for the flesh and blood the Scripture gives us many Epithetes of it as Houses of Clay Earthly Tabernacles Dust and Ashes earthen vessels c. And these Bodies are 1. Vile bodies Phil. 3. 21. because made of vile and base materials subject to vile diseases to vile abuses to vile abominations and to a vile dissolution at last sowen indishonour shall end in Corruption great hinderances to the Soul many waies 2. The outward Man is the mortal Man that of Necessity must dye and return to dust from whence it came this cannot possibly live alway There is an irreversible Sentence of Death past upon it Hebr. 9. 27. and for these reasons the Body is the worst part of Man the worst by far and should be least esteemed and such as is the Body even such are all bodily Comforts and Accommodations Health Strength Beauty Liberty Friends Honours Estate c. all mortal mutable decaying fading dying things daily experience confirmeth this I need say no more 2. But for the inner Man the Soul that is 1. Precious so precious that it is more worth than all the World Math. 16. 26. Psal 49. 8. having the blessed Image of the glorious God stamped on it at first being capable of knowing and injoying the true and living God and when sin had spoil'd and captivated it it could not be redeemed but by the precious Blood of the Son of God So are all the Concernments of the Soul precious also 2. It is immortal also it never dies it lives for ever None can nothing can kill the Soul that is cause it not to be and for these reasons it is the noblest chiefest and best part of Man and hence also the Concernments of the Soul are more excellent more noble and precious than those of the outward Man the Graces and Comforts the Strength and Beauty of the Soul the Priviledges and Peace and Wellfare of the Soul are more excellent and precious as will more appear in the next particular 2. The second thing to be considered is That the outward Man is subject to decline and perish The Body it self all its Beauty Strength Health c. is subject to decay The Bodies even of the best Saints that shall one day be made like unto Christ's glorious Body are subject to vile Infirmities and Diseases What is become of Sampson's Strength and Saul's Beauty Job and David will tell us of their decays in all these their Friends Estates Relations their Health and all their outward Comforts failed them and how can we possibly hope that we shall keep them All outward things are dying Vanities we are all of us travelling to the Land of forgetfulness They that live longest go the farthest way about and they that dye soonest gâ— the shortest way home Our greatest Care should be to be sure that we are in the right way to Eternal Life But now the inner Man is capable of growing increasing and renewing our inner Man is reneweâ— day by day saith the Text Grace and Peace Spiritual Life inward Strength and Comfort are capable of increasing For 1. This God commandeth That Christian should grow and increase 2. Pet. 1. 5. and 3. 1â— and that they should abound and go forward and be strengthned 2. This is God's Promise to his People that they shall grow and flourish Psal 92. 14. Isa 14. 40. 29 30 31. They that wait on the Lorâ— shall renew their strength 3. This is the Character of a gracious Soul Prov. 4. 18. and 24. 5. Coll. 1. 10. and 2. 1â— Eph. 4. 16. And this the Apostle prays for 1 Thess 3. 12. and 4. 16. 3 Epist Johnâ— This the Soul is capable of being deformed iâ— sin and God's Image defaced on it it is capable of being renewed and of having God's blesse Image repaired on it which is begun in Regeneration and is still carried on and promoted â—â— God 's Ordinances and his Providences his Spiâ— working in them and with them upon his People All afflictions being intended for and sanctifie unto this end to make Souls more and more 〈◊〉 unto Jesus Christ Those weaknings and pershings of the outward Man being by the love at wisdome of God designed to strengthen repair and better the inner Man that the Soul may bâ— made and must be made more holy more humble more heavenly more like God it must group in all things like unto Christ Ephes 4. 12 13. The Soul the inner Man may and must get more strength against Corruption and Temptation it must get more Victory over the World and over it self it must grow in self-denyal in faith in patience in hope in Communion with God it must increase in knowledge and experience it must get nearer God and more weaned from the World and better prepared to put off this earthly Tabernacle of the Body Wherefore is the Christian train'd up in Christ's Schools his School of Ordinances and of Providences but that the Soul the inner Man may be made better That Grace may grow for it is the Growth of Grace that evidenceth the Truth of it And why doth our heavenly Father chastise us in our outward Comforts but to better us in our inward Man But before I proceed let me pause a little and commune with my own heart O my Soul Thou hast been under the blastings and witherings of thy outward Man these many years thou hast been in the School of Correction Thy God hath made many breaches upon thy earthly Comforts stript thee of thy dearest Relations of thy Liberty of thy Estate of opportunities of serving thy God in thy place deprived thee of thy Health and Strength c. yet hath he dealt with thee infinitely better than thy Sins have deserved It is his mercy thou art not consumed not in Hell not in thy Grave but O my Soul what art thou the better for all those stroaks upon thy outward Man What hast thou gained by all thy losses It is true Afflictions are dry Rods and my heart a dead heart there can be no blossoms nor fruit without God's Blessing and the Word and Spirit 's working in and by Affliction but what blessing upon all thy troubles canst thou discern What good to the inner Man have these afflictions done thee Art thou more sensible of the evil of Sin more weary of it and more grieved with it Is thy Heart more tender thy Spirit more humble thy will more subdued to Gods will Art thou more Crucified to the Creature thy inordinate Affections mortified thy unruly Passions subdued Art thou more meek and patient Are thy Affections raised and more inlarged after God and Christ and Heaven Is Jesus Christ more precious to thee And dost thou pant and thirst more after the manifestations of his Love to thy Soul Art thou more watchful over thy thoughts words and actions More careful to please God more fearful to displease him More tender of his Honour More sensible of the Afflictions of Joseph More diligent in holy
real Union of the Saints with the Blessed God and the Blessed Jesus such a Union as is between the Head and the Members and between Husband and Wife yea such as is between God and Christ and a participation of the same Glory that Christ himself doth possess and an enjoyment of the same Love that Christ himself doth enjoy yea the Saints shall then be made like unto Christ both in Soul and Body Lord help me to believe all this and to be fully perswaded of it that my Heart may be kindly affected and filled with enflamed affections towards my Blessed Jesus who hath purchased all this Glory for us with his most precious Blood Oh let me attain the full assurance of my true Title thereto that I may praise thee and may long for the full possession of it O my base unbelieving Heart Lord subdue my unbelief Oh what pains should we take to be assured of this Glory and how patiently and cheerfully should we bear our Afflictions that are designed to prepare us for it But I cannot break off here This weight of Glory is by the Holy Ghost in the Scripture represented to us by all the most excellent and delightful things among Men speaking to our Capacities and after the manner of Men. Hence it is called a Kingdom It is your Father's good pleasure saith our Lord to give you a Kingdom I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me a kingdom The Kingdom of Heaven a Kingdom that cannot be moved a Kingdom of Glory a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away a Crown of Righteousness a Crown of Life Christ hath made us Kings and Priests to God Here in this World the Saints have the Cross Fire Faggot Halters Gibbets c. let them wait but a while and they shall hear the Judge of the whole World say unto them Come ye blessed of my Father enter into the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world Now you are abused reproached imprisoned impoverished despised shortly you shall all be crowned This Glory is called the Inheritance of the Saints in light an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you You that now may have no House nor Home of your own no certain Dwelling-place and you that now dwell in Houses of Clay tottering every moment being the Children of God you shall shortly enter into everlasting Habitations and possess those glorious Mansions in the Father's House you shall shortly inhabit that House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens God hath prepared for you a City that hath Foundations of his own building and making Hold out Faith and Patience you shall shortly be translated into the Paradise of GOD above the reach of Men and Devils Moreover for methinks it is good to be here when Christ who is our Life shall appear we shall also appear with him in Glory with Palms in our Hands and Crowns on our Heads and with everlasting Joy and Songs of Praises in our Hearts and Mouths This Glory is called Life Everlasting Life Eternal Salvation Everlasting Peace and Everlasting Rest the purchased Possession that which cost the most precious Blood of the only Son of God to procure surely it must be a far more exceeding weight of Glory that cost such a price this Glory is the Fruit of Christ's Blood and of all his cruel Sufferings Oh that some Beams of it might be darted in upon my dark Heart by the Spirit while I am writing this to quicken and enlarge it It is Everlasting Rest Rest from all Sin the greatest burden to a gracious Soul and from all Sufferings from all doubts of God's love from all sense of God's Displeasure from all Temptations of Satan of the World and Flesh Rest from all Persecutions Now they that have suffered with Christ shall be glorified with him no Prisons Banishments Burnings Hangings Quarterings then Rest from all our sad and sinful Divisions and from all our personal Sufferings Pains Diseases Losses of dear Relations ill Tydings Rest from all Vain Thoughts from all the pain of Duty from all our Labours Let us a little further consider I. The Preparatives to this Glory and II. The Properties of it that so our Hearts may be the more affected with it and the more carried out with all Love and Desires after him that purchased it for us and with all labour and diligence to secure our title to it and may also the better bear all our Afflictions which prepare us for it and lead us to it I. Of the Preparations to this Glory and these are 1. The glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 13. Our blessed Lord will most certainly come again from Heaven with Power and great Glory attended by his mighty Angels to receive his People to himself that where he is there they may be also Joh. 14. 