my life though I have many crosses yet I have Christ for my comfort He is the comfort of my life and the life of all my comforts All my joyes come in at this door all my contentments come swimming in this stream Piscator observeth that the consolation of Israel is the Periphrasis of Jesus Christ Luk. 2.25 Because all the consolation of a true Israelite as Jacobs in Benjamin is bound up in Christ if he be gone the soul goeth down to the grave with sorrow As all the candles in a Country cannot make a day no it must be the rising of the Sun that must do it So all the health wealth honours pleasures relations possessions nay the greatest confluence of comforts that the whole Creation affordeth cannot make a day of light and gladnesse in the heart of a believer no it must be the rising of this Sun of Righteousnesse The light of his countenance causeth more joy than all the corn and wine and oyl of this world can He faith as Luther Christ liveth or otherwise I would not desire to live one moment Or as that Noble Marquesse of Vico Their mony perish with them that think all the wealth in the world worth one hours Communion with Jesus Christ His comfort ebbeth and floweth as Christ manifesteth himself to him or with-draweth himself from him like the Mary-gold he openeth and shutteth with the rising and setting of this Sun When the Bridegroom is taken away the children of the Bride-Chamber mourn the voice of the true Dove is ever doleful in the absence of her Mate many a long look hath this gracious soul after its absented Saviour many a time doth it sigh out for lovers hours are full of eternity Why is his Chariot so long a coming why tarry the wheels of his Chariot Make haste my beloved and be thou like the Hart and Roe upon the Mountain of spices It like Zacheus climbs up into the Sycamore-tree of the Ordinances that it may have a sight of its beloved for it heareth that he useth to passe that way and when it spieth him afar off for love is quick-sighted coming towards it hearken how the soul calleth aloud to faith to lift up the gates to lift open the everlasting doors that the King of glory may enter in Desire like Joseph makes ready its Chariot to go forth to meet this God of Jacob and when he draweth nigh it cometh down hastily and receiveth him joyfully it cryeth out with the * Mr. Robert Glover Acts Monum Volum third p. 427. Lond. An. 1641. Martyr in a flame of love He is come He is come Now like Mary it closeth with him cleaveth to him clingeth and claspeth about him and thinketh it can never have enough of him or be near enough to him Who can expresse the wel-come which this pious Soul giveth him what warme affection it hath to him what complacency and delight it hath in him what enlarged egresse of spirit it hath after him if the wise men were so glad when they saw the star that led to him how glad is this soul in seeing this Sun if the babe in the wombe of Elizabeth sprang for joy when the Mother of the Lord came to her how doth the heart of this Christian spring with joy when the Lord of that Mother comes to it and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Dearest Jesus why camest thou no sooner why tarriest thou no longer Sweetest Saviour why should this meeting ever ever part Be thou like a bundle of myrrh lodging all night betwixt my breasts yet be not like a wayfaring man to tarry with me but for a night but do thou abide in me and dwell with me for ever Good Lord how good is it to be here O how blessed are they that dwell in thy house they ever and not without infinite cause praise thee Lord grant me this happinesse what ever thou deniest me that my heart may be thine everlasting home Ah what an holy emulation hath this Saint at the spirits above that they should have so much and he so little that they should drink full draughts out of the Rivers of pleasures and he can only taste God to be gracious Ah what an heavenly vexation hath he at the necessities of his body and family here below that they must call him away and hinder his Communion with his beloved O how willingly would this soul be separated from its dearest Wife that it might more nearly be conjoyned to its dearer Husband Surely such a soul would with chearfulnesse die in these embraces of Christ breathing out with Austin Aug. on those words Moriar Domine â—ut te videâ—m Lord since no man can see thee and live O let me die that I may see thee This indeed is the fore-taste of the Saints future happinesse their morning of glory the Suburbs of the new Jerusalem the first fruits of their great and eternal harvest the joy that strangers intermeddle not with â—erba non â—alent exâ—rimere â—xperimenâ— opus est Prov. 14.10 It may better be conceived and felt then described or exprest and therefore is most fitly by the Apostle called joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 Thus Christ is the comfort of a Christian Fourthly To me to live is Christ that is Christ is the end of my life Christ is both the Authour and the end of my life as my life is from Christ so my life is for Christ the great care of the Apostle was to magnifie Christ both by his life and death Phil. 1.20 * Large Annot. All the gain I aim at both in life and death is Christ namely to glorifie him by my service According to the principles of a man Opâ—rari sequâ—tur esse such are his ends He that acteth from self acteth for self That obedience which ariseth from the creature will be terminated in the creature Solomon saith Eccles 1.7 All the Rivers run into the Sea unto the place from whence the rivers came thither they return again so the life of a Christian coming from Christ must necessarily tend to Christ A sincere Saint doth not like the hypocrite look asquint at self-applause self-profit and such beggarly ends but his eyes look straight on at the glory of Jesus Christ If Christ be glorified though he be disgraced he is satisfied when Christ hath honoured the soul by giving it grace the soul honoureth Christ by giving him glory Grace is the most curious work and therefore no wonder if it be for the credit of the Workman Trees beare fruit for the owner Cant. 4.16 Of him and through him are all things therefore to him be glory for ever and ever Rom. 11.36 It is confest the flesh will propound other ends but the Spirit carrieth the vote As some write of the heavenly Orbes that they have a proper motion of their own different from the motion of the Primum Mobile yet in obedience to this
the Christian to a Kingdome which cannot be shaken But it commeth to the unregenerate as Ehud to Eglon And Ehud said I have a message from God unto thee and what was his message Judges 3.20 21. And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglons belly It is a messenger from God with a mortal wounding killing stabbing message to a sinner The pale white horse of death rides before and the red fiery horse of hell follows after The people of God pass safely through this red Sea of death which his enemies assaying to do are drowned are damned There is a great dis-agreement in the lives of the holy and unholy but O what a vast difference is there in their deaths they are like two parallel lines how far soever they go together they never touch in a point Their wayes differ and therefore their ends must necessarily differ Every mans end is virtually in his way their ways differ as much as light and darknesse and therefore their ends must differ as far as heaven and hell The one walketh in his own wayes Prov. 14.14 in the wayes of his own heart Eccles 7.9 in the broad way of the flesh and the world Matth. 7.13 and so his end is damnation Phil. 3.19 his latter end is that he shall be destroyed Fine discernuntur improbi ab electis Moller in Ps 37 for ever Numb 24.20 The other walketh in the way of the Lord Psal 119.1 in the way of his testimonies ver 14. in the narrow way of self-denial mortification and crucifying the flesh Maâ—t 7.14 and so his end is peace Psal 37.37 Such as the seed is which is sown such is the crop wich is reaped the unregenerate man soweth to the flesh and of the flesh reapeth corruption The sanctified soul soweth to the spirit and of the spirit reapeth life everlasting Galat. 6.6 7. The blind world indeed as it seeth not their difference in life the life of a Saint is an hidden life Col. 3.3 the Kings daughter is all glorious but 't is within Psal 45.13 the jewels of her graces are laid up in that privy Drawer the hidden man of the heart so it beholdeth not the difference in their deaths As dieth the wise man so dieth the fool to the eye of sense and they want the eye of faith Eccles 2.16 We see no difference say they betwixt the death of them you call prophane and your precise ones they die both alike to our judgments But this conceit Reader if thou art such an Athiest proceedeth from thy blindnesse and unbelief Thou art probably in the chamber when a drunkard a swearer or a civil moral yet unsanctified neighbour departeth this life thou seest his body trembling panting groaning dying but thou doest not see the ten thousand times worse condition his poor soul is in thou seest his kindred or relations weeping but thou doest not see the infernal spirits rejoycing thou dost not see the greedy Devils that waited by the bed-side like so many roaring lions for their desired deserved prey thou doest not see when the soul left the body how it was immediately seised on by those frightful hell-hounds in a most hideous horrible manner and haled to the place of intolerable and eternal torments thou doest not see the shoutings of those legions in hell at the coming in of a new prisoner to bear a part in the undergoing of divine fury in their blasphemies against heavens Majestie and in their estate of hopelessnesse and desperation Men saith a modern writer like silly fishes see one another caught and jerkt out of the pond of life but they see not alas the fire and pan into which they are cast who die in their sins Oh it had been better surely for such if they had never been born as Christ said of Judas then to be brought forth to the murtherer that old man-slayer to be hurled into hell there to suffer such things as they shall never be able to avoid or abide On the other side thou standest by a scorned persecuted Saint when he is bidding adieu to a sinful world thou seest the struglings and droopings of his outward man but thou seest not the reviving cordial the Physician of souls is preparing for his inward man thou doest not see those glorious Angels which watch and wait upon this heaven-born soul That waggon or chariot which the son of Joseph sendeth to fetch his relation to a true Goshen Never Roman Emperor rode in such a Chariot of Triumph as the Saint doth to heaven the inheritance of the Saints in light is as invisible to thee as those chariots of fire on the mountain were to the servant of the Prophet When the soul biddeth the body good night till the morning of the resurrection thou doest not see those ministring spirits sent down for the good of this heir of salvation presently solacing and saluting it Thou doest not see how stately it is attended how safely conducted how gladly received into the bosome of Abraham into the fathers house into that City whose builder and maker is God Thou doest not see the soul putting off with the cloathing of the body all sin and misery and putting on the white linnen of the Saints even perfect purity matchlesse joy and eternal felicity When thou canst see these things with the eye of faith thou wilt easily grant a vast difference between the death of the gracious and gracelesse Reader if thou art dead in thy sins and unacquainted with this spiritual life which I have before described nothing of that endlesse gain which the godly shall enjoy at death belongs to thee none of that fulnesse of joy of those rivers of pleasures of that eternal weight of glory shalt thou partake of I may say to thee as Simon Peter to Simon Magus thou hast no part nor â—â—t in this matter for thine heart is not right in the sight of God Thou mayest like the mad-man at Athens lay claim to all the vessels that come into the haven but the vessels of the promises richly laden with the treasures of grace and love do not at all appertain to thee If like a dog thou snatchest at the childrens bread thou art more bold than wel-come and wilt one day be well beaten for thy presumption Reader if thou art unregenerate and so diest look to thy self for thy lot must fall on this side the promised Land Thou mayest like a Surveyour of Land take a view of anothers Mannor and bring a return how stately the house is how pleasant the gardens how delightful the walks how fruitful the Pastures how finely it 's seated how fully it 's woodded how sweetly it is watered how fitly it is every way accommodated but as long as the Pronoun is wanting it can be but little comfort it is none of thine So thou mayst read and hear much of that comfort joy and richnesse of that incomparable
enough of lust and lasciviousnesse when he shall imbrace deformed Devils and lie down in a bed of fire instead of feathers surrounded with curtains of frightful fiends In thee it is that the drunkard wil have enough of his cups when a cup of the pure wrath of an infinitely incensed God shall be presented to him and he forced to drink it all up though there be eternity to the bottome In thee it is that the Sabbath-breaker shall have enough of disturbing Gods rest when he shall be tormented and have no rest day nor night for ever and ever Revel 14.16 In thee it is that the Atheist in his family shall have enough of his prayerlessness and regardlessenesse of God when he shall be ever ever praying with his whole heart for a drop of water to cool his tongue and God shall never never shew the least regard towards him In thee it is that the hypocrite wil have enough of putting off God with a painted holinesse when he shall find a real Hell In thee lastly it is that the covetous worldling that like Corah is swallowed up of earth alive and yet hath never enough shal have fire enough pain enough and wrath enough in Hel. Consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces when there is none to deliver you Psal 50.22 Good God! whether is man fallen what desperate hardnesse hath seised on his heart that he should be every moment liable to such a boundless bottomlesse sea of scalding wrath and yet as insensible of it as if it did no whit concern him Ah did but the seduced world believe thy word they would mind other works than now they do But Reader what is thy judgment is not the mirth of every sinner that maketh a mock of sin worse than madnesse Should not the sting in sins tail deterre thee more than the false beauty of its face allure thee Shalt thou look hence forward upon the most delightful sin as any better than Claudius his mushrome pleasant and poison Well whoever thou art that readest this Use be confident all this and ten thousand times more is thy birth-right thou art by nature an heir to this estate that lieth in the valley of Hinnom All this is the wages due to thee for thy service to sin sin payeth all that die its servants in such black mony and shouldst thou go out of this world before thou art new-born thou shalt as certainly find and feel more than all this in the other world as there is a God in heaven and as thou art a living creature on earth The God of truth hath spoken it and who shall dis-annul it Matth. 18.3 Matth. 5.20 John 3.3 though thou art not actually under it yet then art every moment liable to it this cloud of blood hangs night and day over thy head and thou knowest not how soon it may break and showre down upon thee The decree and sentence is already pass'd in heaven that thou who turnst not in time shalt burn to eternity and thou canst not tell how soon God may seal the warrant for thy execution Bellarmine is of opinion that one glimpse of hel-fire were enough to make a man turn not only Christian but Monk and to live after the strictest order Drexelius tells us of a young man given to his lust that he could not endure to lie awake in the dark and on a time being sick he could not sleep all night and then he had these thoughts What! is it so tedious to lie awake one night to lie a few hours in the dark what is it then to lie in everlasting chains of darknesse I am here in my house on a soft bed kept from sleep one night O to lie in flames and in darknesse everlasting how dreadful will that be this was the means of his conversion O that Reader what I have written might work such an effect upon thy soul how abundantly should I be satisfied for all my pains how heartily should I blesse that God who by his providence call'd me to this task Shall I entreat thee as thou hast the least spark of true love to thy dying body to thy immortal soul to thine eternal peace to break off thy sins by repentance and flie all ungodlinesse as hell for dost thou not perceive out of the Word of the living and true God that though thy lust may be sweet in the act yet her end is bitter as worm-wood sharp as a two-edged sword her feet go down to death her steps take hold of hell Prov. 5.4 5. And in order hereunto I desire thee to observe faithfully those directions I shall give thee in the third use for I would not only open the sore and shew its danger but also by the help of the Physician of souls prepare a plaister the Lord enable thee to apply it for thy cure Take a man that is most addicted to his pleasures and bring him to the mouth of a furnace red hot and flaming and ask him How much pleasure wouldst thou take to continue burning in this furnace for one day he would answer undoubtedly I would not be tormented in it one day to gain the whole world and all the pleasures of it ask him a second time what reward would you take to endure this fire half a day propound what reward you wil there is nothing so precious which he would buy at so dear a rate as those torments and yet how comes it to passe O God that for a little gain and that vile for a little honour and that fugitive for a little pleasure and that fading men so little regard hel-fire which is eternal By this time I hope it is day in thine understanding Drex of etern third consid Rhododaphne and thou seest clearly that there is a difference between the death of the righteous and the wicked that as the same perfume which is mortal to the ravenous vulture is refreshing to the true Dove that as the same hearb which cureth men stung with Serpents killeth beasts so the same mortal disease which cuteth the Godly of all their spiritual and bodily distempers killeth the wicked they are killed with death Rev. 6. Heavinesse to a Saint may endure for the night of this life but joy wil come in the morning of death whereas the freshest streams of sinful delights wil end in a salt sea of sorrows and tears I come now to a second use and that will be by way of examination If it be so that they who have Christ for their â—ife â—â—ll have gain by their death then examine whether thou art one of them to whom to die will be gain Like a Merchant cast up the accompts between God and thy soul and see how much thou art worth for another world It is good husbandry to know the state of thy flock Prov. 27.23 but there is a greater necessity of knowing the state of thy soul of communing with thy own heart Psal 4.5
Piscator will by no means grant it to be the mind of the Spirit in this place In the words you may see the sign of a Saint to him to live is Christ and his solace to him to die is gain his holy description in the former his happy condition in the latter The Text being thus explained affordeth this truth taking both parts of it together Doctrine That such as have Christ for their life shall have gain by their death He that liveth in Christ on earth shall live with Christ in heaven Where the soul hath the seed of holinesse it shall reap an harvest of happinesse The Apostle when he summeth up the estate of a believer counteth death as a part of his riches Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death all are yours 1 Cor. 3.22 and ye are Christs he that can say I am Christs may as truly say Death is mine If thou canst say I am Christs servant I am Christs Subject thou mayest say Death will be my preferment death will be my advancement For the Explication of this doctrine I shall shew first what is meant by that phrase to me to live is Christ and secondly wherein it will appear that death to such a man iâ— gain Four things in the phrase To me to live is Christ For the former To me to live is Christ may imply these four things 1. Christ is the principle of my life All living creatures have an inward principle by which they live and according to which they act Plants have a principle of vegetation beasts have a principle of sense Ad vitam spiritualem quod attinet certum est adnos derivari exiguos quosdam rivulos ipsum autem fontem in Christo latere Daven in Col. 3.3 men have a principle of reason and their lives are different answerable to their different principles But a Christian hath an higher principle that is Christ dwelling in his heart by faith Ephes 3.17 and thence it is that he lives an higher life As the body liveth by its union with the soul so the Christian liveth by his union with Jesus Christ Christ is the fountaine and spring of his life the soul of his soul and the life of his life I live saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God As the branches they live but it is by the root they derive sap from it and so live by it So the believer he liveth spiritually but it is by Christ he deriveth the sap of grace from this true Vine and so liveth by him The water in the Rivers doth not more depend upon the Ocean nor the light in the air upon the Sun than the life of a Christian dependeth on Jesus Christ And therefore the Holy Ghost telleth us He that hath the Son 1 Joh. 5.12 hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life I have sometime read that the Lioness bringeth forth her whelps dead till after some time the lion roareth aloud and then they live This is certain every man and woman is born dead dead to God dead in sins and trespasses till this lion of rhe tribe of Judah uttereth his voice then they arise from the dead and Christ giveth them life When the soul like the body of Lazarus hath been dead so long that it stinketh and is unsavory when it hath been many dayes nay many years rotting in the grave of corruption then if Jesus Christ calleth effectually Lazarus come forth sinner come forth of thy carnal unregenerate estate then and not till then the soul heareth the voice of the Son of God and liveth Grace is of a divine birth Joh. 3.3 it is the seed of God John 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Except a man be born from above 1 Joh. 3.9 an unction from the holy One 1 Joh. 2.27 called dew which is of a coelestial extraction Psal 110.3 and light 1 Joh. 1.7 the fountain of water is in the earth but the fountain of light is in the Heavens Non nascimur sed renascimur christiani The web of godlinesse was never spun out of mans own bowels As none can see the Sun but by its own light so none can with an eye of faith see the Sun of righteousnesse but by the light of grace derived from him We are his workmanship saith the Apostle created in Jesus Christ unto good works His workmanship not only in our natural capacity as men as creatures and in our civil capacity as rich or poor high or low but also in our spiritual capacity as Christians as new creatures Secondly To me to live is Christ i. e. Christ is the pattern of my life my life is not onely from him but according to him Christ is the rule according to which I walk the copy after which I write As sin and disobedience is a resemblance of the first so grace and holinesse is a resemblance of the second Adam True christianity consisteth in nothing but our conformity to Sanctitas dicitur per quam mens scipsam suos actâ—â— applicat Deo So the Schoolâ—e and imitation of Jesus Christ And indeed as the child in generation receiveth from the parent member for member part for part and the paper from the press word for word letter for lettter and the wax from the seal figure for figure So in regeneration Christ is formed in the soul and it receiveth according to its proportion grace for grace One end of Christs incarnation and life in the flesh was to set an exact pattern for our lives in the spirit He left us an example that we shoeld follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 All the actions of Christ are instructions to a Christian His actions were either moral or mediatory In both the Christian imitates him In the former doing as he did exercising the same graces performing the same duties resisting the same temptations forbearing the same corruptions In the latter by similitude dying to sin as he died for sin rising to a spiritual life as he rose again to a natural life None indeed can parallel the life of Christ but every new creature imitateth Christ in his life he walketh as Christ walked Philip. 2 1 Joh. 2.6 The same mind is in all the Saints so far as they are regenerated that was in Christ the same will the same affections they love what he loveth they loath what he loatheth what pleaseth him pleaseth them what grieveth his spirit grieveth their spirits As the wicked are like their father the Devil unholy as he is unholy so the children of Christ are like their everlasting Father holy as he is holy onely with this difference in Christ there is a fulnesse in them a measure in Christ pureness in them a mixture Thirdly To me to live is Christ i. e. Christ is the comfort of
robes of glory Mr. Thomas Wilson Minister of Maidstone in Kâ—nt an eminent servant of the Lord Jesus I remember I have sometimes heard an able holy Minister now with Christ say that that sight of five hundred Saints and Jesus Christ among them 1 Cor. 15.6 was one of the bravest goodliest sights that ever eyes beheld on earth Sure I am they that are in heaven see a far better beholding Jesus Christ in the midst of many thousands Secondly A Christian shall gain by death the neerest communion with the Lord Jesus Christ and O what happinessâ— is included in this Head The presence of Christ on earth can make a mean cottage a most delightful court to the three children it turned the fiery furnace into a delectable palace what will it do then in Heaven Bernard saith he had rather be in his chimny-corner with Christ Mallem in camino meo cum Christo quam in coelo sine Christo Bern. than in heaven without Christ Luther saith he had rather be in hell with Christ than in heaven without Christ communion with Christ can sweeten the bitterest condition Christ alone is the salt which seasons all the Saints comforts without which nothing is savoury to the spiritual taste A duty without Christ is like a body without a soul which hath neither loveliness nor life in it Communion with Christ is one great motive which inciteth the Saint to and encourageth him in the Ordinances of God He attendeth on Scriptures because they are they that testifie of Christ the pearl of price is hid in that field Cant. 5.1 In them the lips of Christ like lillies drop sweet-smelling myrrhe and O how his heart burneth within him with love to Christ whilst Christ is opening to him the Scriptures He frequenteth prayer because therein Christ and his soul converse together in that Ordinance he enjoyeth much of Ch ists quickning presence he speaketh to Christ by holy supplications and Christ to him by heavenly consolations He mindeth fasting because therein his soul may with Jesus Christ have a spiritual feast or the greatest cause of his weeping is with Mary They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him The means of grace are therefore so desirable and delightful because rhey are the Galleries wherein he walketh talketh feedeth and feasteth with the Lord of glory The highest duty without Christ is as a dish without meat from which he goeth as empty and unsatisfied as he came to it It is to him as Tullies Hortens to Austine of little worth if the Name of Jesus be not there If he love the Saints with a love of complacency 't is because they are Christs seed if he love the sinner with a love of pity 't is for Christs sake his affections are contracted or enlarged towards any thing as it hath lesse or more relation to Christ and nothing is of true value or worth in his esteem which hath not aliquid Christi something of Christ in it Now consider Reader if the presence of Christ be so precious so pleasant to the Christian here when he can see so little of his excellent beauty and receive so little of his infinite bounty what will it be when he shall appear to the soul in all his royalty and fill the water-pots of the soul up to the brim with the riches of grace and glory Demorrhathus of Corinth saith they lost the chief part of their lives happinesse that did not see Alexander sit on the throne of Darius if that were such an happy sight what a sight shall the Saints have to see Christ on his Fathers Throne O how much is included in those few words To be with Christ which is the description of the Saints gain by death Philip. 1.23 This was the great Legacy and portion which Christ bequeathed his in his last Will and Testament John 17.24 This was the great promise and sweet meats which the tender father provided to comfort his fainting children with at his own Funeral John 16.22 This was the great prayer which Paul maketh for his beloved Timothy 2 Tim. 4.22 This was the enlivening cordial which the good Physician administred to the dying patient Luke 23.43 This is the great reason for which the godly long for death Philip. 1.23 I desire death saith Melancthon that I may enjoy the desirable fight of Christ Ut desiderato fruar conspectu Christi and O when will that blessed hour come when shall I be dissolved when shall I be with Christ said holy Mr. Robert Bolton on his Death-bed Surely then this gain is great which the Saint shall have by death He that hath Christ with him by grace may say with Peter Master it is good to be here but he that is with Christ in glory may say with Paul To be with Christ is far better without doubt best of all They were blessed which saw him in his estate of debasement Luke 10.23 but much more blessed will they be that shall see him in his estate of advancement Thirdly the Saint by death shall gain the full and immediate fruition of God The former were excellent but this as the Sun among the Planets surpasseth them all The other were as Rivers this is the Ocean they were as branches bearing goodly fruit but this is the root upon which they grow they all as lines meet in this center this is the top-stone of the celestial building this is the highest stair the apex of the Saints happinesse This is the greatest gift which the creature can possibly ask or the infinite God bestow The boundlesse God cannot well give a greater mercy than this Is any thing yea are all things in heaven and earth equal to God God alone is the highest object of faith 1 Pet. 1.21 and therefore the greatest ground of joy and satisfaction to the soul Psalm 17. ult The Vision of God is the beatifical vision 1 John 3.3 and therefore the fruition of God will cause perfection in the soul The enjoyment of God is the great desire and delight of the Saints on earth Psalm 42.1 2. nay it is the happinesse of the humane nature of the Lord Jesus Psalm 16.5 6. without question then it will be the Heaven of Heaven That excellent description of Heaven mentioned by the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.28 That God may be all in all 1 Thess 4. ult is a being ever with the Lord. This is all the most fluent tongue must be here silent and the most capacious understanding will be soon at a stand in the consideration of the felicity which floweth from the fruition of God The presence of this King will make the Court indeed For the Lord to be with us is our chiefest security though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evil for thou art with me Psal 23.4 but for us to be with the Lord will be our choicest felicity In his presence is fulnesse of
