now if you believe not that there is another life then you make the Word of God to be a refuge of lies and the holy Scripture is looked upon by you as some imposture and read over the parts of the Covenant and dare you imagine that his Commandements are irrationall First Consider his Commandements viz. Lay not up for your selves treasures on Earth which the moth corrupteth Math. 6.19 Joh. 6.27 Luk. 13. and theeves break thorow and steale labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth to aternall life strive to enter in at the strait gate and can these directions of the Lord of glory be thought by you to be delusions Secondly Consider the threats of the Covenant doe you think them to be vaine affrightments Christ saith What shall it profit a man if he gaine the whole world and lose his own soul Math. 16.16 now if the soule be the temper of the body and if there be no life but this then the soule is lost for ever for every one must lay downe his life there is no man living that shall not see death Christ biddeth us feare him that killeth body and soul why doe all the Scriptures tell us of devouring fires everlasting burnings Isa 33.34 cap. 30.35 that Tophet is prepared of old the pile thereof is much wood the breath of the Lord kindleth it the worme never dyeth and the fire never goeth out but the smoke of the torment ascendeth for ever and ever doe you or dare any one of you when you heare the words of this curse blesse your selves in the imagination of your heart and say I shall have peace though I adde drunkennes unto thirst Deut. 19.19 be sure though you despise this Word of the Lord yet this word shall take hold of you and all the curses of this book shall lie upon you Zâ—ch 1.6 and the Lord shall blot out your name from under Heaven Thirdly Look on the promises of this Covenant's and can any of you think those promises which God counteth to be most precious to be lies most pernitious doth Christ use Stratagems to overreach his people can you think the God of truth will deceive who will not suffer any man to goe beyond 1 Thes 4.6 or defraud his brother but will be an avenger of such things how often doth Christ engage himself by his promise Matth.'s 19.29 that no man hath lost futher or mother houses or lands for my name sake but shall receive manifold in this life and in the life to come eternall life how often doth he pronounce his Disciples blest when all men shall revile and persecute them and biddeth them rejoyce and be exceeding glad in that day Math. 5.12 13. for though their troubles be great yet their reward shall be greater in Heaven Fourthly What doe you thinke of the graces of Gods Covenant which are the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22 as love joy peace c. If the eyes of our understanding be opened to know what is the hope of the calling and the riches of the glory of the inheritance with the Saints in life you cannot but confesse that the worke of Conversion is greater then the worke of Creation and the exceeding greatnes of his power towards them that beleeve is according to the mighty working of his power Ephes 1.19 which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead dare you without abhorrence and reluctance entertaine a thought that the reall grates of God are but the meere fancies of men and that there is no distinction between good and evil betwixt light and darknes and involve your selves in that woe Isa 5.20 Woe be unto them that call evil good and good evil Fifthly What doe you thinke of all the comforts of this Covenant the joy of gods chosen Psal 106.5 to much begged by David so much admired by the Apostle that beleeving the Saints rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Rom. 5.2 and rejoyce in the hope of glory of God and are ever looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God the thoughts of the great day when the sun shall be darkned Tit. 2.13 and the moon turned into blood rayseth up their spirits higher and Christ biddeth them lift up their heads Luk. 1.28 for their redemption then draweth neare Sixthly What doe you think of the Children of this Covenant the holy Prophets and Apostles and Saints and Martyrs who loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 12 1â— but kept the word of Christs testimonie Moses was learned in all the wisdome of the Egyptians yet be refused to be called the sonne in Law to Pharaobs daughter Heb. 11.26 27. and chose rather to suffer affliction with the children of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a moment because he had respect unto the recompence of reward Paul brought up at the feet of Gamaliel Act 20 2â— counteth not his life deare unto him that he may finish his course with joy and of that cloud of witnesses how many of them were racked tortured and accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Heb. 11.35 Dare you condemne all the generation of the righteous and soules of those boly ones that are now made perfect if you imagine there is no other life besides this then you condemne not onely the wisest of men of folly but the comforts and the graces and the threats and the promises and the commands and directions of God of falshood and that Atheistical foule that dares imagine the God of truth to be lyar shall finde that God Almighty will give him his portion with lians Rev. 21.8 and unbeleivers for ever in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstene Arg. 4 Fourthly Consider the glorious Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 Math. 26.53 Heb. 12.22 you have read of their state and condition that they are elect Angels of their number that they are many legions and an innumerable company of Angels how they shall appeare with Christ at his comming in that great day when he shall come with his mighty Angels Math. 25.31 Math. 22.30 and how the happines of the Saints after death is to be made like the Angels of God now consider what is the great imployment of the Angels to great in power till that great day come doth not the Scripture tell us that they wait over us that they are ministring Spirits Heb. 1.14 Esal 34.7 Luk. 15.10 Matth. 11.10 sont out for the good of them who shall be heires of Salvation doe they not pitch their tonts about us joy in our conversion there is more joy in heaven among the Angels of God for the conversion of one sinner c. and they behold the face of God for us and why is all this if there were no other life then the joy of the
of Eternall felicity and though some dispute whether the relation be a history or a parable yet how ever though you suppose it to be parabolicall yet a parable is the similitude of some reall truth and this Parable cannot signify what shall be done after the day of judgement but plainely pointeth to a state the soules are in before that day for after the day of judgement what man can say as Dives did Luk. 16.28 29. 1 Cor. 15 2â— I have three brethren upon the Earth or how could Abraham returne that answer they have Moses and the Prophets c. for after that day all ordinances shall cease and God shall be all in all Fourthly Consider the Saints desire of dissolution is upon this perswasion Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ c. If Paul had imagined his soule should have slept till the day of resurrection it had been weaknes and madnesse to desire dissolution for this end to be with Christ for if this should be true then Paul had more of Christ in life for then Christ lived in him then possibly he could attaine to after death if the soule should sleep till the day of resurrection Fifthly Consider the Saints confidence upon their departure from Earth to enjoy a glorious life in Heaven we know that when this earthly tabernacle the body is dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 surely if the soul sleep till the day of resurrection they should not have said when this house is dissolved but when this body is raised and this tabernacle restored when they desire to part with the body this were out of love to their soules not out of want of love to their bodies for Paul could have wished mortality to be swallowed up of life 1 Cor. 5.4 i.e. that the mortall body might have gone to life with the immortall soule Sixthly The Scripture speaketh expressely that all the presence the Saints have with Christ while the soule is in the body is nothing but a meer absence in comparison of that neernes of presence unto Christ which they shall enjoy when they are absent from the body for the Apostle speaketh this confidently knowing that whilst we are at home in the body 1 Cor. 5.6 8. we are absent from the Lord and we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Seventhly Consider that the soule upon its separation from the body Heb 12.23 is so farre from being abolished that it is perfected and the Saints departed this life are by the holy Ghost stiled the soules of just men made perfect to this I might adde many more arguments as that the happines of the Saints is in a perpetual progresse Phil. 1.6 that the Vnion they have with Christ is inseparable beyond the power of death what shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8. That the happines of the Saints is Eternall Joh. 5.44 6.40 Rev. 6.9 10. 42. that the soules under the altar cry for the resurrection of the body that the counsell of Christ to his hearers was upon this foundation make you friends of this unrighteous mammon that when they faile they may receive you into everlasting mansions Luk. 16.9 but all these things faile us at the day of death therefore at that day the promise is to be received into everlasting mansions thus you see the truth evidenced from the soules of the Saints Arg. 2 Secondly Consider the soules of wicked men that at the hour of death they are not abolished God telleth us First That they goe to their own place so t is said of Judas who fell by transgression Act. 1.18 25. now that place is not the grave for the grave is not his owne place that is the common way of all flesh and that place where all meet together Job 3.18 9. Judas his place was the state and degree of torment that his sinne and Gods justice inflicted on him Secondly The soules of them of the old world are now in prison Christ in the dayes of Noah by his eternall spirit preached unto them whose spirits are now in prison the grave cannot be the prison to distinguish the just from the unjust that being common to the obedient as well as to the disobedient 2 Pet 3.21 Thirdly They are said to be in the place of torment Dives when his body was buried is said to have his soule in torment and he beggeth of Abraham send to my brethren that they come not to this place of torment many prove this Scripture to be historicall but suppose it in part to be a parable as some expressions are granted by all to be parabolicall as the tongue of Dives and the finger of Lazarus yet this Parable must be a resemblance of some truth which is in rerum naturâ and must intimate something past not future after the resurrection as was proved formerly Fourthly T is said of the Sodomites that they now suffer the vengeance of eternall fire it cannot be meant of their bodies Jud. ver 7. for they are burnt by fire to ashes nor of that materiall fire that fell upon their Cities for that many ages since was quenched but of their soules which are under the eternall wrath of God where the worme never dieth and where the fire is never quenched Mar. 9.44 Consider what the Scripture saith of the soules of all men in generall whether just or unjust whether they feare God or feare him not First That the soule man is not capable of corruption Matth. 10.28 Christ biddeth us not feare him that killeth the body and cannot kill the soule now if the soule was but the temper of the body then whosoever killeth the body should by the same act kill the soul Secondly When the soule and body part the Scripture telleth us they goe to distinct places who considereth the spirit of a beast that goeth downward and the spirit of a man that gooth upward Eccles 3. â—1 yet though man doe not consider it the God of truth asserteth it Eccles 12. â—â— when man dieth then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the spirit to God that gave it Thirdly If the soule should sleep till the resurrection Corpus non statim dissâ—â—it post secessum manetigitur 〈◊〉 magit anima Lâ—câ—ant 〈◊〉 then the soule should be as mortall as the body for the body is not presently dissolved into a non entity when it is parted from the soule and if the body be not abolished can any one thinke the soule to be anihilated Fourthly If this should be 〈◊〉 thou the resurrection of the soule should be as needfull to be reveal'd in Scripture and would prove as difficult to men to beleeve as the resurrection of the body but about the resurrection of the 〈…〉 scripture is altogether
