Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	bless_v	lord_n	psal_n	5,398	5	8.4230	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96328	The Christians hope triumphing in these glorious truths; [brace] 1. That Christ the ground of hope, is God, and not meer man, against the Arians, and other unbelieving Christians. 2. That Christ is the true Messiah, against the unbelieving Jews. 3. That there is another life besides this, against the grosse atheist. 4. That the soul of man is immortall, and doth not sleep till the day of resurrection, against the errour of some seeming semi-atheists. 5. How the hope of heaven should be attained, whilst we are on earth, against the carnall worldlings. 6. How this hope may be discerned where it is, and attained where it is not, for the comfort of every poor Christian. All which truths are briefly pointed out and cleared, in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of Lords in the Abby-Church at Westminster on Wednesday, May 28. being the day appointed for solemn and publike humiliation. / By Jeremiah Whitaker. Published by order of the House of Peers.	Whittaker, Jeremiah, 1599-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing W1710; Thomason E286_4; ESTC R200074	52,593	59

silent Fifthly The expression of death by the Holy ghost is a departure 2 Pet 1 14. putting off this tabernacle and it is a strange ●●ake to take the house for the inhabitant Sixthly I cannot rockon the world of absurdities which follow this great errour that it 〈◊〉 gap to the overthrow of all the thoughts of Eternity for if arguments from nature can prevaile to delude the soule so farre as to thinke the soule is abolished at death what arguments can prevaile with a carnall heart to perswade it that the body shall be raised after death the voice of nature cryed aloud amongst the heathen that the soules of man were immortall and that there was a different state of the soules of just men and unjust after death the Elizian fields full of happines for the one sort and the Tartarean darknes full of horrour for the other t is an ancient observation that almost all Philosophers all Hereticks confessed the soule to be immortall and though they did not much desire it Animae salutē credo tractatu carere omnes fere baeretici eam quoquo modo volunt tame● non negāt Tertul. de resur Carnis yet they were not able to deny it but the resurrection from the dead was by few of them discerned scarce by any of them acknowledged besides this errour is destructive to all religion our corrupt natures are full of the seeds of Atheisme we need all religion to eradicate them but nothing to foment them thoughts of Epicurisme sinke deep to count the fruition of carnall pleasures the greatest good how many thousand soules have miscarryed upon this rock who from hence have turned to be lovers of pleasures more then of God to preserve your soules from this infection 2 Tim. 3.4 Vid. Tertul. Lactan. c. Discede ab Ethnico haeretice quid alieno uteris clypeo si ab Apostolo ornatus es Tertul. de resur I have been thus large in proving this assertion I should proceed to confute the arguments brought to the contrary but the time preventeth me onely in briefe their argnments are either drawne from corrupt nature which are abundantly answered by the fathers in their disputes against the heathen and they wondred that hereticall Christians that enjoyed the light of Scripture should borrow any arguments from Galen and the rest of the heathen that sat in darknesse and in the valley of the shadow of death let Heathens turne to Christians to assert this truth but never let Christians so sarre ●●●●tatise to Heathens as to assert their ●orrours or else their objections and seeming arguments are taken from mistaken Scripture I have scarcely time to relate them much lesse to refute them Object Some object and say Did not God threaten Adam In the day thou easest thereof thou shalt die and if he died Gen. 2.17 then the whole man did die for the body is not the man without the soul and therefore reason that immortall Adam must be made mortall Sol. To this I answer 1. That the death which God did threaten was not only naturall but spirituall and eternall and spirituall and eternall death may be upon the soul when the body perisheth the Angels that fell from their first standing are under death yet their being is not abolished Rev. 20.10 14. and after the day of judgement the wicked shall be cast into hell the second death yet they shall never be reduced to a non entitie for the smoake of their torment ascondeth for over If any say Rev. 14.11 Why is the whole man said to die if the soul liveth when the body is destroyed Lanswer That whatsoever belongeth to any part of any whole Quicquid convenit parti qua pars convenit toti secundum illam partem may be truly asscribed to the whole according to that part Man seeth yet the whole body is not an eye for then where was the eare but the whole light of the body is the eye Christ was born put to death buried and this is said of whole Christ but this is only in reference to the humane nature for the God-head is immortall 2. pet 3.18 and therefore he was put to death in the flesh only Object But they say When men are dead the Scripture expresly saith that they cannot praise God Psal 6.5 and 88.9 Isa 38.8 9. Sol. I answer the dead qui tales so farre as they are dead cannot praise God Rev. 14.13 the body that lieth in the grave resteth from its labour yet this doth not exclude the realiy of the act but the manner of the performance and so saith Hezekiah they shall not praise thee as I do this day Isa 38.19 the father to the children shall make known Gods truth 1. Though they cannot do it for anothers conversion yet they can do it for their own consolation and these souls that are with the Lord they follow the Lamb where ever he goeth and have their hallelujahs continually in their mouth Rev. 5.9 and blessed be they that dwell in God presence Psal 84.4 they will be alwaies praising him Object God is said only to have immortalitie c. Sol. God alone is immortall à parte ante from all eternity he alone is independently unchangeably infinitly immortall impossible 't is for any creature or all the creatures to anihilate God 't is an easie thing with God to anihilate any of his creatures he alone is the authour and continuer of immortality But I dare not in this point presume to detain you any longer what ever flesh and bloud may suggest or carnall reason object let your souls everlastingly dwell upon this strong foundation beleeving that there is another life besides this