blessed Saviour himself he had not so much as a hole to lay his head in not a Cradle to lye in when he was born he who was the bread of life wanted bread to eat in this life he was a man of sorrows augmented with grief conâ—emned and scorned by the world he who was Lord both of heaven and earth had not so much as a hole to put his head in when he was upon earth Lazarus who is now in Abrahams bosom was laid at the rich mans gate and he who was then full of sores now knows no sorrow he hath all tears now wiped away from from his eyes who might have cryed his eyes out for bread at the rich mans gate they that know no want in the world to come may know nothing but want in this world In the next place as an addition to the lives of them both we have the poor mans humility and the rich mans cruelty and this is first set forth by the smallness of that which Lazarus desired onely a few crumbs he did not come to Dives to beg any of his Lands or Lordships neither any of his messes or costly dishes had Lazarus desired any of these he might have denied him as too hold You know we have a common Proverb amongst us that Beggars must not be chusers and it s not more common then true they that are truly poor will be thankful for the least crumb for the smallest gift Lazarus desired onely to be fed with the crumbs that fell from his table not his dainties And then secondly the rich mans cruelty is here condemned by the compassion of his dogs Dives regarded neither his hunger nor his sores but the dâ—gs they pittied his wounds they came and licked his sores they did what they could to ease his pains those cruel creatures whose natures are so fierce and cruel and apt to bite and devour they forget their wonted cruelty and as much as in them lyes labour to heal or ease the poor mans sores It s not improbable but that the dogs were let loose purposely to affrighten Lazarus from his gate or else to devour him rich Gluttons usually kéep such fierce and devouring creatures purposely to kéep or frighten the poor from their gates but God can restrain the rage of the fiercest creatures to preserve his people he can shut the mouths of Lions that they devour not Daniel he can cause the Dogs contrary to their natures to lick the sores of Lazarus In the next place we come to give you the deaths both of the beggar and the rich man And it came to pass that the beggar died God hath now given him a writ of ease from all his sores no more sorrow nor pain now no more hunger nor cold nor nakedness God hath released the poor man out of all his miseries From whence we may observe that death to the godly is a blessed priviledge it puts an end to all their woes though heaviness may endure for a night yet joy comes in the morning though poverty losses and disgraces and all kinde of outward afflictions may attend Gods people in this life yet when death comes there 's an end of all these In a word death is the best friend a childe of God hath next to Iesus Christ it doth not onely deliver them from their sorrow but it translates them to their joyes it is the messenger of God their heavenly Father who comes onely to call them home to their Fathers house to inherit those everlasting joyes which God hath prepared for them to all eternity Lazarus was not onely released from his sorrows by death but he is carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom death takes him from the woes of this world and the Angels they transport him to everlasting glory in the world to come God hath released Lazarus from all his miseries But what becomes of the Glutton The rich man also died and was buried From whence we may observe that neither riches nor honours can prevent death he knocks as well at the Court as at the Cottage he regards Scarlet Gowns and Purple Robes no more then he doth the poorest beggars rags death deprives men of all their honours and riches the rich fool in the Gospel he sings a requiem to his soul and this very night death comes and then whose are all these 'T is neither Purple Robes nor sumptuous Apparel that can prevent death God cuts off wicked men in the midst of their mirth and jollity in the grave there is no difference between the poor and the rich the worms may be finde better fare upon the fat Carkasses of rich Gluttons then of the poor Well the rich man he dyed also what becomes of him afterwards his body that is honourably buried by his friends I but what becomes of his soul that you read is hurried into hell he is huried and in hell he lift up his eyes From whence we may observe That the Lord Iesus Christ doth hereby signifie that men are naturally unwilling to see or take notice of their sad state I say by nature but though now they are willingly ignorant yet in Hell they shall lift up their eyes That is in Hell they shall see and understand their miserable condition and therefore to these words In Hell he lift up his eyes he added being in torment As if he had said Though once they shut their eyes though once they were willingly ignorant yet when they depart into Hell they shall be so miserably handled and tormented that they shall be forced to lift up their