he shall eat bread in the Kingdome of God They are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on them nor any heat For the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters Rev. 7.15.16 17. Observe Reader I say a Christian shall gain by death Immediate fruition of God a full immediate fruition of God now the Saint drinketh of the waters of life and they are pleasant though through the Conduits and Cisterns of Ordinances but with what joy will he draw water immediately out of the Well of salvation Dulcius â—x ipso fonte c. We read in Joshua 5.12 when Israel came to Canaan Manna ceased and they did eat of the fruits of the Land While the Saint is in the Wildernesse of this world he needeth and feedeth on the Manna of the Word Sacraments Prayer and the like but when death shall land him at that place of which Canaan was but a type the Manna of Ordinances shall cease he shall eat the fruits of that Land Ordinances are necessary for and suitable to our state of imperfection Jacob drove his flocks as they were able to go so doth Christ his sheep Here we are in a state of uncleanenesse and therefore want water in Baptisme to wash us saith an Eminent Divine in a state of darknesse and therefore want the light of the Word to direct us in a state of wearinesse and therefore want a Lords day of rest to refresh us in a state of weaknesse and therefore want bread in the Supper to strengthen us in a state of sorrow and therefore want wine to comfort us in a state of beggery and therefore want prayer to fetch some spiritual alms from the beautiful Gate of Gods Temple Whil'st the Saint is as a child he thinks as a child speaks as a child understands as a child but when he shall come to be a perfect man he shall put away these childish things when every earthly member shall be mortified and the body of death wholly destroyed when the faculties of the soul shall be enlarged and the sanctification of the inner man perfected when the rags of mortality shall be put off and grace swallowed up in glory The Sun shall be no more thy light by day nor the Moon thy light by night but the Lord thy God thine everlasting light and thy God thy glory Isa 60.19 Apostles Prophets Pastours Teachers are for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ no longer then till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4.11.12 13. When God shall be all in all then and not till then Ordinances will be nothing at all When the Saint comes to his journeys end he may throw away his staffe Now how much will this adde to the former that the Christian shall without ordinances enjoy God! How lovely is the face of God though it be but in the glasse of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.18 this was the one thing which David begg'd that he might dwell in the house of the Lord to see the beauty of his face Psal 27.4 Ah how lovely will he be when the Christian shall see him face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 If it be so good to draw neer to God on earth Psal 73. ult and if they are blessed that watch at Wisdomes gates and wait at the posts of her doors Prov. 8.34 how good will it be to draw neer to God in heaven and how blessed are they that wait not at the door but dwell in that house How pleasant will it be for the soul when it's eyes shall be strengthened to see God as he is without the spectacles of Ordinances We esteem that honey sweetest which is suckt immediately out of the comb though hony out of a dish is sweet and we do with more delight eat that fruit which we gather ourselvs from the tree than we do that which is brought to us through others hands The enjoyment of God is so sweet in the dish of a Duty that a Christian would sooner lose the best friend he hath than it But O how sweet will it be in the comb of immediate communion This fruit is very delightful and pleasant as it is conveyed through the hands of Ministers though the liquor will sente of the cask but O with what delight Christian canst thou read it and thy heart not warmed with joy with what pleasure wilt thou with thine own hands gather this fruit from the Tree of life that standeth in the midst of Paradise Rev. 22. Thus I have given thee a little of that great gain which a Saint hath by death death will free him ftom all evil both of sin and suffering it will give him the fruition of ali good in the enjoyment of perfect Saints and the blessed Saviour and in full immediate communion with the infinite God who is blessed and blessing his for ever This is the heritage of a righteous man from God and this is the portion of his cup thus shall it be done to the man whom the King of heaven delights to honour There is but one thing more required to make the Christian perfectly happy and that is the eternity of all this but I shall speak to that in the last use I now proceed to the application of the Point The first use which I shall make of this Doctrine shall be by way of information If such as have Christ for their life shall have gain by their death it informeth us of the difference betwixt the deaths of the sinner and the Saint the one is an unspeakable gainer the other an unconceivable loser by death Death to the good is the gate through which they go into the kingdome of heaven death to the bad is the trap-door through which they fall into hell The godly dyeth as well as the wicked but the wicked man dieth not so well as the godly The metal and the drosse go both into the fire but the metal is refined and the drosse consumed As the cloud in the wildernesse had a light side to the Israelite but a dark side to the Egyptian so death hath nothing but light and comfort for the Israel of God nothing but darknesse and sorrow for the sinful Egyptians Death to every one is a messenger sent from the Lord of life it cometh to the regenerate as the young Prophet to Jehu I have an errand to thee O Captain and what was his errand he poured the oil on his head saying Thus saith the Lord I have anointed thee King over Israel 2 Kings 9.5 6. It is a messenger from God to call
the message might have been wel-come and death desireable as a passage to eternal life but it 's Thou fool had it been this year or this month nay had it been this week the man might have been fore-warned and fore-armed but it is this night thy soul shall be required of thee Had it been this night thy riches shall be required of thee how harsh would it have sounded in his eares who had no other God but his gold who like a Mole lived in the earth as his element O how hard would it be to part this covetous muck-worm and his Mammon of unrighteousnesse but it is not thy silver but thy soul shall be required of thee Had it been This night thy relations shall be required of thee thy wife and children and all thy kindred shall be required of thee what heavy tidings would it have been to his heart that had had no kindred in heaven with what wringing of hands and watering of cheeks and sighs and sobs would such news have been entertained many an eye would a tender husband and father have cast upon his loving wife and lovely babes and O how would his eye have affected his heart with grief and sorrow to consider that these thriving hopeful plants must be removed into another soil that this near conjugal knot must be untied and he and his dearest relations who had so often and so much rejoyced together so suddenly be separated and that for ever but it is not thy wife that is one flesh with thee but thy Spouse that is a spirit within thee thy soul shall be required of thee Had it been This night all the means of grace shall be required of thee it had been worse then the losse of a limb to him that had had any spiritual life the Ordinances of God to a soul are as the Sun to the world without which notwithstanding all its earthly delights it would be but a place of darknesse and of the shadow of death Matth. 4.16 but it is thy soul the former might have spoken the mans condition very dangerous but this speaks it altogether desperate Thou fool this night thy soul shall he required of thee The former although sad are yet nothing to this not so much as the noise of a podgun to the noise of a Cannon This is the great Ordnance which includes and yet drowns those smaller pieces Couldst thou Ambr. ult pag. 69. saith one upen the fore-cited Text purchase a Monopoly of all the world hadst thou the Gold of the West the Treasures of the East the Spices of the South the Pearls of the North all is nothing to this incarnate Angel this invaluable soul O wretched worldling what hast thou done thus to undo thy soul Was it a wedge of gold an heap of earth an hoard of silver to which thou trustedst see they are gone and thy soul is required Alas poor soul whither must it go to heaven No there is another place for wandring sinners Go ye into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels thither must it go with heavinesse of heart into a Kingdome of darknesse a lake of fire a prison of horrible confusion and terrible tortures Reader if thou art not new-born put this case to thy self and ask thy soul what it wil do in such an hour when the grave shall come with an habeas corpus for thy body and the Divel with an habeas animam for thy soul when thy soul shall leave this dwelling of thy body and passe naked of all its comforts into a far countrey where Divels and damned spirits are the inhabitants where screeching yelling and howling is the language where fire and brimstone is the meat and a cup of pure wrath without the least mixture is the drink where weeping and wailing is their calling where a killing death is all their life Assure thy self if thou diest unsanctified thou wilt find far more and worse then all this O my soul saith Bernard what a terrible day shall that be Bern. medita when thou shalt leave this mansion and enter into an unknown Region who can deliver thee from those ramping Lyons who shall defend thee from those hellish monsters Now thou most unworthily undervaluest thy precious soul little caring what flaws by sin thou causest in this Diamond like the cock on the dung-hill thou knowest not the worth of this Jewel but preferrest thy barly-corns before it I have read that there was a time when the Romans did wear Jewels on their shoes thou do'st worse thou tramplest this matchlesse Jewel under thy feet whil'st thy dying body is cloathed and pampered thy ever-living soul is naked and starved some write of Herod I suppose because of that infant massacre It was better to be his swine than his Sonne for when his superstition hindred him from slaying his hogs his ambition helpt him to kill his child I say it were better to be thy beast than thy soul thou canst every morning and evening what ever happen take care that thy beasts be watered and foddered and many times in the day look abroad after them to see what they ail and accordingly take order for their supply and yet O man or rather O brute thou canst let thy soul go an whole day and never feed it with the set meals of prayer Scripture and meditation yea and in an whole day nay it may be an whole week not ask thy soul in good earnest how it doth what it wanteth what sins it hath to be mortified what grace it hath to be bestowed or increased what spiritual necessities to be supplied Reader Is it not so let conscience speak and canst thou read these lines without blushing and heart-breaking that thou shouldest spend more time and strength upon thy beasts than upon that soul which truth it self saith is more worth than a world Matth. 16.26 which is created capable of such an high work as pleasing glorifying and enjoying God and of such an happy reward as the immediate and eternal fruition of and communion with his infinite majesty in heaven Well this soul thus despised when lost though then too late will be esteemed Hell will read thee such a Lecture of thy souls worth that it will make thee understand it and believe it whether thou wilt or no and then thou shalt have time enough in that eternity in which thy soul shall be lost to befool thy self for thy desperate madnesse in gratifying thy bruitish flesh and thus basely neglecting thy soul that heaven-born Spirit Sixthly Thou shalt by death lose the infinitely blessed God this is the losse of losses the misery of miseries the very hell of hell such a loss as there was never the like before it nor ever shall be again after it such a loss as no tongue can express as no heart can conceive yet such a loss as thou shalt know fully when experimentally The four first losses might have been born with comfort and delight by
the person that had but gained this good and the first could not have been without this The eternal death of the soul consisteth in its farthest separation from that God whose favour is far better than life This is the lowest round in that ladder by which thou shalt descend into the bottomless pit This is the foot of this black bloody account the head of that arrow which pierceth the hearts of the damned This is the worst effect and fruit of sin that it is privative of our union with and fruition of God Vines on James 4.8 pag. 23. Depart from me is as terrible a word as everlasting fire Ah whether do they go that go from him when he alone hath the power of eternal life how dismal how dark must that dungeon be where this Sun will not shine in the least degree with the light of his countenance well may it be called blacknesse of darknesse for ever Jude 15. the hell of the hypocrites which will be hottest of all is set out by this Job 13.16 the hypocrite shall not come before God Couldst thou have all the mercies that the world can give yet in this want of God thou wouldest be compleatly miserable Ten thousand words cannot speak a soul more unhappy than those two words Without God Ephes 2.12 Thou mayest be without riches without friends without health without liberty nay without all outward blessings and yet blessed but if without God thou art cursed with a curse When God would couch all arguments in one to perswade to duty this is instead of all Obey my voice and I will be your God Jer. 7.23 when he would disswade and drive them from iniquity Sicut Sole recedente succedunt densae tene brae sic Deo recedente succedit horribilis maledictio Paraeus in â— Hos this is the stinging whip Be instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee Jer. 6.8 When he would strike Israel dead with a blow this is it Wo unto them when I depart from them Hos 9.12 How sad a saying is that of Saul I am sore distressed and well he might the Philistines are upon me and God is departed from me 1 Sam. 28.15 If a partial Eclipse of the Sun cause such a drooping in the whole Creation what will a total Eclipse of this Sun cause how mournfully doth Micah bemoan the losse of of his dunghil deity Ye have taken away my gods and what have I morâ—e and what is this that ye say unto me what aileth thee Judg. 18.24 surely the damned as they will have infinitely more cause so they will with more horrour and anguish bewail the losse of the true God though all the tears in hell are not sufficient to bewail the losse of this heaven If the body from which the soul is parted be such a deformed sad spectacle what shall the condition of that soul be from which God is parted for ever How unable are the children of God to bear the absence of God in this life though it be but in part and for a short time take Heman Psal 88.14 15. Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die while I suffer thy terrours I am distracted Observe the good man is at deaths door and no wonder when as to his apprehension the life of his soul had left him for though no man can see the essential face of God and live yet no Saint can live unlesse he see the providential face of God Consider Job a man of courage one that had entered the list against Satan and foild him The Sabeans and Chaldeans were too hard for his servants and captivated his cattel but Job was too hard for them he conquered them the winde that blew down the house on his children could not blow down the tower of his confidence his hold on Christ yet when this valiant Warriour comes to encounter with the withdrawings of God how exceedingly is his courage withdrawn Job 13.24 wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy Why Lord are all the appearances from heaven so black and lowring Why is it that I see not the former smiles of thy face O what is the cloud that hindereth the light of thy countenance from shining on me What sin is the mist which is gathered about the true Sun impeding my fight of thee Behold our Lord Jesus himself that could bear the spiteful buffetings of some the bloody scourgings of others the scorn and derisions of many that could suffer the treason of one Apostle the denial of another and the unkindnesse of them all without complaining yet when the Deity did but withdraw it self for a time that the humanity might suffer for our sins how mournfully doth he sigh out that expression My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth 27.46 It was not his torturing from men nor the terrours of devils not the presence of all the powers of darkness that Christ complained so much of as the absence of God Now meditate O sinner if the departure of God though partial and temporal were so terrible to his Saints to his Son how intolerable will the losse of God be to thee when it shall be total and eternal Do they mourn so bitterly when for a small moment he forsaketh them though with great mercies he gathereth them when in a little wrath he hides his face from them though with everlasting kindnesse he hath mercy on them Isa 54.7 8. How bitterly wilt thou complain when he shall forsake thee to eternity when he shall hide his face from thee for ever and not bestow on thee the least mercy or the smallest kindnesse This will be a woe with a witnesse Suffering may be the portion of Saints but separation from God the punishment of Devils As the face and comfortable presence of God is the greatest felicity of the saved Summa mors animae est alienatio à vita Dei in aeternitate supplicii Aug. de civit Dei lib. 6. so the full withdrawings or absence of God will be the greatest misery of the damned Now thou doest not value the enjoyment of God thou thinkest often that he is too neer thee the coming of God to thee is as to the Devils a torment Matth. 8.29 If he draw nigh to thee sometime in a Sermon in a private Instruction in a motion of his spirit or in a conviction of thy conscience thou wishest him farther off with his precise laws that thou mighst have more liberty for thy fleshly lusts The voice of thine hellish heart unto God is Depart from me I desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 Well thy petition shall be granted to thy destruction and God will take thee at thy word and give thee thy wish to thy woe when thy doom shall be to depart from him Luke 13.27 Matth. 25.41 and then thou shalt know the incomparable worth of him thy understanding shall
every messenger welcome for his sake that sendeth him thou needst not fear any servant can night or day knock at thy door with ill news how willingly wilt thou go to duty and with what alacrity perform them knowing the God whom thou drawest nigh to is thy loving Father the Christ in whose Name thou approachest is thy lovely Saviour nay how joyfully maiest thou think of death as the portal through which thou shalt go into thy Masters joy and endlesse life Believe it thy life will be an heaven upon earth And shouldst thou find thy estate lost will it not be an infinite mercy to thee that thou didst know it before it was too late how will it awaken thee out of thy security and affrighten thee upon the apprehension of thy misery how will it quicken thee to mind thy duty in loathing thy self in leaving thy sins and in flying to thy Saviour Sound conversion begins at self-examination First we search and try our wayes and then turn to the Lord Lament 3.39 The way to have our sores cured is first to have them throughly searched I considered my wayes and turned my feet to thy testimonies Psal 119.59 If thou wouldst have thy face clean look into the glasse of the Law and view thy spots He that knoweth not that he is in a wrong path will not turn back though the farther he goeth the greater is his deviation and danger Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed or after I was made known to my self I repented As Abigail said to David if thou hearken to thy servant it will be no grief of mind hereafter to my Lord that thou art kept from shedding of blood so say I to thee If thou wilt faithfully examine thy self it will be no cause of sorrow hereafter to thee that thou wert thereby kept from a further shedding the blood of thy soul Bish Halls Meditat. Vows Cent. 2. Meditat. 4. I will conclude this motive with the meditation of the learned and holy Bishop now with Christ That which is said of the Elephant that being guilty of his deformity he cannot abide to look on his face in the water but seeks for troubled and muddy channels we see well moralized in men of evil conscience who know their souls are so filthy that they dare not so much as view them but shift off all checks of their former iniquity with the excuses of good fellowship Whence it is that every small reprehension galls them because it calls the eye of the soul home â—o it self and makes them see a glimpse of what they would not So have I seen a foolish and timerous patient which knowing his wound very deep would not endure the Chirurgion to search it whereon what can ensue but a festering of the part and a danger of the whole body so have I seen many prodigal wasters run so far in books that they cannot abide to hear of a reckoning It hath been an old and true Proverb Oft and even reckonings make long friends I will oft summe my estate with God that I may know what I have to expect and answer for neither shall my score run on so long with God that I shal not know my debts or fear an audit or despair of pardon I come now to the touchstone by which thou must be tried whether thou art true gold or counterfeit it is likely thou presumest thy estate is good well art thou willing the Word of God that must whether thou wilt or no judge thee for thy eternal life or death at the last day Ad bunc librum ut judicem ad alias ut â— judex divenio saith Melancth of tâ— â—ble should try thee at this day If thy wares be right and good thou wilt not be afraid to bring them out of thy dark shop into the light If thy title be sound and good I know thou wilt be ready for a fair Trial at law even at the Law of God I shall try thee two wayes though both will lead to the same place I must first intreat thee to put those four particulars to thy soul which in the beginning I told thee were included in that expression To me to live is Christ 1. Ask thy soul what is the principle of thy Religious performances what is the spring of thy obedience men indeed judge of others principles by their practices because they cannot discern the heart whether it be right in a duty or no but God judgeth of mens practices by their principles as we may see by his speech of Paul Behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Paul was a Pharisee one of the strictest of them and they were much in prayer but God who knew his heart was wrong in former duties takes not any notice of them now behold he prayeth he might say a prayer before but he never pray'd a prayer til now when he had a right principle being regenerated by the holy Ghost then and not till then he made a right prayer Til the Tree be good the fruit can never be good Matth. 7.17 Now Friend what is the principle of thy duties is it fear of men hope of honour desire of gain or mearly the stopping the mouth of conscience or custome are these the weights that make thy Clock to go and if these were taken off would thy devotion stand still then thy heart is not right in the sight of God intreat him for the Lords sake that the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Or do thy pious actions flow from a renewed will and renewed affections Doth the outward correspondency of thy life to the Law of God proceed from an inward conformity in thy heart to the nature and Law of God from the Law written within if it be thus thy condition is safe for the deeper the spring is from whence the water comes the sweeter the water is and thy services the more acceptable to God Speak thy self whether thou prayest readest hearest singest from the Divine nature within from love to the infinitely amiable God from the delight thou takest in communion with him in duties O how sweet is that hony that drops of its own accord from the comb and how pure is that Wine which floweth freely from the grape So grateful and acceptable is that sacrifice to God which is season'd with sincere love Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his Commandments Psal 128.1 Or dost thou worship God from the same principle the Sadduces do who deny the Resurrection only from a desire it may go well with thee in this life or from the same principle from which the Persians do the divel only from fear least he should do thee hurt surely that service will be sowr which like verjuice is squeezed out of the crabs To serve God with a filial fear is commendable but to serve him from a servile fear is unacceptable The upright Christian worketh from an inward principle the new Creation within and
man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God And Hebr. 12.14 Follow holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Consider Friend this is the Word of the true and living God and this Law this standing Law of Heaven is like the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be altered not one iota or title of it can possibly go unfulfilled Math. 5.18 Darest thou think that the God of truth will be found a lyar for thy sake as he must be if he save thee in thy sinful unconverted state I tell thee the God of holiness and justice will send millions of such carnal wretches as thou art to hell there to suffer the vengeance of the unquenchable fire before he will stain his honour in the least No he is more tender of his glory then so though thou carest not how much thou tramplest his honor in the dust by the wilful breach of his Commands yet he is exceeding jealous of his great Name and when his very being is engaged for the accomplishment of his Word he will not ungod himself to glorifie thee in an unsanctified condition and therefore do not delude thy soul in presuming that he that made thee will not damn thee for he saith himself that unless thou art new made and hast that true understanding to fear his Majesty and depart from iniquity He that made thee will not save thee and he that formed thee will shew thee no mercy Isai 27.11 I hope therefore thou art fully convinced that it highly concerneth thee to be night and day with the greatest diligence imaginable labouring for this spiritual life when thine everlasting comfort in the other world thine eternal life dependeth so much upon it Art thou rich hearken to this word of counsel from God look after these durable riches Prov. 6.18 thy earthly riches are not for ever Prov. 27.24 though thy heart possibly is more set upon thy houses and hoards then upon heaven yet thou must take thine everlasting leave of them ere long when these unsearchable riches in Christ which I am perswading thee to mind out-live the dayes of heaven run parallel with the life of God and line of eternity Prov. 8.18 Nay till thou livest this spiritual life all thy wealth is want all thy glory is ignominy all thy comforts are crosses yea curses to thee Prov. 1.32 Psal 69.22 All thy outward comforts like the Rainbow shew themselves in all their dainty colours and then vanish away or if they stay with thee till death then they die with thee Oh how hath the Moon of great mens plenty often been eclipsed at the full and the Sun of their pomp gone down at noon Through the corruption of thy heart they prove but fuel for thy lusts on earth if thou shouldst die having only this worlds goods they will feed the eternal fire in hell It is storied of Heliogabalus that he had silken halters to hang himself with ponds of sweet water to drown himself in and gilded poyson to poyson himself Truly more hurtful are the worlds trinity riches honors and pleasures to them that have great estates in the world but no estate in the Covenant Poyson worketh more furiously in wine then in water and so doth corruption many times bewray it self more in plenty then in poverty It is sad that thou shouldst not be led to God by that which came from God But O how lamentable is it that thou shouldst Jehu like fight against thy Master with his own Souldiers like the dunghill the more the Sun shineth on it it sends forth the more stinking savour The Poet feigned Pluto to be the god of riches and Hell as if they had been inseparable Homer that thou shouldst by the riches which his Majesty hath given thee only have this cursed advantage to be the greater Rebel Many good works hath Christ done for thee for which dost thou stone him John 10.32 for which of them dost thou stone him out of thy house by oaths or drunkenness or gaming or by atheisme and irreligion or at least by putting him off with a few short cold formal prayers and that but now and then neither Many good works hath he done for thee for which of them dost thou stone him out of thy heart by letting the world and the things of the world have the highest seat there the throne thy chiefest esteem warmest love and strongest trust What sayest thou is it not thus and is this to be led by his goodness to repentance Oh consider thy bodies mercies are holy baits laid by God to catch thy soul He tryeth the vessel with water to see whether it will hold wine do not like the foolish flie burn thy self in this flame of love turn not his grace into wantonnesse but let the kindnesse of God be salvation unto thee thou shouldst by those cords of love be drawn nearer unto him and by those bands of mercies be tied closer to his commands How shouldst thou gather if the streames of creatures be so sweet what sweetnesse is there in God who is the Fountain If he be so good in temporals surely he is better in spirituals and best of all in eternals How unsatisfied shouldst thou be with all these outward gifts which may consist with his everlasting hatred and resolve with Luther not to be put off with the blessings of his left hand Valde protestatus summe nolle sic ab eo satiari Melch. Aâ— in vit Luth. of his foot-stool Thou hast the more cause to look about thee because few of thy rank are truly religious a little godliness will go a great way with great men though of all men they have most obligations from God see James 2.5 God chooseth the poor of the world rich in faith and heirs of his Kingdom And Christ telleth us It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 19.24 Our Saviour indeed doth not speak of an impossibility but of the difficulty of it and the rarenesse of it Job unfolded the riddle and got through the needles eye with three thousand Camels but it is hard to be wealthy and not wanton too too often are riches like bird-lime hindering the soul in its flight towards Heaven a load of earth hath sunk many a soul to hell and the inriching of the outward occasioned the impoverishing of the inward man A rich man is a rare dish at heavens table Blessed be God there are some but surely few rich of those very few that shall be saved 1 Cor. 1.26 The weighty burden in a vessel though it consisted of the most precious commodities hath not seldom caused its miscarriage when otherwise it had arrived safely at its desired haven As the Moon when she is at the full is farthest from and in most direct opposition to the Sun so t is the temper of most in thy condition to