life There are many other Uses of this Doctrin to perswade you not only to beleeve this truth stedfastly but to blesse God for it abundantly That your souls doe not die with your bodie herein triumph that death hath no power of absolute destroying but only of changing and that change to your souls if you be in Christ is unspeakably for the better Be you therefore intreated all the daies of your life and appointed time Job 14.14 to wait till your change come esteem this truth as one part of the oracles of God most comfortable and one of the greatest remedies against all future fears and present miseries that though death destroy your bodie yet your hope may be in the rock of eternity that you may say as the Apostle doth here If we had hopes only in Christ in this life we were of all most miserable As you have heard the extent of this hope The 4th part so consider the ground of this extent here exprest by the Apostle drawn from an absurdity that the best of men otherwise should be most miserables which is an absurdity so grosse which the light of nature cannot but abhorre and therefore Paul counts it needlesse to use any other arguments to refute hence

a wonder that the Centurion even before the Crosse when he was under the scandall of his passion should confesse him to be God and that any Christians after his Resurrection should affirme him to be meer man Seventhly Consider the judgements that are come upon the Jewes M. Fox his Sermon it was an argument that convinced one Jew here in England about 80. yeares since they said his blood be on us and on our seed and what they wished wantonly God hath poured out upon them extreamely for these 1600. yeares they have been a scattered people God hath kept them a distinct people and called his people by anothe name in times of their other judgements God gave them Prophets Moses in Egypt Ezra Nehemiah c. in the Captivitie but since they have had no Prophet no vision and the reason why God keepeth them a distinct people since their dispersion whereas other ations when they have been scattered have been so mixed that their originalls hath been scarce distinguishable is that as their curse and confusion is remarkable so their conversion might be distinct and admirable when the Lord Jesus shall take to himselfe his great power and rule gloriously and their bringing in will be such a cleer conviction to the Nations that they shall come into the brightnes of Christs rising I might add in the eighth place the carrying on the Gospell by the weakest meanes against the mightiest opposition other Religions are carryed on by an arme of flesh and humane policy but God in the spreading the Gospell set folly to contend with wefedome and weaknes with strength that the excellency of the power might be of God 1 Cor. 4.7 and not of men and when all the kings of the Earth would have crushed it in its infancy and strangled it in the wombe there being nothing for three hundred yeares but rackings tortures fire and fagot yet the blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Church and the more they were lopt Plures efficimur quoties metimur Terrul Apol. Zach. 4.6 the more they grew and there were never more glorious Saints then in those times of darknes to make it appeare that the Kingdome of Christ was not carryed on by power nor by might but by the spirit of the Lord of Hosts Secondly Is Jesus Christ the great God Use 2 of Exhortation then be exhorted first to study the excellencie of Jesus Christ how transcendenlty admirable is he surely all the Kings and Kingdomes of the world are to him but as the drop of a bucket and the dust of the balance Isa 40.15 did you but see the Sun of Righteousnesse no starre else would appeare it would be happy if men and women that professe Christ were taken with the admiration of Jesus Christ did they but once know what Christ is they would count all losse to winne him the reason why many things seeme so great to our thoughts is because Christ seemes little if Christ were really apprehended of us it would seem a small thing to us to be jadged of men Secondly Be willing to close with Christ to accept of him Shall he be willing to come from Heaven to take your nature upon him and are ye unwilling to come out of sin and Hell to partake of his divine nature this unwillingnes for Christ is the great condemning sin of the world can any of you answer the slighting the Lord Jesus that he should be willing to take your shame on him and you not willing to partake of his grace and glory The Jew would have a Messiah for temporall ends to breake the Romane power and the carnall Christian for a carnall end that he might sin with immunity and commit sin without feare and turne the grace of God into wantonnes Hath Christ come to deliver you from the power of Satan and will you yet be under the power of your owne lusts Thirdly If Christ be this great Messiah exalt him First In your opinions of him have not meane thoughts of the God of Glory count his arguments the stongest his precepts to be the purest his comforts to be the sweetest his rewards to be the highest his people to be the happiest that you may be able to justifie the wayes of Christ against all the arguments of corrupt nature and the temptations of this present evil world Secondly Exalt him in your affections let the desires of your soule be to him and to the remembrance of his name that you may say and say truly Lord whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none in Earth that I desire besides thee let him be the beloved of you souls that you may say my belove is mine and I am his set him up as the joy and rejoycing of your hearts that you may say Psal 43. Vnto God will I goe even unto God the gladnes of my joy Bs 8.13 magnifie him in your hearts and let him be your feare and your dread and if he be God blessed for ever make him the God of your confidence never be ashamed of him in whom you doe beleeve Heb. 7.25 and if he be God be then fully perswaded that he is able to save them to the utmost that come unto God through him and make him the God of your hope and expectation pour out your soules before him and say God is our hope and this leadeth me to the second Observation All those that would have benefit by Jesus Christ 2 Doct. must be united unto him and set their hopes upon him Our hopes are not in our selves nor in the creature in vaine is salvation hoped for from the hills Jet 3.23 and from the multitude of mountaines truly the Lord God is our hope and the salvation of Israel and happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lord his God Psal 146.5 the Doctrine needeth not so much explication to cleere the Judgement as application to better our practice Vse The Use therefore is first to intreate you to make Christ your hope this is the great duty God requireth one great end of all the great things he hath done for you in his workes Psal 78.7 that you might set your hopes upon him and of the good things he hath revealed to you in his word Rom. 15.4 that through the Scriptures you might have hope and not onely have it ver 13. but have it in abundance that you might abound in hope through the power of the Holy ghost this is the great priviledge God bestoweth on them that are good in his sight thou art my hope in the day of evil Jer. 17.17 this hope is to the soule as the Helmet is to the souldier 1 Thes 5.8 to cover his head in the day of battel and as an Anchor to the ship in a mighty storme Heb. 6.19 it is our hiding place our Citie and our rock of refuge and