3. to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all those that believe 2 Thess 1. 10. Alas what Comfort should we have in this life if it were not for the Hope of Christ's second coming He will not leave us here still sinning suffering groaning dying no no the day of our full Redemption will come our Lord will come again and set all his poor Captives free but a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry He will come for our Salvation Heb. 9. 28. And for our great Comfort let us know and believe that however we now live as Lambs amongst Wolves when our glorious Lord Jesus the Lord of Glory and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth the chief Shepherd shall appear we shall receive a crown of glory that fedeth not away 1 Pet. 5. 4. It should be then the Character of a Christian as it is his Duty to love to long and look and wait for the Son of God from â—eaven even Jesus whom he raised from the dead which by bearing the most dreadful Wrath of his Father hath delivered us from the Wrath to come 1 Thess 1. 10. Act. 1. 12. And while we are on Earth we should have our conversations in Heaven and from thence look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body Phil. 3. 20 21. being assured that then we shall receive that Crown of Righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give at that day to all those that love his appearing 2 Tin 4. 8. Oh then seeing we look for such things what manner of persons ought we to be in all manner of holy Conversation and Godliness giving all diligence that we may be found of him in Peace without spot and blameless O what unspeakable Comfort will the Coming of Christ bring to all his poor suffering Saints the fore-thoughts of which should support us under all our present Troubles Although it may be now we are destitute of all Creature-comforts our
HELPS FOR Faith and Patience IN Times of Affliction In Three Parts VIZ. I. Sampson's Riddle spiritualiz'd II. Orthodox Paradox Or The greatest Evil working the greatest Eternal Good III. Heaven and Earth epitomiz'd Or Invisibilities the greatest Realities By James Burdwood late Minister in Dartmouth To which is added A sure Tryal of a Christian's State by John Flavell late Minister also in Dartmouth LONDON Printed by T. W. for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-yard 1693. TO THE Religious and my very dear Kinswoman M rs Mary Cholwich Of Hele in Cornwood in Devon AND To the rest of the Family related by the Bonds of Grace and Nature the Author of the ensuing Discourse heartily wisheth encrease of all Grace here and the fulness of Glory hereafter through the Merits of our Dear Lord Jesus Christ THE many multiplied Favours you have continually shewed to my self and Family obligeth me to make this acknowledgment thereof by presenting to you all this little Testimony of my true Love and real Gratitude humbly praying for your kind Acceptance and diligent Perusal Let me mind you and my self no less That we are come towards the Evening of our Days The Contents of this Book by the assistance of the Holy Spirit may help us in making due preparation for our latter end in which I doubt not but you are daily engaged The Sun of our Life is going down on our outward man You my most dear Kinswoman as well as my self have been kept several Years upon the Graves mouth and have been many times brought back from the brink of the Pit Oh that the Sun of Righteousness might shine on our inward man that therein we may be renewed day by day Our God hath tryed our Faith and Patience and made us more than ordinary Monuments of his Mercy and Goodness oh that He would make us Instruments of his Praise and Service What further Tryals our Heavenly Father will call us unto we know not may it please him to help us that our Faith and Patience may have their perfect Work He will have Glory and we shall be Gainers It hath pleased our good GOD to call us off from the enticing lying dying Vanities of this present Evil World for our advantage I hope what have we to do now but to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure Lord pardon former negligence and help us to get on the Wedding-garment of Christ's Righteousness and Holiness that we may bid our blessed Bridegroom welcome To the rest of my Honoured Cousins May I obtain the Favour from you to spend a little of your little unexpired time in reading this small Book and pray for a Blessing on what you read I am sure the Contents do nearly concern you all You are all travelling to another Country Eternity is at hand your Account is near Time is precious so are your Souls the World is vain the Heart is deceitful Oh could I prevail with you to spend some time in close Self-examination in constant heavenly Meditation in Watchfulness in Self-denyal and Mortification you would much engage me and advantage your own Souls I pray the Blessing of God may go along with this poor piece there are many have better Heads and better Hearts may do better Now that you all and your Relations old and young may be taken into the Covenant of Grace and may grow up in all things in Christ Jesus that after our wearisom Pilgrimage in this Wilderness World we may at last enter into the Promised Land and enjoy that everlasting Rest purchased by the most precious Blood of our dearest Lord and there live with him for ever is the earnest Prayer of Your very affectionate and much obliged Kinsman James Burdwood Aug. 1. 1693. TO THE Honest-hearted Reader INstead of an Epistle which for want both of outward and inward strength having been tryed with about Eight or Nine Years Sickness and most part of the time confined to my Chamber and Bed I cannot perform I shall only present you with the several Points of Doctrine handied in the ensuing Treatise having some time since cast one Mite into the Church's Treasury viz. my Hearts Ease do now adventure to cast in this other though very unworthy to be laid up among so many choice Pearls But I remember who will not despise the day of small things Had I not been unfaithful in the improvement of the Talents my Great Master had entrusted me with I might have had more I humbly beg the fervent Prayers of such Readers as truly love the Salvation of Souls to pray the Lord to pardon all my 〈◊〉 fulness and negligence in the Work of the Lord through the most precious Blood of the most precious Lord Jesus Christ without which I perish and which is all I beg of them for my self Now having been a long time disabled to say or do any thing for the edification of others and not likely to be of any use any more in this World I was willing while I could hold my Pen and in any measure compose my Mind much broken by Affliction to emit this into the World with my poor yet earnest Prayers That the Blessing of the Lord will go with it as also to testifie my Gratitude to Him who hath wonderfully delivered me from so many Deaths and yet doth deliver and graciously supports me under so many multiplied Afflictions for which I hope through God's great Mercy and Christ's precious Merits I shall have cause to bless God to all Eternity Readers pray for a Blessing on what you read and for Your affectionate Friend and Servant in any thing for your Souls good whilst I am J. B. From my Sick Chamber Aug. 1st 1693. THE CONTENTS PART I. From 2 COR. iv 16. THough our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day Doctrine 1. That it is the Comfort and the Character of truly-gracious persons that as their outward man doth decay decline and perish so their inward man doth revive encrease and is renewed PART II. Ver. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Doct. 2. That the light and short Afflictions of the People of God here in this World are singularly useful to work them for and to work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory PART III. Ver. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Doct. 3. That because all visible things are temporal and of no long continuance therefore gracious Souls engage not their Hearts too much in them nor concern themselves too much for them or about them Doct. 4. That a right and true Judgment of Earthly things will help much to support and uphold the Lord's Servants in and under all