they are of such exceeding importance that if thou art once perswaded to them my work will be half effected and because delayes and laziness are the two great gulphs in which such multitudes of souls are drowned and perish I shall speak the more to them My first request to thee is that thou wouldst presently set about the affairs of thy soul We say of things that must be done De rebus necessariis non est deliberandum there needeth not any deliberation about them Is not this the one thing necessary to prepare for the last hour to make sure of thine everlasting well-fare In re tam justa nulla est consultatio If thou believest the word of God thou wilt not give the flesh so much breath as to debate it muchless wilt thou as Felix did put off the thoughts of righteousness and judgement to come till thou art at better leisure till thou hast a more convenient season What more weighty work hast thou to do then to work out thy own salvation Is the following thy calling hoarding up an heaps of earth feeding cloathing that flesh which shall shortly be food for worms is any of these half so necessary as thy provision for eternity If thou art old its high time to begin to prepare for thy latter end Thou hast the feet of thy body almost already in the earth in the grave and hadst thou not need have the feet of thy soul thy affections in heaven Thou hast but a little time to converse with men doth it not behove thee to be much in communion with God Death often possibly knocketh at thy door by the hand of sickness and warneth thee to look after another habitation for thou art to be turned out of thy house of clay Dost thou take warning what wilt thou do if thou shouldest dye before thou didst ever begin to live If the Sun of thy life should set before the Sun of righteousness hath arisen on thee all the while thou livest thou art dead and thou livest long to add to thy torments as others have died soon to hasten them Thou art but like stubble laid out a drying to burn the better in hell all the while thou continuest a stranger to the new birth Thou hast every day been treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath been gathering as it were more wood to increase those flames in which thou if thou thus diest shalt live for ever Because judgement against an evil work is not speedily executed therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged it shall not go well with the wicked Eccles 8 11 12 23. The sinner an hundred years old shall be accursed Isa 65.20 I have read of the Circassians a kind of mungrel Christians that they divide their time betwixt the Devil and God dedicating their youth to robbery and their old age to repentance How much time hast thou spent in the service of sin how little time hast thou left the service of God and thy soul Is it not high time for thee to number thy dayes and to apply thy heart unto wisdom speedily Old sinner dost thou not tremble to think that there is but a step betwixt thee and death nay betwixt thee and hell O the time and talents and opportunities which thou hast to reckon for more then others Happy happy had it been for thee to have been turned out of the wombe into hell rather then to dye an old man and not a babe in Christ If thou hast a sparke of love to thy self mind thine inward change presently least thy change come even death and send thee to unchangeable misery If thou art young Honor adolescentum est timorem Dei habere Ambros de offici mind the gathering the Manna of godliness in the morning of thine age present the first fruits of thy life to that God who desireth the first ripe fruits Exod. 3.19 The firstlings are his darlings Gen. 4.4 and that cloth will keep colour best that is died in the Wool the vessel will sente longest of that liquor with which it is first seasoned let thy soul like Gideons Fleece drink up betimes the dews of grace As young as thou art thy life is every moment at the mercy of the Lord There is a saying that in Golgatha there are skulls of all sizes In the Church-yard thou mayest see graves of all sorts and some of thy very length thou art concerned therefore to remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Aquinas telleth us the young man hath death at his back the old man before his eyes and that is the more dangerous enemy that pursueth thee then that which marcheth up towards thy face This calleth for the greater care and watchfulness In the Isle of Man the maides spin their winding sheets the first thing they spin do thou in youth and health ponder and prepare for thy death lest as young and strong as thou art death trip up thy heels and throw thee and it prove thine everlasting overthrow Besides canst thou imagine that such a sinner deserveth favor who cometh in to serve God at last when he can serve his lust no longer Is it equal be thy own judge to give the flower of thine age the spring of thy life the best of thy time thine health and strength to the devil and thy brutish flesh and to give the dregs the snuffe the bottom of all this to the infinitely glorious God whose creature thou art at whose cost and charge thou livest every day and night and who calleth upon thee for thy service not for the need he hath of thee but because of the need thou standest in of him all whose happiness doth consist in the pleasing and enjoying his Majesty Whoever thou art of what age soever either set speedily about thy soul-work or answer these few questions the Lord shall put to thee or be speechless and without excuse at the day of Christ First Hath not God waited upon thee long enough already wouldst have him whom the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain who hath millions of glorious Angels waiting on his Majesty to wait on thee miserable worme alwayes I tell thee all the while thou art sinning his eyes behold thee his heart is incensed against thee and his hand can reach thee and avenge him on thee every moment How many hath he sent into hell that never tasted of his patience as thou hast done The angels sinned and were not waited upon one hour for their repentance yet how many years hath he endured thee with much long-suffering and still waiteth upon thee that he may be gracious unto thee Isa 30.18 The last oath thou didst swear he could have cursed and rotted thy tongue The last time that thou wentest prayerless to thy rest he could have sent thee to little ease to the place
and ten thousand times more Besides for what reason dost thou suppose God to have given thee these things Surely thou canst not be so brutish as to think that the great God made thee and serveth thee in daily with such variety of mercies health strength food raiment influences of heaven and fruits of the earth onely or chiefly that thou should eat and drink and follow thy calling and provide for thy family were such low ends the ground of his kindness or is it not that thou mightest ravish that pure and virgin inheritance by an holy and heavenly violence that thou mightest imploy them and improve them to the utmost about his service and thy own salvation Reader I must desire thee to consider and grant me these two or three suppositions in prosecution of this my second request to thee 1. Suppose thou hadst seen the Son of man who now sitteth at his Fathers right hand rising from his place and attended with the thousand thousands that are before him and with the ten thousand times ten thousand that minister to him coming and sparkling so gloriously through the firmament that he dazaleth the very eyes of the Sun and makes him to hide his head for shame and sitting down in the cloudes with the glory of his Father a fire devouring before him and behind him a flame burning Conceive now with me that thou hearest him call to the Archangel Sound the last Trump that the dead may arise and come to judgement Harke to the sound of the Trump how it rendeth rocks melteth mountains breaks in pieces the bands of death and bursts asunder the gates of hell how it pierceth the ocean and fetcheth from the bottom of the sea the dust of Adams seed how it descendeth into the belly of the earth and forceth it to vomit up all the bodies which it had ever taken down how it openeth the marble tombs of Princes and Potentates and makes their Highness and Majesty stoop as low as the meanest to the King of glory Dost thou not see the bodies of the Saints look how they flie upon the wings of the wind to their souls and both to the bosom of their beloved Saviour See how the spirits of unregenerate ones leave for a little while the dark vault of hell and enter though most unwillingly into the stinking carrion of their bodies and both haled by angels to the judgement seat of Christ When the Court is thus set conceive the Commission read wherein Jesus Christ is authorized in his humane nature by his Divine Power to be Judge of the quick and dead the law is produced both of nature and Scripture the books are opened hoth of Gods omniscience and mans conscience by which all men are to be tryed for their everlasting lives and deaths The holy ones are now called their persons through the righteousness of Christ acquitted by publike proclamation before God Angels and men their performances duties graces services sufferings punctually related to their glory and infinitely rewarded in their perfect freedom from all evil and eternal fruition of the chiefest good Behold how the unholy are with violence draged to the bar examined strictly by the covenant of works have all their sins secret open personal relative of nature and practice in thoughts words and deeds revealed publikely and aggravated fully with all their crimson crying bloody circumstances heark how pitifully they plead what poor evidences they had for salvation what sorry excuses for their Atheisme and abominations their conscience instead of a thousand witnesses accuseth them the law casteth them the Judge pronounceth against them a most severe sentence of condemnation the devils feise on them for its speedy execution Now what confusion and shame of face what lamentation and forrow of heart possesseth them what doleful screechings what bitter yellowâ—ngs are heard among them Here is body cursing the soul for being so ungodly a guide and soul cursing the body for being so unready an instrument and both cursing the time that ever they met together and wishing though in vain that they might for ever be parted asunder Now the worldling curseth his flocks and his Farm his gold and his silver that had more of his heart and of his care and time then his precious soul Now the lazy Christian curseth his madness and folly that he should think a little formal preparation were sufficient for such a strict examination A bloody husband hast thou been to me saith the wife thou mindedst provision for me for a little time and never regardedst my instruction about the things of eternity A cruel father hast thou been to me saith the child for generating me a child of wrath an heir of hell and never endeavoring my regeneration whereby I might have been a child of God and an heir of heaven and thus cursing crying roaring raging they are sent to the place where is mourning without mirth sorrow without solace darkness without light death without life pure wrath without mixture perfect pain without measure nothing but weeping and wailing sighing sobbing and gnashing of teeth for ever ever ever Suppose I say that thou hadst heard and seen all this and God should after it try thee in this world fourty years wouldst thou not night and day be strugling and striving with God by prayer watching over thy own heart waiting upon thy Saviour With what earnestness wouldst thou pray with what seriousness wouldst thou read and hear with what exactness and exemplariness wouldst thou live how diligent and laborious wouldst thou be in a faithful improvement of all thy time talents and opportunities that thou mightest find mercy at such a day even the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life Wouldst thou after such a sight think any time too much or any pains too great for thy eternal good Couldst thou give the world and the flesh the choicest place in thy heart and the chiefest part of thy life as now thou dost shouldst thou dare to be nibbling again at the devils baits or to be playing with the eternal fire or to put off God with a few cold formal prayers and that by fits in stead of hearty fiery continual supplication or to put off Jesus Christ with a complement that thou wearest his livery and professest thy self a Christian in stead of a sincere resolved dedication of heart and life to his word and law What saist thou man And why wilt thou not be as diligent and as holy now thou maist in the glass of Scripture see all that I have spoken for the substance of it at least if thou hast but an eye of faith and without question the sight of faith is as sure and true as a sight of sense what reason canst thou have why thou shouldst not work as industriously to escape hell and obtain heaven as if thou hadst known these things experimentally when the word of the living and true God speaketh it so expresly look 2 Cor. 5. 10. Acts
The Spirit indeed is a free Agent and worketh in what manner and measure he pleaseth But this is certain he convinceth all of their sins and miseries conviction doth go before conversion The Physitian of souls will heal none but such as know both their distemper and their danger and thereby how infinitely they are obliged to him for their cure As in the first creation one of the first thing God made was light so in the forming the new creature illumination is before sanctification Every one is able to say in Christ as he in the Gospel This I know whereas I was blind now I see John 9.25 This is absolutely necessary in order to the second direction I have to commend to thee which is the sincere humiliation of thy soul There must be a day-break of light in the understanding before there can be an heart-break of sorrow in the affections till sin and wrath be discerned by knowledge in the mind they will be no burden to the conscience nor grief to the spirit As no good wrapt up in darknesse excites desire so no evil swathed up in ignorance striketh terror We may observe this by the holy Apostles expression I was alive without the law but when the commandement came sin revived and I died Rom. 7.9 i. e. the time was that I was ignorant both of the laws strictnesse and my own sinfulnesse and then I thought my self to be very safe my conscience was very quiet and my heart full of hope or more properly presumption about my future eternal happinesse thus I was alive without the law but when my eyes were inlightned to see how exceeding broad the Commandements of God were and that once I compared my crooked race with that strait rule and took notice how far short I came of that obedience which the law required I was then a dead a lost man I quickly pulled in my plumes and took down my sails with which I was hastening in my conceit to Heaven for I found that I was in very deed in the road to hell When the Commandement came sin revived and I died There was then life enough in my lusts to wound me unto death for I dyed Reader if thou art convinced so farre of the absolute necessity of conversion as to desire it unfeignedly let me request thee for the sake of thy poor soul to set some considerable time apart thy body hath had many years surely thy soul deserveth one day and that speedily to be serious in about its endlesse estate and to compare thy wicked life with the pure Law of God and observe how exceedingly thou hast swerved from the precepts therein commanded consider not only its outward and literal but likewise its inward and spiritual meaning and thou mayst presently discern that thy whole conversation for so many years as thou hast lived hath been a continued aberration and wandring from the Lord and his Laws If thou lookest aright in that glasse it will discover all the spots all the dirt that have been in the face of thy heart and life Jam. 1.23 By the Law is the knowledge of sin Rom. 3.20 Consider also that thy breach of the Law makes thee liable to the curse of the Law which is the infinite eternal wrath of the Law-giver Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 The Law must be satisfied since not in its accomplishment it will in thy punishment If God cast the glorious Angels out of heaven and reserved them in chains of darknesse to the judgement of the great day for one sin and that as some think in thought into what an hell may he cast thee whose iniquities for weight are like the sand of the sea and for number like the sparks of a furnace and the stars in the firmament Think of it with all possible seriousnesse thou hangest over the mouth of hell every moment by a small thread of life and if that should be cut asunder the whole world cannot save thee from dropping into it 2. Direction Humiliation 2. In the next place labour to get thy heart deeply and throughly affected with thy sins and misery Humiliation must follow Illumination It is not enough for this knowledge of the transgressions thou hast committed and the wrath thou hast deserved to swim in thy head it may be there as fire in the flint to no profit but it must sink down into thy heart and be beaten out into an application of and lamentation for thy guilt and wickedness Man is so sinfully subtle that he can bear the historical knowledge of these things in his understanding he can hear the name of sin and hell and be no more troubled then at a painted devil or a tale of purgatory but when God brings down sin from being a notion to be an obligation and entereth an action against the soul within it self then it will begin to melt and mourn under the sense of its sins and sufferings Thus after the Spirt of God hath been a spirit of conviction it becometh a spirit of bondage that eye which was before enlightened to see the lewdnesse of his heart and life cometh now to affect his heart with grief and sorrow This we find in those Converts Acts 2.37 when they had heard of their sin and guilt they began to recant and repent When they heard those things they were pricked to the heart The nails which had pierced Christs hands now pierce their hearts It was with them saith one as if the sharp points of daggers had been stuck or fastened in their hearts They wounded themselves with sorrow that ever they had wounded the Lord Jesus with their sins The whole life indeed of a true Christian is in some respects a life of repentance He is often greiving Gods Spirit and therefore he is often greived in his own spirit As long as the ship leaketh the pump must go Though the Christian doth not paddle or wallow in the mire of sin every day as gracelesse ones do yet he findeth that daily his hands contract dirt and his soul guilt therefore he must daily wash with faith and repentance Some report of Mary Magdalen that she spent thirty years in Galba in weeping for her sins And Tertullian saith of himself That he was born for repentance Anselm telleth us That with grief he considered the whole course of his life I found * In lib. meditat writeth he the infancy of sin in the sins of my infancy the youth and growth of sin in the sins of my youth and growth and the ripenesse of all sin in the sins of my ripe and perfect age and then he breaks out into this pathetical expression What remaineth for thee wretched man but that thou spend thy whole life in bewayling thy whole life But especially at the time of a Christians conversion he is to mind contrition when the vessel is newly tapt
then it runneth most freely and plentifully None might approach the King of Persia's Court in sackcloth and mourning Est 4.2 but no wandring sinner may draw near to the King of Heaven without it Aut paenitendum aut pereundum Except ye repent ye shall perish God is resolved to break the sinners heart on earth or his back in hell He will have the wound search'd and the pain of it felt before it be bound up and cured The wicked Prodigal must come to his Father with compunction in his soul as well as confession in his mouth Look therefore O sinner into the book of thy conscience and read over the black lines that still are in thy cursed heart and the bloody leaves of thy wicked life how long thou hast lived to little purpose yea to the killing of thy soul for ever how farre thou hast been from accomplishing the end for which thou wast born and the errand for which thou wast sent into the world Keep a petty Assize in thy heart preferre a large Bill of Indictment against thy self accuse and condemn thy self not only verbally but cordially if ever thou wouldst have Christ to acquit thee Thou hast spent many years in sinning and shouldst thou not spend some hours in sorrowing Thou didst make the soul of Jesus Christ sorrowful unto death shall not therefore thy soul be sorrowful when thy sorrow may be unto life Did the Rocks rent when he died for sin shall not thy rocky heart that thou hast lived 〈◊〉 sin He bled for thee and wilt not thou weep for thy self Thou hast filled Gods a Iob 14.17 Bag with thy fins and hast thou no tears for his b Psal 46.8 Bottle Hast thou so long broken the holy Commandements of God and shall not thy heart now at last be broken The damned feel sin it lyeth heavy on their souls couldst thou lay thy ear to the mouth of that bottomlesse pit thou mightst perceive by their yellowings and howlings that sin is sin in hell how lightly soever it is regarded by men upon earth The Lord Jesus felt sin Hadst thou been in the garden and seen his blessed body all over in a goar blood beheld those drops yea clods of blood that trickled down his face surely thou wouldst have believed that it was some heavy weight indeed which caused such a bloody sweat in a cold winter night And art not thou yet weary and heavy laden Do I speak to a man or a beast to a living creature or to a rock that will never be moved If thou hast a disease in thy body thou canst greive and complain and why not for the diseases of thy soul Are not they farre more deadly more dangerous If thou losest a child O what crying and roaring what wringing of hands and watering of cheeks nay if thou losest a place of profit an house or a beast thou canst mourn and think of it often with sorrow And doth it not greive thee that thou hast lost not thy child or cattel but thy Christ thy Saviour thy Soul thy God to eternity If thou missest a good bargain that was offered thee whereby thou mightst increase thy estate or if thou buyest or hirest at too dear a rate how dost thou beshrew and befool thy self for it Hast thou not ten thousand times more cause to be really and highly displeased with thy self and to abhor thy self in dust and ashes that thou shouldst have all the riches and glory and pleasures of the eternal Kingdom tendered to thee with many intreaties and yet thou hast refused them for the lying vanities of this world and for the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Thou hast denyed Heavens happinesse for a bubble a butterfly all things for nothing Did ever any fool buy so dear and sell so cheap Like Saul busie himself in seeking Asses when a Kingdom sought him Like Shimei seek his servant and thereby lose himself No fool like the sinner that embraceth a shadow which will certainly flee from him and neglecteth the substance which endureth to eternity Honorius the Emperor hearing that Rome was lost cried Alas alas very mournfully fearing it had been his hen so called which he exceedingly loved but hearing it was the famous City of Rome that was become a prey to his cruel enemies he made a tush at it Thus too too many can greive sufficiently for the losse of vanities riches but not at all for the losse of God and Christ and enduring felicities Well Friend repent timely and truly of this thy folly for I must tell thee shortly it will be too late if repentance be hid from thy heart now repentance will be hid from Gods eye then by whose Law thou art now a condemned man already if thy heart be hardened now in sinning the heart of God will ere long be hardened in sentencing thee to an eternity of suffering It is an infinite mercy that God yet alloweth thee liberty for second thoughts that notwithstanding thou hast shipwracked thy soul yet thou mayst swim out safe upon the plank of repentance O therefore think no pains too great to break thy stony heart it is worth the while when free grace hath promised a vast reward to that heaven-born work Hadst thou once offered up to God the sacrifice of a spirit truly sorrowful out of love to God and self-loathing because of fin I could tell thee as good as joyful news as ever thine ears heard The Father of mercies and God of comforts will be reconciled to thee in the Lord Jesus Thy prayers for pardon and life will pierce Gods ears and find acceptance if they proceed from a broken heart from sincere repentance A penitent tear is a messenger that never went away without a satisfactory answer Prayers with such tears are prevalent yea in Luthers phrase omnipotent Musick upon the waters sounds most pleasantly Thou hast heard the voice of my weeping saith David Psal 6.8 Augustus Caesar having promised a great reward to any that could bring him the head of a famous Pirate did yet when the Pirate heard of it and brought it himself and laid it at his feet Suet. in vit not only pardon but teward him for his confidence in his mercy As * Plutarch in vâ—t Alex. Antipater was answered by Alexander Thou hast written a long Letter against my Mother but dost thou not know that one tear of hers will wash out all her faults When the returning sinner weeps the tender-hearted Father smi es As he rejoyceth and laugheth at obstinate sinners destruction and ruine Quodâ— Deus loquiâ—ur cum risu tu legas cum fletu Aug. Proverbs 1.26 so he rejoyceth and smileth at the penitent sinners conversion He will do something for an hypocritical humiliation to assure us that he will do any thing upon a sincere humiliation Seest thou saith God how Ahab humbleth himself this judgement shall not be in his dayes but in his Sons
by his Lord Gen. 24. to provide a Wife for my Masters son I do here in the presence of the living God by commission from his Majesty tender thee the most honourable profitable delightful match that was ever offered to mortals It is the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of life and glory the onely begotten of the Father the fairest of ten thousands to be thy head and husband hereby thou shalt have the King of Kings the Lord of heaven and earth for thy Father a Queen the Church for thy Mother the Saints those truly excellent noble illustrious ones higher then the Kings of the earth for thy brethren and sisters the Covenant of Grace in comparison of which all the gold of the Indies is but dirt and dung for thy treasure glorious Angels for thy servants the flesh of the Son of God for thy meat and his precious blood for thy drink perfect Righteousness which is more beautiful then the unspotted innocency of Adam or Angels for thy rayment a palace of pleasures a place of glory a building of God an house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens for thy habitation And all this only upon these termes that thou wilt be a loving faithful and obedient Wife which the poorest beggar in the country expects from his wife that thou wilt heartily give up thy self and all thou hast to his service and glory and this he desireth also for thy good and benefit that he may make thee a more excellent creature and render thee more acceptable to God and more capable of his dearest love and eternal embraces as the rain is sent up from the earth in thick and foggy vapours but the heavens return it in pure and silver showers so though thou givest an unbelieving hard earthly heart unto Christ he will return it unto thee again believing tender heavenly such an heart as shall be more pleasing both to God and thy self and for this he is pleased though ten thousand Suns united into one are but darkness to him so great is his glory to condescend to become a Suiter to thee to beseech thee to accept of him who knoweth thy portion to be misery and beggery who seeth thy person to be full of ugliness and deformity who gaineth no addition to his happiness by thine acceptance of his love nor suffereth the least diminution by thy refusal Well what sayest thou to this match Art thou heartily willing to take Jesus Christ for thy wedded Husband to protect and direct thee to purifie and pardon thee to sanctifie and save thee to guide thee by his counsel and afterwards to receive thee to glory And wilt thou here in the presence of the Lord and before thy conscience which is as ten thousand witnesses promise and covenant to obey him universally to love him unfainedly to resign up thy self and all thou hast to his disposal unreservedly What sayest thou Art thou willing or no Take heed of dallying in a match that is so unquestionably and infinitely for thy advantage Believe it thou shalt not have such offers every day Doe not stick at any of his Precepts for he can require nothing but what is equal excellent and honorable doe not trifle or defer it if thou lovest thy soul for this may be the very last time of asking If thou wilt deal kindly and truly with my Master tell me or if not tell me that I may return an answer to him that sent me Gen. 24.49 These four directions which I have laid down already are without question the whole of Christianity and that soul shall be certainly saved by whom they are uprightly practised yet there are two special means which God hath appointed for the enabling the soul to perform them which I shall speak briefly to and for method sake joyn them altogether Five Directions Attendance on the Word Fifthly If thou wouldst attain this spiritual life be much conversant with the Word of God be often reading it meditating on it but especiall frequent it in publick where it is preached by losing one Sermon for â—ought thou knowest thou mayst lose one soul Death at first entred into the world by the ear Gen. 3. and so doth life Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 thou seest in the Gospel that Faith and Repentance are this spiritual life Mark 16.16 Gal. 2.20 and thou mayest see as clearly that they are both the fruits of the ministery of the Word For Faith that fore quoted place Rom. 10.17 is full and for Repentance that of Acts 2.37 speaketh home When they heard these things they were pricked to the heart mark When they heard these things The Word of God is an hammer with which God is pleased to break the stony heart and a fire wherewith he melteth the hard mettal Jerem. 23.29 In this respect it is that the Minister is called the Father of some Converts namely those whom he begetteth through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 Joâ— Isaac a Jew was converted by reading the 53. of Isaiah Junius by the first of Johns Gospel Augustine by the 13. of Romans I will never forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickened me David Psal 119.93 There is a resurrection of souls at this day when Ministers lift up their voice like a trumpet Isai 58.1 Acts 2.37 as well as there shall be a resurrection of bodies at the last day by the Trump of the Archangel This is the net which God is pleased to cast into the sea of the world and wherewith he harh caught many a soul three thousand at one draught Acts 2.41 Spiritual life is the gift of God as well as eternal the gift of all grace is of grace but ordinarily of his own will he begetteth souls by the word of truth Jam. 1 18. If thou wilt have Wisdomes dole thou must wait at Wisdomes gate for there it is given Prov. 8.34 Grace is the law written in the heart and usually the ministry of the Word is the pen wherewith the Spirit of God writes it That is the bed wherein the children of God are begotten Cantic 1.16 That is the school wherein the Disciples are taught of God and learn the truth as it is in Jesus The Ministers Commission doth abundantly evince this I send thee saith God to Paul to open the eyes of the blind and to turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to the living God God indeed is a most free Agent and can work when and how he pleaseth but it hath pleased him to make the Gospel of Christ his own power unto salvation Rom. 1.16 and it pleaseth him by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 Abana and Pharpar Rivers of Damascus to the eye of sense may seem better then all the waters of Israel but Jordan can cleanse and heal when those cannot because it hath a divine precept and promise annexed to it Nay observe how God is pleased to dignifie his Word