nothing be immortall why when immortality was so groundlesly denied is this kinde of immortality so sillily desired Thirdly Think of the unsatisfiednes of the minde in things present and you shall finde the soule in a continued pursuit reaching after something that is infinite other creatures have here their home have their minde satisfied but the workings of the soule are still for future some way forgetting by a naturall inclinatioÌ„ the things behinde and stretching forward to finde out that in things future which it hath sought in things past and ever was disappointed now the operations of all creatures follow their essence this tendency of the minde to the future argueth the soule to be in transitu in the way and not in its own countrey and that we are not yet at home that this life is but a passage to another Fourthly Consider the confessions of adversaries at their death who have denyed this truth in their life Belshazzar in the height of his jollity when the hand-writing apeared on the wall his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled so that the joints of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against the other Dan. 5.6 Arg. 8 Eightly Phil. Motn p. 29. To this might be added the providence of God if we beleeve Plutarch and other heathen authours this dispute is needlesse for Gods providence and the soules immortality are so united together that he that denies the one destroyeth the other why did God make this world so full of beauty but that some should behold the Creatour in it why should man contemplate the Creatour in the Creature but to adore him why should man above all sublunary creatures adore him if man above the rest of the creatures had no hope in him Heb. 11.6 he that commeth to adore God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him those rewards are not dispensed here therefore are reserved for a life hereafter why hath God given so many gifts unto man which perplex him in this life and fills his minde with those dsiquietments that all the brurish creatures are freed from in regard of these man should be worse then a beast in his life if not better then a beast at his death and we may say of men in reference to other creatures as the Apostle saith of Christians in reference to other men If man had only hope in this life man of all creatures would be most miserable Arg. 9 Ninthly To those might be added all the arguments that prove the day of judgement that God hath appointed a time wherein he will judge the world in righteousnes Act. 17.31 by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Arg. 10 Adde to all these the arguments in this chapter whereby the Apostle proves the resurrection of the body and answers all objections to the contrary with all those Scriptures that tell us plainely that Jesus shall come in his glory and all his holy Angels with him before him shall be gathered all nations Math. 25.31 32. 1 Thes 4.16 Joh. 5 28.28 and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd doth the sheep from the Goats and it is but a little time before the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of an Arch-angel with the trump of God and then the dead shall rise and the day is comming when all that are in their graves shall heare the voice of the Sonne of man and they that have done good shall come to the resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation I will couclude with that of Chrysistome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How 5. in Act. cap. â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anime causâ est omnis religro August de utilit tredendi c. 7. Vnde jamolim inter philosophos ijdem omnem religionem sâ— stuletunt qui animaâ— marta lei dixerunt Estius l. 4 dist 43. Isa 7 9. And Errour confuted that the Devils great designe hath been ever to perswade man that the nature of man differed little from the nature of beasts and when he had drawn any of the sonnes of men into this flrange absurdity to dispute themselves out of the thoughts of their own immortality he hath so farre prevailed to blinde many of them that after they have affirmed the nature of the immortall soule to be mortall they have gone about to prove the nature of beasts which is void of reason to be rationall whilest these great truths are questioned the soule neglects to be sanctified all piety is founded in the thoughts of immortality and it is observed among all the Philosophers that those destroyed all Religion that held the soule to be mortall Till this great truth be setled upon the hearts of men they lye open to all temptations and suffer themselves to beled away with all corruption If you beleive not this you can never be established therefore be not faithlesse but beleeving Secondly There is a second errour of the Semi-atheists who confesse that there is a day of judgement and a resurrection but deny that the Scriptures hold out that the soul is distinct from the body or that the soul hath any abiding after the body is dissolved but sleeps till the day of resurrection I could be willing to bury this errour in everlasting silence but that some have raised it from the embers and in these times with unsufferable boldnes under the notion of new light Vid August haeres 83. Husc errorem Mahomet in eruit in su Alcborano docan corpora animas adextremun judicium resurrecturas Estius l. 4. c. 43 Anno Don. 1568. Theses Craco viá impressas per Polontam divulgarunt quarum prima est Negamuâ— aliquaÌ„ animâ—m post morrem manere c. Soule is distinct from the body Vid. Aquin. contragent l. 2. p. 267. Heb. 12.9 Eccles 11.5 Psal 22 9. have ushered in this imâ— of darknes This errour began to vent it selfe by the heathen afterwards to poison Tatianus after the time of Justine Martyr and after him some other Christians in Arabia yet in those dayes this errour was so sufficiently refuted that it seemed for many ages dead and buried till Mahomet that false Prophet who having a carnall minde and savouring nothing of the spirit dreamed only of corporall paines and pleasures that men should have after the resurrection and among Christians it appeared little till Satan to blemish that gloÌ„rious reformation in the dayes of Luther stirred up some Ambaptists in Polonia and since the Socinians and Libertines to revive this moncter I have not time thorowly to discover the root of this poison only give me leave to leade you by the hand to some soveraigne Antidotes as strong preservatives against this infection To this end consider these two positions First That the Scripture cleerly holdeth out
that the soul is distinct from the body I passe over the arguments that learned men bring from the light of nature to confute this errour Consider what the God of truth hath revealed and you shall finde that the Scripture telleth us cleerly that though the soul be united to the body yet it is distinct from the body First in its rise Gen. 2.7 we have had the fathers of our flesh and have been obedient to them how much more to the father of spirits and live though God frame our bodies cause our bones to grow in our Mothers wombe take us out of our Mothers bellyt yet he useth our naturall parents as instruments of our body but it is Gods great prerogative to be the immediate father of the spirit Isa 57 16. Secondly It is distinct in its naturall operation is First the soule groweth most when the body groweth least there are distinct periods of time beyond which it is impossible to adde either a cubit or a haires breadth to ones stature but the soule is ever growing forward to its perfection Job 32.7 and multitudes of years though full of weaknes yet they utter wisdome Secondly The soule is often strongest when the body is weakest 2 Cor. Anima regit corpus repugnat passionibus quae complexionem sequntur Aquin. Contra Gent. l. 2. dying Christians have manifested the highest excellency under bodily infirmities when there hath been the least of the life of nature there hath been most transcendent glorious expressions of the life of grace and for this cause they fainted not finding by experience that when their outward man decayed their inward man was renewed day by day Thirdly The soule is not the temper of the body because it rules the temper and distempers of body Arg. 3 Thirdly They are distinct in supernaturall consolations when all joy of the body hath been darkned the supernaturall joyes of the soule have been enlarged when the bodies of Martyrs have been on the rack under torturings how have their soules been filled with inward triumphings embracing the burning flames like beds of reses and have endured all the dreadfull things that men could inflict to the admiration of their enemies and the conviction of many of their beholders as Justin Martyr and others Arg. 4 Fourthly They are distinct in their unnaturall pollutions there are spirituall wickednesses and malignities as well as bodily and we are bid to cleanse our selves from all fi lt hinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Pet. 2.11 and to abstaite fromall fleshly lusts which warte against the soule Arg. 5 Fifthly They are distinct in regard of the opposite duties required of man in demeaning himselfe to his body and to his soule Matth. 