own hearts more than ever they saw before then they find and feel their Spiritual Wants Diseases Dangers the treachery falseness deceitfulness of their own Hearts their often grieving quenching resisting of God's Spirit in time of Prosperity their inordinate Self-love Flesh-pleasing and Gratifyings then they see their former spiritual sloth and negligence their backwardness to and weariness in God's Service their formality deadness customariness in holy Duties their impatience of reproof their hastiness of Spirit their want of tenderness towards and of sympathy with those that were afflicted not weeping with those that wept their censuring and judging others their want of Charity then they see how badly they improved their healthful and youthful time their Talents and their Enjoyments with many other Evils are discovered As also in times of Affliction there is a discovery of the vanity and emptiness of the Creature when all Comforts of Life fail as Health Wealth Friends Liberty Estate c. then the Soul is convinced of the vanity and uncertainty of all these The Rod discovers both Heart and Life and what the Creature is And also then the Souls of God's People come to see the surpassing Excellency of God and Christ and of the Promises and of the great Importance of the things of the World to come O now the Soul can prize an Interest in God and in his Christ and his Covenant and is hereupon stirred up to mind God more and Heaven more and to bestir it self in the use of all Means and to get Assurance of an Interest in God Now all this tends very much to the Welfare of the inner man and if we well and wisely consider this Benefit which our merciful Father grants us by blasting and withering our outward Comforts thus to enlighten and convince us of all those things we shall have cause to Adore and Admire his Goodness towards us in taking such course with us and to cry out with Job 7. 17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thy heart upon him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment Thirdly The Adversity of the outward man promotes the Prosperity of the inner man by taking away the Idols of the Soul which divided the Soul from God The best of us are apt to make Idols of every Creature-enjoyment very apt to let out our Hearts in inordinate Affection to Husbands Wives Children c. and suffer them to have more of our Hearts Loves and Delights than God and Christ and Heaven over-prizing and over-loving them taking too much content in them and expecting too much from them and so make Idols of them and then God withdraws his gracious Influences from us those quickning strengthning and comfortable Influences of his Spirit from us and hides his face and then our poor Souls languish and we grow weak and feeble so it was with David Psalm 30. 6 7. but this withdrawing of God from us we do not many time perceive and feel while our earthly Comfort continue with us though our Graces be weak Faith and Love weak our Passions and Corruptions strong and are too often too hard for us and we are carried captive by them and although wâ— decay in spiritual strength and grow dead in holy Duties careless and watchless in our Conversations and want that vigour spirit and life which sometime we had which are the effects of the absence of God's Spirit that we grow cold in on Affections to heavenly things I say these saâ— effects of God's withdrawment from us are noâ— perceived and felt by us so long as our bodiâ—â— Comforts continue with us but then it pleased our gracious God to send some awakening Providences upon us he sends Adversity and remove these our Idols and then through God's assisting Grace we come to see our sin and the fruits of it then we see our folly in letting out of our Hearts upon the vain Creature and that then God did withdraw and that our Souls did wither and languish upon which by the special Grace of God we lament our folly beg forgiveness through the blood of Christ and the Lord being gracious and merciful returns to the Soul again and then the Soul begins to recover it self and to grow better Fourthly Adversity is a means of bringing afresh to our Remembrance those particular special Sins which in Prosperity were forgot and which while they lye on us without Repentance they waste and weaken hurt and corrupt our Souls Adversity as was said before puts God's People upon the search of their Hearts and Lives now they say unto themselves what have we done now their Spirits do or should make diligent search now they do or should commune with their own Hearts and examine their ways and seek for the plague of their Hearts their Dalilah's their Jonah's their darling their beloved Sins which they did not or would not see in their Prosperity nor were willing to be reproved for but did over-look them or forgot them or look'd on them as little ones and common Infirmities humane Frailties and could study shifts to cover and excuse them Such as Pride and Passion inordinate Affection Unthankfulness Hypocrisie Covetousness Selfishness vain Thoughts idle Words Omissions Unfaithfulness breaking Vows and Promises Earthly mindedness Security hardness of Heart unprofitableness under the means of Grace and many other Heart-evils that scarce appear in time of Prosperity that in time of trouble upon a through search we may find out as our Unbelief want of love to God and Christ want of love to God's Word insensibleness of Sin and want of hatred to it want of fervent Charity to others with many others which upon a consciencious search and by the help of God's Spirit we shall find out in our selves which lay hid in us corroding and putrifying our poor Souls which were never so heartily confess'd and lamented as they should But when the Spirit and the Word comes with Affliction there is a discovery made of those lurking Lusts the filthy corners of our false Hearts opened and every gracious Soul is willing to be convinced of every sin and begs God heartily to search him and to rip him up and to shew him all the Evils of his Heart and Life with all their aggravating Circumstances being committed against much Love and Light against Conscience Conviction Resolution after many Confessions of them before the Lord and many times those Sins are brought to remembrance which were quite forgotten as sins of Youth fleshly Lusts excess in Meat Drink Apparel Disobedience to Parents mispending Time foolish jesting rash Anger sinful Silence Cowardize in God's Cause neglect of Reproof neglect of relational Duties Sabbath-sins with multitudes of others which will appear upon a diligent search many omissions of Spiritual Duties as Heavenly Meditations Self-examination self-denial Watchfulness all which the gracious Soul being convinced of repents of mourns for before the Lord and by Faith in the
blood of Jesus obtains Pardon of them and by the Spirit of Jesus obtains power against them and so the Soul being pardoned and healed recovers and is renewed day by day whereas before it lay pining and laâ—â—â—ithing this blessed fruit is produced by the blessing of our most gracious God upon the perishings and wastings of our outward man Fifthly By disingaging and weaning the Hearts of God's People from all the things of this World mortifying and crucifying their Affections to things below drawing off the Heart from Creature-comforts weaning the Soul from those dry Breasts In Prosperity the best of us think little on Mortification and on crucifying the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts of it although the very Life and power of true Christianity lies in these as Rom. 8. 13. Galat. 5. 24. but then we are for pleasing and gratifying the flesh Oh how tender are we of our flesh and how loth to be cross'd how deeply are our Affections engaged to the Vanities of the World how do our Hearts cleave and cling to the Creature even as our Skin to our Body how seldom do we think seriously of parting with our Relations our Health c. or of putting off our earthly Tabernacles and of our â—ying down our Heads in the dark Grave How are we afraid of Dangers to our outward man and troubled at evil tydings how thoughtfully careful to preserve our Creature-comforts with us not taking so much care to enâ—oy God in them and to enjoy them for God as to enjoy them our selves and for our selves How â—ear do they lie to our Hearts Now our loving Father seeing all this he takes it very ill at our â—ands that the Creature should be so near and â—ear to us and have so much room in our Hearts and therefore in love to our Souls blasts and wastes these our Comforts to draw off our Hearts from them that we may not set our Affections upon them Sixthly The perishing of the outward man furthers the flourishings of the inward man not only by bringing our Sins to our remembrance as was shewed but now but also as being a means of God's appointment and blessing both to purge away Sin past and to prevent Sin for the future as Isa 27. 9. the Lord speaking of Afflictions there upon the Church saith By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his Sin O blessed design of our good and gracious God O blessed fruit So Job 33. 