unsearchable riches in Christ the endless happiness in Heaven because they know not the vanity and emptiness of the former the excellency and pretiousness of the latter Did men know the gift of God and who it is that speaketh to them Ignoti nulla cuâ—ido and what he offereth they would ask of him and he would give them living waters John 4.10 What is the reason that so many make a mock of sin and dance merrily over the infernal pit and play with the unquenchable fire but ignorance The Child doth not know that the fire will burn him As the Horse they rush into the battel fighting against God and their souls not knowing it will be to their destruction to their damnation These Balaams run greedily after the wages of unrighteousness not seeing the Angel that standeth in the way with a drawn sword in his hand ready to kill them Did they know what they do when they wilfully break Gods Law they would sooner leap into a furnace of scalding lead than provoke so jealous a God But sin goeth in a disguise and thence is welcome like Judas it kisseth and kils like Joab it salutes and slayes The foolish sinner seeth the pleasant streames of Jordan but not the dead Sea into which they will certainly empty themselves to his ruine What is the reason that the Devil carrieth so many captive at his will leadeth them whither he pleaseth but ignorance They are ignorant of his wiles of his devices they know not as drunken Lot of his Daughters when he cometh nor when he goeth The Prince of darkness takes up his throne in dark understandings The god of this world blindeth their minds 2 Cor. 4.4 least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them How easie is it for him to lead blind men out of the way and then to destroy them as Pliny saith the Eagle deals with the Hart she lights upon his horns and there flutters up and down filling his eyes with dust born in her feathers that at last he may cast himself from the rock and so be made a prey unto her so the wicked one bindeth a muffler before mens eyes and then turneth them off the ladder and executes them What is the cause of mens scandalous practices but ignorance The dark corners of the earth arâ— full of the habitations of cruelty Psal 74.20 The flood-gates of wickednesse are open when the door of knowledge is shut the cause why there was no mercy nor truth in the land but swearing and lying and stealing comitting adultery and blood touching blood was ignorance Hos 4.1 2. This is the root of bitterness on which those cursed fruits grow This is the blind Captain which like Zilpah hath a Gad a troop of enormities following him Paul thanks ignorance for his blasphemy and persecuting the Church 1 Tim. 1.13 The reason why the heathen did not call on God was because they did not know him Psal 79.6 The most ugly and monstruous wickedness which ever was hatched or brought forth calleth ignorance mother Had they known they would never have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 Act. 3.15.17 What Augustine saith of Original sin is in some respects true of Ignorance it is peccatum poena peccati causa peccati It is a sin as contrary to the law of God which requireth men to know him 1 Chron. 28.9 Lev. 5.15.18 It is the punishment of sin as the fruit of our apostacy from God It is the cause of sin as toads and serpents grow in dark cellars as blind Alehouses are sinks and sources of all villanies so are dark and blind hearts They are strangers to the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Eph 4.18 Ignorantiae â—uae pessimaefiliae Falsitas Dubietas Aug. de câ—vit dâ—i l. 22. c. 22. What is the cause of mens erroneous principles but ignorance They erre not knowing the Scriptures Mat. 22.29 Impostors like cozening tradesmen when they have men in a dark shop put what rotten deceitful ware they please into their hands they lead captive silly women that are ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3.6 7. Hereticks like nurses may put meat or poison into their mouths who are babes in understanding they that are children in knowledge will be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine The blind man eates many a flye and the ignorant man swallows many an error Men will easily be brought to deny the truths which they understand not and to speak evil of the things which they know not Jude vers 10. Simul ac desinunt ignorare desinunt odisse saith Tertulliaâ— in apolog of them that condemned the Christian Religion What is the reason that men put God off either with no service or worship at all or else with a few cold superficial lazy duties without either heat or life but their ignorance They know not the Majesty purity jealousie and severity of God they worship they know not whom and therefore they worship him they care not how their Altars are of any slight form or fashion because like the Athenians they are dedicated to the unknown God they that know not their masters will cannot obey it Some cry up their good meanings to excuse their ignorance but ignorant devotion is like feet without eyes which the farther they carry men the greater is their wandring and wo. What is the reason that men take up short of Christ and renewing grace that they please themselves with the shadow instead of the substance of Religion that they cry peace peace to their souls onely upon some outward priviledges or a few inward good meanings as they call them when they are in a most damnable condition and suddain destruction is ready to seise on them as travail on a woman with child which they cannot escape surely it is ignorance of the nature of Christianity and sanctification they know not what regeneration is and what faith and repentance are which are the conditions upon which salvation may be had therefore they rest in forms which will fade when their hearts and lives deny the power of godlinesse This this is not as Papists would perswade their deluded votaries the mother of devotion but the monster which causeth such hideous births of corruption This is the epidemical disease that raigneth all the year long and killeth I fear more souls then any of our new distempers doth bodies For the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Which shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9. This this is the sourse of mens sins on earth and eternal sufferings in hell But one would think such truths as these might be seasonable in
Turky or India or in Spain and Italy where the tree of knowledge is forbidden fruit where they may not read their fathers mind in their mother tongue but is it possible that in England where the will and word of God is more powerfully preached more practically applied more clearly discovered than in any nation of the world there should be any ignorant persons Alas alas We finde by woful experience that there are many very many Indians and heathen for ignorance in England Men and women that know as little of God and holiness of Christ his natures offices of true faith and repentance as if they had been born and bred up all their time in Turky or India I am ashamed to write what I know of the sottish stupid hellish ignorance of many and some that are aged too that are going to dye and yet never knew what it was to live either to God or their souls The good Lord affect my heart more with the danger and dreadfulnesse of their eternal conditions O how sad is it that so many precious souls should lie lazing on their beds of security and idleness and though the Sun shine brightly in upon them they will not draw their curtains and open their eyes to behold it That in a valley of vision a Goshen a land of light thousands should live and dye in worse then Egyptian darknesse that the Bible should be a sealed book to them and almost every one have the dark side of that glorious pillar towards him Reader To cure this soul-murdering distemper I have endeavored according to the trust committed to me and the grace bestowed on me to discover in this Treatise the life in Christ or true Christianity with the matchless endless felicity that accompanieth it as also the nature and danger of unregeneracy with the means to come out of it by which thou mayst see that many cozen their souls with counterfeit coin false evidences for heaven instead of true which will not abide the touchstone of Scripture and so like Uriah they carry those letters about them though they know it not which will at last cost them their lives and cause their eternal deaths That there is no fool like the sinner who selleth his soul for a song his Saviour his eternal happiness the unspeakable pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore for the perishing empty profits and base brutish pleasures of sin which are but for a season Though sin be delightful in the act to carnal wretches yet it will be bitterness in the end It will be a bitter-sweet to all its lovers when for their momentany pleasure they shall be recompenced with eternity of intolerable unconceivable pain That it is not for nothing that Ministers call so loudly and earnestly to thee to kill those lusts which would kill thee and to follow after holiness without which no man shall ever see the Lord Heb. 12.14 It will teach thee that God and Christ heaven and hell thy soul and eternity death and judgement are not things to be dallied with believe it thou wilt one day find that it is bad jesting with such edged tools Surely the greatest seriousness that is imaginable is too too little for them O hadst thou but the thousandth part of that seriousness about them which they deserve and call for at thy hands surely thou wouldst have other manner of thoughts of them and carriage towards them then now thou hast Well I have four special things at present from the living God to commend to thee and leave with thee in order to thine eternal good I known not how soon I may be taken from thee If thou lovest thy soul practice them faithfully if not answer the contrary when thou and I shall meet in the other world at the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus First do thou labor for the knowledge of God and his Son thy self and the duty which thou owest to thy Maker and Redeemer hast thou not read the doleful consequence of ignorance and doth it not nearly concern thee to get out of that damnable condition Without this thou canst never be Religious notwithstanding all thy pretences that thou meanest well and hast as good an heart as the best If thou knowest not the God of thy fathers thou canst never serve him with a perfect heart 1 Chron. 28.9 All thy worship will be but wild and wandering from God all thy services but the sacrifice of a fool The foundation of obedience must be laid in knowledge Mal. 1.8 till then thou offerest up to the Lord the lame and blind which he will not accept God expecteth reasonable services Rom. 12.1 such for which thou canst give a good reason out of his word which must be the warrant of thy worship Be not therefore in shape a man a reasonable creature and as NebuchadneZZar in heart a beast be not as the horse and mule which hath no understanding Psal 32.9 Without knowledge thou canst not be saved If the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish 2 Cor. 4.4 Wilful ignorance is a sad sign that thou art in Gods black bill If God will ever have thee to be saved he will bring thee to the knowledge of this truth 1 Tim. 2.4 When Hammans face was covered his execution was near Do not delude and destroy thy soul by presuming that thy ignorance will not damne thee for if thou art without knowledge he that made thee will not save thee and he that formed thee will shew thee no mercy Isa 27.11 Mark Reader but this one place Psal 95.10 11. where the God of truth confirmeth it by an oath that they which do not know his ways shall not enter into his rest One would think that a prisoner should be both earnest and diligent to learn his neck verse who knoweth he must be hanged if he cannot read and dost not thou read in broad Characters in the word of God that thou must be an eternal monument of divine fury in hell if thou dost not learn to know the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent doth it not then behove thee to be diligent for knowledge 1. How shouldst thou wait on the word of God which enlightneth the mind and maketh wise the simple Auditus est sensus disciplinae Psal 19.7 8. David had more understanding then the ancients because Gods word was his meditation Psa 119.98 99. Watch at wisdoms gate with an humble hungry soul and God may fill thee with good things God maketh manifest the favour of his knowledge by his Mnisters in every place 2 Cor. 2.14 If thou wouldst see go where the Sunne shineth 2. Ply the throne of grace with uncessant prayers Bene or assc est bene studuisse that God would enlighten thy mind in the knowledge of his will If any man lack wisdom or knowledge let him ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not Jam. 1.5 Intreat him to open thine
eyes that thou mayst see the wonderful things contained in his law Psal 119.18 If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God For the Lord giveth wisdom out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding Prov. 2.3 4 5 6. 3. Take heed of sinning against those commands which thou knowest Hold not the truth in unrighteousness Do not wanton away the light least God give thee up to judiciary darkness Thou knowest thou shouldst pray with thy family and in secret make conscience of the Lords day instruct thy children forbear drunkenness swearing lying uncleanness and the like be sure thou do not shut up this knowledge in thy conscience and deny it in thy conversation lest as a candle pent up in a dark lanthorn it swail out quickly If any man will do my will he shall know my doctrine whether it be of God or no John 7.17 To practice what you know is the way to know what to practice Knowledge is the mother of obedience it breeds it and obedience is the nurse of knowledge it feedeth and nurtureth it if thou improvest thy little stock well doubt not but God will adde to it and encrease it leave no means untried for the obtaining this purchase I have if thou belongest to our Parish offered thee to instruct thee to my power in the mysteries of Christ appointed also days for that end it may be thou art one of those many that ate too old to learn that scorn to be taught I would ask thee one question and think of it Art thou not too old to be saved Dost thou not scorn to go to heaven Surely thou dost by contemning the way thou scornest the end Well take heed thou dost not die without knowledge for if thou dost all the world cannot keep thee one quarter of an hour out of hell and then thou wilt have time enough to befool thy self for refusing a good offer and willfully rejecting through thy pride those things which concerned thine eternal peace I shall conclude this head with the words of that eminent and pious writer Mr. Gurnal Arm 1 part p. 239 240. How long saith he may a poor Minister sit in his study before any of the ignorant sort will come upon that errand i. e. to learn the knowledge of God themselves Lawyers have their Clients and Physicians their Patients these are sought after called up at midnight for counsel but alas the soul which is more worth then raiment and body too that is neglected and the Minister seldome thought one till both these be sent away Perhaps when the Physitian gives them over for dead then we must come and close up their eyes with comfort which were never opened to see Christ in his truth or else be counted cruel because we will not sprinkle them with this holy water and anoint them for the Kingdom of heaven though they know not a step of the way that leads to it Ah poor wretches what comfort would you nave us speak to those to whom God himself speaks terror Is heaven ours to give to whom we please or is it in our power to alter the laws of the most High and save those whom he condemns Do you remember the curse that is to fall upon his head that maketh the blind to wander out of the way Deut. 27.18 What curse then would be our portion if we should confirm such blind souls as are quite out of the way to heaven encouraging them to go on and expect to reach heaven at last when God knows their feet stand in those paths that lead to eternal death No 't is written we cannot God will not reverse it you may read your very names amongst those damned souls which Christ comes in flaming fire to take vengeance on 2 Thess 1.8 And therefore in the fear of God let this provoke you of what age or sex rank or condition soever you be to labor for the saving knowledge of God in Christ whom to know is life eternal John 17.3 Secondly Do not rest in bare knowledge but endeavor to get thy will affections and heart renewed a clear head must be accompanied with a clean heart saving knowledge is ever a sanctifying knowledge Content not thy self with any thing short of regeneration and the power of godliness Master Robert Bolton Mr. Boltons life â—y Master â—gshaw when dying told his children That he verily believed none of them durst think to meet him at the great tribunal in an unregenerate estate So I am confident that none of you can with any comfort nay without unspeakable horror and sorrow meet me at the Bar of Christ in your natural estates O how sad will it be for thee that art now asleep in sin to awake like the Jailor at the midnight of death and to find this inward change this new creation this life in Christ missing what an heart quake will possess thee how pale and trembling wilt thou spring into the presence of Christ in the other world for thy particular judgement Consider thy profession will not serve turn the storm of death will wash out all colours of profession that are not laid in the oyle of renewing grace Mat. 25.8 Thy priviledges will not do it circumcision is nothing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Gal. 6.15 Thou mayst enjoy Scripture and Sabbaths and Sacraments and many seasons of grace and hell at last Nay the higher thy exaltation in regard of these priviledges if thou diest unconverted the greater thy condemnation will be None go to such Chambers of utter darkness as they that are lighted thither with the torches of Ordinances Heathen will keep holy day in hell in comparison of those that are now lifted up to heaven and perish If the sweetest wine make such sharp vinegar and the cold lead when melted be so hot and scalding how pure and weighty will that wrath be which shall be extracted out of abused love and mercy Grace is the sweetest friend but the bitterest enemy If thou waste the riches of grace God will recover out of thee riches of glory Thy performances also can be no infallible evidence of thy good estate The Pharisees prayed fasted did many of them abound in outward acts of charity righteousness and holiness which are commanded by God and must be minded by all that will be saved and yet Christ telleth us expresly That except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees we shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven Mat. 5.20 There was in them aâ— in the young man one thing wanting and that was the regeneration of their natures the actual predominancy of the interest oâ— God and Christ in their hearts above all interest of the flesh and world I beseech thee therefore make sure of the new
birth without which it is impossible for thee to escape the second death I have in the third use of this Treatise endeavoured to awakeâ— thee to and to direct thee about this great work as in the first use I have discovered the unspeakable endless misery of them that dye before it be done Those which had the Sudor Anglicus or sweating sicknesâ— dyed assuredly if suffered to sleep those were their best friends that kept them waking though they possibly had little thank for it It may be thou mayst think I am too sharpe but truely the wound is deep dangerous yea deadly and therefore though I put thee to pain by lancing it I am forced to it otherwise thou wilt not be cured Sin and hell and holiness and sanctification are other manner of things then the sleepy world dreameth of The Lord give thee an heart to obey his counsel in order to thy conversion and then I am sure thou wilt have cause to give him thanks that I would not let thee sleep quietly on a bed that was in a flame nor in an condition that was next door to infinite misery and eternal desperation Thirdly exalt godliness in thy family If once Christ be chief in thy heart I am confident he will to thy utmost power be so in thy house that thou art really which thou art relatively Labor that thy children and servants may know and serve God Dwell with thy wife as a man of knowledge as heirs together of the grace of life that your prayers be not hindred 1 Pet. 3.7 Bring up thy children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Eph. 6 4. Teach thy servants their duty to God and their own souls Consider these are the laws of the righteous God and ere long when thou shalt leave all the dying and lying vanities of this world thou must give an account in the other world how thou hast obeyed them God hath committed a great trust to thee even the charge of the souls of all in thy family and doth not thine heart tremble to think of soul-blood of soul-murder I assure thee thou mayst be as truely and really guilty of their deaths and damnations by starving them as by poisoning them I mean by not instructing chatechizing and principling them in the things of God by not praying with them and over seeing that they mind the worship of God as in making them drunk and teaching them to steal and swear For thy children Dost thou not know that they are born children of wrath and heirs of hell and canst thou be quiet till thou seest in them some signs and hopes of regeneration an interest in Christ and thereby a right to heaven When thou readest of Herod how he murdered poor children thou condemnest him thou thinkest Ah hard-hearted Herod But dost not thou do ten thousand times worse in murdering the souls and bodies of thy dear children for ever Ah hard-hearted ah bloody father Herod was a man of bowels a merciful man to thee Is it any wonder to hear saith one of that ship sunk or dasht upon a rock that was put to sea without card of compass nor is it a wonder to hear of children sinking in perdition who are thrust into the world which is a sea of temptations without any knowledge of God and their duty One would think every time thou readest and hearest of the extremity and eternity of hells torments of the multitudes that must undergo them of the few even of those within the visible Church that shall be saved and of the difficulty of obtaining salvation that thy loyns should tremble and thy joynts smite together that thy head yea heart should ake for fear any of thy dear children should be among those many that must drink that cup of the Lords pure wrath that thou shouldst be restless night and day in wrastling with â—od and instructing them in using all means to prevent their endless ruine surely if thou hadst a spark of true love to thy children thus it would be with thee And for thy servants unless thou art careful that they serve the Lord they are but little beholden to thee for thy service thou givest them possibly food and outward things convenient but dost thou not do as much for thy cattel And is it thinkest thou enough to do no more for those souls which must live in unspeakable pain or pleasure for ever then for thy beasts If he that provideth not for the bodies of his family be worse then an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 surely he that provideth not for their souls is kin to a devil say not they are stubborn and will not be taught Hast not thou power in thy hands either to teach them or turn them out of doors Let none serve thee that will not serve God Thou wilt not keep a servant that knoweth not how to do thy work at least if he will not learn and then follow it with diligence Now let thy conscience be judge Is not Gods work the pleasing and glorifying his infinite majesty of far greater concernment than thy greatest and weightest work and darest thou keep one that neither knoweth how to do it nor will learn Follow the man after Gods own heart Ps 101.2.9 I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me It is said of Constantine that in this he was truely great that he would have his whole Court gathered together and cause the Scriptures to be read to them and instruction to be given them from the Word of God Besides if thou didst but regard thy own temporal good thou wouldst instruct thy servants and children in spiritual things for they that are unfaithful to their Master and father in heaven will be unfaithful to their master and father on earth They that make no conscience of their duty to God but rob him of his service and worship will never make conscience of their duty to thee but if they have opportunity will rob thee of thy time service and goods Be sure that thou performe family duties as praying reading and the like morning and evening do not serve the flesh and the world all day and then put God off with a few cold sleepy petitions at night the command is Pray continually 1 Thess 5.17 Daniel was at it three times a day Dan. 6.10 David seven times a day Psal 119.164 Gods mercies are renewed on thee every morning and should not thy prayers and praises be renewed every morning Doth not the preservation of thy family every night deserve family acknowledgement in the morning Wearisome nights are appointed to others the beds of others prove their graves thou and thine might have awaken in hell doth this distinguishing mercy deserve no thanks Is not thy family every day lyable to many dangers both bodily and spiritual doth it not need pitying sanctifying
pardoning directing preventing mercy every day nay every moment and is not all this worth a prayer Upon no account neglect the offering up of these morning and evening sacrifices let thy prayers and of the rest in the family come up before the Lord in the morning like incense and the lifting up of thine hands at night as an evening sacrifice Do not say as sometimes I have heard of thee that thou canst not spare time for these duties thy family is great and thou canst not get them altogether thy business is great and a little time spent this way may wrong thee I answer thee Canst thou get all thy family together twice a day to set meals for their bodies and canst thou not get them together twice a day for set meals family duties for their souls 2. What greater or weighter business canst thou have then the working out the salvation of thy own and the souls committed to thy charge are not the most important affairs thou canst possibly deal about but toys and trifles to this 3. Was not Davids family greater then thine and his occasions weighter and yet he could find time though a King for family duties Psal 101.9 He and his Queen did both instruct their child in the things of God 1 Chron. 28.9 Pro. 4.3 to 10. Pro. 31. If thou art poor and saist thou art to provide for thy family see an answer to that in this book pag. 187.188.189 Though God will give you both another manner of answer to your foolish pretences when ye appear at the judgement seat of Christ Have a special care also of the sanctification of the Lords day in thy family remember the living God commandeth thee that thou thy son thy daughter thy man-servant and thy maid-servant and all within thy gate keep that day holy Do not make the sins of others thine by thy pattern or permission let not that queen of days be defloured or prophaned by idleness earthly thoughts words or actions spend the whole time which thou sparest from the publike Ordinances in secret and private duties as praying reading singing chatechising taking an account of thy children and servants what they know of the mysteries of Christ and particularly what they have learned that day Esteem it a special priviledge a great mercy that thou and thine may upon that day sequester your selves wholly from worldly imployments and enjoy communion with the blessed God in the means of grace This I shall be bold to tell thee that Religion and the service of the most high God in thy family dependeth much yea very much upon thy observation of the Lords day thou mayst expect its increase or decrease according to thy sanctification or prophanation of it In the Primitive times when the question was Servasti Dominicum the answer was Christianus sum omittere non possum Thou pretendest to be a Christian make conscience of every minute of that day of Christ Be sure that thou and as many of thy family as can possily be spared attend with all diligence and reverence at the publike place of worship there God receiveth the greatest praises and there he bestoweth the choicest mercies O blessed are they that dwell in his house blessed are they that wait at Wisdoms gates that watch at the posts of her doors Prov. 8. In all things shew thy self a pattern to them that are under thy care and charge the peop e committed to thy government will sooner imitate thy doings then obey thy sayings Sin cometh in at first by propagation but is increased exceedingly by imitation thou that hast thy children and servants following thee either to heaven or to hel hast need choose a right path even the narrow way that leadeth to life Weigh thy words considering that they will learn thy language avoid those sinful expressions of Faith and Troth let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more is evil of repeating others oathes of speaking irreverently of the great God and his word of wishing evil on any man for the command is Bless them that curse Mat. 5.44 let no evil communication proceed out of thy lips but let thy speech be seasoned with grace that it may administer good and be exemplary to the hearers Look well to thy works that they be agreeable to the word of God In thy Religious performances especially manifest all reverence fervency seriousness that thy children and servants may see that thou art in earnest about soul-affairs about eternity-concernments thou little knowest how profitable such a pattern may be unto them Do thy utmost use all means commanded thee to save thy self and them that dwell with thee Be confident that shortly Christ will say to thee as Eliah to David With whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness What is become of the children and servants which I intrusted thee with will it be enough thinkest thou for thee then to answer Lord For my children I brought them up without any charge to the Parish or Lord I bred them Gentlemen or I put them out to trades or I left them competent estates And for my servants I paid them their wages gave them their meat and drink according to my agreement with them When Christ shall reply Man what is become of their souls which I created capable of the immediate fruition of my self which I redeemed with my precious blood what shame will then cover thy face and what horror fill thy heart when the blood of their souls shall be required of thee O therefore let Joshuahs practice and resolution be thine That thou and thy house will serve the Lord Josh 24.15 Fourthly Make Religion and the worshipping and glorifying the great God the great business of thy whole life Improve all thy time power estate interests and talents whatsoever to the utmost for the honor of God and thine own everlasting good Look on thy self as created preserved supplyed with nightly daily hourly mercies not for the service of thy flesh no that end were mean and low but that thou mightest be enabled unto and encouraged in the service of the glorious God Surely saith that noble Lord Du Plessiâ— In the epistle before Veritaes Christia Relig. If all the world were made for man then man was made for more then the world All the favors thou enjoyest are but baitslaid by God to catch thy soul as they come all from him so let them be improved all for him It is godliness alone that will hold out when thou comest to the greatest hardships at the day of affliction and the hour of thy dissolution The good man and his godliness are like Saul and Jonathan lovely in their lives and in their deaths they are not divided therefore exercise thy self unto godliness It may be thou art one to whom God hath given much in the world I must tell thee that much will be required of thee the greater thy receipts are the greater thy returns must be