6.25 Christ hath commanded us to take no thought for the body but did he ever command us to take no thought for the soule are not his commands quite contrary viz. above all things looke to thy self Dent. 4.9 2 Pet. 1.10 Phil. 2.12 and keep thy soule diligently and give all diligence to make your calling and election sure and work out your salvation with feare and trembling now if God require those acts to be performed to the soule which are absolutely forbidden to the body then the soule must needs be distinct from the body Sixthly They are distinct at the time of dissolution when they part one from the other when the Servants of God have commended their bodies to the ground how have their soules rejoyced to goe out of this Tabernacle as Hilarioâ— and Polycarp Stephen when his body was stoned seeth Heaven opened and cryed Lord Jesus receive my spirit Acts 7.56 and 59. if the soule therefore be distinct from the body in the rise in the working in its consolationâ— in its duties in its pollutions and in the state after death than to confound the soule with the body is as great an errour as to confound life with death and light with darknes But especially consider that all those arguments that prove the soule to exist separate from the body doe answerably confute that Errour that the soule is but the temper of the body therefore consider the second Position Posit 2 The Scripture expressely teacheth us that the soule is not onely distinct from the body Sourâ— immmortall and doth not sleep till the day of the resurrection but that the soule liveth when separate from the body and that it is but a fancy of inconsiderate spirits to dreame that the soule sleepeth till the day of resurrection for the clâ—ering of this truth consider three arguments Arg. 1 First Consider the soules of the Saints and you shall finde that their soules doe not sleep with their bodies but that the Scripture speaketh expreslely that in the day of their death First they are gathered to their fathers so it is said of Abraham Gen. 25.8 now if Abraham was gathered to his fathers this must be in his soule for in his body there was no such gathering his progenitors being 〈◊〉 in Vâ— of the Chaldeâ—s but Abrahams body was interred in the cave of Machpelah before Mamre Gen. 25.9 in the land of Cannan Secondly Luk. 23.43 Christ promised the poor penitent thiefe on the crosse this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise there are some to avoid this Scripture would divide the words thus I say unto thee this day and make a stop there referring the word this day to the person promising and not to the blessing promised to which I answer that first to alter comma's stops against all received copies is a high presumption which if tolerated how will the sense of Scripture be wrested by wanton wits to their own perdition Secondly 1 Pet. 3.16 Luk. 23.41 the Context sufficiently confuâ—eth this glosse Christ answereth the desire of the poor penitent thiefe his request is Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome but Christ immediately that day entred into his kindome now in Christs answer none can imagine the words to be a denyall and if there be a granting his petition then to interpret the words that some thousand yeares after viz. at the day of the resurrection the thiefe should be remembred is to abuse the faith of this poor penitent to straiten Christs bounty and to wrest the words against their naturall sense that say expressely this day Christ hodiè must answer to the penitents quando and if in Paradise then surely not in the grave nor in any part of the Earth as that Paradise in the day of the Creation full of trees and herbs for Christ entred into the Heavenly Paradise 2 Cor. 12.2.4 and when Paul was wrapt up into Paradise he telleth us it was the third Heaven Thirdly You have read how Lazarus after his death was carryed into Abrahams bosome and that place Luk. 1â— 22 Non quietis lâ—cum sed aeternitatis sinum Aug. Calvin not a place of quiet tranquillity but the bosome
silent Fifthly The expression of death by the Holy ghost is a departure 2 Pet 1 14. putting off this tabernacle and it is a strange â—â—ake to take the house for the inhabitant Sixthly I cannot rockon the world of absurdities which follow this great errour that it 〈◊〉 gap to the overthrow of all the thoughts of Eternity for if arguments from nature can prevaile to delude the soule so farre as to thinke the soule is abolished at death what arguments can prevaile with a carnall heart to perswade it that the body shall be raised after death the voice of nature cryed aloud amongst the heathen that the soules of man were immortall and that there was a different state of the soules of just men and unjust after death the Elizian fields full of happines for the one sort and the Tartarean darknes full of horrour for the other t is an ancient observation that almost all Philosophers all Hereticks confessed the soule to be immortall and though they did not much desire it Animae saluteÌ„ credo tractatu carere omnes fere baeretici eam quoquo modo volunt tameâ— non negaÌ„t Tertul. de resur Carnis yet they were not able to deny it but the resurrection from the dead was by few of them discerned scarce by any of them acknowledged besides this errour is destructive to all religion our corrupt natures are full of the seeds of Atheisme we need all religion to eradicate them but nothing to foment them thoughts of Epicurisme sinke deep to count the fruition of carnall pleasures the greatest good how many thousand soules have miscarryed upon this rock who from hence have turned to be lovers of pleasures more then of God to preserve your soules from this infection 2 Tim. 3.4 Vid. Tertul. Lactan. c. Discede ab Ethnico haeretice quid alieno uteris clypeo si ab Apostolo ornatus es Tertul. de resur I have been thus large in proving this assertion I should proceed to confute the arguments brought to the contrary but the time preventeth me onely in briefe their argnments are either drawne from corrupt nature which are abundantly answered by the fathers in their disputes against the heathen and they wondred that hereticall Christians that enjoyed the light of Scripture should borrow any arguments from Galen and the rest of the heathen that sat in darknesse and in the valley of the shadow of death let Heathens turne to Christians to assert this truth but never let Christians so sarre â—â—â—â—tatise to Heathens as to assert their â—orrours or else their objections and seeming arguments are taken from mistaken Scripture I have scarcely time to relate them much lesse to refute them Object Some object and say Did not God threaten Adam In the day thou easest thereof thou shalt die and if he died Gen. 2.17 then the whole man did die for the body is not the man without the soul and therefore reason that immortall Adam must be made mortall Sol. To this I answer 1. That the death which God did threaten was not only naturall but spirituall and eternall and spirituall and eternall death may be upon the soul when the body perisheth the Angels that fell from their first standing are under death yet their being is not abolished Rev. 20.10 14. and after the day of judgement the wicked shall be cast into hell the second death yet they shall never be reduced to a non entitie for the smoake of their torment ascondeth for over If any say Rev. 14.11 Why is the whole man said to die if the soul liveth when the body is destroyed Lanswer That whatsoever belongeth to any part of any whole Quicquid convenit parti qua pars convenit toti secundum illam partem may be truly asscribed to the whole according to that part Man seeth yet the whole body is not an eye for then where was the eare but the whole light of the body is the eye Christ was born put to death buried and this is said of whole Christ but this is only in reference to the humane nature for the God-head is immortall 2. pet 3.18 and therefore he was put to death in the flesh only Object But they say When men are dead the Scripture expresly saith that they cannot praise God Psal 6.5 and 88.9 Isa 38.8 9. Sol. I answer the dead qui tales so farre as they are dead cannot praise God Rev. 14.13 the body that lieth in the grave resteth from its labour yet this doth not exclude the realiy of the act but the manner of the performance and so saith Hezekiah they shall not praise thee as I do this day Isa 38.19 the father to the children shall make known Gods truth 1. Though they cannot do it for anothers conversion yet they can do it for their own consolation and these souls that are with the Lord they follow the Lamb where ever he goeth and have their hallelujahs continually in their mouth Rev. 5.9 and blessed be they that dwell in God presence Psal 84.4 they will be alwaies praising him Object God is said only to have immortalitie c. Sol. God alone is immortall à parte ante from all eternity he alone is independently unchangeably infinitly immortall impossible 't is for any creature or all the creatures to anihilate God 't is an easie thing with God to anihilate any of his creatures he alone is the authour and continuer of immortality But I dare not in this point presume to detain you any longer what ever flesh and bloud may suggest or carnall reason object let your souls everlastingly dwell upon this strong foundation beleeving that there is another life besides this life There are many other Uses of this Doctrin to perswade you not only to beleeve this truth stedfastly but to blesse God for it abundantly That your souls doe not die with your bodie herein triumph that death hath no power of absolute destroying but only of changing and that change to your souls if you be in Christ is unspeakably for the better Be you therefore intreated all the daies of your life and appointed time Job 14.14 to wait till your change come esteem this truth as one part of the oracles of God most comfortable and one of the greatest remedies against all future fears and present miseries that though death destroy your bodie yet your hope may be in the rock of eternity that you may say as the Apostle doth here If we had hopes only in Christ in this life we were of all most miserable As you have heard the extent of this hope The 4th part so consider the ground of this extent here exprest by the Apostle drawn from an absurdity that the best of men otherwise should be most miserables which is an absurdity so grosse which the light of nature cannot but abhorre and therefore Paul counts it needlesse to use any other arguments to refute hence
Die Mercurij May 28. 1645. IT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament that M. Whitaker who preached this day before the Lords in Parliament is hereby thanked for the great pains hee took in his Sermon and is desired by their Lordships to print and publish the same which is not to be printed or reprinted by any but by authority under his own hand John Brown Cler. Parliamentorum July 15. 1645. I appoint John Bellamy to print this Sermon Jeremiah Whitaker THE CHRISTIANS HOPE TRIVMPHING In these glorious Truths 1. That Christ the ground of hope is God and not meer man against the Arians and other unbelieving Christians 2. That Christ is the true Messiah against the unbelieving Jews 3. That there is another life besides this against the grosse Atheist 4. That the soul of man is immortall and doth not sleep till the day of Resurrection against the errour of some seeming semi-Atheists 5. How the hope of Heaven should be attained whilst we are on earth against the carnall worldlings 6. How this hope may be discerned where it is and attained where it is not for the comfort of every poor Christian All which Truths are briesly pointed out and cleared In a Sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of LORDS in the Abby-Church at Westminster on Wednesday May 28. being the day appointed for solemn and publike Humiliation By Jeremiah Whitaker Published by Order of the House of Peers LONDON Printed by G. Miller for John Bellamy at the Sign of the three golden-Lions in Cornhill near the Royall-Exchange 1645. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE The HOUSE of PEERS Right Honourable ATheisme is the great sin of the world dogmaticall among the Pagans and practicall among those Christians Tit. 1.16 who professe they know God and yet in works deny him Satan cares not much what is our profession so be may rule in our conversation he knows where opinions have not strength to better practice there ill fractice by degrees Quid prodesse nebis praerog ariva Christiani nominis potest quod nos fideles esse jactamus quod Gothos ac Uvandalos hareticos despicimus cum ipsi â—â—eretica pravitate vivamur Salv. de Gub. l 7. will weaken the best opinions and what advantage is it for us to have the face of Christians and the hearts and heads of Pagans that our rule is straight and our lives crooked * Lex bona muneris est Christi vita autem non bona criminis nostri Salv l. 4. That God hath made our light clearer t is Gods free goodnesse that our lives are darker t is our own vilenesse It was his sad complaint that lived in such dolefull dayes as these when the Goths Hunns and Vandalls over ran the world and all Christendome put into a burning flame that the lives of Christians fell short of the Romans and did equall the worst of the Barbarians It is no wonder that when our unbeleife questions the deity of Christ the verity of Scriptures the mortality of the soule and so shakes the pillars of Heaven that the Lord hath a strong controversy with the world and causeth all the foundations of the earth to shake and to be out of order The way to cure the bleeding distempers of Christendome is for all men to endeavour to get inward perswasions answerable to their outward professions for as these main principles are more or lesse beleeved so is the heart and life of man better or worse ordered When the soul is once fully perswaded that Christ is God that he is the true Messiah that there is another life besides this that the Lord Christ is ready to come to judgement and his reward is with him then the soul begins to seek and beg an interest in Christ to flee from wrath to come to assure the hopes of Heaven whilst we are on earth and this hope when once truly attained carries the soul farre above the comforts of life and beyond the fears of death and makes men see no life to be so comfortable as that life which is most serviceable Your birth Right Honourable hath made you above other men this hope will make you above your selves and this communion with the great God will make daily additions to your greatnesse Then are men high-born indeed when they are born again of the most high God and then are the sons of Nobles truly great when there are added inward supernaturall principles of spirituall greatnesse It s the observation of one * Chrysost in Epist ad 1. Cor. c. 1. Hom 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. no mean man That some naturally are of a high stature others that are low have shoes and pantables to heighten them to a seeming greatnesse which of these will you call truly high or great He that is so by an adventitiall separable addition or he that is so by a growth that 's naturall It is one thing to be highly esteem'd of others another to have a minde worthy of esteem in it self One man thinks clay to be clay and despiseth it another thinks clay to be gold and admires it which of these two is high Is it not he that despiseth a peece of earth and who is vile and abject but he that adores a peece of earth and spends his soul to load himself with thick clay Hab. 2.6 that man who in the height of outward greatnesse accounts himself but dust and ashes his minde is full of inward excellency he that admires and adores himself will not look upon himself as gilded clay is of an abject minde and much deluded in the midst of all outward eminency to have high thoughts of things most mean and mean thoughts of things most high infallibly argues the minde to be full of weaknesse others say to be full of basenesse * Chrys ibid. He spake like a Noble man indeed that said Let their honour and wealth perish that thinke all greatnesse in the world like one daies communion with the great God To clear up these great principles hath been the aime of these weak endeavours T is the arm of the mighty God that alone can rebuke the spirit of unbelief therefore that the great God Gen. 9.27 who perswades Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem may imprint these eternall characters upon your hearts and lift you up to sit in heavenly places with Jesus Christ Ephes 1 6. Luk. 10.20 that your names may be written in heaven 1 Sam. 2.8 and that you may for ever inherit the thrones of glory is the earnest prayer of Your Lordships humble Servant in the Lord Jeremiah Whitaker A SERMON Preached at a late Fast before the Right Honourable the House of PEERS 1 COR. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable Right Honourable and Beloved GOD hath raised many of you up to be higher then your brethren as Saul was higher then the people from
they alone have strong consolation who flee for refuge to the hope st before them and by this hope enter within the vaile whither the forerunner is before entred that this might dwell upon your hearts give me leave to propound a few motives Consid 1 Consider first the necessity of hope no man without it can live contentedly or die comfortably First No man can live contentedly aske your owne soules doe you thinke that any of you can live either rationally as men or usefully as Magistrates or spiritually as Christians First Doe you thinke that any can live rationally as men without hope life without hope may be sensuall like to the life of beasts made to be taken and to be destroyed but it cannot be rationall for reason teacheth us so to use things temporall as to provide for things eternall What content can there be to a man of reason without hope when he considereth either the deficiency of the good he enjoyeth or the eminency of the evil he feareth First for the deficiency of good looke on the sonnes of men that seeme to themselves and others the happiest under the sun and you shall easily perceive this truth first that no condition of men is so compleatly good as to be without a mixture of evil there are some graines of gall and wormwood to allay the sweetnes of the most delightfull potion and though this beitternes for a few moments may be concealed from sense yet it is cleare to reason whenn man reflecteth inwardly and communeth with his owne heart Solomon when he returned to himselfe judged the comfort that before seemed most admitable to be most contemptible crying out Vanitie of vanities allthings underthe sun were butvanitie Ecccles 1.8 full of labour that man could not utter it the eye being not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing therefore all the good things of this world being in themselves incompleat can never give to the soule compleat contentment for nothing can act above its one sphere Secondly Suppose the condition of some on man of ten thousand to be so good as to be free from any considerable mixture of evil yet no-condition here below but is capable of a melioration it is not so good but it may be better so hope is still needfull that all fruitions might be heightened by expectations Thirdly If the condition be such that thy soule doth nott wish it to be better yet thy heart may justly feare it may be worse and so there is ever need of hope if not for a new addition of some good you have not yet for the continuance of all the good you have otherwise when you say your mountaine is the strongest then desolation may be the neerest and when there is the highest lifting up then you may meet with the saddest casting downe when Nebuchadnezzar said Is not this great Babel which I have built for my selfe c. then came there a voice from Heaven saying thy kingdome is departed from thee Dan. 4 31. c. and when the rich man in the Gospell began to feed upon sense without hope and said Soule take thine ease he had that sad answer returned foole this night shall thy soule be taken from thee Luk. 12.20 Secondly Consider the eminencie of evil besides that there is a mixture of evil for the present with allgood whereby it cometh to pasle that all your comforts laid in the balance can scarcely equall your diseomforts yet consider all the evil you feel for the present is nothing to what you may feare for the future and it is not so ill to day but it may grow worse to morrow we had need to remember our Creator in out best time before the evil dayes come in which we shall say we have no pleasure in them and when after all stormes and tempest still the cloudes shall returne after the raine Eccles 12.2 Thirdly Consider the sadnes of these dayes the Lord hath made the glory of our Jacob thin Isa 17.4 and the fatnes of his flesh to wax leane and a great fire is kindled under all our glory How are the estates of many great men emptied how many Naomies out of every Countrey that say Call me not Naomi but Marah how is the greatnes of men diminished how are their honours overclouded the day of the Lord of Hosts is not onely on the Bryars and Bushes buton all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan Isa 2.13 upon all the high mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up God calleth upon all the sonnes of men Enter into the rock and hide your selves in the dust for feare of the Lord and the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shalke terribly the the Earth whe had never more terrours without God raineth downe upon us feares and snares and an horrible tempest and therefore we had never more need of hopes within Secondly Without hope great men cannot live usefully as Magistrates when God hath made any of the sonnes of men great it is hard not to be great in their owne eyes this aslure your selfe of that though you are greater yet your corruptions are not thereby fewer Originall sin is in all men equall your diversions for the most part are greater you have so much company of others as that you have little time to commune with your owne hearts your temptations are stronger the greater you are Satanoweth you the greater spite few have been made better by greatnes how many men doe all ages tell us of who have been made worse there are many flatterers and but few admonishers It was Solomons unhappines in the midst of all his glory Eccles 7.28 that he found scarce one man in a thousand faithfull adde to this that your engagements to God are greater your falles if you miscarrie more exemplary your account unto the great God more dreadfull you have I knowne saith God above all the people of the Earth therefore you will I punish for your iniquities Thirdly No man can live spiritually as a Christian without hope every Christian besides the combats he must meet with as man hath other combats he must undergoe as a Christian his spirituall combat is stronger not onely with temptations without but with corruptions within his thoughts are higher his feares are larger his care is not onely how to be secure in mans day but how he may be delivered from sinne and death and hell how he may stand fast in the day of evil What is it that can make a poore sonle enter into this combat continue in this conflict despise this world deny himselfe runne thorow all straits triumph over all difficulties but onely hope which causeth us to see that the light affliction of this world which is but for a moment Worketh for us a farre more excellent and eternall weight of glory whilst we looke not on the things that are seen