17 18. To withdraw man from his purpose and to hide Pride from Man Are not many of God's People sensible of this how that be their Afflictions they have been kept from many Sins that without their Afflictions they haâ—â— been liable to have fallen into and committed Surely they will acknowledge it and give Goâ— thanks Sin is the Sickness and plague of the Souâ— which corrupts the Spirit wounds the Conscience weakneth Grace now in time of Prosperity wheâ— there is no Plague nor Sickness in Town or Couâ—try but all things belonging to the outward mâ—â— flourish even then is the very Air most spiritual infectious and most places then and most peoples breath then most infectious then the conâ—gion of Sin spreads most let a man then go in what place he will into what Company almost I will his Soul is in danger of Infection by Siâ— what Contentions Pride Envy Censuring Bad biting unjust Dealing and at best but vain idiâ— unprofitable Discourse is to be heard among most and how little of promoting the power of Godliness or mutual edification Now in such a time the poor Soul gets falls and wounds gets many a disease and Spiritual distemper which it perceives not now it gathers much Rust much Dross and it may carry the infection of sin a long time and is weakned and wasted by it which it may be others see by him more than himself his Passions and Corruptions get ground upon him and he pines day by day he grows more worldly froward proud c. and yet perceives it not and thus the inner Man is much damnified by the advantages of the outward All this the wise God seeth and observeth and out of his pity and tender compassion to the precious Souls of his poor Servants seeing them thus captivated by their Corruptions and diseased with so many spiritual Distempers and that they stand in great need of Physick lest they should perish thinks fit to break their worldly prosperity to give them the bitter purge of affliction to cast them into the Furnace that they may be purified and purged and so recovered and saved Zachar. 13. 9. Thus God ordereth the fire of affliction as a means to cleanse and purify his people from their filthiness and to make them pure and white Dan. 11. 35. Seventhly By exercising the Graces of God's people which in time of their prosperity were as it were laid asleep and for want of use and exercise did decay and scarce appear for it is not Grace â—n the habit that doth so much comfort the Soul â—s Grace in exercise now Adversity serves to draw â—ut Grace into act and exercise as Faith Repentance Hope Patience and other Graces now if ever the Christian labours to put forth his faith on God in Christ and on the Covenant and Promises Oh! now God and Christ and the Covenant and the promises signify something indeed to the Soul to these the poor Soul now flies as it was with Micah 7. 7. When all outward Comforts failed then he acted his Faith Hope and Patience I will look unto God I will wait for the God of my Salvation my God will hear me So Habb 3. 17. 18. Then also God's People renew their Repentance search their Hearts and Ways and turn to God as Ephraem Jerem. 31. 18 19. And then they act their Hope upon the promises of future Glory and then their Patience appears and standâ— them in great stead and their tender-heartedness their love to God his Word and People their contempt of the World yea every Grace is exercised mostly in time of affliction and this is the rare and special excellency of true Grace that â— thrives most and prospers best in the worst time for the most part Grace is strengthned and faâ—ned when sensible Comforts are withered anâ— starved and thus the inner man is renewed wheâ— the outward doth decay and perish Eightly The perishings of the outward Man he forward the flourishing of the inward by makit room and place and preparation in the Souls oâ— God's People for the gracious Communications Spiritual Mercies to them as is evident from thaâ— Scripture Hos 2. 6. and 14 compared Theâ—â— Creature-enjoyments stood in the way before fillâ— up all the room in the Hearts now these must bâ— removed to make way for better Mercies the too-well-beloved guests must be discarded that thâ— King of Glory may come in Other lovers had thâ— heart before these must be divorced that
promises is both the breeder and feeder of Patience let Faith live and Patience will not dye let Faith be present and Patience will not be absent and through Faith and Patience we shall inherit the promises Oh then let us labour to live by Faith and strive to keep up our â—aith in Act and Exercise and in special upon the real Spiritual Good that our good God will bring to our inner Man by the decays and perishings of our outward he having promised so to do and he being faithful who hath promised and let us also labour to live in hopes and expectations of that good praying also constantly for increase of our Faith and Hope so shall we be able with Patience to endure to the end and be saved Certainly it is every ones concernment to know and consider that Man consists of two Parts the inner and outer Man and which of the two is best and ought to be most minded and principally looked after for most live as if they had Bodies only and no Souls or if they have Souls that they need not much minding but say they leave the care of them to God whereas indeed it is the welfare the safety and salvation of our Souls that we all should be most solicious about What shall it profit a Man saith our Saviour if he gain the whole World and â—ose his own Soul Sin is the Disease of the Soul and Holiness the health of the Soul and afflictions are God's Physick to effect this Cure by surely then we had better take the Physick the Remedy tho' it make us sick than keep our Disease which will make us Die and that eternally the Remedy is better than the Disease So that when our merciful Father the only wise God sees that the blastings and breakings of our outward Comforts are proper means to keep us from and to purge from 〈…〉 Spiritual Diseases our sins which not purged would destroy our inner Man our Souls and therefore useth this means what cause have we to endeavour in God's strength patiently quietly and comfortably to bear all our breaches and perishings of our outward Man yea and to praise and bless the Lord that he will take this course with us thus to chasten us here in this World that we may not be condemned with the World hereafter 1 Cor. 11. 32. Fourthly It follows also from the Premises that wicked Men are fools very fools yea mad fools and cruel to their own Souls because all their caâ—â— is for their Bodies and none at all for their Souls they provide for the Servant but neglect the Master provide for the Horse but forget the Rider Eccl. 10. 7. We have seen how little care God takes of the outward Man but beats and break that many times that he may secure and preserve the inner Man of his People And also wicked Men are cruel to their own Souls Prov. 8. 36. He that sinneth against God wrongeth his own Soul Is it not a madness carefully to preserve the Box but lose the Jewel to spend precious time strength thoughts cares pains all Mans days in feeding cloathing preserving the outward Man but let the poor Soul starve perist and be eternally lost if there be any cruelty outâ— Hell this is a great piece of it Fifthly It follows also that the continuance oâ— outward Comforts is not to be expected Theâ— will be witherings decays perishings of our ouâ—ward Man it cannot be avoided our health at ease and peace will not abide always with us our dearest Relations must bid us farewel this on earthly Tabernacle must shortly be put off wâ— cannot live always all things here are mutable and changeable we see this by experience everâ— moment our pleasant and lovely Companions in the flesh our dearest friends in Christ our Yoak-fellows the desires of our Eyes the comforts of our lives they and we must part Psal 39. 6. This fully believed and seriously considered would unglue our affections from these things and prepare us to part with them that our parting with them be not so grievous to us as usually it is Could we use these things as we do our Gloves on our Hands which we can with ease pluck off and not as the skin on our Hands which cannot be pulled off but with much pain and smart It were good wisdom for us often to look on all our earthly comforts as things that we cannot long enjoy as things that we must needs shortly part with this my health my estate my ease my relations I must part with and I know not how soon a parting time must come This Soul and Body must part and to keep such thoughts in our minds and often to consider of it would help to moderate our affections to them while we enjoy them and to imploy them for God and also it would prevent our immoderate sorrow for the loss of them because we expected such losses and made account of them before they came but we are too often surprised and therefore too often overcome with sorrow Sixthly It follows from the premises that the Servants of God have no true cause or reason to be discouraged disquieted or dejected when their outward Man perisheth their outward Comforts wither their old House begins to totter and decay because by all these witherings and perishings of their outward Man their inner Man is renewed day by day and therefore no cause of fainting Such as know that is are assured by Faith that when this their earthly Tabernacle shall be dissolved that they have a building with God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens such will not be troubled when their Houses of Clay begin to totter no but rather they groan earnestly to be cloathed upon with their House which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3. And that God's Servants may thus be willing to put off their earthly Tabernacles and exchange them for Heavenly Houses God is working upon them and in them this willingness as Verse 5 by his Spirit his Word and by his Chastisements breaking and blafting their earthly Comforts weakning their bodies to make them willing to leave them and to long for those everlasting habitations which their dear Lord hath prepared for them John 14. 1 2 3. And for the more effectual working of God's People to this willingness he gives unto them the earnest of the Spirit which is the earnest of their Inheritance untill the Redemption of the purchased Possession Eph. 1. 13 14. and Rom. 8. 23. We which have received the First-fruits of the Spirit groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bodies Now this Earnest or First-fruits of the Spirit which in some measure God gives to all his people here in this life to prepare them for Glory is called also the Seal of the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. After ye believed ye were sealed Now this Seal of the Spirit I take to be the saving Works Graces and
