Heaven lost and that for ever Is it not a wonder to consider that whereas Faith teacheth us that the soul is immortal and must live for ever and experience sheweth us that the body is mortal yet most people contrary to faith and experience do neglect the Soul as though that were mortal and labor for the body as if that were immortal As Julius Caesar was wont to say of Cicero that he was negligent in things belonging to himself but diligent in things belonging to the Common-wealth So such there are who are negligent in things concerning their souls but diligent in things concerning their bodies who spend the best of their time and strength in laboring for their bodies but in the mean time neglect to provide for their Eternal Souls Prima animi bona says Juvenal those good things of the mind are the first things to be minded Optimum est curam principalem animae impendere says another Our first and principal endeavor should be for the principal things for things which concern the Soul for sanctification here and glorification hereafter To provide for the body should be but a Christian's by-work but caring for the soul ought to be his main work As our greatest fear should be for the Soul so our greatest care ought to be for the Soul That our greatest fear should be for the Soul appears by those words of our Saviour Matth. 10. 28. v. Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell It is the greatest folly in the world out of fear of the body to betray the soul That our greatest care should be for the soul appears also out of our Saviour's words Matth. 16. 26. v. What profit hath a man if he win the whole World and lose his own Soul A Christian's great care should be not to hazard the Eternal welfare of his soul for a short fruition of Riches and Splendor in the world these are but conveniences of the body not of the soul If we could discern Souls with the eye or conceive them by the mind they would even ravish us and lead us into an excessive love of them The souls of Men though now they are clogged with flesh are dwelling in houses of clay and tabernacles of dust though now they are shut up in the body like a bird of paradise in a cage yet are such beings as have no less distant original from the body then heaven is from earth coming immediate from God a truth exprest by Ovid in a short verse Sedibus aethereis Spiritus ille venit but better by Zachariah chap. 12. 1. The Lord which stretcheth forth the Heavens and layeth the foundations of the Earth and formeth the spirit of Man within him The body which is flesh is from flesh but the Soul which is a spirit is from the God of Spirits and in the Soul mostly and properly is the Image of God stampt Magna res est anima It is a sparkling Diamond set in a ring of Clay It is the better more noble and sublimated part of man It is the quintessence of a rational nature the very glory of the Creation that hath the image of its Creator to beautify it and is a Jewel more worth than the World with all its Revenues and Perquesites in every respect far more excellent and precious then the body The body that is but of a course make the soul that is a finer spinning the body that is but of an earthly extract the soul is an heavenly born being The Apostle Phil. 3. 21. v. calls the body a vile body and so it is compared with the soul T is the Soul that makes the body lovely and amiable Take the soul out of the body but even half an hour and the body forthwith grows out of each one's love that they who before were enamoured on it do not now desire to come near it or have it in their sight Though Sarah had been unto Abraham the desire of his eyes Ezek. 24. 16. v. and a most sweet companion of his life yet is she by the removal of her soul at death so defaced that he loaths to look on her hence saith he to the Sons of Heth Gen. 23. 4. v Give me a possession of a burying-place with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight Hence it is that the Psalmist calls it Vnica mea my Darling Psal 22. 20. v. Deliver my soul from the Sword my Darling from the power of the Dogg He prefers the soul as his Darling before the body A darling child shall be cared for and provided for whoever is neglected Not a soul here but is so excellently and perfectly precious that we cannot set forth nor understand how excellent and perfectly precious it is So precious is the soul of every man that all the Gold of the West all the treasures of the East all the Spices of the South all the Pearls of the North are nothing though a man had a Monopoly of them to an invaluable Soul heaps of wedges of Gold mountains of Silver hoards of Pearl are not to be compared with it I may say of the Souls preciousness what is commonly spoken of Aristotles book of Physicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that made publick it was and yet not made known because men do not yet understand the Secrets of it So the preciousness of the Soul hath by many pens been made publick and yet not made known because no man knows the full preciousness thereof Favorinus the Philosopher was wont to say and his words are excellent Nihil in terra magnum praeter hominem nihil in homine praeter mentem The greatest thing in the world is Man the greatest thing in man is the Soul The body at best cannot live long for all the pampering and triming and repairing and dawbing it will not be long before it lyes down in the grave it hath but a short time to live but believe it Christian in that mouldring decaying and dying body of thine thou hast an immortal and never dying soul And wilt thou provide for thy body and not for thy soul wilt thou labor and take pains for a decaying body and not labor for thy soul that means to live as long as Eternity This were as if a man should buy in a great deal of provision for his Servants and starve his Wife and children or as if he should think nothing too much to lay out upon his Doggs and yet starve himself So do all those that labor for what pleases and contents the body but neglect their immortal and never dying souls which God hath breathed into them which God hath beautified with some shadowing representations of his own most glorious being and for which he hath given so great a price and values above all the world besides It was the saying of Aristippus an Heathen who will rise up
springs of living waters clarified with Christ's blood and indulcorated with his love 3ly The kind or property of that meat for which they must not labour that perisheth Labour not for the meat which perisheth that perisheth with the using as the Apostle sayes 2 Coll. 22. v. rudiments of the world Such was that Manna which God gave Israel for meat from Heaven he gave them this meat indeed miraculously but yet it was no lasting meat they could not keep it by them any long time Exod. 16. 20. 21. If they kept it but till the next morning it bred worms and stank it was but of a perishing nature and indeed all meat for the body is but perishing meat is but of a perishing nature it serves but to uphold a perishing life and cannot prevent the bodies perishing at last to which agreeth that of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 6. 13. Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall destroy both it and them and where men do only and mainly labour for that it will cause them to perish Eternally In the Injunction we may note 1. A duty by Christ injoyned and that is Labour It must necessarily be supplyed in the Text Labour not for the meat which perisheth but Labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life Though t is true servile labour with trouble sweat and vexation was occasioned by the curse Gen. 3. 17. yet there was work required of man or labour in the earth with reference unto his natural life and subsistence in the world in the state of innocency for it is expresly said Gen. 2. 15. That God put man into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it that is to labour in it and to preserve it by labour No sooner was man Created but by and by he is set to labour Paradise was not 〈…〉 place that served only to delight his senses but to exe 〈…〉 cise his hands God never made any as he made Leviathan to spo 〈…〉 himself only or to do as it is said of the people in Tom 〈…〉 m in Africa that they spend their whole time in 〈…〉 ing and dancing but to work either with his hands or his head in the sweat of his brow or of his brain the thing that is good God will have no man to be idle he will have no Ciphers in his Arithmetick oâ— sloathfull servants in his Vineyard Homo natus ad laborem man was even born to labour and not to expect any rest whilst here only the dead which dye in the Lord rest from their labours Rev. 14. 13. Now they must labour and toyle and then rest Idle persons are good for nothing but to eat drink and sleep It is good saith one to do something whereby the world may be the better and not to come hither meerly as Rats and Mice only to devour victuals and to run squeaking up and down Periander made a Law at Corinth that whosoever could not prove he lived by his honest Labour he should suffer as a Thief No State whatsoever can priviledg Idleness no Man is too Noble to have an occupation the greatest Kings have not this priviledg Alphonsus said that God and Nature had given Kings hands as well as other Men. By the Law of Mahomet the Great Turk himself is bound to exercise some manual trade or occupation though sin brought in man s labour Gen. 3. 19. yet now for a man not to humble himself by just labour would encrease his sin and therefore aboundance of idleness is reckoned to be in the number of Sodomes sins Ezek. 16 49. 