selves in the love of God and waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life avoyding and keeping far from the contrary thereunto Prov. 6.7 and 13.18 20. and 15.31 32. and 29.15 Eph. 4.3 4. Jude 20.21 Rom 12.2 2 Cor. 6.14 15. and 7.1 considering 1. That these are the great concernments of our souls Motives the matters of eternity in which if we obtain we are happy for ever and miserable for ever if we miss as all abovesaid in opening and explicating the end of the righteous and of the wicked evinces And as it is said Deut. 32.46 47. it is not a vaine thing for thee for it is thy life c. Now the greatest things and of greatest concernment to us are chiefly to be regarded by us were they other mens concernments and not our own yet in some cases being weighty and of great concernment to them they ought not to be negleded or carelesly looked after by us it would be unfaithfulness and uncharitableness in us especially if put upon us but how much more should we take care of these things seeing it is our selves that are here concerned and not others only Indeed it might be for the great furtherance of others also that we be thereby made good examples to them fitted for their helpfulness and filled with charity to help them but it s not so much others as our selves and sure we are nearest to our selves and especially in things not of light moment but of greatest weight were they matters of our estate we would be industrious in them if they lay at the stake or were under question but how much more may the concernments of our persons immediately challenge our care and industry Vivitur exiguo meliuâ— Horat. the things of this world lye without us and men with a little may live comfortably and many do so yea more comfortably than others with abundance and therefore losses in the world might not so pinch us if reason and much less if grace rule us but our persons cannot be ill but the paines and evils will touch and grate upon us yet were they but matters of body as our health ease liberty c. we are careful there and would count it folly and madness to be neglectful of them though yet men may be comfortable in those things too in their spirits the spirit of a man will sustain its infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 Yet if all these should press us here they may do so and be but for a season and be over and at an end when Death comes But these are the great matters of our souls and for ever which if we miscarry in render all other things to no profit or advantage and our selves miserable for ever the loss and misery of our soulâ—â—eing insuperable neither to be born with patience no◠〈…〉 ways bought off or to have end or mittigation What will it profit us as our Saviour saith Math. 16. 26. to win the whole world and loose our own souls or what shall be given for exchange or recompence what will the rich mans full bags or full barns do him good what his beautiful wife or pretty children what the multitude of freinds and lovers that may wail the loss of him or joy in their inheriting what he leaves behind him yea what is any thing what are all things to him when his soul in the depth of hell and misery is stript of all things and can now receive no ease or comfort from any of them As on the contrary what harm is it to the poor man that he endures or hath endured pinching poverty and grinding griefs the scorns of the proud and the contempt of the covetous that he leaves no estate to others but only his children perhaps to God and his providence who also accounts the seed of the righteous as included in his blessing what if his name be cast out on earth and no man here miss or desire him if his soul while here be accepted of God and when taken hence be in the bosome of Abraham and in the embraces of Christ never to grapple with sorrows or sufferings any more for ever what hurt is all that to him our own interests here then if any where should excite our earnestness and quicken our affections to diligence in these things Mot. 2. Again how earnest zealous and industrious hath God and Christ and the holy Spirit been and yet are for us to bring us to this happiness and prevent our miseries when God made us at first how much did he how great works wrought he that we might be well provided for and feel no misery The frame and fabrick of heaven and earth and all variety of creatures therein and his not resting from his works till he had provided us of all things that might give us rest do abundantly testifie But when we had by our sin forfeited all these benefits see how our miseries rather added to his diligence and increast the workings of his love and pitty toward us then any whit abated them we had made him more work and he disdained it not He looked out for a ransome for us and found it when neither men or Angels could have invented one He rested not in the ministry of Angels to us nor institutions of Laws and Ordinances pointing us out a way of righteousness that the man that doth them might live therein but finding a defect in all those sacrifices and appointments and that our misery was such as no Law could provide against it no work of ours remedy us in it he spared not his own Son but sent him forth for us made him flesh and sin and a curse delivered him up for us to Death and therein laid upon him the iniquities of us all raised him up for our justification exalted and glorified him filled him with all his fulness for us made him the great High-Priest to plead for us and make reconciliation for our sins Our Prophet to instruct and guide us in the way to life our King to command govern and rule us to save protect and honor us the Lord of all to controul all enemies and evils and order all creatures as may be best for us our Physician to heal us c. He declares him calls to him draws us by his love and its cords his bounty goodness forbearance inviting us to repentance his corrections tend to drive us from our Idols and force us to seek after him that we may live Christ also he hath been and is as zealous of our good and spared no paines or cost to do us good and help us He accepted his Fathers will came down from heaven to do it did it with cheerfulness delighted to do it was incarnate acted and did good suffered sorrowed dyed and therein bare our sins and carryed our sorrows rested