I will confess you before my Father and the holy Angels This will be the joyful day indeed the day of our full Redemption the time of refreshing indeed the fore-thoughts of this day should support us under all our present Troubles 4. The Fourth Preparative is the Saints solemn Coronation and receiving into the Kingdom of their Father Now the Crown of Righteousness of Life of Glory which was promised them from the beginning of the World and purchased for them by the most precious Blood of Jesus and laid up in Heaven for them shall by the Lord the righteous Judge he given them at that day they have been faithful unto Death and therefore shall receive the Crown of Life The Lord Jesus will then say to all his Saints Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Every word is full of joy and comfort COME will Christ say Approach this exceeding Glory come is near as you will for the way to it is open for you I have made your passage plain by my blood Christ will not say then Come take up your Cross and follow â—â— but Come now and receive your Crown COME YE BLESSED In the world ye were accursed but now ye are blessed and shall be blessed for ever OF MY FATHER You are the objects of my Father's love he loveth you as he loveth me INHERIT You are the heirs of the promises the heirs of the kingdom the heirs of salvation No less than the Kingdom of Heaven You shall reign with me for ever and ever PREPARED Eternal Love hath laid the Foundation He prepares the Kingdom for us and then prepares us for the Kingdom FOR YOU for you all poor penitent Believers called Regenerate Souls for all you that received me by Faith and persevered therein to your death Thus much for the Preparatives to this far more excceeding and eternal weight of Glory II. Secondly I shall speak a little also of the Properties of this Glory but oh how short and shallow are my Apprehensions of this also Lord enlighten my Understanding and affect enlarge and quicken my Heart 1. This glorious state of Happiness is called The Purchased Possession Eph. 1. 14. It is the Friâ—â— of the Love and Blood of our dear Redeemer whom we shall in Heaven behold and enjoy We shall have our Redeemer alwaies before our Eyes and the liveliest sense and freshest Remembrance of that bleeding-dying-love still upon our Souls Oh how will it fill our Souls with perpetual Ravishments to think that in the Streams of this Blood we have swam through the violence of the World the snares of the Devil the seducements of the Flesh the curse of the Law the wrath of aâ— offended God the Accusations of a guilty Conscience and the vexing doubts and fears of an unbelieving Heart and are passed through all and are safely arrived at the Bosom of God O think and think again what weight of Woâ—â— and Wrath of Sin and Sorrow lay upon the Soul and Body of our most dear Lord to purchase foâ— us this exceeding weight of glory His Soul was oppressed exceedingly oppressed his Body broken his Blood shed to purchase this Glory We value things by the Price they cost If any thing we enjoy were purchased by the Life of our deareâ—â— Friend how would we esteem it Certainly thâ— bitter Death and Blood of our Lord will everlastingly sweeten our Heavenly Glory Oh that the Joy we shall then leave those Hearts of Stone and Rock behind us the Sin that here so close hâ— sets us and the sottish Unkindness that followeâ— us so long shall not be able to follow us into that Glory but we shall behold as it were the wounds of Love with Eyes and Hearts of Love for ever Now his Heart is open to us and ours shut to him but when his Heart is open and our hearts open too oh what a weight of Joy will there then be What a passionate meeting was there between our new-risen Lord and the first-sinful silly Woman that he appears unto How did Love struggle for expression Mary saith Christ Master saith Mary and presently she clasps about his Feet having her Heart as near his Heart as her Hands were to his Feet What a meeting of Love then will there be between the new-glorified Saint and the glorious Redeemer But I am here at a loss my Apprehensions fail me and fall short only this I believe that it will be the singular Praise of our Glory that it was bought with the price of that Blood and the singular Joy of the Saints to behold the Purchaser and the Price together with the Possession 2. Secondly This Glory also is most free it was dear to Christ but free to us Silver and Gold could not purchase this Glory nothing but the precious Blood of the Son of God but we have it freely for nothing without Mony and without Price It 's true this Glory is promised on Conditions but the Condition is but hearty Acceptance and to take him for our Lord who hath redeemed us especially when the Condition is also given as it is by God to all his Chosen Faith which is the main Condition is the gift of God O the everlasting admiration which must needs surprize the Saints to think of the freeness of their Glory O what did the Lord see in me to count me meet for such a state That I a poor diseased despised Wretch should be cloathed in the brightness of this Glory That I a silly worthless Worm should be advanced to this high Dignity That I who was but lately groaning weeping dying should now be so full of Joy as my Heart can hold Yea should be taken from the Grave where I was rotting and stinking and from the Dust and Darkness where I seemed forgotten and here sit before the Throne of God in Glory when the poor self-denying self-accusing humble Soul that thought himself unworthy the ground he trod on unworthy the air he breathed in unworthy to eat drink or live that this Soul shall find himself wrapt up into Heaven closed in the Arms of Christ crowned with Glory in a moment Dâ— but think with your selves what a transporting astonishing thing this will be surely our Unworthiness shall not hinder our Glory God hath chosen the Poor of this World rich in Faith to be Heirs of that Kingdom Grace is most free so is Glory As we pay nothing for our Pardon so nothing for our Glory What an astonishing thought will it be to think of the unmeasurable difference between our Deservings and our Receivings between the state we should have been in and the state we are in to look down upon Hell and see the vast difference between us and them to see the Inheritance which we were born to so different from that we are adopted to O what pangs of Love will it cause within us to think yonder in that dreadful place in those
Lakes of Fire and Brimstone was my native place my deserved Portion those unquenchable Flames should have lain on me that never-dying Worm should have fed on me But that unsearchable rich Grace and infinite Love in God through the most precious Blood of my Redeemer I am delivered from that place of Torment Eternal Life is the Gift of God through Jesus Christ my Lord Did not I neglect Grace and make light of the Offers of Life and slight my Redeemer's Blood a long time as well as those poor damned Souls Did not I waste my time forget my God and my Soul and walk after the Flesh as well as they Was not I born in Sin â—nd Wrath as well as they Or who made me to â—iffer Should I ever have loved God if he had not first loved me Or ever been willing if he had not made me willing Had not I been in those â—ames if I had my own way and if he had let me â—lone to my own will Oh how free was all this â—nfinite Love and how free is this Crown of Glory that so glorious a Crown should be set on the Head of so vile a Creature 3. The third Property of this Glory is that it shall be fully satisfying and contenting for it is a weight of Glory an exceeding weight of Glory It shall be a perfect freedom from all Evil and a perfect fruitiâ—ns of all Good This Glory shall be perfectly suiâ—â—ed to our Natures for as here in this Life every gracious Soul is made partaker of the Divine Nature of the Life of God in some measure and made like Christ in some degree so in the Life to come he shall have a Nature more fully like God his holy Image more fully printed on him and made more fully like Christ When he shall appear we shall see him as he is and we shall be like him â— Job 3. 2. When we awake at the glorious morning of the Resurrection we shall be satisfied with his likeness Psal 17. 15. This Glory shall be perfectly suited also to the Desires of the Saints then the So shall have all that Heart can wish all that ever thou O poor believing Soul didst ever pray or labor for there thou shalt find thou wouldst rather have God in Christ than all the World why there thou shalt have him O what wouldst thou give for the Assurance of his Love Why there thou shalt have Assurance beyond all suspicion yea thou shalt have infinitely more than thou canst desire This Glory is suited also to all the Necessities of the Saints it will make a full supply to all our wants for it is an exceeding weight of Glory My God shall supply all your need with the riches of his glory in Jesus Christ Phil. 4. 19. Here in this World we are always complaining of Wants for Soulor Body or both we want Grace want Peace and Comfort we want Health and Friends nothing but Wants But when once we come to possess this exceeding weight of Glory we shall have no more cause to complain of Wants we shall never want any thing for ever for we shall be filled with all the Fulness of God we shall ever be with the Lord and dwell in his presence for ever in whose presence is fulness of Joy and at whose right hand are Pleasures for evermore Solomon said That Mary answereth all things I am sure that Glory will answer all things 4. Fourthly This Glory is incorruptible 1 Cor. 9. 