2. In the Injunction we have the thing for which laâ—our that is the duty is injoyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That meat â—at food for the soul that which is meat for a Christiâ—ns faith and not for a christians tast such as are Christ with all his riches and treasures with all his benefits and priviledges and what else with Christ the Gospel declareth making for the Saints Eternal â—â—lfare of which afterwards in the discourse But these things Chriâ—â— commends under the name of Meat as one notes 1. Because his followers now were earnestly seeking after meat therefore he points them out better meat Thus to the woman of Samaria coming for water he points out the living water 2. To shew the necessity of having these things and the usefulness of them they had as great need hereof as of meat 3. In the Injunction there is the modâ—s or property of the meat for which labour is injoyned which endureth unto everlasting life that is for those things which are appointed by God to refresh and sustain the soul unto Eternity for such things that when all these poor helps which serve to prop up a Pilgrims travel as so many baites till he get home shall fail may be Eternal provision That which our Saviour does here then is this he diverts their affections and eagerness from off earthly things and sets them upon the right object Christ does not hereby dehort them altogether from labouring for meat that perisheth but what he sayes is spoken per modum comparationis by way of comparison q. d do not so labour for the meat that perisheth that you neglect to labour for the meat that perisheth not as when he sayes Matth. 6. 31. 33. Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be clothed But seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you The Heathens with whom if Christians should symbolize in sins or not exceed in vertue it were a shame to them for as a Christian differs from an Heathen in Profession so he should in Practice because they know not the Eternal blessedness of the life to come but only that which concerneth this present life their care is only after what they shall eat and drink and wherewithal they may be clothed as our Saviour observes v. 32. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for men that have hope in this life only it is no marvel if they labour their utmost to make their best of it but our Saviour teaches his Hearers to prefer care for things Eternal before a care for things Temporal indeed what our Saviour sayes here is not contradictory to that of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 8. 21. Provide for things honest things that are necessary provide for things necessary hath his time so that our Saviour his primum quaerite regnum Dei be first remembred The care for this life present and things necessary thereunto is by the Apostle commended but by our Saviour the care of heavenly things is preferred Many such like instances we meet with from Christ as Matth. 9. 13. I will have mercy and not Sacrifice Christ excludeth not Sacrifice but preferreth Mercy And Math. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soul
the heart of Man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him Though death spoyl such a one of all the good things of life yet like the believing Hebrews mentioned Heb. 10. 34. v. he takes joyfully the spoyling of his Goods knowing in himself that he hath in Heaven a better and more induring substance It is storied of the Duke of Bulloin and his company when they went to Jerusalem as soon as his company saw the high Turrets they gave a mighty shout that the Earth rang so when a Christian at death that all his life long hath been providing Eternal good things shall see the Turrets of the heavenly Jerusalem shall see that induring substance laid up for him in Heaven shall see those Rivers of Pleasure that are to be had at God's right hand for evermore shall see those things that now are invisible shall see such things as no mortall Eye ever saw shall see what no heart is able to conceive and shall see that all these things are his own and that they shall now be possessed and injoyed by him for ever unto all Eternity what joy what gladness what rejoycing of heart will there be in him In some places of the West Indies there is an opinion in gross that the soul is immortal and that there is a life after this life where beyond certain hills they know not where those that dye in the defence of their Countrey should remain after death in much blessedness which opinion made them very valiant in their fights and willing to dye in defence of their Countrey The bare opinion of the Druides who taught that the soul had a continuance after its seperation from the body made many of their followers hardy in great attempts and abated in most the fear of Death When a Christian hath labored for and by his labor obtained what will nourish his immortal Soul unto Eternal life and be provision for it in Eternal life none can express the willing thereof to leave the body A Christian now looks upon Death to be a valley of Achor a door of hope to gain entrance into Paradice to bring him Malorum omnium ademptionem bonorum omnium adeptionem a removal of all things that are evil and an enjoyment of all things that are good and that not good only for a season but for Eternity Old Hilarion could not but wonder his soul should be so loath to depart out of his body and therefore when he lay a dying it is said of him he bespake it in this manner Soul get thee out thou hast for seventy years served Christ and art thou loath to depart or afraid of Death When a Christian hath husbanded all the time of life for the good of his Soul and finds it stored with grace and assured of glory he is not afraid or unwilling that his soul should leave his body he hath hope in his death and that makes him to be be willing to submit to death Pro. 14. 32. v. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death I have done with two of the first perticulars I propounded to speak to upon this Point I have shewed by way of Explication when a man may be said to labor for Eternal good things and I have shewed by way of Demonstration That Eternal good things are to be labored for The third perticular propounded was to speak something by way of Confirmation and here I shall shew that labor is chiefly to be used for and about Eternal good things CHAP. VI. I come now to Confirm this Truth That the great labor and pains of every Christian ought chiefly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things To which end I shall speak to these following Perticulars 1. OVr labor and pains ought chiefly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things because God hath commanded it 2. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things are the chiefest of good things 3. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things are lasting good things other good things are perishing good things 4. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things are good things always desirable good things that a man shall never be weary of 5. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things are the only satisfying good things 6. Our labor and pains c. Because Eternal good things concern our Souls other good things concern only the body 7. Our labor and pains c. Because our labor about Eternal good things will not be in vain 8. Our labor and pains c. Because even to Eternity it self it will never repent us to have bestowed the greatest labor and pains about Eternal good things 1. I shall begin with the first of these eight and say something to that Good reason there is that Our labor and pains ought chiefly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things Because God hath commanded it it is charged upon us as a duty and if we obey not we run our selves into a spiritual Praemunire that Almighty God who tells the number of the Starrs calling them by their names he charges us to do so and if we obey him not we offer an affront to his Soveraingty as if his will were not reason enough for his commands And to his wisdom as if he did not know what Laws were good for us And to his Justice as if the ways of God were not equal If any ask me Quis requisivit who hath required this at our hands who requires that our labor should chiefly be about Eternal good things I answer It is the great GOD of Heaven and Earth that by his word made all things to whom the Winds and Seas obey And it is well we have express commands from God in Scripture for this else the world is full of curious Heads and prophane Hearts to outface and out-wrangle such a Truth nay any truth indeed which men are laborâ—â—â— oath to yield unto so ready are carnal men to be the Devil's Proctors against God and haveing their wits and spirits whetted upon the Devil's whetstone to cavil against spiritual and flesh-crossing truths I wish all that do love God and do make it their daily work to labor chiefly for Eternal good things may be all of the mind of that reverend Baldassar as he expresses it in an Epistle unto Oecolampadius Veniat veniat verbum Domini submittemus illi sexcenta si nobis essent colla Let but the word of God be urged upon us and we shall not be unwilling to lay down our very lives in obedience thereunto were this but the resolve and holy temper of Mens hearts a few Scriptures would serve to confirm such truths that Ministers do preach upon I shall here commend only one unto you and I think it may be as good as many t is that in Matt. 6. 33. v. But seek ye
believer assured of such an house read 2 Cor. 5. 1. v. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens The Soul now dwells in the body which is but as a dark mean decaying old Cottage which is compassed about with bad neighbors The Soul finds the body but a dark habitation dark in comparison of Heaven As that Dutch Divine Bugenhagius said of Luther after he had read his book De Captivitate Babylonica That Luther was in the light but all the world besides in darkness So only those souls by death removed out of the body and now in Heaven They only are in the light but the best of those that yet are in the body are in darkness The body is but a mean habitation for the soul which is of a spiritual and immortal substance to dwell in Eliphaz in Job calls it an house of clay St. Paul in the place last named calls it an Earthly house Solomon calls it nothing but Dust Eccles 12. 7. v it is but a vile body Phil. 3. 21. v. T is but as one says a clay wall encompassing a treasure or a course case of a rich Instrument And that which is yet worse a decaying and ruinous habitation that will shortly moulder to Dust those parcels of dust making up the body that were bound together by the bond of innocency are by sin shaken loose and subject to a continual flux and decay But yet worst of all the Soul finds its dwelling compassed about with bad Neighbors how oft is the Soul whilst living in the body like Lot living in Sodomie even vexed with the filthy conversations of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. How oft are gracious souls forâ—ed to cry out with David Psal 120. 