Angels should be founded upon fancies and mistakes and their consolation should be a meer delnsion there is litle reason to accoset he best of men of madnes but is madnes it selfe for men to charge the elact Angels with folly Fifthly Consider the nature and the employment of those damned spirits Beeszebub the old * Revel 12 9. 2 Pet. 2.4 red Dragon and Serpent called the Davil and Satan who deceiveth the world Have you not read of their condition how God hath bound them with chaines of darknes and hath reserved them for judgement If so Quocumque vadunt geben numsuam portant Aq. 12. q. 64. art 4. Tâ—rmenta flaÌ„marum secum ferunt instar sebricitant is qut â—â—s â—est's eburneis ponatur servorem evitare non potest Estrus lib. 2 distin 6.13 Beda in Iacob 3. 2 Pet. 2.9 10.22 then there must be another world at least to them and if to them then to us for if God spared not the Angels that 〈◊〉 but cast them down to Hell that where ever they goe they carry their chaine and their holl with them surely then God knoweth how to reserve the unjust for the day of Judgement cherfly those that walk after the flesh speaking evil of things they know not sporting themselves with their own deceiving those men shall utterly porish in their own corruptions Have ye not heard of the horrour that overwhelmeth them that they are forced though they resist God to beleeve that which they approve not and to tremble under the wrath they cannot avoid But especially thinke of that imployment how they walke thorow drie places fretting and vexing themselves running too and fro and compassing the Earth how Satan entred into the heart of Judas to betray his Master Jam. 2.19 Math. 11.43 Job 1.7 Luk. 22.3 Act. 5.3 filled Ananias and Saphira to lye against the Holy Ghost What paines they take to leade away the soules of poor men and women captive If there were not another life besides this and if the soule were not immortall why is it that those spirits goe about continually seeking whom they may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 and never cease to accuse God to us and day and night to accuse the Saints unto God Arg. 6 Sixthly Adde to all these the consideration of witches and wizards you haue heard how Saul sought to the witch of Endor how that witch had familiar spirits at her command 1 Sam. 28. â— how Manasseh made his sonnes passe thorow the fire 2 King 11.6 used inchaniments dealt with familiar spirits and wizards how this sinne did abound amongst the Canaanites of old how strictly God forbad the people of Israel that there should not be amongst them any one that used divination or an inchanter or a witch or a charmer or a consultour with familiar spirits or a wizard or a Necromancer Deut. 18.10 11. for all that doe those things are an abomination to the Lord and for all these abominations did the Lord drive them out from before them How did Satan deceive the Nations by the Oracle of Delphos how hath this sinne raigned in all ages amongst the Caldeans the Jewes and Gentiles which things are so evident as none can deny them and can any one imagine that Satan would be so sollicitous to seduce ready to captivate so obsequious for a time to become a drudge and a vassall to the poorest of men and silliest of women that he may winne their soules if there were no other life then this life To this adjoyne the art of Conjuring which though abominable beyond expression yet it is so notorious in all places and in all ages that it is beyond the deniall of any who hath not sunke himselfe below his species who lest his lust should be disquieted and his soul tormented before his time hath sold himselfe over to be a slave to unbeleife and is resolved to shut his eyes against the light of Scripture and against the light of Nature and to close his eares against all the loud clamours of the heart within and experiences without and what arguments can convince that soule which hath made a Covenant with death and is at agreement with Hell that is resolved what ever is said to perswade him yet he will not be perswaded and though one or ten thousand should rise from the dead that soule will not be perswaded lest that his lusts should be molested Arg. 7 Seventhly Consider the naturall conscience that is in all men their thoughts one while accusing excusing Rom. 2.15 what inward gripes and secret terrours still poor mad wretches suffer themselves to be so baffled and master'd with their lusts that at length they joynwith their lusts to baffle and get the victory over their owne consciences that being past feeling Ephes 4 19. they may commit sin with greedines yet when they have done all they finde it difficult to keep down these sparks and to suppresse these flashes that are ever rising up If this be rightly weighed it may be reputed one Argument that the thoughts of another life of another day of account are written on the hearts of all men and that the imagination to the contrary is rather an option then an opinion rather an intimation of what is desired by them then beleived of them especially if you in the naturall conscience consider these things First The inquisitions about immortality all questions doubts debates upon this subject argue the soul to be immortall for it is only a principle of immortality that maketh man dispute whether the soule be immortall for as none can distinguish betwixt rationall and irrationall but he that is rationall Vid. Morn de veritate rel Cir. p. 293. for he that denyeth man to be rationall by doubting of it and disputing against it in those acts proveth himselfe to be rationall which his words seem to deny so none can dispute or distinguish betwixt mortall and immortall but only he that is immortall and these thoughts of immortality are not only in some men of some tempets but upon the hearts of all the sonnes of men Secondly Consider the affectation of a kinde of immortality in the worst of men who have taken great paines to gull themselves into an opinion that the soule is mortall What monuments what pillars have they erected Psal 49.11 Ph. Morn ibid. p. 202. Vulgus desunctis parentat quidem impeÌ„si simo officio quos negat sentire quicquam etiam desiderare profueruÌ„t Tertul. de re ur carnis how have they called their land after their own names t is observed by him that was an honour to the Nobility that Epicurus himselfe who denyed immortality in his life yet he appointed at his death a great summe of money to be yearly payed that there might be an annuall commemoration of the day of his birth and to what purpose is this if when he lived like a beast he must die like a hogg if
observe Doct. 4 If all the good that the soul expects from Christ should be limited to this life then the best Christians should be most miserable And if so then God the best master should be the worst and the children of wisdome should be the sons of folly then might the Epicure and Atheist blesse themselves in their own lusts call the proud happy and say it is in vain to serve the Lord and what profit is it Mal. 3.14 15. that any have kept his ordinances and walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts Obj. Why may some say if there be an end of all good and evil to all men at the end of this life yet wherein are the Saints worse then others Is not their condition at least equall to the condition of other men though there should be no heaven to crown the righteous and no heli to torment the wicked yet is it not an excellency in it self to choose good and refuse evil Should not vertue be loved for it self Can there be any greater reward to goodnesse then goodnesse it self c. Answ I answer however it be a pleasant thing in it self to praise the Lord with joyfull lips Psal 36.8 1 Pet. 2.3 yet after that the soul hath drunk of the Rivers of Gods pleasures tasted that the Lord is gracious made their boast of God and triumphed in the hope of the glory of Christ then for the seul to goe under a dark cloud and everlastingly to be cut off from those ravishing enjoyments this would make the Saints in many respects more miserable then other men Resp. 1 The comforts of Christians as they are Christians in things of this life are fewer God of set purpose calls their hearts off from the creature commands them to forsake Father and Mother Mat. â—â— 37 Mark 8.34 Gen. 12.1 Heb. 11.24 house and land for his Name sake bids them deny themselves Abraham must forsake Vr of the Chaldees Moses must refuse to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter The Disciples leave all to follow Christ and they are promised Mat. 19.28 that when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory that then they also shall sit upon thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Resp. 2 The discomforts and afflictions that the Saints endure for Christ are heavier for his fake they are plundred of their estates and suffer the spoiling of their goods with joy Heb. 10.34 perswading themselves that in heaven they have a better and more enduring substance for Christ sake they are reproached in their names to this very hour saith Paul We hunger and thirst and are naked 1 Cor. 4.11 â—â— and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place reviled persecuted defamed we are made the filth of the world and the off-scowring of all things For Christs sake in their bodies they are imprisoned as Paul and Silas banished from their dearest relations driven from their sweetest comforts How were the Martyrs stoned Heb. 11.37 38 sawn asunder stain with the Sword How were they forced to wander in sheep-skins and goat-skins in deserts and in mountains in dens and in the caves of the earth destitute afflicted tormented and yet were they in their generations men more precious then the gold of Ophir of whom the world was not worthy And how did the modern Martyrs sing in the flames triumphing in Christ Rom. 8. â—6 for thy Name sake are we slain all the day long and we are counted as sheep to the staughter Resp. 3 As their comforts are fewer their discomforts heavier in this life so that in regard of the things of this life they are more miserable So consider them in reference to the life to come and you shall finde that the great work of grace is to take up their spirits from this world Tit. 2.14 16. to look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God Hence it is that 1. First Their apprehensions of heaven are larger Christ hath taken up their souls unto the tops of Pisga and hath discovered to them the land of Canaan 〈…〉 7. and hath given them more then others to taste the powers of the world to come and to sit with him in heavenly places Hen. 6.4 Epâ—â—â—â— 2.6 1 Cor. 13 1â— and though they see but little and that little darkly as in a glasse whilst they are in their way to what they shall see when they are in their Countrey when they shall see God face to face and know him as they are known of him yet they see so much as they cannot but admire O how great is thy goodnesse Isâ—â— 31.19 O Lord which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee 2. Their affections towards heaven are stronger Carnall hearts that know not God believe not the things of Christ though they be never satisfied with the earth yet they are very indifferent about the things of heaven If I be saved saith such a wretch I shall be saved if I be damned who can help it I shall not be alone I shall be as well as others I will endure it as well as I can What endure the losse of heaven endure the wrath of the Almighty God oh poor wretch when thy soul comes to see but a glimpse Lu. 1â— 28 29. what heaven is and shalt see others coming from the East and West sitting down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven and thy self shut out when they are admitted thy soul to be excluded this will cause weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever Mâ—t. 8. If Rachel could not endure the losse of her children If Jacob could not endure the supposed losse of Joseph Gâ—n 37.35 and when all his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him he refused to be comforted saying I will go down into the grave to my son mourning 2 Sam 7.23 If Ahithophel could not endure in the rejectment of his counsell If Mordecai could not endure the want of the bowing of the knee of Mordecai Esth 5.13 If Queen Mary could not endure the losse of Callis but said when she was dead if they opened her they should finde the losse of Callis written upon her heart how then can thy soul endure the losse of eternity The Saints know this and believe it and the thoughts of the losse of heaven cuts them to the heart their souls are made willing to undergoe any losse on earth Act. 20.24 and they count not their lives dear unto themselves so they may finish their course with joy But when they have willingly over gone the losse of all the comforts on the earth of their estates their liberties their lives then to undergoe the losse of heaven this is that which they prayed against all their lives long O draw me not away with the wicked Psal 28.3 3. Not only their affections are thus set on things above but their
conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.10 from whence they look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change this vile body that it may be like unto his glorious body for this they both labour and suffer this is that for which all the daies of their Pilgrimage since their conversion they have been trading and trafficking for now when they have laid out all they are and all they have for the purchasing this pearl if at the end of their life they should be deprived of this purchased possession this must needs make them more miserable 4. The love that they bear to Jesus Christ is sweeter Christ hath led them into his wine-cellar and taken them up into the bed of love espoused them to himself and kissed them with the kisses of his mouth when others are meer strangers to these spirituall embraces what if a stranger count it no misery to be severed from Christ Isa 54.6 yet what woman is not grieved in spirit for the losse of the husband of her youth What saies a poor Christian must Christ and my soul part now God forbid The time was I did not know him nor long after him when the thoughts of Christ were not in my heart then to have been severed from Christ would have appeared to me to have been no great misery Gal. 4.9 but now when my soul hath known him or rather is known of him when the desires of my soul have been let out towards Christ Isa 26. and the remembrance of his name when I have made Christ my joy my crown of rejoycing now to part with that which my soul loves will make me miserable Ruth 1.16 therefore the poor soul cleaves to Christ as Ruth to Naomi saying Intreat me not to leave thee nor forsake thee where ever thou goest let me goe that where thou art there my soul may be also 5. Consider that the expectations of the Saints are firmer It is the hope of heaven that makes them passe thorow good report and bad report the gladnesse of their hearts is not the joy of sense but the rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God 〈…〉 and this hope holds them above all fears to this hope they flee as to a Rock of refuge set before them and for this cause they faint not and all these light afflictions Rom 8. â—â— Hâ—b 11 1â— which are but for a moment they count unworthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed to them willing they are to count themselves Pilgrims and strangers upon earth seeking this heavenly Countrey this house not made with hands this inheritance immortall undefiled and that never fades away 1 Pet 1.4 They that were never born to these high hopes may better bear their mean condition but after the abundant mercy of God hath begotten them again to this lively hope and raised them up to all these glorious expectances 1 Pet. 1.3 then to goe disappointed must needs make them miserable Job 6 12 20. If the Troops of Tema when they looked and the companies of Sheba when they waited for waters and found none if they were confounded because they had hoped if the sons of Nobles in that time of drought returned ashamed Jer. 14.3 confounded and with their heads covered because they came to the pits and found no waters if in petty expectations here below Isa 9 11. we often times roar like Bears and mourn sore like Doves when we look for judgement but there is none and for salvation but it is farre from us what soul can then bear the disappointments of eternity But surely experience of Christ works hope Rom. 5.4 vers 5. and this hope will never make the soul of any Christian to be ashamed Adde to all the former not only the disappointment of their hope but the disparagement of Christ their head whose name is more tender to their souls then the apple of their eye Where is the great work of Christs redemption from what evils did Christ redeem his people from If his people have onely hope in Christ for this life surely from the evils of this life the best of the Saints are not exempted to the greatest of these evils they lie exposed where and what then is the inheritance of the Saints in light where are those sons and daughters that the Captain of salvation made perfect through sufferings bringeth unto glory Heb. 2.10 What are become of all those precious promises of Jesus Christ Joh. 14.2 I goe to prepare a place for you In my Fathers house there are many mansions What is become of all the prayers and strong cries that Christ uttered in the daies of his flesh Father I will that those that thou hast given me were with me where I am Joh. 17.24 that they may behold my glory Surely if the hope of the Saints be limited to this life then Christ is disparaged and all the expectation of the Saints disappointed Obj. It may be this Doctrine is true for those Christians that are poor that live in a low afflicted condition whose sorrows and sufferings doe abound whose life is made bitter unto them by reason of sore bondage but what doe you say to great men whose cup is full and runs over upon whose tabernucle the Almighty shineth in this life God hath made their portion very fat and their meat to be plenteous and if there be no other life beside this sure of all men in this life they are most happy and in what sense can it be said in life or death upon this supposall that of all men they are most miserable An. The text speaks of Christians that are good rather then of them that are great and if God hath made men both great and good Psal 119 96. and hath called your souls into fellowship with Christ he hath opened your eyes to see an end of all these seeming perfections before you come to your end and then what is all the greatnesse upon earth in comparison to one daies communion with the great God Besides the more you enjoy in your life the more you are to lose and leave at your death and is it not a misery in death to be stripped of all if beggars so unwillingly put off their raggs how unwilling are Princes to be plucked away from their robes and the sons of Nobles to goe down into the grave and there to make their bed in the darke what greater unhappinesse is there then to say I have been happy but now I must be plundred of all and be eternally in an undone condition never to take pleasure any more and there is nothing of honour nor of all my labour wherein I have shewed my self wise under the Sun that I may take away with me in my hand This is a sore evil that in all points as I came naked Eccles 5 16. so I must goe where the rise is highest the
downfall is greatest and there is no down-fall like that of great Babel How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer sonne of the morning Hell from beneath is moved for thee Isa 14.11 12. to meet thee at thy coming thy pomp is brought down to the grave and the noise of thy viols the worme is spread under thee and the worms cover thee Vse 1 I have not time to shew the sad condition of them that are without hope that walk by sight and not by faith that as the Prodigall will have their portion in their own hands Luk. 6.14 and in this life have their consolation what will these poor souls doe when all their water in the bottle is spent and their lives draw near to death and their daies to the destroyers there are others also whose condition is yet more dreadfull that not only neglect this hope in themselves 2 Pet. 3 4. but deride it in others that walk after their own lust saying where is the promise of his coming who are a generation of men that need rather to be lamented then to be confuted they shame the counsell of the poor because he makes the Lord his hope Psal 14.6 Vse 2 Only let me intreat you to enquire strictly whether Christ hath wrought this hope in you the times wherein we live are gloomy daies we may be suddenly we must be shortly call'd out to a fietie triall let not then our evidences be to seek when they should be used this lease is expiring and if there be no possibility to renew it 2 Pet. 1.10 it is time to provide elsewhere for some certainty it is our duty to make our calling and election sure and blessed be God that there is a possibility for the main to be assured when all other things are endangered You are bound to give a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3.15 with meeknesse and with fear and if you owe this duty unto others you owe it much more unto your own souls if you dare not seriously commune with your own hearts in the day of peace what shall you doe in the day of trouble and in the swellings of Jordan If any ask may this hope be discerned I answer though this hope in some be reall and radicall where it is not visible yet it is possible to be discerned where it is and needfull to be attained where it is not Vse Exam. For the discovery of it where it is it is very helpfull to consider 1. The Causes that breed it 2. The graces that doe accompany it and 3. The effects that follow it I may not presume to handle the two former give me leave to insist upon the latter Consider the effects of hope in a four-fold demeanour of the soul towards hope it self towards God the authour and object of it towards the world or the Word of God the ground of hope Signe 1 First The carriage of the soul towards hope it self The effect of hope in the carriage of the soul towards hope Psal 17.14 appears in these or such particulars 1. That the soul that hath this hope in heaven would by no means confine this hope to earth but praies with the Psalmist Deliver me from the wicked from the men of this world that have their portion in this life When Christ discovered the sad condition of the Pharisees he said Woe unto them verily I say unto you you have your reward why might they say Mat. 6.2 if we have it we are the surer of it and a little in hand is better then much in expectation But what ever you imagine this is certain there can be no greater misery then to have your reward in this life where you have but a short being and to have no reward in another where you are to have your everlasting being therefore Christ denounceth their condition to be woefull Luk. 6.24 that in this life have received their consolation 2. The Saints would not exchange their hopes of heaven for the possession of all the good things on earth it was a bold speech of Paul to King Agrippa I would to God that not only thou Act. 26.29 but that all that hear me were not almost but altogether such as I am Why Paul what is thy condition that thou desirest not to be like to King Agrippa but the King to be like to thee and not almost but altogether surely Pauls happinesse was not in hand but in hope consisting in this I know whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1.12 nay such high thoughts have the Saints of this hope that take the poorest soul that hath many doubts and fears and temptations and desertions that never attained any certainty of hope ask that soul wilt thou part with a possibility of heaven why dost thou wait any longer that soul for all the world would not part with a possibility of heaven in reversion to obtain the whole earth in present possession whereas the carnall heart and groundlesly confident will easily part with his seeming certainty of heaven Heb. 12.16 for the least probability of earth and is as profane Esau who sold his birth-right for a mosse of pottage but the Saints prize unspeakably more a meer possibility then a carnall heart doth all his seeming certainty Thirdly The soule so prizeth this hope that it is never content without it full of doubts unwilling to be deceived unable to be held in suspense inquisitive into his owne condition giving all diligente to attaine the full assurance of hope to the end Heb. 6.11 this is the griefe that poor Saints mourne under the great weight that they cannot beare crying out as the Church saith I seek him whom my soule loveth Cant. 3. â— 17 I seek him but I finde him not but still enquiring Oh tell me where thou lodgest thou whom my soule loveth and I charge you Cant. 5.8 Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem it you meet him whom my soule loves tell him that I am sick of love Fourthly The Saints so prize this hope that when it is attained they count this hope their cheife contentment The joy of the Saints consists in holding fast the confidence and rejoycing of their hope sure unto the end Heb. 3.6 well may the Psalmist say My lines are fallen in a good place Psal 16.5 the Lord is the portion of my cup. When the seventy Disciples returned with joy telling Christ that the devils are subject unto us through thy name Luk 10.17 ver 20. Christ answers In this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you what not joy in this to heale all diseases to cast out Devils if this be not a cause of joy what is or what can be Christ answers rejoyce in this rather that your names are written in the book of life this hope made Paul say Phil. 4.11 I have learned in every estate therewith to be content and hath made