25. This is an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet. 1. 4. We shall then have Joy without any mixture of Sorrow Rest without Weariness As there is no mixture of Corruption with our Graces then so no mixture of Sufferings with our Solace Our best Comforts here are mixed with Crosses we have no Flower without Prickles Our best Wine is mixed with Water and some times with Vinegar and Gall. We are now sometimes even at the gates of Heaven and presently almost as low as Hell Today we are well to morrow sick to day in credit to morrow in disgrace to day have Friends to morrow none The only thing that corrupts and imbitters our sweetest Comforts here is our Sins and God's hiding his Face from us for our Sins It is Sin that puts Gall and Wormwood into all our pleasant Cups but when we shall receive that exceeding weight of Glory we shall sin no more for ever Hark O my Soul the best News that ever thou heardst since that greatest good news of a Saviour the time is coming when thou shalt sin no more Rev. 21. 27. then Saints are Saints indeed Eph. 5. 27. O poor Believer if it were put to thy choice wouldst thou not rather chuse to be freed from Sin than to be made Heir of all the World Wait till then and thou shalt have thy desire That hard earthly carnal Heart that thou hast so often complain'd of to the Lord those vain and vile Thoughts which did lye down and rise with thee shall trouble thee no more Oh blessed state blessed time 5. And Lastly It is an eternal weight of glory a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away that Life is everlasting there is no more Death it is everlasting Peace everlasting Joy Pleasures for evermore Eternal Glory O blessed Eternity The Saints shall be Pillars in the Temple of God and go no more out for ever What! to be eternally blessed to be ever with the Lord What can my shallow Thoughts conceive of this O happy Souls in Hell if they could escape after millions of years But how infinitely happy are those in Heaven that shall live there eternally O this amazing this astonishing word Eternity O my Soul study this word Everlasting methinks it should revive thee in thy deepest Agony Thy Heaviness shall endure but for a night God will hide his Face but for a moment thy Afflictions are but light and short thy Temptation shall be but an hour thy Tribulation but ten days but thou shalt receive a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Believe this O my Soul and let thy Heart break and melt that thou art no more affected with that eternal Love that purchased this eternal Glory for thee For ever adore and admire eternal Love and Grace and double thy Diligence to secure thy title to this eternal weight of glory and live in the Love and in the high Praises of thy dear Redeemer and patiently bear all thy Afflictions because they are preparing thee for this Glory Thus we have seen a little of the Preparatives to and Properties of this far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory and alas how little do I know of it Now before I proceed let us also enquire who shall be the Possessors of this Glory or what those happy persons are that shall be made partakers of this Blessedness that we may know whether we our selves have any title to it and have any good hope through Grace that we shall one
day enjoy it It will be but small Comfort to hear of all this Blessedness and Happiness if we our selves have no right to it And of this briefly Certainly this most blessed state is not for all not for most but only for a few Few saith our Lord shall be saved and those are the Children of God only they are Heirs to this Glory Rom. 8. 17. If Children then Heirs not else and such we are not by Nature Joh. 8. 44. Eph. 2. 2 3 12. But all that are the Children of God are made so by Grace they are made so by Faith in Christ Gal. 3. 26. We are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ And if we are Christ's by Faith then are we the Heirs of the Promise ver 29. That is we are Heirs of this promised Glory So Heb. 6. 17 18. Also we are made the Children of God by Regeneration by the blew-birth Full is that Text John 1. 12 13. As many as received him that is Christ to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to as many as believe in his name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. we are said to be begotten to this Inheritance Jam. 1. 17 18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth So 1 Pet. 1. 23. And our Lord who is Truth it self hath assured us that except a man be born again he can never see the kingdom of God that is he shall never inherit this Glory It is prepared for none but God's Children and none are his Children but true Believers in Christ none but such as are truly regenerate and born again by the Word and Spirit now all such as are in Christ have his Spirit living and ruling in them Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his And 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature all old things are past away and all things are become new And such as are born again they have the Image of God repaired in them the Divine Nature communicated to them the Life of God planted in them and are thereby enabled to live unto God and to walk as his Children in sincere Obedience to all his Commandments in resemblance of their Heavenly Father in most hearty and superiative love to him and in an holy confidence in him and entire dependance on him as their most gracious Father Almighty in and through their most dear Lord Jesus Christ These are the Persons and these only that shall be advanced to this exceeding weight of glory Moreover we are made the Children of God by Covenant God the All-sufficient Good of his infinite Love and Grace condescends to poor Sinners and freely bestows himself upon them becomes their God in Christ and takes them into Covenant with himself and makes them his Sons and Daughters 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. communicating to them his Spirit working in them all sanctifying Graces pardoning their Iniquities giving them new Hearts new Spirits soft and tender Hearts Hearts to tremble at his Word to mourn for Sin their own and others tender of God's Honour Hearts to love him Hearts to fear him c. and enabling them to give up their whole selves unfeignedly and unreservedly unto the Lord Jesus Christ taking him for their only Lord and Saviour and as the only way and means to bring them unto God and to his glory submitting themselves to his gracious government in all things and trusting in him for Life and Salvation These are the Children of God which shall certainly inherit this far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory They are the People of God that shall possess this glory who are described by a famous Divine thus They are a part of the Externally called who being by the Spirit of Christ throughly though imperfectly regenerate are hereupon convinced and sensible of that evil iâ— Sin that misery in themselves that vanity in the Creature and that necessity sufficiency and excellency of Jesus Christ that they abhor that evil bewail that misery and turn their Hearts from that vanity and most affectionately accepting of Christ for their Saviour and Lord to bring them unto God the Chief Good and present them perfectly just before him do accordingly enter into a cordial Covenant with him and so deliver up themselves unto him and herein persevere unto their lives end Now all thâ— Children of God all the People of God may be assured of this glory for First God hath ordained and prepared this glory for his People This Kingdom is prepared before the foundation of the World Mat. 25. God hath predestinated his Children to this glorious Inheritance Eph. 1. 5 11. Rom. 8. 29 30. 2 Thess 2. 13. God hath prepared for them a City Heb. 11. 16. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Matt. 20. 23. The Saints are Vessels of Mercy before prepared unto glory Rom. 9. 23. And those in time he translates out of Satan's Kingdom into the Kingdom of his dear Son and by his Spirit of Grace by his Word of Grace by his Fatherly Chastisements by his Mercies he doth by degrees make meet and fit for this glorious Inheritance with his Saints in light Col. 1. 12 13. And surely God's Counsel shall stand and his Decrees be fulfilled Therefore blessed are they whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his Inheritance Psal 33. 11 12. Secondly This Glory is purchased also as was said before It is alone by the Blood of Jesus that we have entrance into Heaven therefore do the Saints sing forth his Praises for that he hath redeemed them out of every Nation by his Blood and made them Kings and Priests to God Rev. 5. 9 10. So that either Christ must lose the price of his Blood and Sufferings and never see the Travel of his Soul but all his pain and expectations be lost or else for certain there remains for the Saints this far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Thirdly This Glory is promised also God that cannot lye hath promised Eternal Life Tit. 1. 2. Luk. 12. 32. 22. 19. I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me a kingdom 2 Thess 1. 7. Matth. 25. 34. Jam. 2. 5. Rev. 2. 7 10 11 17. Heb. 10. 34. with many other places So that if the Purpose and Decree of God be certain if the Purchase of Christ be certain if the Promises of the faithful God be certain all which are most sure and certain then also it is most sure and certain that the Children of God shall most assuredly one day receive this far more exceeding and eternal weigh of glory And now O my Soul how long shall thy foolish Heart deceive thee how long wilt thou set thy Affections on things below upon lying dying Vanities When wilt thou draw