5. Wo is me â—hat I remain in Mesech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar As bad Neighbors are always wrangling and quarrelling and stirring up discord with those they â—ive near so are wickd men always contesting with â—hese That the soul may truly say as Lamenting Jeâ—emy of the Church of the Jews she dwelleth among the Heathen she findeth no rest all her perâ—ecutors overtake her Lam. 1. 3. v. Much might have been said of the Souls present haâ—itation to make the soul at death willing to remove â—ut of it but what shall I say of that house not made â—ith hands Eternal in the Heavens Is the body a dark house Heaven is a light som house hence it is set forth by the name of Light Col. 1. 12. Saints in Light that is in the glorious Kingdom of heaven And 1 Tim. 6. 16. God is there said to dwell in an unapproachable light there is a perpetual Day without Night there is no night there says St. John Rev. 21 25. v. Though some regions that lye immediately under the Pole have light for several Months together yet when the Sun withdraws from their Horizon they have as long a night and darkness as before they had a day but says St. John There shall be no night there no darkness there Is the body but a mean habitation for the Soul to dwell in Heaven is a most glorious habitation Lactantius beholding the magnificency of Rome said Quomodo caelestis Jerusalem si sic fulget terrestris Roma What an habitation hath God prepared for a Nation that love holyness and truth if he have such things as these for them that love Vanity What was the Temple built by Solomon for the Lord to this coelestial Paradise prepared by the Lord What are the Courts of the greatest Emperors to the Court of the great God what are the stateliest Fabricks in the world if compared with this Eternal house in Heaven Is the body a ruinous house that will shortly moulder into dust Heaven is an everlasting habitation It is called so Luk. 16. 9. v. They may receive you into everlasting habitations so is Heaven called in opposition to Earthly dwellings which though many of them are beautiful and glorious yet shall be laid in the dust Many houses here below may be lasting but not everlasting but this runs parallel with Eeternity The first seat of the first Adam in the first Paradise was without doubt very glorious but not permanent not Eternal this is far better more glorious and Eternal Does the Soul find its present dwelling compassed about with bad Neighbors In Heaven there is good very good neighborhood It is related of Cato an old Roman that he advised in the purchase of a Farme or House that a man should consider of the vicinity or neighborhood there Ne malum vicinum haberet And to that purpose is related the proclamation of Themistocles a famous Athonian Captain in the sale of his Lands that if any man would deal with him he should be sure of a good neighbor There is if I may have leave to say so good neighborhood in Heaven There is God our Father he that begot us again lives in Heaven There is Christ our Elder brother sitting at the right hand of God in Heaven All the Saints departed are now inhabitants of the new Jerusalem which is Heaven And now Christians will it not do a man good that hath a good title to this house not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens when he comes to dye and his soul must be removed out of his clay Cottage Death to him will be but a bridg from Wo to Glory a passage out of a Wilderness to Canaan the end of his misery and the beginning of his felicity the conclusion of his labor and the settling himself to rest though death may be a wicked man's fear yet it will be his wish though it be the others shipwrack yet it will be his entering into harbor though it be the others remove from Earth to Hell yet will it be his remove from Earth to Heaven To him death will be gain to the other death will be a loss Death to the wicked man will be a dark and dreadful passage unto the second death and utter Darkness but to him an entrance into Eternal life and an heavenly light Death to the wicked man will put an end to his short joys and begin his everlasting sorrows but to him it will put an end to all sorrows and begin â—his everlasting joys When Valentinian the Emperor was upon his dying bed among all his victories only one comforted him and did him good and that was victory over his worst enemy viz. his own naughty heart So this one thing is enough to comfort a believer and do him good upon his dying bed That having faithfully all his days labored for Eternal good things now that he must dye yet his eyes will be no sooner off these temporal things but they shall behold Eternal objects and the same minute that shuts his eyes shall again open them to behold God and as it determines his misery so it shall
in Judgment against many Christians That he would rather neglect his means thâ—n his mind his farm than his soul To be stored with Eternal good things will cause our souls afterwards to go out of our bodies upon the wings of joy calmness and serenity of spirit and with full sail for heaven This will make a Christian sweetly to sing with old Simeon Lord now let thy servant depart in peace And say as Hillary said to his soul Soul thou hast served Christ thâ—s Seventy years and art thou afraid of Death Go out soul go out But without this with what a dreadful Out-cry and Shrike will poor souls leave the body seeing themselves attended only with a black guard of Divels and no other place provided for them but the burning Lake and bottomless Pit with no other treasure inriched but the curse and wrath of the Almighty Not to have labored and taken pains for what will do the soul good will prove bitterness in the end It is storied of Caesar Borgias that being sick to death that he lamentingly cryed out When I lived I provided for every thing but Death now I must dye and am unprovided to dye this was a dart at his heart and believe it it will be at last a dagger at their hearts who now take care for their bodies but neglect their souls who labor and take pains to make provision for their ignoble part but make no provision for their more noble part When the body shall lye under its short breathings cold sweats dying groans and hastening to the Grave where worms and filthy Vermine must feed upon it and the soul hath nothing to comfort it now that it is passing into Eternity surely such a soul must needs be amazed at the â—nsuing change Oh that Christians were wise to consider these things that they would make it their work to provide for their souls to furnish them with that will prove Eternal that they would labor for spiritual and heavenly excellencies that they would acknowledg one soul to be more worth than many worlds God hath given to each of us a soul and to each of us but one soul It was a wretched and most foolish speech of a prophane Noble Man of Naples who said that he had two souls in his body one for God and another for whosoever would buy it Omnia Deus dedit duplicia saith one speaking of bodily members God hath given men double members two eyes if one be lost the other supplies the want of it two hands two ears two feet that the failing of one may be supplyed by the help of the other Animan vero unam but one soul if that perish there is not another to supply its loss And it is no other than madness and folly to look after the body and neglect the soul to gratify the body but to lose the soul With what hopes can such look to receive mercy and comfort from God in a dying hour It is reported of Alphonsus King of Arragon when a Knight of his had consumed a great patrimony by lust and luxury and besides ran into debt and being to be laid into prison by his Creditors his friends petitioned for him to the King the King answered Si tantam pecuniam vel in sui Regis obsequium vel patriae commodis vel sublevandis propinquis impedisset audirem nunc quoniam tant as opes impendit corpori parâ— est ut luat corpore If he had spent so much money in the service of his Prince or for the good of his Countrey or in relieving his Kindred I would have harkned but seeing he hath spent so much upon his body it is fit his body should smart for it So when those who now labor for the world and the things thereof that only concern the body and profit the body but neglect what concerns the soul and would profit the soul I say when these come and look up to God for comfort and mercy when all comfort from the world is gone God may justly answer If they had labored not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which indureth unto everlasting life If they had labored as much for what would have done their souls good as for what they saw would do their bodies good I would have heard them but as they have neglected their souls in their life I will not care for their souls at death 7. Our labor and pains ought cheifly to be imployed not about perishing but Eternal good things Because our labor about Eternal good things will not be in vain In Malachy his time some did not stick to say It was in vain to serve God Mal. 3. 14. v. they did as others now think their pains in vain hypocrites they were such as would needs persuade themselves that they served God and that truly And being â—uft up with this conceit they thought God should â—hereupon serve them as they would have him and â—hey expected but when he at any time punished them â—or their sins and exercised them with afflictions â—hey presently would cry out It is in vain and to â—o purpose to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances and that we have walked â—ournfully before the Lord of hosts Indeed there is many a man that pursues the world with a fruitless and â—ain attempt they rise early go to bed late eat the â—read of sorrows yet all will not do they labor and â—hat hard for what they are not sure to obtain in the world and for that very often which they never do obtain they have but their labor for their pains Quid emolumenti what profit or gain have most afâ—er many a hard days labor utterly disappointed of â—hat they labored for like many such who seek after â—he Philosophers stone Not so a Christian laboring for Eternal good things â—hey are sure to obtain what they labor for their laâ—or will not be in vain That will never befall them which is written of Dioclesian and Maximian Herâ—ulius who suddenly gave over their Empires and cast â—ff their honors and betook themselves to a private â—fe out of rage and madness when they saw themâ—elves labor so much in vain for the rooting out of â—he Christians See that place 1 Cor. 15. 