Angels should be founded upon fancies and mistakes and their consolation should be a meer delnsion there is litle reason to accoset he best of men of madnes but is madnes it selfe for men to charge the elact Angels with folly Fifthly Consider the nature and the employment of those damned spirits Beeszebub the old * Revel 12 9. 2 Pet. 2.4 red Dragon and Serpent called the Davil and Satan who deceiveth the world Have you not read of their condition how God hath bound them with chaines of darknes and hath reserved them for judgement If so Quocumque vadunt geben numsuam portant Aq. 12. q. 64. art 4. T●rmenta flāmarum secum ferunt instar sebricitant is qut ●●s ●est's eburneis ponatur servorem evitare non potest Estrus lib. 2 distin 6.13 Beda in Iacob 3. 2 Pet. 2.9 10.22 then there must be another world at least to them and if to them then to us for if God spared not the Angels that 〈◊〉 but cast them down to Hell that where ever they goe they carry their chaine and their holl with them surely then God knoweth how to reserve the unjust for the day of Judgement cherfly those that walk after the flesh speaking evil of things they know not sporting themselves with their own deceiving those men shall utterly porish in their own corruptions Have ye not heard of the horrour that overwhelmeth them that they are forced though they resist God to beleeve that which they approve not and to tremble under the wrath they cannot avoid But especially thinke of that imployment how they walke thorow drie places fretting and vexing themselves running too and fro and compassing the Earth how Satan entred into the heart of Judas to betray his Master Jam. 2.19 Math. 11.43 Job 1.7 Luk. 22.3 Act. 5.3 filled Ananias and Saphira to lye against the Holy Ghost What paines they take to leade away the soules of poor men and women captive If there were not another life besides this and if the soule were not immortall why is it that those spirits goe about continually seeking whom they may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 and never cease to accuse God to us and day and night to accuse the Saints unto God Arg. 6 Sixthly Adde to all these the consideration of witches and wizards you haue heard how Saul sought to the witch of Endor how that witch had familiar spirits at her command 1 Sam. 28. ● how Manasseh made his sonnes passe thorow the fire 2 King 11.6 used inchaniments dealt with familiar spirits and wizards how this sinne did abound amongst the Canaanites of old how strictly God forbad the people of Israel that there should not be amongst them any one that used divination or an inchanter or a witch or a charmer or a consultour with familiar spirits or a wizard or a Necromancer Deut. 18.10 11. for all that doe those things are an abomination to the Lord and for all these abominations did the Lord drive them out from before them How did Satan deceive the Nations by the Oracle of Delphos how hath this sinne raigned in all ages amongst the Caldeans the Jewes and Gentiles which things are so evident as none can deny them and can any one imagine that Satan would be so sollicitous to seduce ready to captivate so obsequious for a time to become a drudge and a vassall to the poorest of men and silliest of women that he may winne their soules if there were no other life then this life To this adjoyne the art of Conjuring which though abominable beyond expression yet it is so notorious in all places and in all ages that it is beyond the deniall of any who hath not sunke himselfe below his species who lest his lust should be disquieted and his soul tormented before his time hath sold himselfe over to be a slave to unbeleife and is resolved to shut his eyes against the light of Scripture and against the light of Nature and to close his eares against all the loud clamours of the heart within and experiences without and what arguments can convince that soule which hath made a Covenant with death and is at agreement with Hell that is resolved what ever is said to perswade him yet he will not be perswaded and though one or ten thousand should rise from the dead that soule will not be perswaded lest that his lusts should be molested Arg. 7 Seventhly Consider the naturall conscience that is in all men their thoughts one while accusing excusing Rom. 2.15 what inward gripes and secret terrours still poor mad wretches suffer themselves to be so baffled and master'd with their lusts that at length they joynwith their lusts to baffle and get the victory over their owne consciences that being past feeling Ephes 4 19. they may commit sin with greedines yet when they have done all they finde it difficult to keep down these sparks and to suppresse these flashes that are ever rising up If this be rightly weighed it may be reputed one Argument that the thoughts of another life of another day of account are written on the hearts of all men and that the imagination to the contrary is rather an option then an opinion rather an intimation of what is desired by them then beleived of them especially if you in the naturall conscience consider these things First The inquisitions about immortality all questions doubts debates upon this subject argue the soul to be immortall for it is only a principle of immortality that maketh man dispute whether the soule be immortall for as none can distinguish betwixt rationall and irrationall but he that is rationall Vid. Morn de veritate rel Cir. p. 293. for he that denyeth man to be rationall by doubting of it and disputing against it in those acts proveth himselfe to be rationall which his words seem to deny so none can dispute or distinguish betwixt mortall and immortall but only he that is immortall and these thoughts of immortality are not only in some men of some tempets but upon the hearts of all the sonnes of men Secondly Consider the affectation of a kinde of immortality in the worst of men who have taken great paines to gull themselves into an opinion that the soule is mortall What monuments what pillars have they erected Psal 49.11 Ph. Morn ibid. p. 202. Vulgus desunctis parentat quidem impēsi simo officio quos negat sentire quicquam etiam desiderare profuerūt Tertul. de re ur carnis how have they called their land after their own names t is observed by him that was an honour to the Nobility that Epicurus himselfe who denyed immortality in his life yet he appointed at his death a great summe of money to be yearly payed that there might be an annuall commemoration of the day of his birth and to what purpose is this if when he lived like a beast he must die like a hogg if