souls of them to whom the Sermâ— was preached and of the Parish whâ— the Lord had committed to my chaâ—â— I considered with my self that by râ—son of my sickly and infirm body I â— not likely to continue long with tâ— people to which the providence of â— did at first joyn me and from whicâ— far greater things could never divorce â— and therefore it might not be needâ— to leave them some testimony of my â— fained desires of their eternal welfaâ— Who knoweth what this mean piâ— may do if the divine power pleasâ— accompany it Possibly out of the â— that is here sown when the husbâ—â— man is dead an harvest may be â—ed of glory to God and good to souls Reader If thou gain any spiritual profit by it let God have the praise and let him be remembred in thy prayers who is Thy Servant for Christs sake George Swinnocke Febr. 22. 1658. 9. THE Contents TWo great Lessons to be learned of all page 1 The division of the Chapter p. 2 3. The meaning of the words p. 4 5. Doct. They that have Christ for their life shall have gain by their death p. 6. What is implyed in To me to live is Christ p. 6. 1. Christ the principle of a Christians life p. 6 7 8. 2. Christ the pattern p. 9 10. 3. Christ the Comfort p. 11. 12 13 14. 4. Christ the end p. 15. Wherein a Christian is a gainer by death p. 19. 1. He gaineth a freedom from all evil ibi 1. From the evil of sin p. 20. 1. From the commission of it p. 20 21 22. 2. From temptations to it p. 24 25 26. 2. From the evil of suffering p. 27 28. 1. From ignominy in his name p. 29 30. 2. From infirmities in his body p. 31 32. 3. From sorrow in his soul p. 33 34. 2. He gaineth the fruition of all good p. 3â— 1. The society of perfect Christians p 36 37. 2. Nearest communnion with Jesus Christ p. 38 39 40. 3. The enjoyment of the blessed God p. 42 43 44. which shall be Full p. 47 48. Immediate p. 49 50 51. 1. Use by way of Information The difference betwixt the estates of the good and bad at death p. 54. to 63. 1. The sinner loseth by death p. 64. 1. All his carnal comforts his relations wealth honor mirth and that for ever p. 65. to 68. The difference between a Saints loss of outward things by death and a sinners p. 68. to 73. 2. All the means of grace p. 73. to 78. 3. The society of all the Saints p. 78. to 82. 4. All his hopes of heaven p. 82. to 87. 5. His precious soul p. 87. to 95. 6. The blessed God p. 95. to 102. 2. The sinner gaineth by death 1. Fullness of sin p. 102. to 105. 2. Fullness of suffering In regard of intension p. 105. to 111. In regard of duration p. 111. to 122. 2. Use by way of Examination To try our title to happiness p. 122. to 127. 1. Arguments to inforce this use 1. It is easie and ordinary to mistake p. 127. to 132. 2. True Christians are very few p. 132. to 139. 3. The benefit of a faithful tryal p. 139. to 144. 2. Marks of a true Christian 1. To him to live is Christ 1. Is Christ the principle of thy life p. 144. to 147. 2. Is Christ the pattern of thy life p. 147. to 150. 3. Is Christ the comfort of thy life p. 150. to 152. 4. Is Christ the end of thy life p. 152. to 155. 2. He hath the Spirit of God p. 155 156. which is 1. A purifying Spirit p. 156. to 160. 2. Enabling to pray p. 160. to 163. Fervently p. 163. to 166. Frequently p. 166. to 170. Counsel to a Christian that upon tryal findeth his estate good p. 170. to 173. To him that findeth his estate bad p. 173 174. 3. Use by way of Exhortation To Labor for this spiritual life and thereby for this gain p. 175. to 180. Rich men should labor for it p. 180. to 185. Poor men should p. 185. to 190. Two requests to all that desire this spiritual life 1. Req To set about it speedily p. 190. to 195. 1. Hath not God waited on thee long enough already p. 195. to 198. 2. Hast thou not served sin long enough p. 198. 3. Thou wouldst not defer things of lesse concernment p. 199. 4. The longer thou delayest the farther thou wandrest from God and happiness p. 200. 5. Thou canst not promise thy self the next hour p. 201. 6. Art thou sure God will accept thee hereafter p. 202. 2. Req To set about it seriously and with all thy might p. 203. to 208. Inforced by a fourfold supposition 1. Sup. Thou hadst seen the terror of the day of judgement p. 208. to 213. â— Sup. Thou wert sure to dye this day moneth p. 213. to 217. â— Sup. Thou couldst speak with thy carnal sloathful neighbors in hell p. 217. to 218. 4. Sup. Thou hadst seen the Majesty and purity of the infinite God p. 219. to 222. Directions for the attaining this spiritual life 1. Direct Labor for the knowledge of thy sins and misery p. 224. to 234. Mark that six sheets are false figured in this place in the book 2. Direct Get thy heart truly affected with and throughly humbled for thy sins and misery p. 234. to 271. 3. Direct When thy heart is humbled cast thy self wholly and onely upon the merits of Jesus Christ p. 171. to 186. 4. Direct Dedicate thy self and all thou hast to the service commands and glory of Christ p. 186. to 200. 5. Direct Be diligent in reading hearing and meditating on the word of God p. 200. to 208. 6. Direct Be frequent and fervent at the throne of grace p. 253. to 263. Motives to labor for this spiritual life 1. It is the most honorable life p. 263. to 267. 2. It is the most comfortable life p. 267. to 275 3. It is the most profitable life p. 275. Conclusion of this large use to the unconverted p. 287. 4. Use by way of consolation to all that live spiritually p 288. It is comfortable 1. Against persecution from the world p. 290. 2. Against the temptations of the devil p. 294. 3. Against the corruptions of thy own heart p. 297. 4. Against our own deaths p. 300. 5. Againgst the death of our godly friends and relations p. 303. It is further comfortable if we consider 1. The excellency of this gain which will appear p. 305. 1. By the foretastes of it p. 306. 2. By the price paid for it p 309. 3. By the titles given to it p. 311. 2. The certainty of this gain p. 315. It is ensured by promise ibid. By witness by oath by seals p. 317. 3. The eternity of it p. 318 REader I desire thee to excuse the unsuitableness of some of the page titles that being the work of the Printers I intended a running Title according to the several heads which
therefore in their language they have the same word for a dead man and a Divel and the godly after death shall be perfectly like God They are now partakers of the divine nature and so like him yet how much unlike him but when they shall see him in heaven then they shall be like him indeed 1 Joh. 3.2 a Pet. Martyr tells us of a deformed woman married to an uncomely man that by looking much on beautiful pictures brought forth lovely childâ—en Loc. Com. pars 1. cap. 6. Vision causeth an assimulation in nature Gen. 30.37 38. in grace 2 Cor. 3.18 so here in glory The Schoolmen put the question How the Angels and souls of men in heaven come to be impeccable or without sinne * Visâ—o beatifica impotentes reddit ad peccandum and answer that it is by the beatifical visions The Apostle seemeth to intimate as much in the fore-quoted place When he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is As the Pearl by the often beating of the sun-beams upon it becomes radiant so the Christian being ever beheld by the Lord and alwayes beholding the face of his Father in heaven shall be more like him then ever child was to father on earth then that Profession of Christ will be abundantly verified Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.1 7. Then the end of Christs passion shall be fully attained when he shall present to himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle or any such thing Ephes 5.27 not only in regard of imputed righteousnesse or justification but also in regard of imparted righteousnesse or sanctification Here the heart of a Christian is like Rebeccahs womb it hath twins struggling in it the appearance of the Church is as it were the company of two Armies Cant. 6.13 the old man and the new man flesh and spirit the Law in the members warring against the Law of the mind As there was war betwixt Asa and Baasha all their dayes so there is betwixt the regenerate and unregenerate part all the time of this life but this gracious conflict shall then end in a glorious conquest when the death of the body shall quite destroy this body of death Sin in the heart is like the leprosie in the house which would not out till the house was pulled down Levit. 14.44 45. But when soul and body shall be parted for a time sin and the soul shall be separated to eternity And as the heart so the life of a Christian is like a book which hath many errata's in it and therefore legendus cum veniâ the whitest swan hath her black feet the best gold must have its grains of allowance There is no man that liveth upon earth and sinneth not Eccles 7.20 All of us offend in many things and many of us in all things Jam. 3.2 * Omne opus justi damnabile est si judicio Dei judicetur Luther in Alsert Our righteousness as a filthy rag Isa 64.6 Our graces not without their defects Lord I believe help mine unbelief Mark 9.24 Our duties not without their defaults When I would do good evil is present with me Rom. 7.21 The purest fire hath some smoak the richest Wine some dregs but death will turn sinne out of all its holds and leave it not so much as a being in the Christian The bodies of men have usually a mighty shoot at death but O what a shoot will the soul of a Saint have when it shall be carried by Angels to the place where the spirits of just men are made perfect Heb. 12.23 2. The soul alive in Christ shall be freed at death from all suggestions and temptations to sin Then a Christian shall be above the reach of all Satans batteries then that promise will be performed That the God of peace will tread Satan under the Saints feet Rom. 16.20 Now Peter is winnowed Paul is buffeted David is stirred by the wicked one to number the people If Joshua be ministring unto the Lord Satan will be at his right hand to resist him Zach. 3.1 It 's no small unhappinesse to a Saint that he is here followed with unwearied assaults that the Prince of darknesse is restlesse in casting in his fire-balls to put the soul into an hellish flame though he should never be conquered yet for the Christian to have his quarters beaten up night and day must needs disquiet him To have blasphemous thoughts of a God infinitely great and gracious to have mean and vile apprehensions of a Saviour imcomparably precious cast into him though he close not with them cannot but wound him to the heart As for a chast Matron that loatheth the thoughts of dishonesty to be continually solicited to folly is a sore vexation The temptations of our Lord Jesus were a sad part of his humiliation But death will ease the soul of this trouble As in heaven there shall be no tinder of a corrupt heart to take so no divel like steel and flint to strike fire The crooked serpent could wind himself into the terrestrial but shall never creep into the celestial Paradise his circuit is to go to and fro in the earth he cannot enter the confines of heaven when he fell from his state of integrity he left that place of felicity and cannot possibly recover it again The Saints on earth indeed are militant fighting with him but the Saints in heaven are all Triumphant wholly above him more than conquerours through him that loveth them Rom. 8.37 There the children of God are gathered together and no Satan among them there the son of David delivereth his true Israelites from all their fears of this uncircumcised Philistine When the heavenly Mordecai comes to be a chief favourite in that high and holy Court he shall be freed from all his frights about this enemy and adversary this wicked Haman The Ark and Dagon could not stand together in one house much lesse can light and darknesse Michael and the Dragon God and the Divel dwell together in one heaven If Ireland as some write be so pure a soyle that it will not nourish any venemous creature I am sure heaven is so pure that into it can in no wise enter any thing that defileth Rev. 21. ult it will not harbour those poisnous serpents Heaven once saith an Author spued them out and it will not return to its vomit or lick them up again no such dirty dog shall ever trample on that golden pavement There is such a cursed irreconcileable contrariety in their natures to the blessed company and exercises in heaven that certainly they cannot desire much lesse delight in that place If the Presence of Christ were such a torment to them in his estate of humiliation what a torment would it be in his estate of exaltation it is observable they left their own habitation Jude ver 6.
the word seemeth to imply that when they lost their primitive purity they willingly lost that habitation of spiritual pleasures But whether he will or no he shall be banished those coasts though he now dog the Saint at and disturb him in every duty he shall do it no more The accuser of the brethren shall be cast down neither shall his place be found any more in heaven Rev. 12.8 9. Secondly a Christian by death shall not only be freed from the evil of sin and defilement but also from the evil of suffering and chastisement SublataeÌ„ causaÌ„ toâ—itur effectus the cause being taken away the effects will cease Sinne is that great-bellied mother or rather Monster which conceiveth and bringeth forth all those losses crosses diseases disgraces sorrowes and sufferings whatsoever that befall the children of men though man may be the Butt yet sin is the mark at which the arrows of Divine displeasure are shot man weaves a spiders web of sinne out of his own bowels and then in intangled in it Wickednesse alone is the original cause of all we Lament 3.39 Rom. 6. ult But now at the death of a Saint the fountain of sin will be dryed up and therefore the streams of sufferings must be dryed up also The fuel being taken away the fire will go out of it self sin and sorrow were born do live and shall die together As sin is the original cause of all so it 's the final cause of most afflictions Sometimes they are for probation as we shoot at good armour that we may prove it and that we may praise it but most commonly they are for purgation to amend something that is amiss the fathers of the flesh chastize for their pleasure but the father of spirits for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12.6 the quiet fruits of righteousnesse blossome from the correcting rod bitter Aloes purges the worms winds and thunder clear the air frosts and showers whiten cloaths the husbandman useth the flail to separate the chaff and the refiner the fire to consume the drosse but when the wheat shall be clean there will be no need of the flail when the gold pure no use of the fire now saith the Apostle if need be ye are in heavinesse 1 Pet. 1.6 Mark now if need be now men have hard knots and therefore need sharp wedges now men have strong corruptions and therefore need strong corrections now the rod is as necessary as our daily bread chastisements are to teach men in Gods law Psal 94.12 to search and heal their spiritual sores but now at death the Scholar in Christs school will have perfectly learned his lesson and therefore there will be no need of a rod then the wounds of the soul will be perfectly cured and these plaisters will fall off of themselves Death will make him whole that he can sin no more and so no worse or so bad thing shall come to him There are three evils of affliction which I shall mention The first on the Name The second on the Body The third on the Soul From all which a believer shall be freed by death First Death will free the Saint from ignominy on his name Here if the world cannot make the christian wound his conscience they will be sure to wound his credit Elijah is counted the troubler of Israel Nehemiah a rebel against the King David the song of the drunkards and the scorn of the gluttons Psalme 69.12.35.16 Isaiah and his children for signs and wonders Isa 8.18 Jeremiah is a man of contention Jer. 15.10 The son of man a wine-bibber a glutton Paul a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition Acts 24.10 the uprightest Saint is markt for an hypocrite in the worlds Kalender If they cannot smite him with their hands their arms are not long enough alwayes they will not fail to smite him with their tongues What a precise fool say they is such a fellow he dares not take up his cups as we do but could we see his heart it is as bad as the worst of ours he will do as bad or worse when no body seeth him he will not swear but he will lie I 'le warrant you He spendeth his time in nothing but going to Sermons and meetings and is as arrant a dissembler as liveth Such an one of the same Society was guilty of such a sin and they are all alike these are your professours Thus the corruption of their hearts breaks out at their lips and they most wretchedly wound even Christ through the sides of the Christian But heaven will not only wipe away all tears from the christians eyes but also all blots off from his name Upright Hezekiah in heaven is above the sound of cursed Rabshekah's tongue which was set on fire of hell Now holy David is got up that heavenly hill that Mount Zion he heareth not the railings and revilings of sinful Shimei The most spiteful scorner of them all cannot throw that dirt so high with which he bespatters the Saints reputation here below Secondly As death will free the christian from ignominy in his name so likewise from infirmities in his body Diseases cause death but death will cure all diseases In this life Job had his botches Hezekiah his boil David his wounds and sores the poor widdow her issue of blood one man wasteth away with a consumption like a candle till all the matter is spent Another laboureth under a continual ach that like the importunate widdow will give him no rest day nor night this man spends his dayes in pain that man hath wearisome nights appointed to him In some the bridle is taken off the fire and they burn with a Feaver in others the flood-gate is taken up from the water and they are like to be drowned with a dropsie The patient man complaineth my breath is corrupt my days are extinct the grave is ready for me Job 17.1 the upright man cryeth out My wounds stink and are corrupt my loines are filled with a loathsome disease In one the keepers of the house tremble with a palsie or lamenesse In a second the sound of grinders is low through weaknesse In a third those that look out of the windows are darkned through blindnesse In a fourth the daughters of Musick are brought down with deafnesse O what an army not only of moral but natural adversaries hath every man in his own bowels constantly set in array against him marching up sometimes one Physicians tell us that 2000 diseases annoy mans body whereof 200 affect the eyes sometime another as the Lord of hosts giveth the word of command So that indeed mans body is a spittle or an hospital for diseases But death will help all this as the blind man told the lame when they met at the stake Brother you may cast away your staffe death will cure us both the Physician of souls will by death heal all the diseases of the Saints bodies
there are some diseases which are called opprobria medici because they cannot cure them but none are opprobria Christi he healeth all whom he undertaketh If the higher an house standeth on earth it be esteemed the healthier surely then the highest heavens must be a pure air and all health Revel 20.4 there shall be no more death nor any more pain for the former things are past away So that every christian that dieth in the faith how diseased soever he were before shall then immediately as in the Gospel be made every whit whole John 7.23 Thirdly As death will free the believer from diseases in his body so also from sorrows in his soul The christian liveth upon earth as in a valley of tears and often mingleth his drink with weeping As he is a man he is born to sorrows as the sparks fly upward he cometh into the world crying and goeth out groaning and his whole life from the womb to the tomb is in some regard a living death or a dying life But as he is a christian he drinketh deepest of this cup of sorrows the world is a tender mother to her children but a step-mother to strangers Sometimes the afflictions of the good cause high-water in the Saints heart by the rivers of Babylon he sits down and weepeth when he remembreth Zion Psal 137.1 He cannot but sympathize with the miseries of his fellow-members as being himself in the body Sometimes the transgressions of the bad cloath him with mourning like Croessus son though dumb before yet he cryeth out when his father is wounded As with a sword they pierce his bones when they blasphemously say unto him Psal 42.10 Where is thy God rivers of tears run down his eyes because the wicked forsake Gods Law Psal 119.136 Sometimes his own corruptions like so many daggers stab him to the heart that he should abuse such an Ocean of unspeakable love by so unsuitable a heart and so unanswerable a life He confesseth his iniquities and is sorry for his sins Psal 38.18 Sometimes divine desertions darken and cloud all his comforts When God hides his face he is troubled Psal 30.7 As there are no joyes like to those joyes wherewith God reviveth him in the day of his favour so there is no sorrow like to those sorrows wherewith God depresseth him in the day of his anger Thus his life is a circle of sorrows but death will be the Funeral of his sorrows and resurrection of his joyes now he soweth in tears but then he shalâ— reap in joy The day of death is a Saints Marriage-day Sampsons wife indeed wepâ— on her wedding-day Judg. 14.16 but when the soul which in this life is contracted shall at death be solemnly espoused and more neerly conjoyned unto Jesus Christ all tears shall be wiped from its eyes there shall be no more sorrow Revel 21.4 At that Marriage-day Christ will turn all water into wine all mourning into mirth all sighing into singing and cause the bones which he hath broken to rejoyce Now the Saints sorrows are not perfect sorrows non dantur purae tenebrae to the believer it shineth and showreth at the same time he sorroweth not as they which have no hope but his joy at death shall be perfect joy fulness of joy Psal 16. ult and permanent joy when they shall see Christ at death their hearts shall rejoyce and their joy shall no man take from them John 16.22 then the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Isa 35. ult So much for the privative gain of a christian by death or his freedome from evil There is a second thing which is positive Adeâ—pt â—o omnium bonoruâ— and that is the fruition of all good which a believer shall gain by death and in this Head I shall observe these three gradations First a believer by death shall gain the company of perfect Christians Death wil exempt him from all commerce with sinners and teach him fully the meaning of that article The communion of Saints In the field of this world the tares and the wheat grow together but in that heavenly Garner they are parted asunder There is no treacherous Judas among the Apostles no covetous Demas among the Disciples no Amorites to be prickes in the eyes and thorns in the sides of the Israelite no bestial Sodomite to vex righteous Lot with their unclean conversation no flattering Doeg sets his foot in that heavenly Sanctuary David doth not there complain Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace Psal 120.4 5. nor Isaiah that he dwelleth among a people of unclean lips Isa 6.5 nor Elijah that he is left alone Hell holdeth none but sinners heaven hath onely Saints He that dieth in the Lord goeth to the congregation of the first-born to the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 And questionlesse the sweet company will be part of our felicity If Platinus the Philosopher could say Let us make haste to our Countrey there are our parents there are all our friends and if Cicero the Orator could say O praeclaruÌ„ diem cùm ad illud animorum concilium coetumque proficiscar Cic de Senect O what a brave day will that be when I shall go to the councel and company of happy souls to my Cato and other Roman Worthies How much better will it be with the Christian when he wall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven when he shall leave the rout and rabble of wicked ones and be admitted into the society of all that died in the faith and be joyfully welcomed by the melodious quire of Angels and be heartily embraced by the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles yea all the Saints Surely if ever thar Proverb were true it is here The more the merrier The fair streams there will never be drawn dry though it be divided into many channels the musick there is not the lesse harmonious because many hear it nor the light of the Sun of righteousness the lesse pleasant because many see it and O what a gain will this be to enjoy the company of them that are holy If Aaron when he met Moses on earth was glad at his heart certainly there was greater joy at their meeting in heaven If David placed all his delight in the Saints here below when they shined a little with the light of purity like the Moon and had their spots in them what delight doth he take in them above now they have perfect purity and shine like the Sun in the firmament of their father Matth. 13.43 If it were so lovely a sight to see Solomon in his rags of mortality that the Queen of Sheba came so far to behold it what will it be to see him in his
restest quietly but O friend God hath * Job 8.14 15. a besome of death which will sweep this down This and all the rest as nigh as they seem to be to heaven will prove but a Castle in the air whether any or all these or something else be the Pillars by which thy hope is upheld in life they wil fail thee at death and then the rotten props being taken away the house of thy hope wil fall These are all but a sandy foundation and therefore when that great storm comes they will down to the ground Matth. 7.26 27. It is possible thou mayest hope all the time thou livest but thy life and hope wil depart together like thy neighbours thou mayst be ful of hope even when thou art going into the pit of despaire and die in peace though thou art going unto the place of eternal war but the next moment after death thy hopes wil take wings and flie away Prov. 11.7 When a wicked man dieth his expectation shall perish and the hope of unjust men perisheth He died perhaps with his head ful of hopes and expectation as those seemed to have done that came bouncing at heavens gate with Lord Lord open to us but soon were their hearts filled with desperation when they heard Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not Etiam spes valentissima periit as some read that fore-cited place His great hope shall be little worth A false heart and false hope can never hold out in such a real hardship Job 27.8 What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God shall take away his soul An Expositor glosseth on it thus The anchor of a wicked mans hope entereth not within the vail as a godly mans doth closing with God himself in Christ Hebr. 6.19 which anchor in all storms is sure and stedfast but is cast upon false and loose ground and therefore when the storm comes his Anchor drives and is unstedfast and so his hope and heart fail together The stoutest unregenerate man alive wil drop at last when God cometh to take away his soul then his crest falls and his plumes flagge The wicked is driven away in his wickednesse Prov. 14.32 He being arrested by death as a cruel serjeant in the divels name is hurried away and hurld into hel as Syrens are said to sing curiously while they live but to roare horribly when they die so thou that art high in hope on earth wilt be lower in grief in hel when thou shalt see all thy hopes like Absoloms Mule to fail thee in thy greatest extremity We say if it were not for hope the heart would break what wilt thou do then when thy hope shall depart and thy heart continue How sad wil thy condition be when thou shalt fall from the high pinacle of thy presumption into the bottomelesse gulph of desperation surely thy raised expectation disappointed wil prove a sore vexation how extreamly wilt thou be perplexed when thou shalt fall as low as hel whose hopes were raised as high as heaven If hope deferred make the heart sick Prov. 13.12 then hope of such happiness wholy frustrated wil kil it with a thousand deaths ImprobiduÌ„ spirant sperant justus etiam cum expirat sperat When a gracious man dieth his hope is perfected in the fruition of all and ten thousand times more then he hoped for when a graceless man dieth his hope perisheth in an utter disappointment of all that he though with little reason so much expected 5. Thou shalt lose by death thy precious soul this wil be a losse indeed the price of this pearl is not known to thee on earth but it wil be fully known in hel this one head Reader didst thou but understand what is included in it would stab thee to the heart and the thought of this one losse would be enough to imbitter the comforts of thy whole life The soul of man is called the man Job 4.19 though not in a natural Quia animaest principalior pars hominis unumquodque autem consuevit appelâ—ari id quod in eâ— est principalius Aquin in Job 4.19 yet in a moral consideration saith one upon that place it being the most noble the most excellent part of man and 't is usual to denominate the whole from the better part The body is but an house of clay its foundation is in the earth but the soul the inhabitant in this house is of an Angelical spiritual nature The generation of this was from heaven Zachariah 12.1 The operations of this are most noble the Redemption of this cost the blood of God Psal 31.5 Acts 20.28 this is that part of man which is capable of the Image of his Maker Col. 3.10 Ephes 4.24 the working out the salvation of this is the whole of a Saints care and labour Phil. 2.14 't is upon the welfare of this that the body dependeth for its unchangeable estate what a losse then wil the losse of this be Faciâ—is jactura sepulcri An Heathen can tel us that it is an easiy matter to beare the losse of an earthly house for our bodies when we die but certainly it wil be hard to beare the want of an heavenly habitation for thy soul Let him that bought this ware speak to its worth and thy losse What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Matth. 16.26 Behold what an incomparable what an irreparable losse is here It is such a losse there is none like it The gain of the whole world cannot ballance the losse of one soul If a temporal life be more worth then meat and the body then rayment what is an immortal eternal soul worth Couldst thou set thy soul to sale for all the world yet for all that thou wouldst be a loser nay as the rich man a beggar This is an irrecoverable losse If thou losest one eye thou hast another if thou losest one limb thou hast more if thou losest thine estate thou mayst recover it again if thou losest thy life thou mayst be a gainer by it thou mayst find it again Matth. 16.25 but if thou losest thy soul at death thou hast no more there is no second throw to be cast no after-game to be play'd thou art gone thou art undone for ever Here is a losse man that may make thy hair stand an end thy head yea thy heart to ake when thou readest or thinkest of it do not thine eares tingle and thy loines tremble to hear of it When God would smite the rich fool under the fifth rib as it were and strike him so home as that there need not a second thrust he doth it in these words Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee Luke 12.20 Ah! sad sentence wherein every word speaketh wo every syllable sorrow and sighs Had it been Thou wise man