58. v. Thereâ—re my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmovable â—ways abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch â— you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Christians labor herein will not be like those labors that were by way of punishment inflicted upon the Daughters of Danaeus whom the old Poets feigned to be condemned in Hell to fill a bottomless tub with Water and to increase their labor this water they were to carry in Sieves and never to leave work till the tub were full here was a great deal of unfruitful labor here was labor in vain indeed A Christian hath better incouragement to labor his labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Wilderness and that they had been put to fight with the Sons of Anak and other enemies No more did it ever repent any believer when he was once in Heaven that he had taken paâ—ns for heaven Heaven hath made amends for all his pains taken But it will hereafter repent thousands that now labor and toil only after the things of the world but neglect the things of heaven We have Solomon recognizing and reviewing all his works and all his labor that he had labored to do and what finds he vanâ—y and vexation of Spirit no contenâ—aâ—ion no satisfaction but endless vexation enough to convince him to how little purpose he had wearied himself enough to make him repent of all his labor and pains See that place Eccâ—es 2. 11. v. Then I looked on all the work that my hand had wrought and on the labor that I had labored to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the Sun So it will be with many men in Hell that here take uncessant pains and as we say labor like an horse when they shall review and recognize all the labor and â—ains they have taken after Temporal good things and what little pains about and for Eternal good things What will be the issue but even endless vexaâ—ioâ— this will vex and torment their Souls throughout all Eternity this will make them say as Solomon in the 2 Eccles 18. v. I hate all the labor which I have taken under the Sun Solomon had got no good no pay that would equallize his pains In 〈◊〉 they will haue the remembrance of all their labor having in their life gained nothing that would equaâ—lize their labor or their loss even tâ—e loss now of heaven and all the Eternal good things of heaven As they say of the Bird that â—â—tâ—eth upon the Serpents Eggs that by breaking and hatching of them she brings forth a perillous brood to her own destruction So do these that sit brooding on the worlds Vanisies the end of all their pains will be but Eternal Destruction When I see some men priding themselves in what they possess in the world but careless of Heaven When I behold them delighting themselves in the many honors conferred upon them by the great bounâ—y of Princes but not minding God's honor When I observe them spending their whole time in voluptuous pleasures that are but for a moment and look no further I call to mind some pleasant rivers that fall into the Sea You know there are many sweet and Chrystal rivers that run pleasantly as it were sporting of themselves winding and turning their silver streams up and down many a pleasant and goodly Meadow a great while but at last they fall into the Salt Sea there they lose their sweetness and become brackish So these men for a while do turn and wind themselves up and down through the Meadows of pleasure and bath themselves in the transitory bliss of this world arising from their great possessions and many honors but for want of laboring for Eternal good things at last fall into the mouth of Hell and there lose all the sweetness of those things and find nothing but the bitter brackishness of Eternal pains How will it now repent them that they labored for Earth so much and for Heaven so little for Temporal good things so much and for Eternal good things so little that they looked more at things below than at things aboâ—e This hath made some bewail their folly at death that ever they set their hearts upon them and so sinfully labored to attain them I have read a sad story of a rich oppressor who had scraped up a great estate for his only Son when this rich oppâ—essor came to dye he called his Son to him and said Son do you indeed love me the Son answered That Nature besides his Paternal indulgence obliged him to that then said the Father express it by this hold thy finger in the Candle so long as I am saying a Pater noster the Son attempted but could not indure it upon that the Father broke out into these expressions Thou canst not indure the burning of thy finger for me but to get this wealth I have hazarded my Soul for thee and must burn body and soul in Hell for thy sake thy pain would have been but for a moment but mine will be unquenchable fire Thus he bewailed that he had wickedly labored after the good things of this life this at the time of his death filled his heart no doubt with no little sorrow and vexation But I do â—erily believe that there never was any laborious Christian but upon his death bed lamented that he took no more pains for these things Nay rather he hath then wished that he had been a thousand times more laborious for them Though a lazy generation of men have accused them for â—oo much preciseness have deâ—ided them for too much strickness and have judged them to be almost besides themselves when they have taken notice of their extraordinary diligence yet themselves could say as Erasmus did Accusant quod nimium fecerim verum Conscientia mea me accusat quod minus fecerim quodque lentior fuerim They accuse me for doing too much but my own Conscience accuseth me for doing too little And what shall I say more have we God's command to labor after Eternal good things are they the best of good things making those Good and doing those Good that injoy them that when others under terrors of conscience upon a dying bed in the grave at Judgment and under everlasting torments will find nothing which do them any good or stand them in any stead these under all their afflictions upon a death-bed and at judgment will not want what will support them under the first comfort them under the second and make them hold up their heads at the third being interested in that everlasting desirable satisfying provision they have made for their souls and shall see their labor for the same hath not been in vain as also that they shall not have cause ever to repent thereof Are not these considerations sufficient to make our hearts serious to improve every hour and minute of time both day and night in the use of all good means to the very end of our days for Eternal good things and not yield to be put off with any other good things whatsoever then such as are Eternal though God keep us low and mean in the world I shall answer one question and then come to apply what hath been said CHAP. VII Question VVHat Reasons may be assigned why men labor so much after Temporal good things that they do neglect Eternal and build their happyness upon so deceitful grounds as earthly possessions and transitory things they account themselves happy in these earthly injoyments whereas a painted face is as certain an argument of a good complexion as this of an happy condition When God
Egypt to be found so wise as Joseph why so Because fore-seeing the years of famine he filled their Store-houses against the time of want Neither is there a man to be found in all the world so wise as the Godly man who only is called the man of wisdom Miâ—ha 6. 9. v. Why so Because fore seeing the length of Eternity he labours to enrich himself with hidden and Heavenly treasures that will do most good then They only shew themselves wisemen that are careful to lay up a stock and store that will do them good throughout all Eternity when as the world's fools for want of the like care will then have no good thing for their Souls to feed upon Many foolish men are like the want on Grashopper that leaps and skips chirps and sings all the time of Summer and when the time of the Winter comes it perisheth for want of what might have been gathered in the Summer O such are too many they eat and drink they laugh and sing they spend their dayes in sinful delights all the dayes of their life and entering upon Eternity they Eternally perish for want of what might have been gotten in the time of life Whereas the wise-hearted Christian is like the Annt or Bee that toyl and labour in the Summer against winter So they who are Spiritually wise in the time of life are trading for Eternity whilst they live upon Earth they are seeking after Heaven and looking after things that are invisible they are laying up treasures in Heaven a good foundation against the time to come Before their Bodies be laid up in the dark and dismal Prison of the grave their care is that their never-dying Souls may be carryed into Abraham's bosom Before all opportunities for doing their Souls good are taken away their care is to turn to God to accept of Christ to get their sins pardoned their evidence for Heaven cleared that so they may be for death prepared and after death enjoy a future and glorious felicity Before the unavoidable dissolution and separation of their Souls and Bodies and the departing hour must come their care is that when they dye they may dye in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. v. that when they sleep the sleep of death they may sleep in Jesus 1 Thess 4. 14. that when their lives must end their ends may be in peace Psal 37. 37. v. In a word that they may dye the death of the righteous That already twice repeated Text Col. 3. 2. v. Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth speaks to this purpose The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must be wise for them and this is to manifest an high point of Heavenly wisdom when meâ— are wise for Heavenly things that though they do walk on the Earth yet they do daily converse in Heaven and have their eyes fixed upon invisible things there looking upon Earthly contents to be too mean grounds whereon to raise their joyes that which ravisheth their hearts and quickens them in their labours is their thinking upon beholding of and hoping for those beams of inaccessible glory Moses was a wise man and so esteemed and reported by the Spirit of God because he despised the pleasures of Pharaoh's Court having an eye to the recompence of reward Hebr. 11. 