nothing be immortall why when immortality was so groundlesly denied is this kinde of immortality so sillily desired Thirdly Think of the unsatisfiednes of the minde in things present and you shall finde the soule in a continued pursuit reaching after something that is infinite other creatures have here their home have their minde satisfied but the workings of the soule are still for future some way forgetting by a naturall inclinatiō the things behinde and stretching forward to finde out that in things future which it hath sought in things past and ever was disappointed now the operations of all creatures follow their essence this tendency of the minde to the future argueth the soule to be in transitu in the way and not in its own countrey and that we are not yet at home that this life is but a passage to another Fourthly Consider the confessions of adversaries at their death who have denyed this truth in their life Belshazzar in the height of his jollity when the hand-writing apeared on the wall his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled so that the joints of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against the other Dan. 5.6 Arg. 8 Eightly Phil. Motn p. 29. To this might be added the providence of God if we beleeve Plutarch and other heathen authours this dispute is needlesse for Gods providence and the soules immortality are so united together that he that denies the one destroyeth the other why did God make this world so full of beauty but that some should behold the Creatour in it why should man contemplate the Creatour in the Creature but to adore him why should man above all sublunary creatures adore him if man above the rest of the creatures had no hope in him Heb. 11.6 he that commeth to adore God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him those rewards are not dispensed here therefore are reserved for a life hereafter why hath God given so many gifts unto man which perplex him in this life and fills his minde with those dsiquietments that all the brurish creatures are freed from in regard of these man should be worse then a beast in his life if not better then a beast at his death and we may say of men in reference to other creatures as the Apostle saith of Christians in reference to other men If man had only hope in this life man of all creatures would be most miserable Arg. 9 Ninthly To those might be added all the arguments that prove the day of judgement that God hath appointed a time wherein he will judge the world in righteousnes Act. 17.31 by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Arg. 10 Adde to all these the arguments in this chapter whereby the Apostle proves the resurrection of the body and answers all objections to the contrary with all those Scriptures that tell us plainely that Jesus shall come in his glory and all his holy Angels with him before him shall be gathered all nations Math. 25.31 32. 1 Thes 4.16 Joh. 5 28.28 and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd doth the sheep from the Goats and it is but a little time before the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of an Arch-angel with the trump of God and then the dead shall rise and the day is comming when all that are in their graves shall heare the voice of the Sonne of man and they that have done good shall come to the resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation I will couclude with that of Chrysistome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How 5. in Act. cap. ●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anime causâ est omnis religro August de utilit tredendi c. 7. Vnde jamolim inter philosophos ijdem omnem religionem s● stuletunt qui anima● marta lei dixerunt Estius l. 4 dist 43. Isa 7 9. And Errour confuted that the Devils great designe hath been ever to perswade man that the nature of man differed little from the nature of beasts and when he had drawn any of the sonnes of men into this flrange absurdity to dispute themselves out of the thoughts of their own immortality he hath so farre prevailed to blinde many of them that after they have affirmed the nature of the immortall soule to be mortall they have gone about to prove the nature of beasts which is void of reason to be rationall whilest these great truths are questioned the soule neglects to be sanctified all piety is founded in the thoughts of immortality and it is observed among all the Philosophers that those destroyed all Religion that held the soule to be mortall Till this great truth be setled upon the hearts of men they lye open to all temptations and suffer themselves to beled away with all corruption If you beleive not this you can never be established therefore be not faithlesse but beleeving Secondly There is a second errour of the Semi-atheists who confesse that there is a day of judgement and a resurrection but deny that the Scriptures hold out that the soul is distinct from the body or that the soul hath any abiding after the body is dissolved but sleeps till the day of resurrection I could be willing to bury this errour in everlasting silence but that some have raised it from the embers and in these times with unsufferable boldnes under the notion of new light Vid August haeres 83. Husc errorem Mahomet in eruit in su Alcborano docan corpora animas adextremun judicium resurrecturas Estius l. 4. c. 43 Anno Don. 1568. Theses Craco viá impressas per Polontam divulgarunt quarum prima est Negamu● aliquā anim●m post morrem manere c. Soule is distinct from the body Vid. Aquin. contragent l. 2. p. 267. Heb. 12.9 Eccles 11.5 Psal 22 9. have ushered in this im● of darknes This errour began to vent it selfe by the heathen afterwards to poison Tatianus after the time of Justine Martyr and after him some other Christians in Arabia yet in those dayes this errour was so sufficiently refuted that it seemed for many ages dead and buried till Mahomet that false Prophet who having a carnall minde and savouring nothing of the spirit dreamed only of corporall paines and pleasures that men should have after the resurrection and among Christians it appeared little till Satan to blemish that glōrious reformation in the dayes of Luther stirred up some Ambaptists in Polonia and since the Socinians and Libertines to revive this moncter I have not time thorowly to discover the root of this poison only give me leave to leade you by the hand to some soveraigne Antidotes as strong preservatives against this infection To this end consider these two positions First That the Scripture cleerly holdeth out