all Saints in all ages to be confident that godlines is profitable for all things 1 Tim. 4.8 Job 21.14 whereas carnall men have undervalued the wayes of God and have been ever questioning what profit shall we have if we pray unto him Fifthly When this hope is attained the soule will not adventure the losse of it for the attainment of the best things in the Earth Phil. 3.8 but counts all things as losse and dung in respect of this chusing rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin Heb. 11.26 that are but for a moment and liking this choice so well that no arguments can draw them from it Joh. 6.68 whither should we goe Lord thou hast the words of eternall life no nor will the Saints adventure this hope for the avoiding of the worst condition for this hopes sake they have bin a Act. 5.41 imprisoned b Heb. 10.33 plundered c Heb. 11.37 banished d Heb. 11.35 tormented and all too little hope causing them to triumph that all these light afflictions which are but for a moment 2 Cor. 4.17 18. worke unto them a more exceeding weight of glory Effect 2 Secondly Consider the carriage of the soule that hath this hope towards God First The soule that hath this hope adoreth the riches of gods love that man may come to God in the new and living way Heb. 10.29 when Adam fled from God and the damned spirits cannot indure the approaches of Christ but cry out What have we to doe with thee Matth. 9.29 Ezra 9.2 thou Jesus of Nazareth that yet there is hope in the God of Israel for such sinnes as they have committed and for such sinners as they confesse themselves to be when all other hopes faile that there is yet hopes of Heaven to poore sinners that are conscious of their deserts of Hell here are the exceeding riches of his glory and that height and depth and such dimensions of love that the more they know the love of Christ Ephes 3.19 the more they finde t passeth knowledge and their apprehensions of this love end in admirations behold what manner of love the father had bestowed upon us 1 Joh. 3.1 that we should be called the sonnes of God who are the children of wrath by nature Secondly This hope as it admireth the love of God to us so it inlargeth the soule in love to God 2 Cor. 5.14 for the love of Christ constraineth us if Christ died then were we all dead and therefore we that live are no longer to live to our selves to our own ease and carnall contentment but to the praise of him who love us and gave himselfe for us Thirdly This hope maketh us to eye God to see him that is invisible to set God at our right hand to make his glory our end Heb. 11.27 Psal 16.8 Psal 25.15 Rom. 8.24 and our aime our eyes are ever to the Lord and he shall bring us out of our distresse this keepeth the soule in a waiting condition and not to be weary in looking upward Fourthly This hope transformeth us into Gods nature he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as God is pure 1 Joh. 3.1 looketh on every act of sin as an act of uncleannes never counteth himselfe pure enough but while he is living that soule is cleansing himselfe till the soule come to be presented to the father without spot or wrinkle Ephes 5.27 Fifthly This hope sweetens the thoughts of God and of Eternity maketh all those glorious truths as the day of the appearing of Jesus Christ c. that in their nature are very dreadfull to grow delightfull and setteth them into a state of looking for 2 Pet. 3.12 and hastening to the comming of the Lord. Sixtly This hope admireth the happinesse of all that are in Christ crying out Psal 65.4 Col. 1.12 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest giving thanks that God hath counted any of the sonnes of men meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the Saints in light Ephes 1.18 and beggeth for others that their eyes may be opened to see what is the hope of this calling Effect 3 The third effect of this hope appeareth in its demeanour towards this world The hope of Heaven First Weakens our esteem of things below enabling the soul to count it a small thing to be judged in mans day 1 Cor. 4.3 when we are risen with Christ then we begin to set our affections on things above and not an things below Col. 3.2 Secondly This lessens our expectation from things below sheweth as the vanity of all earthly comforts in their nature in their continuance in their use Luk. 12.15 that mans life doth not consist in the abundance of these things Thirdly This hope keepeth the soule from swelling when outward comforts doe abound Psal 64.10 if riches increase set not your hearts on them Fourthly This hope preserveth the soule from sinking when discomforts flow in to overwhelme it calleth upon the soule why art thou disquieted in me Psal 41.5 hope thou in God there is more good to be received by hope then we have lost then we can lose that hope that bringeth the soule to the good that is eternall onely can sustaine the soule from sinking under evil temporall Effect 4 The fourth Effect of this hope is in its carriage towards the word of God as hope holdeth up the soule from sinking so the word of God holdeth up faith from fainting therefore all the children of hope are much affected with the word Psal 119.49 upon which God causeth his servants to put their trust see what high expressions there are used in one Psalme Psal 119. by him that was a man after Gods own heart First is your esteem of the word such as you can say with him in truth ver 32. ver 6. ver 27. ver 52. the Law of thy mouth is better then thousands of Gold and Silver and that you have respect unto all Gods commandements thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellours and thy statutes have been my song in the house of my Pilgrimage Secondly That your soules love this word and can say I love thy commandements above Gold yea above much fine Gold and how sweet is thy Word unto my taste yea sweeter then the honey ver 127. ver 103. ver 11. ver 148. ver 111. ver 161. and the heney-combe Thirdly Are your desires so after this word that you hide it in your hearts make it your meditation claime it as your inheritance for ever that your heart standeth in awe of his Word that you have chosen the way of his precepts that your soules can no more subsist without the Word of God then your bodyes without food and therefore your soule breaketh for the longing it hath to Gods precept at all times
ver 20. 1 Pet. 2.2 Job 23.12 that you desire the word as new borne babes the brests and long for it as much as for your appointed food this is a strong argument your hope is grounded upon the Word of God when the word doth nourist it this word weakneth the hope of Hypocrites discovereth the rottennes of their vain confidence but t is otherwise with the Saints though their soules have many doubts when they consult with humane reason yet when they come to the law Isa 57.19 and to the testimony the Lord createth the fruit of the lips to be peace and when their light is cleerest their hope is strongest Vse 3 Let this Doctrine make your soules in love with this hope which will be an arke to preserve you when others are drowned a City of refuge to secure you when others fall into the hand of that avenger of blood that doth pursue them If any aske how shall we attaine this frame of spirit to set our hopes on God I answer and so conclude Vse 4 Take these directions First strive to apprehend and meditate upon the great blessing of Jesus Christ let the thoughts of eternity dwell upon your hearts things not apprehended can never be desired nor really expected Secondly That you may apprehend these riches of Christs glory beleeve the excellencies revealed in the Gospel the object of hope is things invisible and faith must be the ground of such things hoped for Heb. 11.1 and the onely evidence we can have for those things that are not seen if any prophane person resolve I will not beleeve that there is a Heaven or a Hell nor the powers of the world to come till I see them Consider poore soule when these truths are the object of thy sight they cannot be the object of thy hope for hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth Rom. 8 24. why doth he yet hope for beleeve therefore the excellencies of Jesus Christ otherwise thou wilt never be at the paines to cleare thy interest in them and if Heaven be not first made the object of thy hope it can never be made the object of thy sight expectation must precede fruition Thirdly Love the excellencies of the Lord Jesus Christ many things may be beleeved as true Fides est â—â—alarum rerum bonarum quare bona creduntur mala boc fide bonà non malâ c. Lombard l. 3. dist 27. Psal 43 4. Cant. 8.6 and yet not loved as good faith may be good when the object of it is evil for we are bound to beleeve every truth which God revealeth the evil of sin as truly as the goodnesse of grace but nothing is the object of hope but what the soule is really perswaded is truly good where love is weake the mind is carelesse and hope cannot be strong and that which is not earnestly desired is never greedily expected but when the desires of our soule are earnestly carryed out after Christ when we set up Christ in our hearts as the gladnes of our joy then we begin to long after him then love and hope prove strong as death and hope deferred maketh the heart sick but this is the great priviledge of this hope though in all other things you may meet with disappointments yet God will fulfill the desires of them that feare him and the expectation of poore soules in Christ shall never goe away ashamed Prov. 13.12 and when this hope is granted it will be a tree of life Fourthly In the use of all meanes that God hath appointed beg importunately the spirit of grace which God hath promised freely t is beyond the ability of mans will above the strength of ordinances above the reach of any created power to worke this hope t is easy to presume but to beleeve and hope in God that raiseth up the dead is an act of transcendent difficultie for a poore soule under the sense of sinne and Gods wrath and sight of Hell to roll it selfe upon the rich mercy of Christ to have all this guilt so great to be pardoned and all the lusts that are strong to be subdued this is onely the gift of God and therefore pray that the eyes of your understanding may be opened and that your hearts and consciences may experimentally feele that exceeding working of his power Ephes 1.19 1 Pet. 1.21 which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead that your faith and hope may be in God and that your soules may be so in love with Heaven and your perswasions thereof so well grounded that you may be above the love of this life and above the feare of death and that all the dayes of your appointed time Job 14.14 you may be waiting till your change come FINIS