24 25 26. v. That is because he despised all the present arguments of delight and contentment and preferred those excellencies which he knew should be infinitely greater as well as he knew they should be all 2. Your not labouring for them will bespeak you Fools Here in the world if men be but deep Polititians have profound reaches and a deep insight into the things of the world they go for very wise men But suppose a man were not inferiour to Virgil of whom it is reported that if all sciences were lost they might be found in him Or to Aristotle who by some was called wisdom it self in the abstract Or that Jew Aben Ezra of whom it was said that if knowledge had put out her Candle at his brain she might light it again and that his head was a throne of wisdom Or to that Israelitish Achitophel whose words were held as Oracles Or to Solomon who was able to unravel Nature and to discourse of every thing from the Cedar to the Hysope or Pelitory on the wall Though we were as one sayes of St. Hierome that he knew all that was knowable Or lastly though a man were equal with Adam who knew the nature of all Creatures And yet not be wise to salvation not be like the wise Scribe who was taught from the Kingdom of Heaven not be seeking after those things that will endure beyond a season and that will satisfie an immortal Soul verily this man will at last prove himself but a fool Such a fool was that miserably mistaken rich man in the Gospel who though by himself or others judged wise in the account of the only wise God was a very fool why for he provided only for the time of this life for many years only to be spent in the world but provided nothing at all for death or for his Soul after death As Cicero said of some Mihi quidem nulli satis â—ruditi videntur quibus nostra sunt ignota I cannot take them for Schollars that partake not of our learning So may I say they are not to be accounted wise men but very fools who are not wise to that which is good wise in Christ wise to secure the chiefest good and which is of the greatest value to wit their precious Souls of more worth then any thing they can stand possessed of and Heavens happiness Such and such only deserve the name of wise men and prudent ones who choose those wayes and are diligent in those actions that make for Eternal happiness The Italians arrogate to themselves the monopoly of wisdom in that Proverb of theirs Italians say they both seem wise and are wise whereas Spaniards seem wise and are fools French men seem fools and are wise They of Portugal neither are wise nor so much as seem so So many in the world think themselves the only wise men but in Spiritual and Eternal matters neither are wise nor so much as seem wise therein Those who are not Heavenly wise wise to that which is good though the wisest Polititians upon Earth though they be the most ample and cunning Machiavilians that live though they be Doctors in that deep reaching Faculty yet are they like fools being sharp-eyed like the Eagle only in the things of the Earth but as blind as Beetles in the things of Heaven Wise it is true they are but it is with such a wisdom as like the Ostrich wings makes them out-run others upon Earth and in pursuit of Earthly things but helps them never a whit towards Heaven or to pursue Heavenly things Every one will cry him up for a fool who rather chose to stay in the Theatre and
post and that only and meerly Ex gratia Your Souls are not so immersed in your bodies as that they must be extinguished with your bodies but they are seperable from your bodies and are able through the benefit of their own subtilty and spiritual substance being of a simple and uncompounded nature to subsist by themselves and when they are once divested of these earthly cases and divorced from your bodies they shall be clothed with an Eternity either of joy or torment and run parallel with the life of God and longest line of Eternity The senses of seeing hearing and the rest of those Organs of the body cease and dye with the body because they are parts of the body and have their dependance upon the body but the Soul hath a nature distinct from the body and moves and operates of it self when the body is dead and iâ— sepâ—rated from the body for when the body dyes the Soul dyes not with it but subsists even in its sepâ—rated state hath a being is still living and active and is crowned with immortallity It being the end of the resurrection of the body to meet with its old partner the Soul Not a body here this day but must dye but Souls those inmates must live though all our bodies return to the Earth whence they came yet our Spirits shall return to God that gave them and be sempiternal Eccles 12. 7. v. though our bodies must be made a prey to rottenness and worms and become captives to death and corruption yet our intellective Souls being spiritual substances independent and self-subsisting agents shall be incorruptible and for ever exist being endowed with an undying condition though our bodies was old yet Anima non senesâ—it the Soul doth not waâ— old nor ever lose its strength and vigor as bodies compounded of elements do Death its true may tyrannize over our earthly parts and may drive our Souls out of these clay lodgings but it is that they may at the very instant of departure have livery and seisin of everlasting Mansions in Heaven be alwayes themselves be for ever permanent and not subject to any extinguishment or destruction Hence it was a custom among the ancient Romans that when their great men dyed they caused an Eagle to fly aloft in the Air signifying hereby that the Soul was immortal and did not dye as the body The serious consideration of the Souls immortality should make us labour for that which will makes the immortal Soul for ever blessed and happy when it shall be unsheathed from the body unclothed from corruption and let loose from this cage of clay 5. Help Study the shortness of time and your present life And believe it Christians the less time you have the more need have you to make hast to labour for these Eternal good things Aeternitati comparatum omne tempus est breve All time if compared to Eternity is but short But time as it is short so it passeth away fast The ancients emblemed time with wings to shew the volubility and swiftness of it as if it were not running but flying whither towards Eternity for time is but a space borrowed and set a part from Eternity which must at last return to Eternity again I have read of certain Hereticks called Eternales because they held the world to be Eternal We have many such Eternallists who fancy to themselves a kind of Eternity here upon Earth Such an Eternallist was that rich fool in the Gospel we have spoken of before who fancied that he had a long time that yet he should remain upon the earth but was suddenly to be taken away Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken away In a moment his life endeth We read of a beast called from the continuance of its life Ephemeris which though it live according to his appellative name but one day yet it falls presently to provide for sustenance as though it might live years Man's life is frequently in Scripture called a Day and yet most like this beast labour and toyl build and purchase thirst after honours and preferment in the world as if they were here to live for ever but in the mean time improve not a short life for Eternal advantages Let me tell the most healthful person here present that he is not assured of one day more wherein death may not assault him and push him into an Eternal Abâ—â—s after a few hours more and then you may expect your departing hour and throw the last cast foâ— Eternity Thou knowest not yet what may be in the womb of this very day Prov. 27. 1. v. Boast not thâ— self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day mâ— bring forth Whilst a woman is with child none câ— tell what kind of birth it will be so as little doth anâ— man know what is yet in the womb of this very day until God have signified his will by the event Therâ— was a fellow that brought to Domitian the names those in a paper that would murther him but he put it in his pocket saying nova cras to morrow is a new day but he was killed or ever night He was a Wise man that being invited to a Feast on the next morrow answered Ex multis annis crastinum non habui For these many years I have not had a morrow to promise for any business No more do any here present know whether they shall have a morrow to labour for what will make them Eternally happy Death may surprize them before the Sun rise again The Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1. 13. v. I will put you in remembrance knowing I must shortly put off this Tabernacle O so let us say to our selves We will now be thinking of death we will now have Eternity in our thoughts we will now be labouring for Eternal good things we will be storing our Souls with Grace because we must shortly put off these Tabernacles we must shortly have an end put to this present life I have sometimes acquainted you with the speech of young King Charles of Sicily lying upon his death-bed I have scarce begun to live and now woe is me I am compelled to dye Art thou one that hast not yet begun to live the life of Grace that only hast a share of this Worlds goods but altogether without the good things of Heaven O make haste for thou mayest suddenly be called to dye and it will be a sore affliction to you to have an end put to time before you have provided for Eternity Oh that men in their sins would consider what space what distance how far off their Souls are from death from Hell from Eternity No more but a breath one breath and no more the next puff of breath may be their last It is said of Sparta that they used to choose their Kings every year and whilst they did raign they were to live pompously and have all the fulness their hearts could wish but when