downfall is greatest and there is no down-fall like that of great Babel How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer sonne of the morning Hell from beneath is moved for thee Isa 14.11 12. to meet thee at thy coming thy pomp is brought down to the grave and the noise of thy viols the worme is spread under thee and the worms cover thee Vse 1 I have not time to shew the sad condition of them that are without hope that walk by sight and not by faith that as the Prodigall will have their portion in their own hands Luk. 6.14 and in this life have their consolation what will these poor souls doe when all their water in the bottle is spent and their lives draw near to death and their daies to the destroyers there are others also whose condition is yet more dreadfull that not only neglect this hope in themselves 2 Pet. 3 4. but deride it in others that walk after their own lust saying where is the promise of his coming who are a generation of men that need rather to be lamented then to be confuted they shame the counsell of the poor because he makes the Lord his hope Psal 14.6 Vse 2 Only let me intreat you to enquire strictly whether Christ hath wrought this hope in you the times wherein we live are gloomy daies we may be suddenly we must be shortly call'd out to a fietie triall let not then our evidences be to seek when they should be used this lease is expiring and if there be no possibility to renew it 2 Pet. 1.10 it is time to provide elsewhere for some certainty it is our duty to make our calling and election sure and blessed be God that there is a possibility for the main to be assured when all other things are endangered You are bound to give a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3.15 with meeknesse and with fear and if you owe this duty unto others you owe it much more unto your own souls if you dare not seriously commune with your own hearts in the day of peace what shall you doe in the day of trouble and in the swellings of Jordan If any ask may this hope be discerned I answer though this hope in some be reall and radicall where it is not visible yet it is possible to be discerned where it is and needfull to be attained where it is not Vse Exam. For the discovery of it where it is it is very helpfull to consider 1. The Causes that breed it 2. The graces that doe accompany it and 3. The effects that follow it I may not presume to handle the two former give me leave to insist upon the latter Consider the effects of hope in a four-fold demeanour of the soul towards hope it self towards God the authour and object of it towards the world or the Word of God the ground of hope Signe 1 First The carriage of the soul towards hope it self The effect of hope in the carriage of the soul towards hope Psal 17.14 appears in these or such particulars 1. That the soul that hath this hope in heaven would by no means confine this hope to earth but praies with the Psalmist Deliver me from the wicked from the men of this world that have their portion in this life When Christ discovered the sad condition of the Pharisees he said Woe unto them verily I say unto you you have your reward why might they say Mat. 6.2 if we have it we are the surer of it and a little in hand is better then much in expectation But what ever you imagine this is certain there can be no greater misery then to have your reward in this life where you have but a short being and to have no reward in another where you are to have your everlasting being therefore Christ denounceth their condition to be woefull Luk. 6.24 that in this life have received their consolation 2. The Saints would not exchange their hopes of heaven for the possession of all the good things on earth it was a bold speech of Paul to King Agrippa I would to God that not only thou Act. 26.29 but that all that hear me were not almost but altogether such as I am Why Paul what is thy condition that thou desirest not to be like to King Agrippa but the King to be like to thee and not almost but altogether surely Pauls happinesse was not in hand but in hope consisting in this I know whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1.12 nay such high thoughts have the Saints of this hope that take the poorest soul that hath many doubts and fears and temptations and desertions that never attained any certainty of hope ask that soul wilt thou part with a possibility of heaven why dost thou wait any longer that soul for all the world would not part with a possibility of heaven in reversion to obtain the whole earth in present possession whereas the carnall heart and groundlesly confident will easily part with his seeming certainty of heaven Heb. 12.16 for the least probability of earth and is as profane Esau who sold his birth-right for a mosse of pottage but the Saints prize unspeakably more a meer possibility then a carnall heart doth all his seeming certainty Thirdly The soule so prizeth this hope that it is never content without it full of doubts unwilling to be deceived unable to be held in suspense inquisitive into his owne condition giving all diligente to attaine the full assurance of hope to the end Heb. 6.11 this is the griefe that poor Saints mourne under the great weight that they cannot beare crying out as the Church saith I seek him whom my soule loveth Cant. 3. ● 17 I seek him but I finde him not but still enquiring Oh tell me where thou lodgest thou whom my soule loveth and I charge you Cant. 5.8 Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem it you meet him whom my soule loves tell him that I am sick of love Fourthly The Saints so prize this hope that when it is attained they count this hope their cheife contentment The joy of the Saints consists in holding fast the confidence and rejoycing of their hope sure unto the end Heb. 3.6 well may the Psalmist say My lines are fallen in a good place Psal 16.5 the Lord is the portion of my cup. When the seventy Disciples returned with joy telling Christ that the devils are subject unto us through thy name Luk 10.17 ver 20. Christ answers In this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you what not joy in this to heale all diseases to cast out Devils if this be not a cause of joy what is or what can be Christ answers rejoyce in this rather that your names are written in the book of life this hope made Paul say Phil. 4.11 I have learned in every estate therewith to be content and hath made