drinks up his spirits Psal 38 3. Job 6.4 what wil their condition then be against whom God shall stir up all his wrath Psal 78.39 Hell is said to be prepared for the Divel and his Angels Matth. 25.41 as if the Almighty and infinite God had sate down and studied the most exquisite torments that could be to inflict on them As when he would glorifie the riches of his mercy on them that love him and keep his commands he provideth fulnesse of joy and greater pleasures than the heart of man can possibly conceive So when he would glorifie his Justice in the highest degree on them that hate him and wilfully break his Laws he prepareth fulnesse of sorrow and greater pain then any yea then all the men in the world can possibly comprehend A melancholy man may fancy saith one vast and terrible fears fire sword Dr. Reynolds on Hos 14. p. 23. of Sermon 1. tempests wracks furnaces scalding-lead boyling pitch running bell-metal and being kept alive in all these to feel their torment but these come far short of the wrath of God for first there are bounds set to the hurting power of the creature the fire can burn but it cannot drown the serpent can sting but not teare in pieces 2. The fears of the heart are bounded within those narrow apprehensions which it self can frame of the hurts which may be done But the wrath of God proceeds from an infinite justice and is executed by an Omnipotent and unbounded power comprising all the terror of all the creatures as the Sun doth all other light eminently and excessively in it It burns and drowns and tears and stings and can make nature feel much more than reason is able to comprehend A wounded spirit who can beare Prov. 18. 14. The wise man gives a challenge to the whole creation to find out a person that is strong enough to undergo such a burden and certainly none ever dared to accept the challenge How intolerable hath such a weight been to them that are Lyons for strength and courage This caused Davids broken bones and watered couch This made Heman at his wits end Psal 88.15 This made Spira that seven years monument of Gods justice In his sincere convert as Mr. Shepherd calls him to roare so horribly out of anguish of spirit This made Daniel choose rather to be cast to the cruel Lyons then to carry about with him such a ravenous Lyon in his conscience This made some of the Martyrs to feel a very hell in their consciences after their recantation no wolfe in the breast no worm in the bowels no phrensie so out-ragious as a gnawing corroding conscience If the wrath of a King be as the roaring of a Lyon O what is the wrath of God! and if his wrath be so terrible in this world where there is ever some mixture of mercy with it what will it be in the other world when the soul shall have a cup of pure wrath to drink when God shall shew the unconceiveablenesse of his strength in tormenting the creature Primamors animam nolentem pellit á corpore Secunda noâ—entem retinet in corpore Aug. de civit dei lib. 21. cap. 3. and preserving it to feel those torments Who knoweth the power of his anger Psal 90.11 there will be tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath on the soul of every man that doth evil Rom. 2.8 9. There is fire to burn and brimstone to choak Matth 13.40 and chains to bind and serpents to sting and worms to gnaw Mark 9.44 Jude 12. and darknesse to affright there is variety universality and extremity of torments * Aug ibid l. 21. c. 13. Austine admires it and saith that for vehemency of heat it exceeds our fire as much as ours doth fire painted on the wall But the sufferings of thy soul will be the soul of thy sufferings the worme that never dyeth will be the killing death when thou shalt remember all thy former sinful pleasures of which nothing remaineth but thy present shame and pain when thou shalt reflect upon the former offers thou hast had of all the dainties which others feed on in heaven and despair now of ever obtaining the least crumb that falleth from the Masters table when thou shalt fore-see the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus the re-uniting of thy body to thy soul the easelesse and endlesse torments which soul and body must endure together Memoria praeteritorum sensus prasenaium metus futurorum are the whole of the souls torments thy sins past will horribly perplex thee thy present shame will lamentably confound thee thy future tortures will unspeakably affright thee O it will be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Heb. 12. ult one touch of it made a man at arms to cry out sadly Have pity upon me my friends have pity upon me for the hand of God hath touched me Job 19.21 One blow of it broke the backs of the Angels Jude 6. Alas sinner what wilt thou do under the whole weight of it how will thy heart endure or thy hands be strong in this day that the Lord shall thus deale with thee the Lord hath spoken it and he will do it Ezek. 22.14 Now thou canst hear and read and talk of hell and be no more troubled then Physicians are at the many diseases which affect their Patients nay it may be thou dost jear when thou shouldst fear like Leviathan Credo quae de inferit dicuntur falsa existimas said Cato to Caesar laugh at the shaking of this spear if a Minister come to thee as Lot to his Sons in-law and warn thee to leave the Sodome of thy sinful sensual life and tell thee that otherwise the Lord will destroy thee that fire and brimstone will be thy portion he seemeth to thee as Lot to them Gen. 19.14 as one that mocketh thou thinkest that he is in jest but they feel what they would not feare now they are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. and so wilt thou if God prevent it not by renewing thy heart and reforming thy life And though now thou art so senselesse that the seat thou fittest in and the pillar thou leanest on are as much affected with the threatenings and denunciation of the judgements of God as thou art yet then thou wilt be sensible enough and thine eyes so dry now will weep enough when they come to that place where is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Matth. 24.51 As the love of God is a known unknown love Ephes 3.18 19. none know it fully but they that enjoy it in glory so the anger of God is a known unknown anger Psal 90.11 none can know it perfectly but they that shall feel it eternally 2. It will be full in regard of duration all thy sad losses and all thy sorrowful gains will be for ever there was nothing else wanting to make thee
and take him in Gen. 8.9 Then and not till then he crieth out with the Psalmish Return to thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Now Reader what say'st thou how is it with thee Do thy affections as the waters of Jordan overflow their banks at the time of thine earthly harvest Josh 3.15 Or like the bird do'st thou then sing most merrily when thou art mounting up to heaven Art thou willing to be served as the children of Abrams Concubines put off with ordinary gifts or must thou like Isaac have all even Jesus Christ or else thou esteemest thy self to have nothing Gen. 25 5 6. 4. Is Christ the end of thy life Is it thy main scope to live to him that died for thee Doth the compasse of thy soul without trepidation stand right to this pole the glory of Jesus Christ For none of us liveth to himself saith the Apostle and no man dieth to himself but whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living Rom. 14.7 8 9. A sincere Christian dedicates his body soul name estate relations interests and his all to the glory of Christ and wisheth he had something better to consecrate to him As the Grecian told the Emperour If I had more more would I give thee so the Saint desireth that he may believe more and repent more and hate sin more and for this end that he may exalt Christ more The Philosopher telleth us that means move by the goodnesse of their ends Media movent bonitate finis not by any absolute goodnesse of their own but by their relative goodnesse the goodnesse of their ends as we take Physick not for Physicks sake but for healths sake So duties and Ordinances move a Christian to mind them not so much for their own sake as for their â—nds sake he prayeth fasteth readeth meditateth that he may thereby and therein please glorifie and enjoy the Lord Jesus Christ But now a Professour without the power of godlinesse hath another end He goeth to Church but it is as the cut-purse not to seek God but his prey He performeth duties but either for self-credit Matth. 6.2 as Pliny observeth of the Nightingale As that Emperor who commanded all golden Idols to be pull'd down out of Churches not out of hatred to the Idols but out of love to the gold that she will sing much longer and louder when men are by then when they are not or else for self-profit Matth. 23.14 Like him in the comedy that cried out O heavens but pointed to the earth Religion is either this mans stirrup by which he hopes to get into the saddle above his Neighbours or else it is his stalking horse which he contentedly followeth all day because it may bring him in some gain at night like Satan he may assume the shape of Samuel but it is only upon some particular errand and for his own ends This man is not holy but crafty and doth not serve God but himself of God Reader search whether thou art not one of these Thou art but an empty vine if thou bringest forth fruit to thy self Hos 10.1 O how many a work materially good being flie-blown with self proves sormally bad and so becomes stinking and unsavoury in the nostrils of God! Self is the pirate which too too often intercepteth the golden fleet of religious performances that they cannot return fraughted with blessings It concerneth thee therefore to observe thy ends what are thy ends in thy eating and drinking and all thy natural and civil actions is thy end to please and gratifie the flesh or is it that thou mayst get health and strength and thereby be the more serviceable to thy Maker and Redeemer what is thy end in thy spiritual undertakings is duty the end of duty or is obedience to the honour of and Communion with Christ the end of thy performances make a pause before thou readest farther and answer the Lord who commandeth thee to examine and know the state of thy soul But because I would willingly find thee out whoever thou art and have thee fully acquainted with thy spiritual condition I shall desire thee to try thy spiritual condition by the efficient cause of it and that is the Spirit of God The holy Ghost is called the Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 and indeed he only hath this spiritual life that hath this Spirit of life As all the members of the natural body are actuated and enlivened by the same humane spirit from the Head So all the Members of the Mystical body are quickened and actuated by the same Divine Spirit from their Head the Lord Jesus Christ Mark therefore that one place in Rom. 8.9 how full it is to this purpose for upon that place the weight of all I have to speak further about this Use of trial will depend The words are these But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you Mark Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Observe I beseech thee If any man let him pretend never so much let his priviledges be never so many let his profession be never so great and his performances never so numerous yet if he have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his so that if the Spirit of Christ have not its habitation in thee thou hast no spiritual relation to Jesus Christ Now I shall teach thee to know whether the Spirit be in thee or no by two of its effects or properties the first will be more general the second more special 1. The Spirit of God if it be in thee will purifie thee for it is a purifying Spirit Sanctification is the proper work of the Spirit of Christ It is called the holy Ghost and it is holy not only subjectively but effectively it worketh holinesse and makes men holy 1 Cor. 6.11 It infuseth holy habits and principles into the soul whereby it is enabled to fight with and by degrees to foyl its corruptions It changeth the understanding by illumination the will by renovation and the affections by sanctification it doth not infuse new faculties into the soul but it doth renew the old it turneth the same waters into another Channel they ran before after the world and the flesh but now after God and his wayes It is as it were the same viol only it is new tuned before it could make no musick in praying or singing but now it is so melodious that it delighteth the heart and ravisheth the ear of God himself The old Moon and the new are the same only the new hath a new endowment of light from the Sun which it had not before so it is here the purified person
he answered that when he was a common Friar he went dejected by looking downward for the keys of the Abby which now he had found and therefore left that posture So when an hypocrite hath the temporal good thing he desireth for that usually is most desired by him he hath his ends and his prayer an end too Or if God do not hear him presently he will not submit patiently but often flingeth away in a rage with that wicked King Why should he wait upon the Lord any longer If there come not in present profit he will give over his trade as Tully said to his Brother That he would pray to the Gods but that they have given over to hear Whereas a godly man will cry in the day and not be silent in the night he will direct his prayer to God und look up Psal 5.3 He will pray and wait wait and pray as you see beggars in some places they will beg and knit knit and beg and continue still begging and knitting So a right beggar at Gods door he will pray and work work and pray he will believe and pray hope and pray read and pray wait and pray he knoweth that it is not good to limit the holy One of Israel but it is good that a soul should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of God Lam 3.26 A Divine giveth me this Simile which doth excellently illustrate our present subject Take some draught horse Mr. Car. on Job 27. and he will draw when the load is coming Of Carolus Magnus it is said Carolus plus cum deo quam hominibus loquitur but if he feel it not coming he will trample and not draw but take a horse of a right breed and put his traces to a tree or a post he will strain and strain and die upon the place before he will give over though nothing comes So a rotten Christian if he find no present gain coming he gives over duty fearing all is lost but a right Christian will pray continually 1 Thess 5.17 whether God hear him presently or no he knoweth that both the command of God and his own wants call upon him never to give over Besides this spirit of prayer abides in him for ever John 4.14 and 16. Examine thy heart by these marks faithfully and do not by flattery or self-love or rather self-hatred deceive thy soul no deceit like soul-deceit but passe sentence upon thy self impartially and if thou findest thy condition good blesse God keep close to Jesus Christ and labour that thou mayst walk worthy of the Lord Col. 1.10 even unto all well-pleasing The great and extraordinary priviledges bestowed on thee do call aloud for gracious and extraordinary practices from thee How exemplary shouldst thou live among men who art to live eternally with God What singular things wilt thou do for that God for that Saviour that hath done such singular things for thy soul Can any love be too much Can any labour be too great Can any honor be too high Can any service be too holy for that God to whom thou art by millions of eternal obligations thus infinitely infinitely bound O let the fruitfulness of thy heart and life in holiness proclaim thine abundant thankfulness for such mercies as for weight and worth exceed the very thoughts of Men and Angels How abundant shouldst thou be in the work of the Lord when thou knowest that thy labour shall not be in vain in the Lord When thou art confessing thy sins meditate on the choosing calling love of that God against whom thy sins are committed and try whether the heat of that burning love will not thaw thy heart and dissolve it into tears when it is most hard and icie When thou art backward to a duty that hath some difficulty in it consider Jesus Christ was not backward to his bitter bloody sufferings for thy sins As the Souldier told Augustus when he denied his petition I did not serve you so at the battel of Actium So say to thy soul Jesus Christ did not serve thee so when he was to drink the cup of his Fathers fierce wrath for thee and see whether such melting perswasions will not prevail with thee to subject thy self to the hardest precept When thou art departing away from â—od by any sinister course or insincere carriage remember who thou art one that art called not to sin but sanctity not to uncleanness but holiness As Antigonus being invited to a place that might probably prove a temptation to sin asked counsel of Menedemus what he should do He bade him only remember he was a Kings Son So do thou remember thine high and heavenly calling and do nothing unworthy of the God that hath enrolled thy name in the Book of Life that hath ransomed thy soul with the precious blood of his Son and hath sanctified thee by the effectual operations of his Spirit but walk worthy of the vocation wherewith and whereunto thou art called Eph. 4.1 It is an excellent meditation of Eusebius Emissenus Though the Devil saith he should be damned for many sins and I but for one yet mine would exceed the Devils impiety they never sinned against a God that became an Angel for them they never sinned against a Mediator that was crucified for them but miserable and wretched I and it s wonderful that my heart melteth not when it thinketh on it I have sinned against a God that became a Man for me against a God that died an ignominious death for me against a God that hath left me an example of love and holinesse I am more unworthy then the Devils Consider it Friend no sins admit of higher aggravations nor are matter of deeper provocation then the sins of those that are interested in Gods special distinguishing affection In a word for I had not thought to have told thee so much it was for the sake of others principally that I penn'd this piece since it shall be thy reward to be like an Angel in happiness ever to behold the face of the Father let it be thy work and endeavour to be like an Angel in holiness to do the will of God readily heartily and universally But if thou find upon a thorough search that thou art a stranger to this spiritual life if conscience sent to enquire bring in its verdict that this purifying praying Spirit dwelleth not in thy soul Let me beseeth thee in the fear of the Lord to bethink thy self what is like to become of thee for ever One of the Martyrs put his finger into the candle to try how he could endure the fire in which he was afterwards to be burnt do thou but read over again the former use of information and consider whether thou art able to undergo that losse and that terrible intolerable eternal wrath of an omnipotent God which is therein declared and by Scripture proved to be the portion of all that live and dye in thy condition Suppose thou shouldst
be farthest from and most opposite to Christ when they receive the most light of prosperity from him and art fullest of the blessings of his goodness Take heed thou be not like the Horse and Mule Psalm 32.9 to drink plentifully of the streames and never look to the Fountain but let thine eyes as the Churches be Doves eyes When the Dove hath pecked her corn she turneth her eyes heavenward she looketh up Cant. 1.15 It is reported of the Spartans that they use to choose their King every year during which year he liveth in all abundance but is after the year be expired banisht into some remote place for ever One King knowing this being called to be King did not as others prodigally spend his revenues but heaped up all the treasure he could get together and sent it before to that place whither he should be banisht and so in the year of his Government made a comfortable provision for his whole life So wise are they that lay up a treasure in Heaven against the time of their departure out of this world Art thou poor Labour for this spiritual life it will make thee rich indeed Thou hast little on earth but thou mayst have a treasure in heaven God offereth thee Grace Christ and Life as freely as others take heed thou neglect them not and think as they in Sweden that it is only for Gentlemen to keep the Sabbath that its only for Gentlemen to mind Religion thou hast a soul to save an endlesse estate to provide for an hell to escape an heaven to attain a dreadful day of judgement to prepare for as well as they It is a great mercy that though God difference thee from others in temporals yet not in spirituals Among the Israelites the price for their ransome was equal half a shekel the rich shall not give more nor the poor lesse Exod. 30.12 15 16. thereby * Willet in loc signifying that the same price was paid by Christ for the redemption of all poor as well as rich and that the vertue and merits of Christs passion belong equally to all thy outward condition doth not exclude thee from an interest in Christs death and intercession Poor Lazarus may lie in the bosom of rich Abraham The poor may be gospellized as that Matth. 11.5 is sometimes read not only have the Gospel preached to them but be changed by it God accepted the Lamb and Dove in sacrifice when he rejected the Lion and Eagle But thou must be one of Gods poor not of the Devils ragged Regiment Will it not be sad for thee to have two hels one on earth in cold hunger and thirst and wants and another in hell in heat and unspeakable woe How many of thy condition serve the Devil and the world all their dayes in drudgery and slavery and are turned into hell as a Sumpter-horse at the night of death after all his hard travel with his back full of gals and bruises A low man if his eye be clear may look as high as the tallest B. Hall Contempl. the least Pigmie may from the lowest valley see the Sun as fully as a Gyant upon the highest mountain Christ is now in Heaven it is not the smalnesse of our person nor the meanness of our condition that can let us from beholding him The soul hath no stature neither is heaven to be had with reaching If God clear the eyes of our faith we shall be high enough to beho d him Do not say thou art to provide for thy wife and children and hast no time to regard thy soul in a solemn serious performance of duties remember the same God that commandeth thee to follow thy particular calling as a man injoyneth thee likewise to follow thy general calling as a Christian and that in the first place Seek first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added to you Mat. 6.33 and also with the greatest labour John 6.27 Phil. 2.12 Labour not for the food that perisheth but for the food that endureth to everlasting life Where our Saviour doth not indeed absolutely forbid labour for the body but comparatively thy labour for thy soul should be so much so great that thy labour for thy body should be no labour at all not deserve the name of labour in comparison of it Now consider what answer thou wilt make to the great God when he shall plead with thee for the breach of these commands besides hast not thou many spare hours in many evenings and on wet dayes wherein thou mightst go to God in secret and with thy family and humble thy soul in a mournful confession of thy sins and sensible apprehension of the wrath which is due to thee and wherein thou mightst be importunate for pardon and grace without which thou art lost for ever Nay the Lord knoweth how many Lords dayes thou hast enjoyed which dayes he hath set apart as well out of mercy as out of soveraignity not only for the glory of his Name but also for the good of thy soul wherein thou mightst both publickly privately and secretly have furthered thy spiritual and eternal good but how dost thou squander away those precious hours sometime in corporal labour alwayes in spiritual idleness in sleeping or walking or sitting at thy door or talking with thy neighbors and yet thou hast no time for thy soul But lastly tell me hast thou time to eat and drink and work and sleep and no time to work out thy salvation to fit thy soul for death for judgement for eternity If thy house were in a flame thou wouldst not let it burn and say I have no time to quench it If thy neighbor call thee to sit or talk or dine or it may be to go to the Ale-house with him thou dost not answer him I must provide for my family I have no time but when thy Maker and Preserver the blessed God calleth upon thee by his Spirit and Word to be diligent for the making thy calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 thou must provide for thy family thou hast no time for this Foolish worm leave off thy vain and cursed pretences and set upon the business for which thou wast sent into the world even the glorifying and obeying the Lord or thou shalt have another manner of answer to thy simple excuses from the Judge of quick and dead when for thy want of time to serve him in he shall give thee an eternity to suffer in Reader I have two things to desire of thee before I deliver thee the directions which I have received of the Lord for thee and indeed unlesse thou grant me or rather God and thy soul these two requests all that I have to say will be to no purpose at all my requests are that thou wouldst follow the counsel of God in order to the recovery of thy soul out of its bottomlesse misery with all speed and with all diligence Now because
dayes 1 Kings 21 29. A pitiful humiliation it was God knew he lookt sadly like a Fox in a trap meerly to get out yet God takes notice of it and deferreth the judgement upon it If God set such a price upon counterfeit what will he upon true gold Fierce Esau relenteth towards submitting Jacob though he came against him ready and resolved to destroy him Surely then the God of compassions to whose pity and mercy the bowels of all the creatures are but as a drop to the Ocean who calleth those that goe from him will not cast away those that come to him Reader little dost thou think how much he longeth for thy conversion and humiliation Little dost thou know what kisses and embraces what robes and rings what mercies and merits what an heaven and happinesse what a God and Christ and Grace and Glory are all ready for thee and wait only for thy readinesse and preparednesse for them by thy humiliation for an aversion from thy deceitful corruptions Alexanders Macedonians having offended him laid by their Armes Plut. in vit Alex. put on mourning apparel came running in troops to his tent where for almost three dayes together they remained with loud cries and tears to testifie their remorse for offending him and wilt not thou do as much for offending God As thou therefore lovest the life of thy soul endeavor to get thy heart throughly humbled for thy sins take a view of thy sins in the word of God in the glasse of his law how in its nature it is contrary to his blessed nature and perfect law and for its effects it maketh thee obnoxious to all the threatnings of the word to all the vials of â—ods wrath to all the miseries of this life and to all the torments of hell for ever Consider while thou livest in thy estate of impenitency thou art a cursed sinner and if thou diest in it thou art a damned creature the hand of God which is lifted up in the commination and threatning will fall down in execution If the wrath of a King be as a messenger of death O what then will will the wrath of a God be As that Christian King of Hungary told his brother that sprang into his presence pale and trembling because of the Executioner and Deaths-man that had sounded his trumpet at his chamber door in the dead time of the night to call him away to execution O Brother thou hast loved me and never offended me and is the sight of my Executioner so dreadful to thee how then should I a greivous sinner fear to be brought to judgement before Jesus Christ Consider the day of the Lords wrath is coming and who shall abide it This terrible fire is kindled this horrible tempest is gathered and ready to fall on thy head every moment Do not put these things farre off as many do who thereby deprive themselves of the happy effects which these thoughts might produce A Cannon afarre off though never so great doth no execution men will not tremble and fall down for fear of it when once they apprehend it many miles off Things afarre off though very big will seem very small A Starre that is bigger than the whole earth seems no bigger than a Torch being many miles from us Look therefore on all that misery that is treated of in the first use as thy portion and as nigh to thee even at the very door like a Serjeant it waiteth continually to arrest thee and hale thee to the prison of hell There is not a night in which thou lyest down to sleep but this roaring Lion of the wrath of God lyeth down beside thee and is ready when thou art asleep little dreaming of it to rend thee asunder and tear thy soul in pieces In the morning when thou risest it waiteth upon thee dogging thee all the day long whatsoever thou dost and following thee like a blood-hound wheresoever thou goest thou mayest as soon flie from thy self as from it till thou art effectually humbled for thy sins the cause of it And be not insensible of it because it is invisible to thee The influences of the Sun are hottest among the minerals in the bowels of the earth where it is not at all visible not they sensible So the fire of divine fury is hottest where it is not visible nor the person sensible Though thou mayst see it as plainly in the Scripture as the Sun at noon day God is angry with the wicked every day Psalm 7.12 There is wrath prepared for the workers of iniquity and it will assuredly and speedily be inflicted if thou art not timely and truly humbled and converted I would also desire thee to ponder much the free grace of God which is discovered in the Gospel what bowels of compassion in the Father to give his Son what infinite affection in the Son to give himself for the reconciliation and salvation of his enemies It is probable the heat of this unknown love may melt thy frozen spirit This is the most ingenuous sorrow which is never to be sorrowed for which springeth from the consideration that thou hast sinned against so good so pure so perfect a God in conformity to whom and communion with whom all thy happinesse consisteth The Law indeed is of excellent use to open the sore to search the wound to make the Patient feel his need of and set a price upon his Physitian thus it is a Schoolmaster to drive the soul to Christ but winter fruits are more harsh and sowre when summer fruits are sweet and pleasant God taketh most delight in those tears and sorrow which are the fruits of hot love to his blessed Majesty And could I see them once in thee I durst joy thee of thy Babe of Grace the new Creation They are at least the kindly bearing throws of one in travail very near her hour of delivery as also often the after-paines A stroak from guilt from wrath broke Judas heart into despair A look from love from Christ broke Peters into teares Aspexit Christus flevit Petrus Ambr. That sap and moisture which in frost and snow lyeth hid and buried in the earth sheweth it self pleasantly in the fruits of the trees when it is called forth by the warmth of the Sun Even Saul himself will lift up his voice and weep when he seeth a clear testimony of the love and undeserved kindnesse of David Hast thou never beheld a condemned prisoner dissolved into tears upon the unexpected and unmerited receit of a pardon who all the time before was as hard as a flint The hammer of the Law may break the icie heart of man with terrors and horror and yet it may remain ice still unchanged But when the fire of love kindly thaweth this ice it is changed and dissolved into water it is no longer ice but of another nature Where the Sun is most ptedominant there are the sweetest Spices the richest Mines and the costliest Jewels Do