a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. These believing loving sights of heavenly things will change us into the image of them 9. By this we shall be made more and more willing and desirous to leave this World and to go to a better Compare this Text with the beginning of the next Chapter 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3. the Apostle having said We look not on visible temporal things but on those things which are not seen which are eternal presently adds for we know that when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for in this House we groan earnestly to be clothed upon with our House which is from Heaven And this made Paul desire to be dissolved that he might be with Christ which was far better or best of all Phil. 3. Certainly such as really apprehend and truly believe those invisible eternal things and their title to them and portion in them will be really willing to dye that they may enjoy them knowing that they lye on the other side of Death and cannot be enjoyed but by dying and after Death Death being the In-let to all that purchased promised Glory Now the more we do seriously think and meditate on those glorious things the more willing we shall be to leave all those fading vain and vexing Comforts to enjoy those eternal Delights And it is a great Mercy and sweet Priviledge to be willing to dye and I know nothing will more effect this willingness in us Now let all those Motives effectually perswade us to draw off our hearts from those visible temporal things and to set our Affections upon things above How long shall vain Thoughts lodge within us how long shall this present evil World gnaw and feed upon our Spirits consuming and wasting them and eating out our time and strength how long shall the God of this World blind our Minds and the Dust of it fill our Eyes how long shall we misplace our Affections and mistake our Rest Our Rest is not here our Heaven and Happiness is not here Earth is going from us and we from it and shall we hug what we cannot hold Shall we kiss and embrace that which is withering in our hands and dying in our arms Are there not infinitely-better things to be minded Duke de Alva wickedly said when one told him of an Eclipse that was then present I have so much to do on Earth I have no leisure to mind Heaven O that it may not be so said of any of us Let us call to mind what those invisible eternal things are aforementioned as God Christ the Holy Ghost the Promises the Purchased Inheritance the Glory of Heaven c. withal let us mind Christ's second Coming to Judgment the manner and end of it 2 Thess 1. 6 7 8 9 10. which the Apostle often spoke and wrote of and minded Tit. 2. 13 14. the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour the Resurrection of the Body and the manner of it 1 Cor. 15. the full Redemption and glorious Manifestation of the Sons of God the happy uniting of the Souls and Bodies of the Saints after so long a Separation and the uniting and solemn Marriage of both to Christ the King of Glory the passing of the Saints into Heaven with Christ in Triumph their living for ever with God seeing his Face and knowing him as we are known Oh that we could mind these things and set our Faith and Love our Hopes Dâ—stres and Delights on work upon these things what sweet Contentment what Soul-refreshing Joy and Comfort would such thoughts yield to our Souls even in the midst of all our Troubles No wonder we are such Strangers to the Joy of the Lord because we are such Strangers to God himself and to the great things of his Kingdom I shall conclude this Use with that of the Apostle 2 Pet. 3. 14. Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Be diligent to prepare for the enjoyment of all those great and glorious things and to secure our title to them which Preparation consists in two things mainly as exprest in that Scripture 1. In a state of Reconciliation with God 2. In a spotless blameless Conversation 1. In a state of Reconciliation with God Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace There will be a most strict and accurate search made at the last day all those that look for those invisible eternal good things at last must be exceeding careful about this to make this the Mark Design and Aim all their Life and at Death that they may be found in a reconciled state in a state of Peace with God This is the critical point the main hinge whereupon hangs all the safety and happiness of a Man or Woman for Eternity Not whether rich or poor high or low honourable or contemptible in this World the Differences and Distinctions will signifie nothing then nor whether Presbyterian or Independent c. but whether reconciled to God or no. This strict search will be made by the Lord who cannot be blinded nor deceived And the consideration of the issue of this search should quicken us to diligence in our Preparation which shall be 1st on them that shall then be found not reconciled the danger will be to their whole man Soul and Body Depart ye cursed c. most dreadful and most intolerable 2dly On them that are found reconciled their Comfort will be unspeakable the Lord Jesus will own them all as the Purchase of his Blood and will embrace them all Come ye blessed of my Father c. and will commend them Well done c. and will crown them with a Diadem of Eternal Glory Oh then let us presently engage all the Powers of our Souls in striving to be found of God in Peace And if we will be found of God in Peace at that day we must 1. Fall out with all Sin and make an open breach with all Ungodliness and all Worldly lusts Tit. 2. 11 12. No Peace with God so long as we have Peace with any Sin We must search for our Sins of Heart and Life heartily repent of them declare open War against them all not regarding any Iniquity in our Hearts but hating and mortifying all Go to God to give you sound Repentance Acts 5. 31. 3. 19. 2. Fall in and close unfeignedly with Jesus Christ the only Peace-maker accepting him on his Terms taking him for Only Lord and Saviour resigning up our whole selves unto him in all things giving him the Preheminence in us and over us and heartily submitting to his government by his Word and Spirit Thus by true Repentance and Faith we are to make our Peace with God And this
is the sum of the Gospel Acts 20. 21. Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Repentance in order to the obtaining of our Pardon Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come Acts 5. 31. Christ is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins Job 22. 21. And by Faith in Christ we take hold of God's Strength Isa 27. 5. Which is the mercy of God in Christ this is the strength of God to save sinners Lay hold then on this Strength of God viz. the Mercy of God in Christ and so shall we make Peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God Make sure and sound work then in Repentance and Faith let us often try our Repentance and Faith dally not nor delay in this business we are all upon the Borders of Eternity we are all near those invisible eternal things This is the common Counsel we give every body on their Sick-beds You must make your peace with God we say but how this may be done few know or mind O let us mind those great matters Have we unfeignedly repented from dead Works unto Life Is all Sin hated and sought out Are we truly converted Acts 26. 18. 3. 19. Sound Conversion a thorow Change of Heart and Life is the surest sign of true Repentance Have we Faith in Jesus Christ the Faith of God's Elect Faith unfeigned that purifieth the Heart worketh by Love overcometh the World unites to Christ and draws Life from him to live as he lived and walk as he walked Let us try our Repentance by these Texts Jer. 31. 19. Joel 2. 14. Isa 55. 7. Matt. 3. 8. Heb. 6. 1. Thorow Examination of Heart and Life Clear Confession Hearty Humiliation Self-Abhorrency Thorow Reformation will prove our Repentance true and sound Q. How shall I know that I have truly believed A. Haft thou found it an hard Work to believe a Work altogether above thy own Power Haft thou seen and felt thy loft Estate by Nature Haft thou seen the Excellency of Christ and thy absolute necessity of him Is he most precious to thy Soul Hath thy Soul been drawn to Christ made heartily willing to close with Christ upon his own Terms to take him for your only Lord and Saviour hath all this been wrought in thee by the Word Dost thou value Faith as a Jewel Dost thou rely on Christ and trust him with all things and for all things Doth this bring Peace to thy Soul Dost thou draw Life and Strength from Christ Doth thy Faith in him support thee in Trouble What Service doth it do thee in time of Trouble It is the greatest Support the poor Saints have in all their Afflictions as Heb. 11. throughout Our great Business lies upon making sure and clear the Truth of our Repentance and Faith and we must go to God for both for they are his special gifts Also we must go to Christ he is the Author and Giver of them Acts 5. 31. Heb. 12. 1 2. And we should be often trying our Repentance and Faith for without these no Soul can ever attain unto Salvation and with them no Soul shall ever miss it The penitent Believers are the only heirs of the Promises all the great and glorious things of the other World which the faithful God who cannot lye hath promised and which our Blessed Jesus hath purchased with his most precious Blood they do ill belong to penitent Believers and to none else The exceeding great and precious Promises are those sweet Breasts of Consolation which they should lye upon and suck continually and by two immutable things to wit the Word and Oath of God wherein it is impossible that God should lye these Promises are confirmed that the heirs of the Promises might have not weak but strong Consolation Heb. 6. 