all Saints in all ages to be confident that godlines is profitable for all things 1 Tim. 4.8 Job 21.14 whereas carnall men have undervalued the wayes of God and have been ever questioning what profit shall we have if we pray unto him Fifthly When this hope is attained the soule will not adventure the losse of it for the attainment of the best things in the Earth Phil. 3.8 but counts all things as losse and dung in respect of this chusing rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin Heb. 11.26 that are but for a moment and liking this choice so well that no arguments can draw them from it Joh. 6.68 whither should we goe Lord thou hast the words of eternall life no nor will the Saints adventure this hope for the avoiding of the worst condition for this hopes sake they have bin a Act. 5.41 imprisoned b Heb. 10.33 plundered c Heb. 11.37 banished d Heb. 11.35 tormented and all too little hope causing them to triumph that all these light afflictions which are but for a moment 2 Cor. 4.17 18. worke unto them a more exceeding weight of glory Effect 2 Secondly Consider the carriage of the soule that hath this hope towards God First The soule that hath this hope adoreth the riches of gods love that man may come to God in the new and living way Heb. 10.29 when Adam fled from God and the damned spirits cannot indure the approaches of Christ but cry out What have we to doe with thee Matth. 9.29 Ezra 9.2 thou Jesus of Nazareth that yet there is hope in the God of Israel for such sinnes as they have committed and for such sinners as they confesse themselves to be when all other hopes faile that there is yet hopes of Heaven to poore sinners that are conscious of their deserts of Hell here are the exceeding riches of his glory and that height and depth and such dimensions of love that the more they know the love of Christ Ephes 3.19 the more they finde t passeth knowledge and their apprehensions of this love end in admirations behold what manner of love the father had bestowed upon us 1 Joh. 3.1 that we should be called the sonnes of God who are the children of wrath by nature Secondly This hope as it admireth the love of God to us so it inlargeth the soule in love to God 2 Cor. 5.14 for the love of Christ constraineth us if Christ died then were we all dead and therefore we that live are no longer to live to our selves to our own ease and carnall contentment but to the praise of him who love us and gave himselfe for us Thirdly This hope maketh us to eye God to see him that is invisible to set God at our right hand to make his glory our end Heb. 11.27 Psal 16.8 Psal 25.15 Rom. 8.24 and our aime our eyes are ever to the Lord and he shall bring us out of our distresse this keepeth the soule in a waiting condition and not to be weary in looking upward Fourthly This hope transformeth us into Gods nature he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as God is pure 1 Joh. 3.1 looketh on every act of sin as an act of uncleannes never counteth himselfe pure enough but while he is living that soule is cleansing himselfe till the soule come to be presented to the father without spot or wrinkle Ephes 5.27 Fifthly This hope sweetens the thoughts of God and of Eternity maketh all those glorious truths as the day of the appearing of Jesus Christ c. that in their nature are very dreadfull to grow delightfull and setteth them into a state of looking for 2 Pet. 3.12 and hastening to the comming of the Lord. Sixtly This hope admireth the happinesse of all that are in Christ crying out Psal 65.4 Col. 1.12 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest giving thanks that God hath counted any of the sonnes of men meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the Saints in light Ephes 1.18 and beggeth for others that their eyes may be opened to see what is the hope of this calling Effect 3 The third effect of this hope appeareth in its demeanour towards this world The hope of Heaven First Weakens our esteem of things below enabling the soul to count it a small thing to be judged in mans day 1 Cor. 4.3 when we are risen with Christ then we begin to set our affections on things above and not an things below Col. 3.2 Secondly This lessens our expectation from things below sheweth as the vanity of all earthly comforts in their nature in their continuance in their use Luk. 12.15 that mans life doth not consist in the abundance of these things Thirdly This hope keepeth the soule from swelling when outward comforts doe abound Psal 64.10 if riches increase set not your hearts on them Fourthly This hope preserveth the soule from sinking when discomforts flow in to overwhelme it calleth upon the soule why art thou disquieted in me Psal 41.5 hope thou in God there is more good to be received by hope then we have lost then we can lose that hope that bringeth the soule to the good that is eternall onely can sustaine the soule from sinking under evil temporall Effect 4 The fourth Effect of this hope is in its carriage towards the word of God as hope holdeth up the soule from sinking so the word of God holdeth up faith from fainting therefore all the children of hope are much affected with the word Psal 119.49 upon which God causeth his servants to put their trust see what high expressions there are used in one Psalme Psal 119. by him that was a man after Gods own heart First is your esteem of the word such as you can say with him in truth ver 32. ver 6. ver 27. ver 52. the Law of thy mouth is better then thousands of Gold and Silver and that you have respect unto all Gods commandements thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellours and thy statutes have been my song in the house of my Pilgrimage Secondly That your soules love this word and can say I love thy commandements above Gold yea above much fine Gold and how sweet is thy Word unto my taste yea sweeter then the honey ver 127. ver 103. ver 11. ver 148. ver 111. ver 161. and the heney-combe Thirdly Are your desires so after this word that you hide it in your hearts make it your meditation claime it as your inheritance for ever that your heart standeth in awe of his Word that you have chosen the way of his precepts that your soules can no more subsist without the Word of God then your bodyes without food and therefore your soule breaketh for the longing it hath to Gods precept at all times