thou therefore meditate much on the love of God and Christ to thy unworthy soul Think what love is it that still spareth thee notwithstanding all thy God-daring and soul-damning provocations and that when others probably better than thy self are every day and night sent to that place where God hath large interest for his long patience What love is it not only to forbear thee but also to doe thee good thou his enemy art hungry he feedeth thee thou art thirsty he giveth thee drink If a man find his enemy will he let him goe 1 Sam. 24.19 but lo God findeth thee every moment as all thy sins are within the reach of his eye so thou thy self art continually within the reach of his arm he can as easily turn thee into hell as tell thee of hell And yet he letteth thee goe and more than that doth thee good Thou spendeth every hour upon the stock of mercy God is at great charge and much cost in continuing meat and drink and health and strength and time which thou dost ravel out and wanton away unprofitably What love was that in the Father which sent his own Son to die that thou mightst live Well might the beloved Disciple say God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3.16 In this the bowels of divine love are naked as in an Anatomy In other things the love of God is as the beames of the Sun scattered which are warm and comfortable but in this it is as the beames of the Sun united in a burning-glasse hot fiery burning love God so loved the world so dearly so intirely so incomparably so infinitely It is a sic without a sicut as one observeth a pattern which can never be parallel'd In this God commended his love towards us in that when we were sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 when God sent his Son into the world he did as it were say to him My dear Son thou Son of my chiefest love and choicest delight go to the wicked unworthy world commend me to them and tell them that in thee I have sent them such a love-token such an unquestionable testimony of my favour and good-will towards them that hereafter they shall never have the least colour of reason to suspect my love or to say Wherein hast thou loved us Malachi 1.2 What love was that in the Son of God which moved him to become the son of man that thou mightst become the son of God What love was that which made him so willingly undergo the scorns and flouts and derisions of wretched men the rage and malice and assaults of ravenous devils the wrath and fury of a righteous God such pangs and tortures in his body as no mouth can expresse such sorrows and horror in his soul as no minde can conceive and all that thou mightest escape such misery and obtain everlasting mercy Greater love than this hath no man that a man lay down his life for his friend John 15.13 The passion of Christ was the greatest evidence of his affection The laying down of life did abundantly proclaim his love His love before was like wine in a cask hardly seen but O how did it sparkle and cast its colour in the glass of his sufferings This Diamond before hid in the shell doth shine radiantly in the ring of his death If his tears did so much speak his love to Lazarus that the Jews who saw him weeeping cryed out Lo how he loved him surely his heart-blood doth far more demonstrate his love to his members They that beheld him bleeding in the garden had far more reason to say Look lo how he loved his What love is that which did all this for such a worm as thou art such a sinner such a rebel what would God lose if thou wert eternally lost the least tittle of his happinesse would not be diminished this Sun is no loser when men shut their eyes and will not behold its light what gaineth God if he gain thee to himself to his service thou canst not adde the least cubit to the stature of his perfections the refreshment is to men not to the Spring when the weary passengers drink of it He doth not command thee to repent from any need he hath of thee but from the pity he hath to thee He entreateth thee to return not that he may be blessed and happy but that he may be bountiful liberal in bestowing on thee those blessings which accompany salvation Methinks the apprehension of Gods great love and goodnesse should have such an impression on thee as to make thee little and low in thine own thoughts Is it not a wonder that God should vouchsafe a gracious look upon such a clod of earth a piece of clay as thou art but what admiration can answer this love and condescension that God should wait and intreat to lift thee up who wouldst cast him down That an Emperour should sue to a traitour that Majesty should thus stoop to misery that the Lord of life and glory should prepare for thee exceeding rich and precious promises a crown of life a purchased possession and beseech thee to accept of them Were thy heart never such hard metal one would think that such an hot fire of burning love should melt it I hsve in two or three Authors read of five men that met together and asked each other what means they used to abstain from sin The first said The thoughts of the certainty of death and uncertainty of the time moved him to live every day as if it were his last day The second said He meditated of the day of of judgment and the torments of hell and they frighted him from medling with his dangerous enemy sin The third considered of the deformity of sin and beauty of holinesse The fourth of the abundant happinesse provided in heaven for holy ones The last continually thought of the Lord Jesus Christ and his love and this made him ashamed to sin against God Reader if thou hast but any ingenuity the abuse of such love and kindnesse should work upon thee Some say the blood of a goat will soften an Adamant shall not then the blood of this true goat dissolve thy adamantine heart Beasts themselves have been won by kindnesse and wilt thou be worse than a beast that such Philanthrophy and kindnesse of God shall no whit stir thee or humble thee There is a twofold necessity of a deep serious humiliation for which cause I have been the more large upon it though indeed I have added very much more than I first intended in order to the two next directions which I shall prescribe thee First in order to thy hearty acceptation of Jesus Christ Humiliation is like John Baptist to prepare the way of Christ before him Christ will not be a Saviour to them that do not set an high valuation upon him now
an unhumbled sinner is a man conceitedly whole seeing no need of and therefore setting little price upon the Physician of souls Till men see that they are cast by the Law of God and condemn'd men they will never heartily desire and value a psalm of mercy According to a mans sense of misery such is his estimation of mercy When Paul saw himself the chiefest of sinners then that saying That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners was worthy of all acceptation This sharp sawce of repentance doth commend Christ exceedingly unto the spiritual palat The more bitter and irksome sin is the more sweet and welcome Jesus Christ will be to the soul When the sinner seeth that he is lost in himself then and not till then will he truly request to be found in Christ the prodigal did not prize the bread in his fathers house till he was ready to perish for hunger Ministers preach much of the infinite excellencies that are in Christ of the unspeakable misery of sinners without Christ of the absolute necessity that men and women stand in of Christ and yet preach to little purpose most prize their shops and their lands their relations yea and their sensual lusts above the Lord Jesus notwithstanding all their pretences to the contrary they see no such need of him nor such worth in him as the Preachers and Scriptures speak of What 's the reason of it truly this They were never sensible of the stings of the fiery serpents if they had they would look up to the brazen serpent with an eye of greater respect They were never pricked to the heart and therefore cry not out Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved But when God discovereth his wrath to the soul and shutteth the soul up under it when he commandeth conscience in his Name to arrest the soul for all its debts which it oweth to divine justice and when in pursuance thereof conscience doth in the name of the dreadful God charge on the sinner the guilt of all his sins and hales him to the Judgment-seat of God where he seeth nothing but frowns and fury fire and brimstone and feeleth nothing but tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath now the sinner cryeth out in bitternesse of spirit O wretched miserable man alas alas I am undone What desperate madnesse possessed my soul thus to provoke the Almighty God by my sins Into what a sea of misery have I brought my self by mine iniquities The God whom I see is angry the wrath which I feel is heavy the torments which I fear are infinite The Law which sheweth no mercy is violated the God who will have full satisfaction for the breach of his law is incensed conscience which is his Jailour is commissionated to wound and terrifie me And whether shall I go wrath above me wrath below me wrath without me wrath within me A world mark now for a surety to discharge me of these debts a thousand worlds for that balm which can heal this wounded conscience Ten thousand thousand worlds for a Jesus that can deliver from the wrath to come When sin comes to be sin indeed then and not till then a Saviour will be a Saviour indeed Secondly humiliation is necessary in order to the souls hearty resignation of it self to every Law and Command of Christ According to a mans humiliation such will his subjection to Christ be Humilation is in some sense the foundation of a Christians obedience and the strength of the building dependeth upon the strength of the foundation The reason why the Religious buildings of hundreds of Professors in our dayes though they have been very fair and beautiful to the eye have miscarried is this the want of this foundation their hearts were never throughly humbled The reason why the stony ground did not bring forth good fruit was this the plough had not gon deep enough it did not take deep root Matth. 13.20 21. Men would never dally with God as they do or halt as the Israelites between two opinions be sometimes for God and sometimes for the world holy by fits and girts if they had ever felt the weight of sin Christ when he cometh into the soul as a Saviour will come also as a Soveraign to command and govern the whole man He is the true Sun and he will have the whole heaven the whole heart to himself he will allow no writ of partition his Law forbiddeth inmates as well as mans Now against this Probably therefore fleshly lusts may be called earthly members Col. 3. not only because they flow from the body of death but also because they are as dear to men as their bodily members the natural carnal man riseth and rebelleth exceedingly He hath ever at this time some lust or other which he valueth as his * limbs some right hand that he desireth may not be cut off some right eye which he would not have pluckt out some Herodias that must not be medled with some Absolom that the sinner intreateth Christ to spare and deal gently with for his sake Therefore before the Lord of hosts can make an absolute conquest before he can perswade the besieged soul to surrender it self wholly and altogether to his government he is forc'd by the Granadoes and thundring Cannons of the Laws curse and Gods wrath to fire and fright it out of all its sinful holds Then it will come up to those excellent terms of the Lord which are most honourable for the Saviour and most profitable for the soul Now he seeth most certainly such a sting in sins tail that he dares plead no longer for the beauty of its face Now he feeleth it as a dart in his liver as an arrow sticking in his heart as a coal of fire in his hand he is heartily willing yea thinks himself much beholden to that Redeemer that will pluck out this dart this arrow O how readily doth he throw away this coal of fire fearing to be burnt by it any more We have two famous instances of this in Scripture The one is in Paul Acts 9.6 When Paul that was posting in the road to hell comes to be knockt down and to feel those tremblings and terrors in his spirit he crieth out Lord what wilt thou have me to do He had probably heard much before of God but he regarded it not till now he receiveth a word and a blow a word from without and a wound within to set it home now it is Lord what wilt thou have me to do before it was What will the high Priest the Scribes and Pharisees have me to do and what will the vain imaginations and high thoughts which exalted themselves against God and Christ have me to do but now it is Lord what wilt thou have me to do Before his heart was like hard wax it would take no impression from God but now it is softned by this fire of inward humiliation it is ready for any stamp
Christian mourn in some wildernesse till Dooms-day dig thy grave there with thy nails weep buckets full of hourly tears till thou canst weep no more fast and pray till thy skin and bones cleave together promise and purpose with full resolution to be better nay reform thy head heart life and tongue and some nay all fins live like an Angel shine like a Sun walk up and down the world like a distressed pilgrim going to another Countrey so that all Christians commend and admire thee die ten thousand deaths lie at the fire-back in hell so many millions of years as there be piles of grasse upon the earth or sands upon the sea-shore or stars in the firmament or motes in the Sun I tell thee not one spark of the wrath of God against thy sin shall be can be quenched by all these duties nor by any of these sorrowes for these are not the blood of Christ It is both unacceptable and unprofitable for thee to approach God either in himself or in thy self I dare not meddle with an absolute God saith Luther Nolo Deum ab olutum Luth. God in himself is a consuming fire but in his Son a loving father Do thou therefore now thou knowest thy self and sin labour to know Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 And count all things dung and drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus thy Lord Phil. 3.8 Read and pray and weep and pant and thirst that thou maiest be found in him not having thy own righteousness which is according to the law but that which is through the faith of him the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3.9 Take a view of him in the Gospel where he is crucified before thine eyes and behold him displayed in both his natures and all his offices and therein his suitablenesse unto and sufficiency for all the wants and necessities of thy dying soul Doest thou see a cloud of judgments gathering apace and ready to pour down on thy head run to him for shelter he is both a shadow from the heat and a shelter from the storm Is thy conscience wounded with thy sins hasten to the wounds of thy Saviour by his stripes thou maiest be healed Isa 53. Do the murdering pieces of the Laws curses threaten to destroy thee flie like the distressed Dove to the clifts of the rock of ages the bored hands and feet the pierced side of the blessed Redeemer there thy soul may be sure of safety He is the onely Ark wherein thou maiest be saved when the whole world that lyeth in wickedness shall be drowned shall be damned He is the little Zoar whither thou mayst retire and thy soul shall live when fire and brimstone yea hell * Gehenna è caelo Salv. shall be rained from heaven on ungodly ones He is the true City of refuge wherein thou mayst assuredly escape the wrath of God which like the avenger of blood pursueth thee An hearty thankful acceptation of Jesus Christ as he is tendered in the Gospel will at the day of judgement be a plea as acceptable unto God and profitable unto thee as perfect subjection to all the commands of the Law Consider how full his merits are he is en horn of salvation Luke 1.69 i. e. strong to save the strength of the noble beasts lying in their horns * 'T is a folly to think that an Emperors Revenues will not pay a beggars debts Christ hath undertook to satisfie and he hath mony enough to pay Free grace can shew you large accounts and a long bâ—ll cancelled by the blood of Christ Mr. Manton on Jam. p. ult There is no sinner so black but the blood of this Saviour can make white Rev. 7.14 There are some diseases which other Physicians cannot cure but he healeth all diseases All are dangerously but none desperately sick whom he undertaketh Thou owest a vast debt to Justice but the Lord Jesus is an able Surety He is able to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him Heb. 7.25 O what is it that thou wantest which perfect righteousnesse and infinite meritoriousnesse cannot procure Do'st thou want Remission God forgiveth sin for Christs sake Ephes 4. ult The blood of Jesus Christ his Son clenseth form all sin 1 John 1.7 He was a great sinner as Luther observeth by imputation that thou might'st be innocent through condonation and pardon * Themistocles appeased the anger of K. Admetus by holding the Kings young son in his armes so doth the Christian appease the beholding his Son in the arms of faith Dost thou want reconciliation with God He maketh peace through the blood of his Cross Coloss 1.20 God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself 2 Cor. 5.20 He endured his Fathers frowns and fury that thou might'st enjoy his smiles and favour Dost thou want sanctification His blood is sanctifying as well as justifying Heb. 9.14 He did not only buy off thy score of guilt but also purchast a new stock of grace for his bank-rupt creature to set up with again The oyl of grace was abundantly poured on the Churches head that it might fall down on the skirts and members Of his fulnesse thou mayst receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 Dost thou want salvation He hath the power and gift of eternal life Joh. 10.28 John 17.24 He is the Authour of eternal salvation Heb. 5.9 Thou mayst have boldnesse through the blood of Jesus to enter into the holy of holies Heb. 10.19 20. He paid an infinite summe to purchase the Fathers house for thine everlasting home What ever thy need be he is able to supply it for he is an universal Treasure which can never be spent a Spring that can never be drawn dry In him dwelleth the fulnesse of the God-head bodily Col. 2.9 Consider also how free his mercy is as well as his merits full Thou mayst drink of the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 If thou wilt buy his benefits thou must leave thy mony behind thee His wine and milk is to be had without mony and without price Isa 55.2 Do not hold off thinking to carry worthinesse to Christ but believe on him and thou mayst fetch worthiness from Christ The same free-grace which gave Christ for thee without thy prayer will at thy desire give Christ to thee Do not alwayes lie poring upon thy unworthiness but if thou art sensible of it and sorrowful for it believe it thou art worthy enough to Divine acceptation though not to Divine satisfaction As his Omnipotency answereth thy weakness and his fulness thy wants so doth his free-grace all thy unworthiness The natural Sun doth not inlighten more freely then this Sun of Righteousness doth enliven all that come under the shadow of his wings Ponder how universal his offers of grace are Jesus Christ with all his merits are tendered to all The proposals of Divine mercy and love are general and universal Go preach the
lovely Cant. 5.15 how hastily he runs to meet thee more then half way loves pace is very swift Behold he cometh leaping over the mountains skipping upon the hills Cant. 2.8 Observe how bountifully he provideth for thy entertainment A feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Isa 25.6 Behold he standeth at the door and knocketh if thou hear his voice and open to him he will come in and sup with thee and thou with him Rev. 3.20 4. Direct Dedication to God Fourthly Dedicate thy self soul and body and all thou hast unto the service and glory of Jesus Christ If thou hast been unfaigned in the practice of the former directions I doubt not in the least of thy willingnesse to this If thy sorrow for sin hath been sincere like a burnt child thou wilt dread that fire The Jewel of faith must be laid up in the cabinet of a good conscience Though faith justifie our persons yet good works must justifie our faith The sense of former unkindnesse to Christ is fresh in thy heart and a very glutton in pain under a distemper dares not but forbear such meats as will feed it If thy Marriage to Christ hath been hearty thou hast given an universal bill of divorce to other lovers and hast accepted him for thy head and husband to govern and command thee as well as to protect and provide for thee and instate heaven as a Jointure upon thee If thou expectest an immortal life from him thou must consecrate thy mortal life to him I hope then thou art contented to take Jesus Christ for better for worse with his shameful crosse as well as his crown of glory with his trials as well as triumphs with his gracious precepts as well as his precious promises nay I hope thou seest so much equity in his commands so much beauty in his wayes and worship so much of thy souls felicity wrapt up in holinesse in order to its perfection and happinesse that thou wouldest much rather chuse the easie yoke the light burthen of Christ than the drudgery of the world or the bondage of corruption Truly thus it must be with thee if ever thou art saved and thus I thought to have found thee at least to leave thee One excellently compareth holinesse and happinesse to those two sisters Leah and Rachel Salvation or happinesse like Rachel seems the fairer even a carnal heart may fall in love with that but sanctification or holinesse like Leah is the elder and beautiful also though in this life it appears with some disadvantage her eyes being bleared with tears of repentance and her face furrowed with the works of mortification But this is the law of that heavenly Countrey that the younger sister must not be bestowed before the elder We cannot enjoy fair Rachel heaven and happinesse except first we embrace tender-eyed Leah holinesse mortification self-denial and all those severe duties which the Churches Law-giver enjoineth Friend sit down and consider what it may cost thee to be a Christian It must cost thee the absolute denial of thy sinful carnal self of the body of death and its earthly members which are expresly forbidden in the Word of God and thy main work must be every day to crucifie and mortifie them Sin must die though it may be never so dear to thee or thy Soul cannot live If thou lettest any sin go since every one is appointed by God to destruction thy life must go for its life as the Prophet told Ahab 1 Kings 20.42 When Christ came in the flesh sin crucified him but when Christ comes in the spirit he will crucifie it As Samson an eminent type of Christ pull'd down the house upon the heads of the Lords of the Philistines that he might slay them and so be avenged on them for his two eyes So Jesus Christ if he be thy Saviour is resolved to pull the house in which sin harbours it self down about its ears and by its slaughter to be revenged on it for his two eyes for all the ignominy and shame agony and pain which sin put him to He will teach thee better than to beg the life of those Barrabasses those soul-murderers and robbers of God of his glory And surely ingenuity will learn thee otherwise than to expect such infinite favours from this King and yet to entertain in thy heart any that are rebels against his Majesty Thus it will cost thee the absolute denial of thy sinful self It must cost thee the conditional denial of thy natural self and all that is outwardly dear unto thee nay it may cost thee the actual losse of relations possessions honour pleasure liberty limbs life and all these for Jesus Christ Thou must resolve when ever they come in opposition unto or competition with Christ his glory Kingdome and Command to let them go As when Levies relations came in competition with the glory of God he did not know his father nor would he acknowledge his brethren Deut. 33.9 When Moses his glory and pleasures came in competition with a precept of God he chooseth to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of the Court Heb. 11.25 When Pauls liberty and life come in competition with the Kingdome of Christ he is ready not only to be bound but to die for the name of the Lord Jesus Acts 20.24 They all willingly left their own comforts to obey Gods call and commands Dr. Reyn. Sermon on self-denyal In conversion as one well observeth the use and the property of all we have is altered All our vessels all our Merchandize must be super-scribed with a new title Holinesse to the Lord. Isa 23.18 Zach. 14.20 21. Then mens chief care will be to honour the Lord with their substance Prov. 3.9 to bring their sons their silver their gold to the name of the Lord the holy One of Israel Isa 60.9 All we are or have we have it on this condition to use it to leave it to lay it out to lay it down unto the honour of our Master from whose bounty we received it It was a notable saying of a Noble Lord of this Land That that person may be deceived L. Brooks who thinks to save any thing by his Religion more than his soul And surely he that saveth his soul saveth all that is worth saving He meant that his Religion might cost him the losse of all other things There is certainly if thou wilt be a Christian indeed a necessity of laying thy health strength time estate name friends interests in the world thy calling and comforts whatsoever at the feet of Christ to be employed wholly in his service and improved altogether for his glory and to be denied or enjoyed in whole or in part according to his call and command This may seem an hard saying to carnal minds that rather than break and leave off all
and to honour his own Ordinance When he hath begun the work of conversion himself immediately he will not perfect it without the ministry of his Word He sendeth Paul to Ananias Acts 9.21 to learn what he should doe and biddeth Cornelius by an Angel for an Angel must not doe that work to send for Peter and from him to hear words whereby he and his house should be saved Acts 10.5 6. David who was wiser then the ancients then his enemies then his teachers lyeth many months asleep on the bed of security in a most filthy pickle till a Prophet is sent to call him up and awake him then and not till then he mindeth cleansing as appeareth plainly by the title and body of the 51. Psalm So Davids heart smote him for numbring the people but mark the means of it For saith the Text when David was up in the morning the word of the Lord came to Gad and commanded him to goe to David 2 Sam. 24.10 11 12. Yea the very honour of saving souls the most High ascribeth to the ministry of his Word 1 Tim. 4.16 Timothy is spoken of as saving himself and them that hear him i. e instrumentally thus highly God doth magnifie his Ordinances though many men vilifie them Doe not thou therefore forsake the assemblies of the Saints as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 but lie constantly at the pool Some that have come to church to sleep as Mr. Latimer saith have been taken napping praying and waiting for the troubling of the waters of the Sanctuary The Angel of the Covenant may move there and thy diseased soul thereby be healed As thou wouldst learn that lesson whereby thou mayst be wise to salvation do not play the truant but frequent that School where the Prophet of the Church teacheth As thou wouldst not quench the Spirit despise not prophesying 1 Thess 5.19 20. They that came to catch the Preacher have been caught by the Sermon as Austin by Ambrose Aust Confess 5. lib. 14. And they that come to see fashions as Moses came to the Bush maybe called as he was The Souldiers or Officers that went to apprehend Christ were probably apprehended by Christ John 7.46 Wh n Henry Zatphen was Preacher at Breme the Papists sent theâ—r Chaplains to hear that they might intrap him but God converted by his ministry many of them Sleid. Comment If thou wouldst have thy heart throughly humbled make use of the Word you may read of a bad hard cursed heart indeed humbled by this 2 Chron. 33.12 and 18. v. Manasses in his affliction humbled himself greatly for God sent unto him Prophets and Seers that spake unto him in the name of the Lord so 2 Sam. 24.10 11 12. Wouldst thou rest upon Jesus Christ for salvation Mind the Word Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me John 6.45 Wouldst thou have thine inward man renewed and changed This may be done by the blessing of God accompanying his Word therefore it is called the engraffed Word Jam. 1.21 To teach us that as the sciences of a good apple graffed into a crab-tree stock hath vertue to change the nature of it so hath the word preached for of that he speaketh as is manifest v 19 22 23. vertue to change the heart of man Reader let me perswade thee to have a reverent esteem of and to be very familiar with the Word of God reading it constantly and hearing it frequently as the Lord shall give thee opportunities but take heed how thou hearest Luke 8.18 how thou readest Attend on the Word having first laid aside all superfluity of naughtinesse weeds must be rooted up before the ground of mans heart is fit to receive the seed of the Word 1. With meeknesse of spirit Jam. 1.21 The humble sinner is fittest to be Christs Schollar The meek he will teach his way the meek he will guide in judgement Psal 25.8 9. When the heart is tender it is most teachable it is like white paper for any inscription like soft wax for any impression A proud person is too good in his own conceit to be taught he quarrelleth and rageth either at the person that preacheth or at the plainnesse of the sermon but to his own ruine He rejecteth the counsel of God but it is against himself to his own hurt Luke 7.30 The weak corn which yeilds to the wind receiveth no dammage by it but the proud sturdy oak which resisteth it is often broken in pieces 2. Attend on the Word with a resolution to obey whatever the Lord shall in his Word command thee O 't is excellent to sit at Gods feet hearing his voice purposely that thou mightest doe his will like a servant to goe to thy master and know his mind that thou mayst fulfill it when thou canst say I am here present before the Lord to hear and doe the things that are commanded me of God Acts 10.33 like the Romans deliver up thy self wholly to that form of doctrine which God hath delivered down unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as mettal for any stamp and mould Rom. 6.17 3. Plato as he walked in the streets if he saw any dissolute or disordered would reflect on himself with Num ego talis Am I such a one as â—his man is Diogen Laert. in vita With self application doe not think this concerneth such a man and now the minister hitteth such a one but consider now God speaketh to my soul and this truth doth nearly concern me If the word be not mixed with faith it will not be profitable to them that hear it Hebr. 4.2 Whilst truths rest in generals little good will be done but when they come to be particularly applied and to sink down into the heart then they work effectually for the souls salvation Truths generally received are like the charging a piece but the particular application of them doth the execution upon sin 4. With supplication before and after reading or hearing begin with God Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law Psal 119.18 Begin duty with duty The preparation of the heart in man is from the Lord Prov. 16.1 And after thou hast heard or read pray as the Disciples after they had heard Lord open to us this parable Matth. 15 15. This Scripture Write thy law in my heart and thy truth in mine inward parts teach me thy way lead me in thy righteousness give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Psal 119.34 Urge thy soul with the necessity of this duty that thou must be converted or condemned and it is the law of the Lord that is perfect converting the soul Psal 19.7 That thou must know thy misery or feel it eternally and it is the preiept of the Lord that is pure enlightning the mind Psa 19.8 That thou must repent or be ruined and it is by hearing that