17. Fourth Vse for Lamentation These things are to be lamented I. The great ignorance of those invisible eternal things Our Lord lamented and wept over Jerusalem for this Luke 19. 21 22. If thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace It is a lamentable thing that People living under the clearest Discoveries and brightest Displays of those invisible eternal things should yet be so grosly ignorant of them and so unacquainted with them as God complains of Israel Hos 4. 1 6. 8. 12. No knowledge of God in the Land though it was the only Land in all the World then that had the means of Knowledge Hos 8. 12. I have written to them the great things of my law but they have counted them strange things Look over those particulars afore-mentioned and we shall find that there is very little true distinct knowledge of them in the Land Obj. But we do know these things Ans If we do know God why do we not obey him Tit. 1. 16. To profess to know God and in works to deny him is the Character of a Reprobate Why do we not trust him Psal 9. 10. They that know his name will put their trust in him 1 John 2. 3 4. 4. 17. What likeness have most Men and Women to God and Christ What Fruits of the Spirit do appear Gil. 5. 22. but the Fruits of the Flesh are manifest What Power Sweetness and Comfort do Men find in the Word and Promises how little are most affected when they read or hear of all the great things purchased by Christ and prepared in Heaven for Believers What fixed delightful Thoughts and serious Meditations are spent upon these things Alas alas whose Conscience doth not accuse him Whose Heart that hath any tenderness doth not smite him for his neglect of this While I am writing this my Conscience flies in my Face and chargeth me with guilt O pardon me Lord through the Blood of Christ and give me true Repentance Let me be ashamed and even confounded for my woful neglect of minding invisible eternal things I am convinced of my guilt and blessed be God for that O give me an heavenly heart let in more of Heaven to my heart O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee II. It is a Lamentable thing that those high glorious invisible eternal things should be so little believed by us They are little known but less believed They cannot but be known to us in some measure they have been so often preach'd to us and we have so often read of them Their sound hath gone out to the ends of the earth Rom. 10. 19. Did not Israel know Doth not England know Then we must be stark deaf and blind Some Knowledge in our heads we must needs have but certainly here is the Root-Sin the Spring of all Ungodliness even Unbelief whatever People profess these things are not believed People are not fully perswaded in their Hearts and Souls of the Truth of the Excellency and of
We see how bravely the Primitive Christians carried themselves in all their Sufferings by looking unto minding and thinking upon those invisible eternal things Oh could we keep them in our view and keep our Eye on them we should not faint nor sink under any of our Troubles We look too much on and mind too much those visible temporal things and look too little to the Invisible God to our Blessed Jesus and Eternal Glory Oh that God would encrease and strengthen our Faith and help us to live in the lively actings and exercise of it By it we stand Oh that we could live more by Faith and less by Sense 2 Cor. 5. 7. Fifth Vse for Instruction If we would set our Hearts and Minds on those invisible eternal things we must 1. Be much in Prayer Pray oh pray for new Hearts old Hearts will not hold heavenly things Pray for Saving Light and Knowledge Ephes 1. 17 18. Pray that ye may clearly apprehend and understand those things Pray for Faith that you may really believe them and may be fully perswaded of the Truth and Excellency of them Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Pray for Love that your Hearts may be throughly and truly affected with them that you may relish and savour them and may feel taste and see the goodness of them Pray for strength of Faith and Love that you may act those and other Graces as Hope Joy Desire and Delight upon those heavenly things Pray without ceasing pray fervently for these things and never leave praying till you obtain Tell God that an earthly empty carnal Heart you have and how impossible it is for you your selves to make â—t heavenly Complain to the God of all Grace who can make all Grace to abound 2. Search the Scriptures diligently Read the Word of God conscientiously for there all those great and glorious things are discovered And labour to believe what you hear and read and to get the power and efficacy of God's Truths on â—â—our Spirits 2 Cor. 4. 4 6. 3. Be watchful against all Sin and against the World and the Lusts of the Flesh Be much in mortification of your inordinate Affections Col. 3. â—1 2 5. compared Watch against vain thoughts and strive in God's strength to draw up your â—earts to Heaven and hold them there 4. Seriously and often consider the great and â—â—al difference between visible and invisible things between temporal and eternal things uncertain and certain things transitory and permanent things between those things that respect the mortal Body and those that concern the immortal Soul between those things that are the Portion of Reprobates and those that are the Portion of God's Elect. Oh consider the great difference between those things which are the Effects of Common Providence and those that are the Fruits of God's everlasting Love and Christ's most precious Blood Surely a due and deep consideration of the vast difference which is between these things would help us to mind eternal things 5. Consider what taste these visible temporal things will have in a dying hour surely either none at all or a bitter one Oh then what will Honours Riches Pleasures signifie Oh then how much better and sweeter will those invisible eternal things be to a poor Soul Oh then an Interest in God and in Christ a Pardon a Title to Eternal Life Assurance of Salvation will be things of value And why should they not be so now 6. Converse much with heavenly-minded Christians but alas where shall we find them Let us all bewail our horrible Earthliness our Earthly Discourse all Earth in our Thoughts Earth in our Mouths and yet hope to go to Heaven at last and live in Heaven for ever O how unlikely Surely if I am not very much mistaken I think a great many of our Professors will be mistaken at last and that will be dreadful because irrecoverable O Lord give thy poor Servant an heavenly Heart Sixthly The Last Vse is for Comfort to those that do mind and look unto those invisible eternal things in good earnest For your Comfort consider 1. This is to you an Evidence of your Interest in all those great and glorious things That you do thus mind and converse with heavenly things with God and Christ and Glory it is a good sign that these are all your own that you have a good Title to them An heavenly Mind is a very good sign of one that belongs to Heaven 2. You shall shortly enjoy and possess them all Where Christ is there shortly shall his Servants be He will not always dwell in Heaven without you nor will he always be absent from you no but he will come again and receive you to himself that where he is there you may be also John 14. 1 2 3. And where is he but at the right hand of the Throne of his Father and there you shall be also when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall appear with him also in glory Col. 3. 3 4. Now you can see and think on those invisible eternal things but darkly and confusedly but then you shall see clearly yea possess and enjoy them for ever 3. This your minding of heavenly things will very much sweeten your present Sufferings And this brings me to the consideration of the last thing in the scope of the Text namely the help or benefit those Primitive Christians had by their looking unto those invisible eternal things which was that thereby they were supported under their present Sufferings Ver. 16. We faint not while we look not on things that are seen but on things that are not seen Hence may we observe this Doctrinal Conclusion Doct. That a believing sight and serious minding of unseen eternal things is a singular means of sweet support to poor Christians under all their Troubles This flows from the scope of the Text We faint not say they but rather we gather strength and courage and our inner man is renewed day by day while we look not at those things which are seen but at those c. Looking off from visible temporal things doth much help to support God's People under their Troubles but looking on upon invisible eternal things doth help more Crucifixion of our Affections to visible temporal things is very useful but the fixation of our Affections on invisible eternal things is more useful to our Support and Comfort Psal 27. 13. I had 〈…〉 believed to see the goodness of God in the land of 〈…〉 Ver. 14. So Heb. 11. 26 27. By Faith Moses endured as seeing him that is invisible Moses could never have endured all those hard things if he had looked only on those things which are seen but he looked on the invisible God and the unseen Jesus and on the Promises the Recompence of Reward he had a fixed Eye to those great things his mind was setled on these and that carried him through all