but on the things that are not seen for the things that are seen are temporall but the things that are not seen are eternall 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Secondly As no man can live contentedly Secondly no man can dicomfortably without hope so no man can die comfortably without hope Who can expresle the darknesse of that soul that liveth without feare and dyeth without hope when all joy is darkened and all glory goeth downe under a dark cloud and all comforts end in a storme which never bloweth over when you must leave the condition you know for a condition which you know not when you must leave a certainty for to goe upon a contigency when the poor wandring trembling soul is unable to stay in and unwilling to goe out when the soule goeth upon eternity not knowing whither when the body must goe to ly under the slimic valley that before lay upon beds of lvorie and the eyes that saw the glory of the world must never see light any more and the eares which before heard delightfull musique must now be for ever stopped better never to have come into the world then to goe out of it without hope a Roman may die patiently and harden his heart against sorrow but onely a Christian through hope can die triumphantly crying out Oh death where is thy sting Oh grave where is thy victorie 1 Cor. 15.55 c Consid 2 Secondly as no man can live or die without hope and this snoweth the necessity of it so no hope can carry us thorow all difficulties but hope in Christ thinke but on the insufficiency of the creature the vanity of all other hopes without hope there is no sulsistonce and without Christ hope cannot subsist if you must hope where will you place this hope you cannot rationally settle this hope either in your self or in any other creature not in your self for what is there in your self that can be a rationall ground of hope not your parts though never so great they may be soon blasted are often greatly poysoned and if they continue in their greatest lustre they may be overpow'rd Hushai goeth beyound Achitophel and the wisest of men have found the steps of their owne strength straitned Job 18.7 and their owne counsels to cast them downe this hope cannot be in your estates they are not so full but they may be soon emptie Pro. 23.5 wilt thou set thine eyes on that which is not riches take to themselves wings and stee away and surely their wings were never longer nor their slight swifter then in these dayes Psa 62.10 trust not in oppression become not vaine in robbery if riches increase set not your hearts upon them hope not in your names they may be overclouded God in a moment can staine the glory and pride of all flesh abhorre the excellency of Jacob he leadeth counsellours away spoyled Job 11.27 and overthroweth the mighty he taketh away the understanding of the aged he poureth contempt upon Princes and weakneth the strength of the mighty he increaseth the Nations and destroyeth them he enlargeth the nations and straitneth them againe he taketh away the hearts of the chiefe of the people of the Earth and causeth them to wander in a wildernes where there is no way so they grope in the dark without light and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man and as there is no ground of hope in your self so there is no ground of hope in the creature hath not God disappointed many of us of our hopes doe we notroare like bears and mourne like doves doe we not grope for the wall like blinde men Isa 59.10 11. groping as if we had no eyes have we not often looked for salvation but it is not Consider the minde of man is variable we change our counsells as sick men change their beds imputing all our disappointments rather to any one then to our selves and as the minde of man is variable so the strength of crentures is expugnable so that the whole frame of nature is a bed too narrow for one to stretch himself upon it Isa 28.20 and a covering too narrow for one to wrap himselfe in it all things under the sun are but vanity Job 15.31 and let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence we may faltter out selves to our ruine under these seduced hopes but all these hopes in the issue will prove but as a siders web Psal 8.14 11.20 18.14 27.8 and as the giving up of the Ghost and all humane confidence will bring th soule to the king of terrours and what hope can a bypocrite have when God taketh away his soule Consid 3 The third Consideration to move you to set your hopes on Christ let it be from the allsufficiency of Christ there is this vast difference betwixt hope in Christ and hope in the Creature from the creature you cannot expect so little but you shall finde lesse then you doe expect from Christ you cannot expect so much but you shall receive more then you doe expect Ephes 3.20 He is able to doe abundantly above all that we are albe to ask or think all spirituall blessings are in him alone he it is alone that can say I will make you free from your lusts and temptations from death and hell he alone can say I will pardon your iniquities cure your diseases take the stony heart out os you I will write my law in you Ezek. 36.26 c. 1 Cor. 2.9 and ye shall all be taught of God I will bestow my Heaven on you my throne my kingdome and such joyes as Eye hath not seen nor Eare heard nor can it ever enter into the heart of man to conceive What an admirable thing is it that a poor soul may come and say What may such a one as I am be pardoned that am condemned may my infirmity be cured when the soare runneth and ceaseth not may this loathsome leprosy be healed what a comfort is it to a poor soul that he may come to Christ as the poor leper and say Lord if thou wilt whou canst make me whole Math. 8.2 Besides in this world he alone is able to supply all your wants answer all your doubts seatter all your feares and he is not onely able but hath engaged himselfe by promise to all that hope in his mercy he calleth to you get ye to the strong holds ye prisoners of hope Zach. 9.12 he biddeth you cast all your care on him 1 Pet. 5.7 for he careth for you and be not distracted about the things of this life as other Gentiles that know not God Math. 6.32 for your heavenly father knoweth what you have need of will you trust him for your soules and not for your bodies will you trust him for Eternity and not for a moment will you truse him to deliver you from the rage