eyes For while men live in this world and are in a natural state they will have a good conceit of themselves and of their condition they will conclude that they are Christians and their state to be as good as the best they will conclude they have faith the spirit good hope and an interest in the Lord Iesus Christ but then when they drop into Hell and lift up their eyes there and behold first their soul to be in extream torments their dwelling to be the bottomless pit their company thousands of damned souls also the innumerable company of Devils and the hot scalding vengeance of God not onely to drop but to fall very violently upon them then they will begin to be awakened who all their life time were in a dead sleep I say when this comes to pass as it will then in hell they shall lift up their eyes in the midst of torments they shall lift up their eyes Again you may observe from these words And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment That the time of the ungodly mens smarting for their sins will be in torments of hell Now here I am put to a stand when I consider the torments of hell into which the damned do fall O unspeakable torments O endless torments Now that thy soul might be made to flée from these tâ—â—â—ollerable torments into which the â—amned do go I shall
dye the Devil presently claims their souls the breath is no sooner gone but the Soul is in Hell These three Points of Doctrine I shall first prove unto you from Scritpure evidence and shew you that it is so and then in the second place I shall endeavour to improve them by way of Vse and Application for the spiritual improvement of your precious and immortal souls And the first Point to be proved is this that there is both a Heaven and a Hell in handling of which I shall first shew you that it is so that there is both a Heaven and a Hell And secondly what this Heaven and Hell is That there is both a Heaven and a Hell is a truth believed in all ages denied by none but Atheists and such as deny God and they that dare deny this truth will not dare also to deny God himself The truth of this Point is so clear that it néeds no proof it being as clear as the Sun at Noonday so that he that runs may read it the Text it self doth clearly prove this truth Dives being in Hell sees Lazarus in Abrahams bosome Dives he never minded Hell so as to prevent it but Dives he now findes a Hell so as never to escape it That there is a Hell see that place in Psalm 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the Nations that forget God It is better saith our Saviour in Matthew 5.30 to lose one eye rather then our whole body should enter into hell That of our Saviour in the 10. of Matthew and the 28. verse is a clear proof of this Point Fear not him which can kill the body but is not able to kill the soul but rather fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell which clearly proves that there is a Hell wherein both soul and body shall be destroyed Secondly that there is a Heaven a place of Glory for the Saints in the world to come you may sée if you consider these following Scriptures Psal 58.11 Verily there is a reward for the righteous And this was that which did put Moses upon chusing Christ the Text saith Heb. 11.26 He had respect to the recompence of reward Psal 37.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel saith David and afterward receive me to glory This made the believing Hebrews Heb. 10.34 rejoyce in having their goâ—ds spoâ—â—ed and taken away the Apostle saith they knew in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and a more induring substance We know saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 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 Rejoyce saith our Saviour and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in Heaven Luke 6.24 Sell all saith our Saviour and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven Luke 18.22 This day saith our Saviour to the Penitent Thief shalt thou be with me in Paradice Luke 23.43 and Chap. 24.51 our Saviour after his Resurrection is there said to be carried up into Heaven So in the 16. of Mark our Saviour being risen and appearing to his Discipâ—e◠〈◊〉 said in the 19. vâ—â—se After he had spoken 〈◊〉 them he was received up into heaven and sate at the right hand of God Consider these Scriptures and surely thou wilâ— believe that there is both a Heaven and a Hell Now what this Heaven is I shall endeavour to declare unto you but had I the tongue of men and Angels it were not possible for me fully to declare unto you the glory thereof for as the Apostle saith excellently Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath iâ— entered into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 If all the stars in the firmament of heaven were all Suns saith a godly man now in glory they would be but a dark shadow to the glory of heaven and therefore it s reserved for eternity to be known But to give you a little glimpse of this glory and I shall but shew you as it were the out-side of your Fathers house the inside or rather the perfection of all you shall know when