men come to be prickt at the heart Acts 2.37 That thou must believe or perish and how shalt thou believe on him of whom thou hast not heard Rom. 10. As ships will ride a long time in a road-steed when they might be in the haven for this end that they may be in the winds way to take the first opportunity that shall be offered for their intended voyage So do thou ride in the road of Gods Ordinances waiting for the gales of the Spirit thou knowst not how soon that wind may blow on the waters of the Sanctuary and drive the vessel of thy soul swiftly and land it safely at the haven of happinesse of Heaven Direction If thou wouldst attain this spiritual life be frequent and fervent at the throne of grace Prayer that the God of all grace would infuse grace into thee and breath into thy soul the breath of this spiritual life As Abram pleaded for Ishmael Gen. 17.18 O that Ishmael might live before thee so do thou for thy soul O that my soul might live before thee And â—s the Ruler for his son Lord come down quickly ere my soul die yea ere it die eternally Go to God with a sense of thy own unworthiness and iniquities that though thou comest to his Majesty for the greatest favours yet thou art lesse than the least of all his mercies acknowledging that thou hast sinned hainously against heaven and before him and art unworthy to be called his son Confesse thy original actual heart life sins with their bloody aggravations and intreat him to pardon and purifie thee O with what humility reverence and self-abhorrency should such a guilty prisoner approach the Judge of the whole earth Arraign accuse and condemn thy self and thy sins if ever thou wouldst have God to acquit thee Pray also with a sense of thy own impotency and weaknesse That though there be a necessity of humiliation if ever thou wouldst escape damnation yet thou canst as soon fetch water out of a rock as teares from thine eyes or sorrow from thine heart for thy sins till the wind of the Spirit bloweth those waters will never flow It is God that must give to thee a poor Gentile repentance unto life Non minus difficile est nobis velle credere quam cadaveri volare Beza Confess p. 22. Acts 11.18 That thou must believe or thou canst not be saved yet thou canst as easily cause iron to swim as thy soul to believe in the Son of God Faith is the gift of God Phil. 1.29 Zeph. 8. It is as hard a work to believe the Gospel as to keep the Law perfectly Nothing lesse than omnipotency can enable the soul to either As thy first birth and generation so is thy second birth and regeneration from the Lord. Men and meanes may be instrumental and subservient but their efficacy and successe dependeth on God As Protogenes when he saw a line curiously drawn in a Painters shop cried out None but Apelles could draw that line so when thou seest the new Creation thou mayst say None but a God could doe that When thou hast through the strength of Christ wrought thy heart to some sense of thy weakness and unworthiness then look into the Scriptures and fetch arguments from Gods own mouth weapons from his own Armory whereby thou mayst prevail with him and overcome him Beseech him to consult his glorious Name and gracious Nature mind him that he is the Lord the Lord God gracious merciful long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 Tell him that he delighteth not in the death of sinners that he taketh more pleasure in unbloody conquests in the chearful services than in the painful sufferings of his Creatures That he had much rather have trees for fruit than for the fire Say Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness and after the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mine offences Psal 51.1 O thou that art rich in mercy for the great love wherewith thou lovest souls quicken me in Christ that by grace I may be sanctified and saved Since thou delightest in mercy be pleased Lord to delight both thy self and thy servant by extending thine hand of mercy to pluck me out of this bottomlesse depth of misery Intreat God to consult his own Honor as well as his gracious Nature Mind him that if he condescend to convert and save thee he shall have the glory of his patience in waiting thus long to be gracious the glory of his providence in causing all things to work together for thy good the glory of mercy in pitying and pardoning such a greivous sinner the glory of his justice in that noble satisfaction it shall have from the death of his Son the glory of his power in bringing such a rebellious heart into subjection unto Jesus Christ Intreat his Majesty to consider that he may pardon and cleanse thee through Christ without the least diminution to his glory nay that far more revenues will come to his crown from thy salvation then from thy damnation That the forced confessions of them that perish as of Malefactors upon a wrack do not sound forth his praises so much nor so well as the joyful hearty acclamations of his saved ones Say Lord if thou suffer me to continue in my filth and pollution and never wash me by the blood and spirit of thy Son and suffer me to perish eternally thou art righteous but Lord if I perish I shall not praise thee thy glory will rather be forced out of me with blows as fire out of a flint thou delightest to see poor creatures volunteers in thy service The damned do not celebrate thy praise Psal 30.9 they that go into the infernal pit give thee no thanks The living Psal 88.10 11. Isa 38.19 the living they shall praise thee they that live spiritually and they that live with thee eternally O what Hosanna's and Halelujah's what honor and glory and blessing and praise do they give to the Lord and to the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne for ever O let my soul live and it shall praise thee Thine is the kingdom and power do thou work within me by thy grace and thine shall be the glory Desire God to consider his own promise as well as his praise Urge his own word That they that ask shall receive that seek shall find that knock shall have heaven opened That if men know how to give good gifts to them that ask how much more will the Father in heaven give his holy Spirit to them that ask That he will circumcise the hearts of men and women to love him Deut. 30.6 That he will put his fear into their hearts and they shall never depart away from him Jer. 32.40 That he will write his Law in their hearts Ezek. 31.33 Go in to him when thou art full of heaviness as Bathsheba did to David and say 1
Kings 1â— 17 18. Did not my Lord promise thus thus is it thy mind that thy word should go unfulfilled Lord are not these thy own words thine own hand writing whose staffe and bracelet is this If thou hadst not promised I should not have found in my heart to pray And if thou shouldst not perform where would be the glory of thy truth Thy mercy O Lord is great unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds Psal 57.10 My soul cleaveth unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word Psal 119.25 Remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psa 119.49 Beseech him to consider thy misery like a beggar uncover thy nakednesse shew thy sores and wounds to move him to pity Tell him that in regard of thy spiritual condition Rev. 3.17 thou art at present wretched miserable poor blind and naked without God without Christ without hope an alien from the Common-wealth of Israel and a stranger from the Covenants of promise and that thine eternal state is like to be the worm that never dieth the fire that never goeth out amongst devils and damned ones in blacknesse of darknesse for ever Say Lord open thine eyes and see thy poor creature weltring Ezek. 16. wallowing polluted in his own soul blood and now I am in my blood open thy mouth and say unto me Live yea now I am in my blood say unto me Live Since no eye pitieth me to do any good unto me open thine heart let thy bowels yearn towards me Let this time be my time of love spread thy skirt over me and cover all my nakednesse Enter into a covenant with me and enable me to become thine for ever Since thou beholdest all the wants and necessities of my poor soul open thine hand and supply all my spiritual need There is bread enough and to spare in the Fathers house O let not my dying soul perish for hunger Open thine eares and hear the prayers and supplications which thy servant poureth out before thee night and day Thou hast the key of David and openest and no man shutteth Open the iron gate of my heart which will never open of its own accord that the King of glory may enter in Thou didst open the rock and cause it to send forth water Bow the heavens and come down Break open this rockie heart and come in and take an effectual universal eternal possession of my soul Consider thy bottomless mercie Christs infinite merits my unspeakable misery and let thine heart be opened in pitie and thine hand in bounty that my lips may be opened and my mouth may everlastingly shew forth thy praise Only in thy prayers be instant constant and look up to Jesus Christ Beg hard though humbly when thou art begging for heaven Hast thov never heard a Malefactor condemned to be hanged begging for a reprieve or pardon with what tears and prayers what bended knees watered cheeks strained joynts he intreateth for his mortal life Thou hast much more cause to be earnest when thou art begging for spiritual life Think of it thy soul thy eternal condition are engaged and at stake in thy prayer O how should all the parts and faculties of thy body and soul work and unite in prayers that are of such concernment What fervencie shouldst thou use considering that if thou art denied thou art undone if thy prayers be lost thy God is lost thy soul is lost thy happinesse is lost for ever Pray constantlie resolve to give God no rest day nor night till he give thee rest in his Son Besides set times every day for which thou canst not offer so little as two hours a day it being soul-work God-work eternitie-work and in which I would desire thee to be as serious and solemn as is possible thou mayst often in the shop or in the field in thy journying on thy bed thou mayst turn up thy heart to heaven in some ejaculations it is thy great priviledge where ever thou art thou mayst find â—od out such as these O when wilt thou come unto me Psa 101.2 Hear me speedilie O my God make no tarrying Ps 40.17 Shall I never be made clean good Lord when shall it once be Save me Master or I perish But be sure in all thy addresses to God thou look up to Jesus Christ as thine Advocate with the Father as the only Master of requests to present and perfume all thy prayers and thereby make them prevalent Through him we have access with confidence unto the Father Eph. 2.18 It is possible thou mayst have seen a Child going to be scourged for its faults by a stern Mother the tender Father sitting by and how the Child seeing the rod taken down and the Mother in earnest casteth a pitiful lamentable look upon its Father both longing and expecting to be saved by his mediation Go thou and do likewise and know for thy encouragement that if David heard Joah whom he loved but little for rebellious Absalom and if Herod heard Blastus a servant for those of Tyre and Sidon who had offended him then without doubt God will hear the Son of his infinite love for thee And if thou art but sensible of thy soul-sicknesse thou mayst be confident that thy spiritual Physitian who is authorized by his Father to practice and delighteth exceedinglie in the imployment will come and heal thee thy sicknesse shall not be unto death but for the glorie of God and thine eternal good I shall in the next place only annex three properties of this spiritual life as motives to encourage thee to a laborious endeavouring after it Si daretur mihi optio eligerem Christiani rustici agreste opus praeomnibus victoriis Alexandri Magni â—ulii Caesaris Luth. in Gen. 39. and then leave both thee and this exhortation to the blessing of God First This spiritual life is the most honorable life No life hath so much excellencie in it as the life of godlinesse If I had my wish saith Luther I would choose the homely work of a rustical Christian before all the victories of Alexander the great and Julius Caesar The excellencie and dignitie of every life dependeth upon the form which is its principle and its specificating difference Therefore the life of a man is more noble than the life of a beast because it hath a more noble form a rational soul which distinguisheth it specifically from and enableth it to act more nobly and highly than a beast And truly therefore the life of a Christian is more honorable and excellent than the life of any other man because he hath a more noble form which is the principle of it and differenceth it specificallie from the life of gracelesse men Jesus Christ the Lord of life and glory dwelling in his heart by his Spirit as the principle of his spiritual life If there be an excellencie in that body which is united to a soul what
eyes to see him Thus the joys of a Saint are invisible to the wicked because they are inward spiritual joys though they are joys unspeakable and glorious Austines confess They have such joy as thou art not to intermeddle with Prov. 14.10 They have meat to eat which thou knowest not of Their life is an hidden life Col. 3.3 and their comforts are hidden comforts their secret meals fatten their souls and their bread eaten in secret how pleasant is it The kingdom of God which is this spiritual life consisteth not in meats and drink but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 And besides it cometh not with observation Luk. 17.20 the world taketh no notice of it It doth not consist in the laughter of the face in the smiles of the brow but in the tranquillity of the mind solid contentment in the brest Christ takes his Spouse apart from the crowd of the world and then gives her the sweetest kisses the dearest embraces yea her very fill of love Many a loving visit hath the Saint from his Saviour when Christ came in at the backdoor the neighbors neither saw when he came nor when he went away A true Christian hath the most heart-chearing wine though he hangs out no bush maketh no shew of it in the world the wealthy Merchant that is worth thousands doth not cry his commodities up and down the City The parlor wherein the spirit of Christ entertains the Christian is an inner room not next the street for every one that goeth by to smell the feast the stranger doth not meddle with his joy Prov. 14.10 Christ and the soul may sit at supper within Mr. Gurnal Arm. 2 part pag 343. and thou not see one dish go in nor hear the Musick that sounds so sweetly in the Christians ears Perhaps thou thinkest he wants peace because he doth not hang out a sign in his countenance of that peace and joy within Alas poor wretch may not the Saint have a peaceful conscience with a solemn yea sad countenance as well as thou and thy companions have a sorrowful heart when there is nothing but fair weather in your faces Whether they have the greatest comfort or no do thou judge Sure I am there are none in this world that have so much ground to be comfortable as they have They have the most delightful company they walk with God they suppe with Christ their fellowship is with the Father and Jesus Christ his Son which is the onely good fellowship 1 Iohn 1.3 They have the most delightful food they eat of the bread that came down from heaven and drink of that love which is better than wine Psal 36.8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Gods house and made to drink of the rivers of his own pleasures and are bidden welcome with eat O friends drink abundantly O beloved These are exceedings indeed but if it be not their own fault they have them often besides their every hours fare of a good conscience which is a continual feast They have the most delightful Musick they hear the joyful sound of the Gospel of peace the glad tidings of pardon adoption salvation and so may rejoyce in hope of glory many a time surely their hearts are warmed and their ears ravished at the hearing of the affection which Christ beareth to them and the benefits he hath bought for them They have the most delightful lodging they lie all night between Christs arms in the chamber of the great King They have the richest mercies the special love of the Father the precious blood of the Son and the divine graces of the spirit when others have onely the blessings of the footstool of the left hand such giftless gifts as one calleth them as may consist with an eternal separation from God they have the mercies of the throne of the right hand the blessings of his own children and such as do accompany salvation No wonder that they sit under Christs shadow with great delight and his fruit is sweet unto their taste Can. 2.3 The child of God by vertue of a good conscience in the midst of the waves of affliction is as secure as that child which in a shipwrack was upon a plank with his mother till she awaked him then securely sleeping and then with his pretty countenance sweetly smiling and by and by sportingly asking a stroak to beat the naughty waves at last when they continued boystrous for all that sharply chiding them as if they had been his play-fellows O the innocency O the comfort of peace of conscience Dr. Stoughton It is likely indeed that when they wander from Christ they may come home by weeping-cross as out-lying Deer are full of fear and therefore t is observed seldom fat but they run the waies of Gods commandments with enlarged hearts And what ever be the cause of their sorrow whether their own sins or thine or others or the afflictions of the church whatever it be their mourning is better then the carnal mirth And this I dare undertake for them that in their most disconsolate condition they shall not change with the most prosperous Prince in the world that is out of Christ Alas the comfort of a sinner as it is but short like the crackling of thornes under a pot so it is but shallow skin deep at most like a sudden storm of rain which wetteth the surface of the earth Caeterae hilaritates non implent pectus sed frontem reâ—mittunt Sen. epi. 23 but never sinketh to the root their joy may smooth the brow but cannot warm the breast their looks may be sometimes lively but their hearts are alwaies heavy For there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isa 57.20 Their mirth is like some juicy plumbs which have stones with a bitter kernel The stateliest and best accommodated houses of unsanctified men I is not the great cage that maketh the bird sing nor the great estate that bringeth real comfort are but like the nests of Wasps where there may be curious combs but no honey many outward mercies but no true inward mirth no sweetness when the voice of joy and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous Psal 118.15 They onely have the strong consolations Heb. 6.18 The joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 The peace of God which passeth all understanding to garrison their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Phil. 4.7 As they have more afflictions than others the disciple of Christ must take up his cross so they have more consolations than others and their soul comforts are not seldom the sweetest when their bodily crosses are greatest as the sweetest Roses grow nearest the most stinking weeds although the blind world see them not As a man standing saith a Divine upon the sea-shore seeth a great heap of waters one wave riding upon the neck of another and heareth loud roarings thereof but though he seeth the waters
riches and honor Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace She is a tree of life to all that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her Prov. 3.13 14 15 16 17 18. ANd now Reader I have done this large Use of Exhortation which is of such infinite concernment to thy precious soul but what thou wilt do or what use thou wilt make of it I know not Could I have told what other holy bait to have laid which had been more likely to have caught thy soul it is probable I should have laâ—d it I appeal to thy conscience whether tâ—ere be not unspeakable weight and unquestionable truth in the particulars which are laid down Well what sayest thou to them and what effect have they wrought upon thee Art thou resolved through the help of heaven speedily and diligently to practice the directions which I have from the Almighty God injoyned thee Is it not a thousand thousand pities that such endlesse matchlesse happinesse should be so gratiously offered by God and so unworthily neglected by men that an empty perishing world should be so eagerly pursued and heartily embraced when the unsearchable riches in Christ the Image of the blessed God eternal weight of Glory are basely undervalued and wretchedly despised Good Lord what teares of blood are sufficient to bewail this monstrous unthankfulness Friend if thou art truly resolved to obey the counsell of God thou wilt have cause to blesse that Providence which called me to this task and I may rejoyce in thee and thou in me at the day of Christ But if thou either delayest the work till thou art more at leisure or dalliest about it doing it as if thou didst it not I am sure the greatest wrong will be to thy self for behold thou sinnest against the Lord and be confident thy sins will sooner or later find thee out I come in the next place to my last Use which will be of consolation If they who have Christ for their life shall have gain by their death what comfort is here to the new born Creature Here is wine indeed to make glad the heart of every one that is holy Reader art thou sanctified and alive in Christ then thou art freed from all the misery which is mentioned in the first Use as the portion of the ungodly I may say to thee as Gryneus when he had been reproving and threatening sinners would turning to the Saint say Bone vir hoc nihil ad te Good man all this is nothing to thee Though they are losers thou shalt be a gainer by death Come but with the mouth of faith and thou mayst suck much honey from this combe thou mayst draw much milk of consolation from this breast to thee to die shall be gain Surely here is enough to ballast thy soul and keep it steady in the most tempestuous condition and to ballance and weigh down the greatest the heaviest affliction Hierom comforted the Hermite that was in a wildernesse sad and pensive Meditare coelum tam diu non eris in eremo If thou hadst hope only in this life thou wert of all men most miserable but because thou hast hope beyond this life thou mayst be of all men most comfortable Should such a man as I fly Nehem. 6.11 Should sucha a man as thou fear that art heir to a Crown to a Kingdom Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom In thy greatest losses this may support thee that death will be thy gain by giving thee possession of a life which will make amends for all If an heathen could say It is unbecoming a Roman spirit to cry out I am undone while Cesar was safe sure it is more uncomely for a Christian to complain as if he were undone when his soul is safe his eternal estate is secure For thy help I shall digest this Use into this method briefly First to shew thee against what it is comfortable Secondly wherein it is comfortable For the first It is comfortable first against the opposition of the world The world will hate thee because thou art not of the world John 15.19 She is a Paradise to her children and lovers but a Purgatory to aliens and strangers Whilst thou art in the stormy sea of this world thou art a ship bound for the Streights He that goeth towards the Sun shall have his shadow following him but he that goeth from it shall have it flie before He that goeth towards the Sun of Righteousnesse shall be sure to have these shadows these afflictions at his heels Infinite Wisdom seeth fit to imbitter the breasts of the creatures to wean thee from them Trouble upon earth is one legacie which thy Saviour hath left thee In the world ye shall have trouble John 16. ult The Souldiers were to have his garments Joseph was to have his body His Father was to have his soul He had his crosse left and that he bequeaths to his Disciples But be of good chear he did not only leave thee his crosse but hath also made thee heir to a Crown He never lookt over the threshold of Heaven Bish Hall Heaven upon eâ—rth Sect. 14. that cannot more rejoyce that he shall be glorious than mourn in present that he is miserable Oppose thy future felicity to thy present misery thy happinesse at death to the hardships thou meetest with in life thiâ— will be the way to counterpoise the temptation and to keep thee from fainting in tribulation whilst thou lookest not at the things which are seen which are temporal but at the things which are not seen which are eternal 2 Cor. 4. I have read of one Giacopo Senzaro an Italian who having been long in love and much crossed about his match filled a pot full of black stones only one white stone among them and being asked the reason answered There will come one white day meaning his marriage day which will make amends for all my black dayes So whatsoever poverty nakednesse hunger cold pain shame losses thou undergoest here in this world how many soever thy black dayes are of trials and troubles of persecutions and opposition thou mayst say there is one white day of death one long day of eternity coming which will make amends for all It was a brave speech of Luther when he was demanded where he would be when the Emperor should with all his forces fall upon the Elector of Saxonie who was the chief Protector of Protestants He answered Aut in coelo aut sub coelo either in heaven or under heaven Why shouldst thou be discouraged at any losse considering thou hast a treasure in heaven a more enduring substance At any disgrace considering thou art heir to a Crown of glory At any pain or sorrow when thou art entitled to fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore No storm should disquiet thee that shall shortly enjoy an everlasting calm What a
glorifying and beatifical vision of God then to mourn that thou hast lost him for a little time It was a memorable speech of William Hunters mother when her son was to dye a violent death for he suffered Martyrdom under Bonner I am glad saith she that ever I was so happy as to bear such a child that can find in his heart to lose his life for Christ and then kneeling down on her knees she said I pray God strengthen thee my son to the end I think thee as well bestowed as any childe that ever I bore Take the counsel of the spirit not to sorrow as others which have no hope and know this for thy comfort that those which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord wherefore comfort one another with these words 1 Thess 4.13 to the end I shall shew thee farther in what respects it is comfortable and then conclude 1. It is comfortable if thou considerest the excellency of this gain as David said of Goliahs sword so I may of this gain of a Saint by death There is none like it In hist Eccles Nicephorus tells us of one Agbarus a great man that hearing so much of Christs fame by reason of the miracles that he wrought he sent a Painter to take his picture and that the Painter when he came was not able to do it because of the radiancy and divine splendor which sate on Christs face whether this be true or no I leave to the author but without controversie there is such a radiancy on the glorified head and members in heaven that none can conceive it much lesse describe it There are three things which will speak a little how great the gain of every godly man is by death 1. The fore-tastes of it do shew that it is excellent Saints here have the first fruits Rom. 8.23 and they do speak what the harvest will be The Jewish Rabbies report that when Joseph in the years of plenty had gathered much corn in Egypt he threw the chaffe into the river Nilus that so flowing to the neighbor Countries they might know what abundance was laid up for themselves and others So God is pleased that we might know the plenty in heaven to give us some sign some taste of it here upon earth He enableth us to conclude if his wayes are wayes of pleasantness how pleasant will the end be If his people have songs in their pilgrimage in their banishment surely they have Halelujahs in their Country in their fathers house If there be so much goodness laid out upon them in this valley of tears how infinite is that goodness which is laid up for them in the masters joy Christian Didst thou never taste and see that the Lord is gracious Didst thou never in thy closet enjoy fellowship with the father and with Jesus Christ his Son Didst thou never find one day in Gods Courts nay one hour better then a thousand elsewhere Did the Lord Jesus never call thee aside from others and carry thee into his banqueting-house and cause his banner over thee to be love Did he never kiss thee with the kisses of his lips and embrace thee in his dearest arms Hast thou not sometimes seen the smiles of his face and found them better then life And hearing his voice known thy heart-burning towards him with love Dost thou not remember at such a time he took thee up into his Chariot and gave thee a token for good shewing thee a glimpse of thy future glory solacing thy soul with a sense of his favour ravishing thy heart with hopes of thy eternal happiness when thou didst wonder exceedingly at the creatures emptiness and befool thy self for doting so much upon nothing when thou didst see sin in its opposition and contrariety to the divine nature and thy own welfare and didst curse thy lusts with the most bitter curses whereby thou had offended so gracious a Lord when thou didst behold the Lord Jesus in all his embroydery and glory O how lovely was he in thine eyes how sweet was he to thy taste how precious was he in thy esteem how closely was thy soul joyned to him how largely was thy spirit drawn out after him how earnestly didst thou desire to be ever with him when thou thoughtest what joy is there in being with Christ if there be so much in Christs being with me How happy are they that enjoy the fountain if some small streams are so pleasant when thou saidst Master it is good to be here Let us build a tabernacle My soul is filled with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips One thing do I desire of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever ever This is the foretaste of glory by this thou maist conceive what heaven will be As Fulgentius when he beheld the beauty and bravery the glory and gallantry of Rome cryed out If earthly Rome be so glorious how glorious is heavenly Rome Si talis est R ma terrestris quatis est Roma coelestis so thou mayst gather if thou hast so much joy when thou hast heaven onely in hope what joy shalt thou have when thou shalt have it in hand If the seed-time be so joyous how great will the joy of harvest be If the promise can stay one that is ready to die surely the performance will be better then life from from the dead If Jerusalem below be paved with Gold then questionless Jerusalem above is paved with Pearl 2. The price paid for it speaketh the excellency of it where there is honesty and righteousness in the seller and wisdom in the buyer there the price of a thing will speak its worth Now here there was infinite righteousness in God the seller and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ the purchaser therefore the price laid down for heaven will speak the excellency of it If the price were very great the place must be very glorious Heven is called the purchased possession Eph. 1.14 because it was bought with the blood of the Son of God Reader wonder at this price and at this place We are bold to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Heb. 10.19 When thou hearest of a purchase on earth that costeth a hundred thousand pound or a million wouldst not thou presently conclude Surely that must be an incomparable seat for delight what pleasant Springs what stately rooms what curious contrivances what unheard of excellencies must be there without question all things imaginable for riches glory and comfort But when thou readest in Scripture of a