of devils and not from the rage of men Psal 97.2 roll your soules upon him and he will carry you in his bosome and though clouds and darknes be round about him yet you shall see that righteousnes and judgement are the habitation of his throne Isa 33.17 your eyes shall see the king in his beauty that he is a defender above all destroyers you shall be upon a Rock higher then waves we meet here with great difficulties and those cause great feares and great feares had need of great hope and these are never great enough but in the great God Augastin Ho●● 44. De ipsis amar●●udinibus mur●●urans dich Ecce pereunt omnia Christianis temporthus quid streqis non boc promisit Deus qu ed ista non peribunt Aeterna pro●●sit aelernus c. Christ alone can make us above our selves above men above changes above the inconstancy of this present evil world why doth the soule which hopeth in Christ complain that the world changeth did ever God promise that it should not change hath not God tould us expressely that the Heavens wax old as a garment and as a vesture shall he change them and they shall be changed he that is eternall hath promised things eternall and if thou beleeve of mortall thou shalt be made immortall and in the hopes of immortality mayest triumph over whatsoever is mortall saying as he did World why dost thou fume what wouldst thou do if thou shouldst continue if so proud when thou hast no abiding whom wouldst thou not deceive if thou wert sweet if thou hast deceived so many whilst thou art bitter Quid. strepis numde quid immu●de strepia quid faceres si maneres Quem non deciperes dalcis si amarus c. I come to the third part the extent of this hope viz. that the hope of a Christian is not confined to this life if we had only hope in this life c. Hence ariseth the third Doctrine viz. That they that would set their hopes on Christ must be perswaded there is another life after this life and in this life it is their duty to assure the hopes of a better You reade in the Scripture not only of this world but of the world to come Christ telleth us of sins that shall not be forgiven neither in this life nor in the life to come Matth. 12.32 And Christ is said to be farre exalted above all principalities and powers Ephes 1 2● not only in this world but in that which is to come and that world is so farre above this world that the thoughts of eternity are called the powers of the world to come Heb. 6.5 and to over-power all the things of this world We reade of Judgement to come Pauls Sermon before the great Governout was of this subject and it made him to tremble Act. 24.25.1 Cor. 4.3 Rin. 2.5 and that judgement is sarre above the judgement of mans day We reade of wrath to come and all the wrath that is present is nothing to the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God the Sadduces who were none of the best of men but a generation of vipers Mat. 3.7.1 Thes 1.10 yet were forewarned to flee from the wrath to come and the great triumph of the Apostle was that God had delivered them from wrath to come We reade of another life to come and that is the great priviledge of godlinesse that it hath not only the promises of this life 1 Tim. 4.8 but of that which is to come and the great work of grace upon the heart is to take us off from looking after things temporall and to make us look after things eternall 2 Cor. 4.16 It was the Apostles life they looked not on things that are seen but on things that are not seen Men are never Christians in good earnest till they be perswaded fully of the things of eternity and that poor seduced soul that resolveth never to be perswaded hath no ground to think that ever it shall be converted Luk. 16.18 Dives begg'd that one might go from the dead to tell his brethren on the earth lest they also should come into the same place of torment intimating the cause of his own sin and eternall misery intimating that he was not perswaded of this place of torment in his life and therefore came down to this place of torment at his death God hath made the vision herein so plain that every one that runneth may reade it and he that hardneth his heart against Moses and the Prophets is left inexcusable ver 31. and is irrecoverable and would not be perswaded though one should arise from the dead The Use of this point is First If there be an other life besides this life then let us be humbled for all that world of unbelief that is in our nature that our perswasions about the things of eternity are so weake when Gods expressions are so strong and clear that we can beleeve the things of sense and will not beleeve the things of faith that we entertain the reports of men and reject the reports of God 1 Joh. 5.9 Surely if we receive the witnesse of men is not the witnesse of God greater this unbelief was the first sin and is the last sin the cause of our first apostasie and ground of our continued malignity when Christ intendeth to convert a soul unto himself this is the great sin whereof the Spirit of Christ convinceth the soul and the Spirit never proveth a comforter but where he is a convincer and the first work in conversion is laid in an act of conviction and that conviction discovereth the great sin of unbelief Joh. 16.9 and where Christ doth not convince them of it he wil condemn them for it how often are we bidden to take heed of this spirit of unbelief Heb. 3.12 in departing from the living God nor can any man be an heir of life who lieth under the power of unbelief for will any man deny himself crosse his own appetite take up Christs crosse to assure to himself a propriety to those things wherein he beleeveth there is no reality the soul must first beleeve the excellency of the things in themselves before it make it its great design to get an interest in them if the things of eternity were fully beleeved what manner of persons would men be in all holinesse of conversation 2 Pet. 3.11 and did you really look on such things it would make you diligent to be found of him without spot and blamelesse In the next place Vse 2 Let this entreat you to abhorre all those opinions that may any waies weaken this perswasion hate to be under the power of them and when the power of them is broken resist the remainders that Satan may get no advantage against you especially fortifie your selves with strong arguments against these two opinions which carry away a