you come to the enjoyment of it And this I shall briefly shew 1. Negatively 2. Comparatively and 3. Positively And for the negative part of this glory there shall be no evil the Saints in Heaven shall be freed from all evil from sin and that 's the greatest evil yea the evil of evils the people of God in Heaven shall be freed from all hardness of heart blindness of minde â—uâ—ness of spirit there they shall serve God freely and fully and as they shall be freed from the evil of sin so they shall be delivered from all possibility of sinning which is when the happiness of God himself 1. In Heaven there shall be no sorrow sorrow shall there flee away and although through many tribulations we must enter into Heaven yet in Heaven there shall be no tribulation nor sorrow there all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor pain no sickness in heaven no deformity nor crookedness in glory no consumptions nor decaying of our bodies no persecutions nor oppressions there in Heaven the Saints shall be beyond the reach of the Devil and all his instruments in this world the Saints meet with troubles and griefs and persecutions and distresses but in the world to come in Heaven they shall be done away 2. For the Comparative part of this glory 1. It is infinitely more then what we have here here we know but in part but in Heaven we shall know as we are known We shall be like God and we shall see him as he is 1 John 3.2 2. It s beyond the happiness of Adam in Paradice in Paradice Adams body was but mortal but in Heaven the bodies of the Saints are all immortal for Christ will change our vile bodies and make them like unto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 3. The glory of the Saints in heaven shall be beyond the glory of all the most glorious Angels for they are more nearly united to Christ they are the friends the brethren of Christ co-heirs with Christ they shall be made one with Christ John 17.23 Christ took not on him the nature of Angels Unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son Heb. 1.5 3. For the positive part of the glory of Heaven and this you may see in these particulars First In heaven there shall bâ— perfection of their nature our body shall then be made like the glorious body of Christ every soul shall then have one incorruptible body there shall be no more death there shall be a perfection of soul and body Secondly they shall possess and enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven even the heaven of heavens they shall be lifted uâ—
shew you darkly and briefly what are the torments of Hell First by the names of it Secondly by the sad state thou wilt be in if thou comest there First the names It is called a never dying worm Mark 9. It is called an oven â—ire hot Mal. 4.1 It is called a furnace a fiery furnace Mat. 13. It is called the bottomless pit the unquenchable fire fire and brimstone hell fire the lake of fire devouring fire everlasting fire eternal fire a stream of fire Rev. 21. First one part of thy torments will be this thou shalt have a full sight of all thy ill-spent life from first to last though here thou canst sin to day and forget it by to morrow yet there thou shalt be made to remember how thou didst sin against God at such a time and in such a place for such a thing and with such an one which will be an hell unto thee 2. Thou shalt have the guilt of them all lie heavy on thy soul not onely the guilt of one or two but the guilt of them all together and there they shall lie in thy soul as if thy belly were full of pitch and set on a light fire Now here men can sometimes think on their sins with delight but there with unspeakable torment for that I understand to be the fire that Christ speaketh of which shall never be quenched Mark while men live here O how doth the guilt of one sin sometimes crush the soul it makes a man in such plight that he is weary of his life so that he can neither rest at home nor abroad neither up nor in bed Nay I do know that they have been so tormented with the guilt of one sinful thought that they have béen even at their wits end But now when thou comest into hell and hast not onely one or two or an hundred sine with the guilt of them all on thy soul and body but all the sins that ever thou didst commit since thou camest into the world all together clapt on thy conscience at one time as one should clap a red hot iron to thy breasts and there to continue to all eternity this is miserable 3. Again then thou shalt have brought to thy remembrance the slighting of the Gospel of Christ here now thou shalt consider how willing Christ was to come into the world to save sinners and for what a trifle thou didst reject him This is plainly held forth in Isa 28. where speaking of the Lord Iesus Christ the foundation of salvation ver 16. he saith of them that reject the Gospel that when the overflowing scourge doth pass through the earth which I understand to be at the end of the world then saith he It shall take you morning by morning by day adn by night shall it pass over you that is continually without any intermission Now these are the words I aim at