but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Soul and body in Hell Christ does not here exclude all reverence and fear to be given unto such but the meaning is do not so fear them as you neglect to fear him which hath power to kill both body and soul he preferred the latter before the former So in my Text Christ excludeth not labouring for things necessary in this life but preferreth labour for those things that will endure to Eternal life This I conceive to be the scope and intent of our Saviour in these words and being thus opened would afford us several very profitable observations but I shall only name one the which I have chosen to make the subject of my following discourse CHAP. III. Obser THat the great Labour and pains of every Christian ought chiefly to be imployed not about perishing but eternal good things Not for things that endure but for a season but that will endure to Eternity A doctrine worthy our serious and choicest thoughts and meditations It was a good question the young man proposed to Christ Mark 19. 17. v. Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life As if he had said I know I shall be eternally happy or eternally miserable eternally cursed or eternally blessed eternally damned or eternally saved c. but what shall I do that I may be eternally happy that I may be eternally saved that I may be eternally blessed c. that I may be happy to all eternity The point of doctrine may be a fit answer Let thy labour and pains chiefly be imployed not about perishing but eternall good things It is observable that in the Lords Prayer where there are five Petitions for spiritual good things there is but one for temperal good things and that is Give us this day our dayly bread to note and intimate unto us that our desires and endeavours should be most after spiritual good things things that will endure to eternity And besides these are Petitioned for in the first place before Temporal good things to note that Temporal good things should be subserviant to Spiritual and eternal things the things of this life should be subservient to thosâ— which belong to an Eternal life I may allude to that which St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 7 38. speaking of giving a Virgin in marriage saith he he that giveth her in marriage doth well but he thaâ— giveth her not in marriage doth better so he that carefully and industriously labours for the things of this lifâ— does well as he that giveth his Virgin in Marriagâ— does well but he that laboureth and provideth foâ— things belonging to Eternal life as he that giveth noâ— his Virgin in Marriage doth better As t is said of Rachel and Leah Gen. 29. 17. Rachel was the fairer though Leah was the fruitfuller so to be diligently laborious to get what is necessary for this life is needful but to be diligently laborious to geâ— what belongs to Eternal life is more needful It was once the saying of one Si mihi daretur optio eligeriâ— Christiani rustici sordidissimum maxime agreste opiâ— praeomnibus victoriis triumphis Alexandri aut Caesaris Might I have my wish I would preferr the most despicable and sordid work of a Rustick Christian before all the Victories and triumphs of Alexander and Caesar let it for ever be the practise of holy minded Christians alwayes to prefer the diligent labouring for the Kingdome of Heaven before the striving and contending for more Kingdomes and Countries then ever were possessed by Alexander or Caesar The Wiseman who knew what was fittest to be chosen and what was best to be laboured for saith Prov. 1â— 16. That wisdome and understanding is to be chosen rather than Gold and Silver Grace here and glory hereafter are unspeakably better than Gold or silver these things they serve only the life that now is the back and the belly but Grace and Glory the life to come What Aeneas Silvius sayd of Learning may much more be said of Grace and Glory and all Eternal good things Vulgar men should esteem thereof as silver Noble men as Gold and Princes should prize it above their cheifest Pearles and manifest the same in labouring not with Martha for the many things but with Mary for the one thing necessary Eternal salvation A Christian should have his affection carryed out to these things as the Thessalonians had theirs towards St. Paul 1 Thes 3. 6 where the Apostle takes notice of the Thessalonians excellent faith and love the truth of their faith discovering it self by their love for faith that justifies works by love Gal. 5. 6. v. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by Love Now as to their faith was joyned love so in their love for which I name the place may be observed a specialty towards the Apostle they loved all Saints but especially St. Paul for they had a special remembrance of St. Paul him above many they desired to see him above many they had in their remembrance So these things of Eternity above many should be laboured for by every Christian Moses exhorteth the children of Israel in Deut. 4. 9. 10. v. to remember all the things which they had seen but especially the day that they stood before the Lord their God in Horeb. what ever a Christian wants he must labour and take pains for but specially for those things which endure to everlasting life the Jews had an high esteem of every part of God's worship that he had appointed them to observe but praecipuus honos Paschae habitus est the Pasover was chiefly had in honour We cannot promise our selves to obtain any good thing at the hands of God without labour but Eternal good things are chiefly to be laboured for CHAP. IV. In the discussion of this point I shall speak to these parts 1. SOmething by the way of Explication 2. Something by way of Demonstration 3. Something by way of Confirmation 4. Something by way of Application By way of Explication we shall enquire when a man may be said chiefly to labour for eternal good things And this we shall do in these following particulars 1. When he does rem agere when his heart is intense and serious about eternal good things 2. When he does use the right means to gain eternal good things such as are the Ordinances of the Gospel 1. The word read and preached 2. When having read or heard the Word of God Preached he does meditate upon it that he may get the good by hearing and reading he aimeth at 3. When he makes use of and improves the Sacraments of the Gospel those seals of the Covenant of Grace 1. Baptisme 2. The Lords Supper 4. When he is importunate at the Throne of Grace by Prayer begging of these things 3. When he does not use the right means for a time only but perseveres labouring in the
v. O Lord thou art my God early will I seeâ— thee And Psal 5. 3. v. My voyce shalt thou hear in the morning in the morning will I direct my Prayer to thee and look up Psal 88. 13. In the morning shall my Prayer prevent thee So â—ob chap. 1. 5. He rose up early in the morning and offered up burnt offerings So the Church to express her longâ—ngs after God says Isai â—6 9. With my spirit within me will I seek thee early in the dimm and duskish morning while it is not yet so much as twi-light And our blessed Saviour Mark 1. 35. it is said of him theâ—e in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed Of Luther it is said that every day he spent three hours in Prayer Etiam studijs aptissimas even those that were most proper for study and surely no time so proper as the morning foâ— study and no â—â—me more proper then the morning foâ— Heavenly duâ—y anâ— labor Under the Law they who gathered not Manna in the morning had none all day anâ— they who begin not with God in the morning have â—arâ—lâ— any thing to do for God or in â—eaven all the â—ay if the world â—s but the start of Reâ—â—gion in the morning is hard for Religion to overtake it all the day 2. In the Evening or last part of the day As God lets him see the day begin in mercy and end in mercy so then is a Christian minding the good things of Eternity when he both begins the day with God and ends it with God When Eternal good things are the first things he labors for in the morning of the day so they are the last things he minds in the evening of the day then he may be said chiefly to be imployed about Eternal good things When before he begins with the world or any business on Earth he begins with God and the things of Heaven and when he hath done with the world and all business upon Earth he again returns to mind God and the things of Heaven As under the Law God had his evening and morning Sacrifices 1 Chron. 16. 40. 2 Chro. 13. 11. So from him God shall have his evening as well as his morning Services Twice a day was God worshiped in the Temple both morning and evening twice a day was the Jews constant course to be in the Temple there to worship God They had their morning sacrifice when they went to their labor and their evening sacrifice when they ended their labor they gave God the first part of the day and the last part of the day although they were days appointed for work they gave the Lord his part of every day so when a Christian though he does follow the work of his particular calling in the day yet forgets not to labor for what is chiefly to be labored for as in the morning and first part of the day so in the evening and last part of the day he is obeying our Saviour's Injunction in the Text. 2. When he does it in the night time It is true the night is for sleep God hath made the night time for man to rest in they that sleep sleep in the night 1 Thes 5. 7. and sleep is a singular mercy when God does afford it tis ros naturae the Nurse and dew of Nature the sweet Parenthesis of all griefs and cares t is Medicus laborum redintegratio virium recreator corporum the great Phisitian of the sick body the redintegration of mans spirits a reviver of wearied bodies more necessary then meat and drink and without which a man were not able long to subsist but yet as the whole day is not alwayes to be spent in bodily labors no more is the whole night alwayes to be spent in taking of bodily rest under pretence of a little time allowed us for that use the half of our time should not alwayes be exacted from us Heathens will herein shame many Christians Alexander and Caesar parted the night into three parts the first they took unto rest the second to the works of Nature the third to their Studyes and thus they did because they were forced to take the day-time for the Government of their Kingdomes and administration of warlike affairs Indeed God sometimes withholds sleep from men in the night that they might be imployed in some Nocturnal actions of piety towards God for the good of their immortal Souls Sometimes that they may call to mind their sins to mourn for them and repent of them that so they may not sleep the sleep of death Psal 13. 