where he saith And shall be a vexation onely to hear the report A vexation that is a torment or a great part of hell onely to understand the report that is to understand the good tidings that came into the world by Christs death for poor sinners and you will finde this to be verily the minde of the Spirit if you compare it with Isa 53.1 where he speaks of mens turning their backs upon the tenders of Gods grace in the Gospel he saith Who hath believed our report or the Gospel declared by us Now this will be a torment to the ungodly when they shall understand the goodness of God was so great that he even sent his Son out of his bosom to dye for sinners and yet that they should be so foolish as to put him off from one time to another that they should be so foolish as to lose heaven and Christ and eternal life in glory for the society of a company of Drunkards that they should lose their souls for a little sport for this world for a strumpet for that which is lighter then vanity and nothing I say this will be a very great torment unto thee 4. Another part of thy torment will be this thou shalt see thy friends thy acquaintance thy neighbours nay it may be thy father thy mother thy wife thy husband thy children thy brother thy sister with others in the kingdom of heaven and thy self thrust out And this is that that Christ told the Iews would befall them in Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping c. when you shall see Abraham your Father and Isaac and Jacob together with your Brethren the Prophets in the Kingdom of Heaven and your selves thrust out Nay saith he There shall come from the East and from the West that is those that thou didst never see in all thy life before and shall sit down with thy friends and thy neighbours thy wife and thy children in the Kingdom of Heaven and thou for thy sins and disobedience shalt be shut nay thrust out O wonderful torment 5. Again thou shalt have none but a company of damned souls with an innumerable company of huge devils to kéep company with thee While thou art in this world the very thoughts of the devils appearing to thee makes thy flesh to tremble and thine hair ready to stand upright on thy head But O what wilt thou do when not onely the supposition of the devils appearing but the real society of all the devils in hell to be with thee howling and roaring sâ—â—â—eching and yelling in such a hideous manner that thou wilt be even at thy with end and be ready to run stark mad again for anguish and torment 6. Again that thou mightest be tormented to purpose the mighty God of heaven will lay as great wrath and vengeance upon thee as ever he can by the might of his glorious power As I said before Thou shalt have his wrath not by drops no. but by whole showres shall it come thunder thunder upon thy body and soul so fast and so thick that thou shalt be tormented out of measure And so saith the Scripture 2 Thes 1.9 speaking of the wicked Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when the Saints shall be admiring his goodness and glory Again this thou shalt have as I said before without and intermission thou shalt not have any ease so long as while am n may turn himself round thou shalt have it alwayes every hour day and night for their worm never dyes but alwayes gnaws and their fire is never quenched As it is written in Mark 9. 7. Again in this condition thou must be for ever and that is as sad as all the rest For if a man were have all his sins laid to his charge and communion with the devils and as much wrath as the great God of heaven can inflict upon them I say if it were but for a time even ten thousand years if then it might have an end there would be ground of
comfort and hopes of deliverance but here is thy misery this is thy state for ever here thou must be for ever when thou lookest about thee and séest what an innumerable company of howling devils thou art amongst thou shalt think this again this is my portion for ever When thou hast béen in heâ—l so many thousand years as there are stars in the firmament or drops in the sea or sands on the sea shore yet thou hast to lye there for ever O this one word ever how will it torment thy soul O friends I have only given a very short touch of the torments of hell O! I am set I am set and am not able to utter what my minde conceives of the torments of hell Yet this let me say to thee accept of Gods mercy through our Lord Iesus Christ lest thou feel that with thy conscience which I cannot express with my tongue and say I am sorely tormented in this flame And seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome When the damned are in this pittiful state surrounded with fears with terrors with torment and vengeance one thing they shall have which is this they shall sée the happy and blessed state of Gods children he séeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome which as I said before is the happy state of the Saints when this life is ended This now shall be so far from being an ease unto them that it shall most wonderfully aggravate or heighten their torment as I said before There shall be weeping or cause of