3. that a sensible sinner can truly say with David Psal 6 6. v. All the night long make I my bed to swim I water my Couch with my tears surely these are no tears of an Hypocrite that are shed in the night and that in such abundance as to cause a flood in the bed God deals by Men as those used to be dealt with who had the Sweating-sickness In the Sweating-sickness that raigned sometims in England those that were suffered to sleep as all in that case were apt to do they dyed within a few hours the best office therefore that any could do them was to keep them waking though against their wills so God deals with many when he brings their sins to their remembrance the thoughts of their sins will not let them sleep As t is said The rich Man's abundance will not let him sleep Eccles 5. 12. care of getting and fear of losing breaks his sleep and how oft does God make the poor penitent troubled Sinner find this true that the abundance of his sins will not let him sleep Sometimes to pray unto God in the night T is true the day is most seasonable to work in Night cometh saith Christ when no Man can work John 9. 4. v. that is then it is unseasonable to work but though it be unseasonable to follow the works of our particular calling in yet it is not unseasonable to Pray in of Samuel it is said 1 Sam. 15. 11. v. he cryed to the Lord all night for Soul And of David it is said 2 Sam. 12. 16. v. And David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth when he sought to God by Prayer for his child So did our blessed Saviour Luk. 6. 12. v. in the Mountain he prayed all night totam noctem consumpsâ—t in â—raeciâ—us he spent the whole night in Prayer when Christ prayed for sinners he prayed all night long that they might learn how to pray for themselves if God drive sleep from them or the condition of their souls reqâ—ire iâ— not only to pray in the day but also in the night so did Jacob when he wrestled with God in the shape of a Man Gen. 32. 24. 25. â— untill the breaking of the day Iâ— is storyed of St. Anthony that having spent the whole night in Prayer
Silas when they were prisoners when their feet were in the Stocks and that in the night yet they can sing praises to God Act. 16. 25. v. I was carryed to the Colehouse saith Mr. Philpot where I with my fellows do rouse together in the straw as chearfully we thank God as others do in their beds of Down They had their hearts in the night though they lay only in Straw fuller of heavenly Melody then some who rested every night upon their beds of Down their darkest nights were inlightned with the delights of God the elevations of then hearts were great such a temper as this in the ancient Christians â—aâ—sed them to be called the Crickets of the night â—ttering those Magnalia Dei the wonderful works of God Act. 2. 11. v. expressing their spiritual Jollity whilst they have been praising God in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs Sometimes that they might meditate upon the Word of God Time in it self is a most precious thing not such a Jewel among all things partaining to this life upon this time depends the welfare of our souls as to Eternity and t is but short 1 Cor. 7. 29. v. I say Brethren the time is short when Men find their time too short to perfect a business they will not only persecute iâ— in the day but in the night also 〈◊〉 Men but want Bread for themselves or families they will work hard in the day and continue to work some part of the night also The good houswife Pro. 31. 14. riseth whilst it is yet night As the Oracle told the Cyrrheans noctesque Diesque belli gerandum they could not be happy unless they waged War night and day Our whole life-time is little enough to effect the Salvation and everlasting happiness of our Souls and yet of this how much do Men consume in sleep but a gracious soul when God in the night time drives away sleep from his eyes will sometimes be calling to mind his sins to repent of them sometimes be praying unto God sometimes be seeking for Jesus Christ sometimes be praising of God and sometimes also be meditating in the law of God as is noted before of David's godly Man that he would be meditating herein day and night his thoughts then are set upon the Word of God Some indeed when God driâ—es away sleep from their eyes pass away such nights in wandring and roving thoughts their thoughts then running too and fro from one object to another without any good or profit to their souls they stay and fix upon nothing that is good are soon weary of any thing that is good ever are their thoughts â—â—â—tting up and down the world And thus for want of Meditation too often stiflle what good things they have read or heard of out of the Word of God in the day-time that their hearts are a â—in to that ground at Collâ—n where some of St. Vrsida's eleven thousand Virgins were buâ—ied which will cast up in the night any that have been â—nterred there in the day except of that company â—hough it were a Child newly baptized they neither keep any thing in their thoughts or their thoughts upon any thing but what agrees to their corrupt hearts Sometimes again to have their hearts taken up with some considerations of Eternity and their immortal Souls everlasting salvation All time is his who gave Time a beginning and continuance though yet some he hath made ours not to command to abuse and mis-spend but rightly to use Time is as it were a portion part or Cantle cut out of Eternity and then time is best used when a Christian is providing for Eternity laying hold upon every occasion and improving every hour and minute thereof for the good of his soul fitting it for that great Account in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ and laying in provision for that endless Duration This is that will comfort him at the day of death when all worldly comforts will and must leave him when riches can no whit avail him When a Man's conscience shall witness with him that he hath not mis-spent his time not lost nor let slip any opportunities of doing his Soul good when he can give a good account of his time Good Hezekiah when the message of Death came to him comforted himself thus Isay 38. 3. v. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight as if he had said I can give a good account of my time I have spent my time well I have not idled away my time and lost my time Vâ—â—a est punctum temporis a quo de pendâ— aeternitâ—s It shall be with us to Eternity as we spend our time And we may observe that God sometimes drives sleep from Mens â—o set them upon thinking of Eternity Dâ—â—xâ—â—â—us reports of a young man that was much given to his lusts and pleasures and could not indure to be crossed but of all things he could not bear to be kept from sleeping in the night and to lye awake in the dark but being sick he was kept from sleep in the night and then he began to have these thoughts and think What is it tedious to be kept from sleep one night and to lye a few hours awake in the dark O what will it be to lye in torments and darkness for ever I am hear in my house upon a soft bed in the dark kept by sickness from sleep but one night O what is it to lye in Flames and Darkness for ever and ever how dreadful will that be And these thoughts of Eternity were the means of breaking this young man off his lusts that was given to all manner of lusts before Now when a Christian God driving sleep from his eyes does in the night-season set himself to call to mind his sins to pray to God to seek for Jesus Christ to praise God and hath his heart taken up with these serious thoughts of Eternity and his immortal Souls everlasting Salvation he is about such an imployment as may gain him the possession of Eternal good things Such a one was David Psal 22. 2. v. O my God says he I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not and in the night-season and am not silent Like one hot in the pursuit of a business if he finisheth it not in the day he will spend the night about it David that prayed three times a day morning noon and night yea seven times a day sometimes held on the work in the night And so does the Church express her longing desire after God Isay 26 9. v. With my Soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early It is storied of that Stoical Philosopher Cleanthes the successor of Zeuo a Man who for his excessive pains was called another Hercules while he was poor on the day-time he studyed Philosophy and
a great fight of afflictions A Christian hath more then one Enemy to fight and contend with that labour to hinder his passage towards the Promised Land and is ever to look for warrs and bickerings with one or other that is an enemy to his souls everlasting happiness here is a Christians warfare only in Heaven is his Crown there is no place nor state but Heaven wherein a Christian is free from either outward or inward enemies there and no where but there is he triumphant here he is alwayes militant assaulted and fought against by many adversaries that disquiet hinder his content and that would fain for ever overcome bim As Israel passing through the Wilderness towards Canaan had many warrs and resistances to hinder them in their march thither so have all the Israelites of God designed for Heaven whilst they are in the Wilderness of this world they have the Devil and other both Church and soul Enemies without them and inbread corruptions and lusts within them that fight and make warr against their Souls That as it is said of Cato that he conflicted with manners as Scipio did with Enemies so does a Christian conflict and combate with Lusts and corruption as a Souldier does with his enemies in the field these warring against his Soul so sayes the Apostle Peter 1. Pet. 2. 11. Dearly beloved I beseech you as Pilgrims and strangers abstain from fleshly Lusts which warr against the soul And the Apostle Paul saies of himself Rom. 7. 23. I see another law in my members warring against the Law of my mind The Law of his members did warr and fight against the Law of his mind by provoking him to sin the Apostle speaks it of the regenerate estate Gal. 5. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other There is a contrariety in the flesh against the spirit there is an opposite disposition in the nature of it against the spirit and this not at one time of a Christians life but all the time of his life As fire and water being put together never cease striving and fighting until either the fire be extinguished or the water consumed so a Christian finds it in his spiritual fight and combat with sin there is no ceasing of the fight or combat until one of the combatants be killed and destroyed Now 't is no little labour to fight a battel with and against a potent enemy as indeed sin is an enemy that hath overcome the stoutest warriors Quos arma equi milites machinamenta capere non potuerunt hos peccatum vinctos reddidit such as armes and horses and souldiers and engines could not overcome sin hath overcome Victorious David felt the force of sin in this respect Abraham that subdued those Kings who did plunder Sodome and carryed away Lott is yet though the eminentest man alive in his age for faith foiled by unbelief such instances as these and many more but that I love not to lay open the Saints sores would shew how potent an enemy sin is and you know when men are fighting to get a victory over a potent enemy fightting to wrest a Kingdome or a Countrey out of the hands of a potent enemy they use all the care and all the labour possible to be used and the like care and labour hath a Christian need to manifest when he considers what he fights for not for his countrey not for greatpossessions not for liberty not for wife and children though the remembrance of such things animates souldiers but he fights for that peace of conscience which passeth all understanding he fights for God and Christ whose glory lies at stake every day and suffers as often as he is overcome by sin he fights for Eternal life and for the everlasting salvation of his immortal soul Are not these things worth fighting for laboring and contending for It is in the fighting of this battel as Caesar said it was in the battel he had once in Affrica with the children and partakers of Pompey that in other Battels he was wont to fight for glory but then and there he was fain to fight for his life O Christians here let us remember that our precious Souls lye at the stake in this fight Heaven and all the Eternal good things laid up in Heaven lye at the stake in this fight this will then call for the labor and pains we use in the managing thereof Hence we read of striving against sin Heb. 12. 4. v. ye have not resisted unto blood striving against sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Theame is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè in certamine me alij oppono It is here fitly translated Striving against and is a soldier-like word which signifies opposing or fighting as an enemy to whom a man will not yield and by whom be is loath to be overcome And the opposed enemy we see here is Sin against which a Christian is to strive with all might and main as Combatants and Wrestlers were wont to do Sin being such a malitious enemy that aims at the damnation of the soul After that sin hath brought Diseases upon the body Poverty upon the estate and a Curse upon posterity it proceeds further laboring to rob and ransake the Soul of all spiritual graces a privation of mortal life contents not the malice of sin sin aims at the loss of Eternal life at the loss of our Souls of our God and Christ and the blessedness of Eternity It was observed of Julius Caesar that in his ingaging the Swisses who thought to obtain Gallia out of his hands he would alight and send away his Horses and cause all the rest to do the like To shew them that they must overcome or dye leaving them no other hopes of their safety but only in the sharpness of their Swords So in this fight a Christian must either overcome or dye the wages of Sin is Death Rom. 7. 5. Rom. 6. 21. The end of these things is death Death is but a modest word for Damnation the first and second death not only that which is temporal but that which is Eternal I have read of a people who when their armies were preparing to fight in the time of War used only this expression to put spirits into their soldiers Estote viri libertas agitur Be Men your liberty is in question Christians Heaven and Eternal glory are in question betwixt you and sin Estote viri shew your selves therefore to be Men nay to be Christians 4. It is compared to one being in an Agony Luk. 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the straight-gate The word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strive till you are in an Agony as Christ was Christ was in an Agony in the Garden when he sweat drops of Blood so saith St. Luke chap. 22. 44. v. And being in an agony he prayed more carnestly and his sweat was as it
like flowers that have only their months but end with the Spring or Summer like Grass which in the morning flourisheth and groweth up but in the evening is cut down and withered like Nosegays now iâ— the bosom by and by in the besom like so many bubles in the waâ—er which burst of themselves as so many Spiâ—eâ—s-webs that are easily torn in pieces like wandring Sirds which look upon us from a bough of some tree making us a little chirping musick and then fly away How many examples are there in the world of withered and blasted estates How many persons do we read and hear of that have supposed their mountain so strong that they should never be moved yet they have been stript of all before they dyed and have become as poor as Job as we say How many that for a long time together never saw one day of Sorrow but had the patient providence of God resting with all favor and success upon their Tabernacle and were invested with great Lordships and possessions but have brought all to a morsel and have dyed wanting How many who were once well fed and warm clad have soon changed their pastures and their cups which did once run over with Wine have been filled with the waters of Marah and they put into the poor man's dress Let men possess never so much of these Temporal good things yet they have no Charter for what they injoy They who are now full and abound with all things to make their lives comfortable may â—â— many ways brought to poverty Ruth 1. 21. v. says she there I went out full and the Lord hath brought me again empty As one says Dies hora momentum evertendis Dominationibus sufficit quae adamantinis credebantur radicibusâ—esse fundatae A day an hour a moment is enough to overturn the things that seemed to have been founded and rooted in Adamant and to make them perish O that those men who are so greedily set to gain the world and nothing else but the world and the things of the world are in their thoughts and have their hearts and affections for these they toyl labor and take pains day and night never minding what will be fall their souls and yet they see what the things are they so much labor for poor trifles the very best are if compared to the Soul the soul that must abide for ever and yet these things that are but perishing things and they have no assurance to injoy them one hour to an end take up all their time and labor and pains Such men put me in mind of what is reported of a Woman who had her house on fire that she was very busy and spent her time and took great pains about saving and gathering up many â—â—ifling things and in the mean time had a child in the Cradle and forgot that now when the poor Woman came to take a view of what she had gathered up she saw but a few trifling things but when her child came into her mind imagining that her child had been burnt though it was saved she ran mad to consider that she should be so foolish as to mind things of no concernment and to forget her child So will it grate upon the Consciences of thousands to all Eternity when they shall remember they labored all their life for such things as perish with their using but neglected what should have done their souls good to Eternity But those things we should cheifly labor for are Eternal and everlasting good things As indeed all the things of Heaven are Eternal and everlasting and as far from dimiâ—ution and decay as the soul from death and can be no more corrupted or shaken then the seat and omnipotency of God surprized How many Scriptures bring this Olive branch in their mouth and assure believers that all the things of Heaven are Eternal which truth is the flower of all our joy Take this brief account of Heavens Eternal good things 1. That Glory in Heaven is Eternal Glory 2. That life which is to be had in Heaven is Eternal life 3. That Joy which is to be had in Heaven is Eternal joy 4. That Inheritance which is to be had in Heaven is an Eternal Inheritance 5. The kingdom of Heaven is an Eternal kinddom 6. The Crown worn in Heaven is an Eternal Crown 7. The house or habitation prepared in Heaven is an Eternal habitation 1. The Glory in Heaven is Eternal glory Our blessed Saviour is ascended up into Heaven and there is made partaker of this glory but he will have all those who are his to fare as he himself fares they shall all of them be dwellers in glory with him See John 17. 22 23 24. v. The Glory which thou gavest me I have given them viz. those whom God had given him v. 6. that they may be one even as we are one I â—â— them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me When David was sent by God to Hebron to be crowned he will not up alone but takes with him all his men with all their housholds they shall have a part with him So Jesus Christ will not be happy alone will not live in glory alone as a loving Husband he cannot injoy any thing if his wife and children have not a part with him so Jesus Christ will have all his in glory with him to see his glory and as I have already shewed to be glorifyed with him and this glory wherewith they shall be gloryfied is an everlasting glory t is no glory that is transient or that will ever end but t is Eternal glory It is Excellentis gloriae pondus aeternum 2 Cor. 7. 4. 17. v. where the Apostle speaks of an Eternal weight of glory And St. Peter speaks De aeterna gloria in Christâ— Jesu Of Eternal glory by Christ Jesus 2. That life which is to be had in Heaven is Eternal life It is not a life of threescore years and ten or fourscore years as our lives in the world are which are soon cut off and flie away Psal 90. 10. v. A longer life then that which is promised in the last verse of the very next Psalm Psal 91. 16. v. With long life will I satisfy him the word Long is too short to set out to us this life Old Parr's life was a long life and the life of Johannes de temporibus was a long life for he lived in sundry Centuries and filled up Three hundred threescore and one years Adam his life was a longe life and Methusalah ' life was a longer life but this is an everlasting life Alas our life here on earth is but a short life every day the thread of mens lives are