lamentation when they shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven and themselves thrust out 2. Observe those that die in their sins are far from going to Heaven He séeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome And indeed it is just with God to deal with them that die in their sins according to what they have done and to make them who are far from righteousness now to stand far from Heaven to all eternity Hearken to this ye stout hearted that are far from righteousness and you that are resolved to go on in your sins when you die you will be far from Heaven you will sée Lazarus but it will be afar off Again he seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome These are some of the things that the damned do behold so soon as they come into torment Mark And he seeth Lazarus in Abrahams bosome Lazarus who was he Why even he that was so slighted so disregarded so unto dervaluâ—d by this ungodly one while he was in the world he séeth Lazarus in his bosome From whence observe that those who live and dye the enemies of the Saints of God let them be never so great or stout let them hear never so much sway while they are in the world let them brag and boast never so much while they are here they shall in spight of their teeths see the Saints yea the poor Saints even the Lazarus's or the ragged ones that belong to Iesus to be in a better condition then themselves O who do you think was in the best condition or who do you think saw themselves in the best condition he that was in Hell or he that was in Heaven He that was in darkness or he that was in light He that was in everlasting joy or he that was in everlasting torments The one with God Christ Saints and Angels the other in tormenting flames under the curse of Gods eternal hatred with the devils and their angels together with an innumerable company of howling roaring cursing ever burning reprobates Certainly this observation will be eaâ—â—ly proved to be true here in this world by him that looks upon it with an understanding heart and will clear it self to be true in the world to come by such as shall go either to heaven or to hell 2. The second observation from these words And seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome is this â—hey that are the persecutours of the â—aints of the Lord now in this world â—all see the Lords persecuted ones to 〈◊〉 they that are so highly esteemed by â—he Lord as to sit or to be in Abrahams â—â—som in everlasting glory though they the enemies to the Children of God and the practice of the Saints did so lightly esteem them that they scorn to let them gather up the dogs meat that falls under their table this is also verified and held forth plainly by this Parable And therefore be not grieved O you that are the tempted persecuted afflicted sighing praying Saints of the Lord though your adversaries look upon you now with a disdainful surly rugged proud and haughty countenance yet the time shall come when they shall see you in Abrahams bosome And then shall they cry to think that Lazarus whom once they slighted must be of them that must sit with Christ it junge or together with Christ to pasâ— sentence of condemnation on their souls for ever and ever and ever 1 Cor 6.2 3. And also that when the judgement is over and others are taken in to the everlasting Kingdom of Glory then thou must depart back again 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 of darkness from wheâ—â— than camest out to appear before thâ— terrible Tribunal where thou shalt tormented so long as eternity lasts without the least intermission or ease How sayest thou O than 〈◊〉 proud swearing lying â—â—godly wretch whether this be to be slighted and made a mock at And again tell me now if it be not better to leave sin and to close in with Christ Iesus notwithstanding that reproach thou shalt meet with for so doing then to live a little while in this world in pleasures and seeâ—ing thy lusts in neglecting the welfaâ—e of thy soul and refusing to be justified by Iesus and in a moment to drop down into Hell and so cry O consider I say consider betimes and put not off the tenders of the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ lest you lift up your eyes in Hell and cry for anguisly of spirit as Dives did For you see here God sends Dives his body his rotten Carkass to his friends but the 〈◊〉 he takes possession of his soul but on the contrary no mourning for Lazarus 〈…〉 is taken for his funeral his Carkass it may be is it â—â—â—bled into some â—oâ—e other 〈◊〉 but Lazarus's soul that 's in Glory Many 〈◊〉 Carkasses may be honourably buried whose Soul shall be everlastingly damned From the words thus briefly opened let me give you two or thrée observations In the first place then I observe from hence that there is both a Heaven and a Hell a place of joy and a place of torment in the world to come Secondly I observe from hence that the Souls of the godly so soon as they are separated from their bodies are received into glory Thirdly I observe from hence then that the Souls of wicked man when they dye are immediately sent to Hell when wicked men