but on the things that are not seen for the things that are seen are temporall but the things that are not seen are eternall 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Secondly As no man can live contentedly Secondly no man can dicomfortably without hope so no man can die comfortably without hope Who can expresle the darknesse of that soul that liveth without feare and dyeth without hope when all joy is darkened and all glory goeth downe under a dark cloud and all comforts end in a storme which never bloweth over when you must leave the condition you know for a condition which you know not when you must leave a certainty for to goe upon a contigency when the poor wandring trembling soul is unable to stay in and unwilling to goe out when the soule goeth upon eternity not knowing whither when the body must goe to ly under the slimic valley that before lay upon beds of lvorie and the eyes that saw the glory of the world must never see light any more and the eares which before heard delightfull musique must now be for ever stopped better never to have come into the world then to goe out of it without hope a Roman may die patiently and harden his heart against sorrow but onely a Christian through hope can die triumphantly crying out Oh death where is thy sting Oh grave where is thy victorie 1 Cor. 15.55 c Consid 2 Secondly as no man can live or die without hope and this snoweth the necessity of it so no hope can carry us thorow all difficulties but hope in Christ thinke but on the insufficiency of the creature the vanity of all other hopes without hope there is no sulsistonce and without Christ hope cannot subsist if you must hope where will you place this hope you cannot rationally settle this hope either in your self or in any other creature not in your self for what is there in your self that can be a rationall ground of hope not your parts though never so great they may be soon blasted are often greatly poysoned and if they continue in their greatest lustre they may be overpow'rd Hushai goeth beyound Achitophel and the wisest of men have found the steps of their owne strength straitned Job 18.7 and their owne counsels to cast them downe this hope cannot be in your estates they are not so full but they may be soon emptie Pro. 23.5 wilt thou set thine eyes on that which is not riches take to themselves wings and stee away and surely their wings were never longer nor their slight swifter then in these dayes Psa 62.10 trust not in oppression become not vaine in robbery if riches increase set not your hearts upon them hope not in your names they may be overclouded God in a moment can staine the glory and pride of all flesh abhorre the excellency of Jacob he leadeth counsellours away spoyled Job 11.27 and overthroweth the mighty he taketh away the understanding of the aged he poureth contempt upon Princes and weakneth the strength of the mighty he increaseth the Nations and destroyeth them he enlargeth the nations and straitneth them againe he taketh away the hearts of the chiefe of the people of the Earth and causeth them to wander in a wildernes where there is no way so they grope in the dark without light and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man and as there is no ground of hope in your self so there is no ground of hope in the creature hath not God disappointed many of us of our hopes doe we notroare like bears and mourne like doves doe we not grope for the wall like blinde men Isa 59.10 11. groping as if we had no eyes have we not often looked for salvation but it is not Consider the minde of man is variable we change our counsells as sick men change their beds imputing all our disappointments rather to any one then to our selves and as the minde of man is variable so the strength of crentures is expugnable so that the whole frame of nature is a bed too narrow for one to stretch himself upon it Isa 28.20 and a covering too narrow for one to wrap himselfe in it all things under the sun are but vanity Job 15.31 and let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence we may faltter out selves to our ruine under these seduced hopes but all these hopes in the issue will prove but as a siders web Psal 8.14 11.20 18.14 27.8 and as the giving up of the Ghost and all humane confidence will bring th soule to the king of terrours and what hope can a bypocrite have when God taketh away his soule Consid 3 The third Consideration to move you to set your hopes on Christ let it be from the allsufficiency of Christ there is this vast difference betwixt hope in Christ and hope in the Creature from the creature you cannot expect so little but you shall finde lesse then you doe expect from Christ you cannot expect so much but you shall receive more then you doe expect Ephes 3.20 He is able to doe abundantly above all that we are albe to ask or think all spirituall blessings are in him alone he it is alone that can say I will make you free from your lusts and temptations from death and hell he alone can say I will pardon your iniquities cure your diseases take the stony heart out os you I will write my law in you Ezek. 36.26 c. 1 Cor. 2.9 and ye shall all be taught of God I will bestow my Heaven on you my throne my kingdome and such joyes as Eye hath not seen nor Eare heard nor can it ever enter into the heart of man to conceive What an admirable thing is it that a poor soul may come and say What may such a one as I am be pardoned that am condemned may my infirmity be cured when the soare runneth and ceaseth not may this loathsome leprosy be healed what a comfort is it to a poor soul that he may come to Christ as the poor leper and say Lord if thou wilt whou canst make me whole Math. 8.2 Besides in this world he alone is able to supply all your wants answer all your doubts seatter all your feares and he is not onely able but hath engaged himselfe by promise to all that hope in his mercy he calleth to you get ye to the strong holds ye prisoners of hope Zach. 9.12 he biddeth you cast all your care on him 1 Pet. 5.7 for he careth for you and be not distracted about the things of this life as other Gentiles that know not God Math. 6.32 for your heavenly father knoweth what you have need of will you trust him for your soules and not for your bodies will you trust him for Eternity and not for a moment will you truse him to deliver you from the rage
of devils and not from the rage of men Psal 97.2 roll your soules upon him and he will carry you in his bosome and though clouds and darknes be round about him yet you shall see that righteousnes and judgement are the habitation of his throne Isa 33.17 your eyes shall see the king in his beauty that he is a defender above all destroyers you shall be upon a Rock higher then waves we meet here with great difficulties and those cause great feares and great feares had need of great hope and these are never great enough but in the great God Augastin Hoâ—â— 44. De ipsis amarâ—â—udinibus murâ—â—urans dich Ecce pereunt omnia Christianis temporthus quid streqis non boc promisit Deus qu ed ista non peribunt Aeterna proâ—â—sit aelernus c. Christ alone can make us above our selves above men above changes above the inconstancy of this present evil world why doth the soule which hopeth in Christ complain that the world changeth did ever God promise that it should not change hath not God tould us expressely that the Heavens wax old as a garment and as a vesture shall he change them and they shall be changed he that is eternall hath promised things eternall and if thou beleeve of mortall thou shalt be made immortall and in the hopes of immortality mayest triumph over whatsoever is mortall saying as he did World why dost thou fume what wouldst thou do if thou shouldst continue if so proud when thou hast no abiding whom wouldst thou not deceive if thou wert sweet if thou hast deceived so many whilst thou art bitter Quid. strepis numde quid immuâ—de strepia quid faceres si maneres Quem non deciperes dalcis si amarus c. I come to the third part the extent of this hope viz. that the hope of a Christian is not confined to this life if we had only hope in this life c. Hence ariseth the third Doctrine viz. That they that would set their hopes on Christ must be perswaded there is another life after this life and in this life it is their duty to assure the hopes of a better You reade in the Scripture not only of this world but of the world to come Christ telleth us of sins that shall not be forgiven neither in this life nor in the life to come Matth. 12.32 And Christ is said to be farre exalted above all principalities and powers Ephes 1 2â— not only in this world but in that which is to come and that world is so farre above this world that the thoughts of eternity are called the powers of the world to come Heb. 6.5 and to over-power all the things of this world We reade of Judgement to come Pauls Sermon before the great Governout was of this subject and it made him to tremble Act. 24.25.1 Cor. 4.3 Rin. 2.5 and that judgement is sarre above the judgement of mans day We reade of wrath to come and all the wrath that is present is nothing to the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God the Sadduces who were none of the best of men but a generation of vipers Mat. 3.7.1 Thes 1.10 yet were forewarned to flee from the wrath to come and the great triumph of the Apostle was that God had delivered them from wrath to come We reade of another life to come and that is the great priviledge of godlinesse that it hath not only the promises of this life 1 Tim. 4.8 but of that which is to come and the great work of grace upon the heart is to take us off from looking after things temporall and to make us look after things eternall 2 Cor. 4.16 It was the Apostles life they looked not on things that are seen but on things that are not seen Men are never Christians in good earnest till they be perswaded fully of the things of eternity and that poor seduced soul that resolveth never to be perswaded hath no ground to think that ever it shall be converted Luk. 16.18 Dives begg'd that one might go from the dead to tell his brethren on the earth lest they also should come into the same place of torment intimating the cause of his own sin and eternall misery intimating that he was not perswaded of this place of torment in his life and therefore came down to this place of torment at his death God hath made the vision herein so plain that every one that runneth may reade it and he that hardneth his heart against Moses and the Prophets is left inexcusable ver 31. and is irrecoverable and would not be perswaded though one should arise from the dead The Use of this point is First If there be an other life besides this life then let us be humbled for all that world of unbelief that is in our nature that our perswasions about the things of eternity are so weake when Gods expressions are so strong and clear that we can beleeve the things of sense and will not beleeve the things of faith that we entertain the reports of men and reject the reports of God 1 Joh. 5.9 Surely if we receive the witnesse of men is not the witnesse of God greater this unbelief was the first sin and is the last sin the cause of our first apostasie and ground of our continued malignity when Christ intendeth to convert a soul unto himself this is the great sin whereof the Spirit of Christ convinceth the soul and the Spirit never proveth a comforter but where he is a convincer and the first work in conversion is laid in an act of conviction and that conviction discovereth the great sin of unbelief Joh. 16.9 and where Christ doth not convince them of it he wil condemn them for it how often are we bidden to take heed of this spirit of unbelief Heb. 3.12 in departing from the living God nor can any man be an heir of life who lieth under the power of unbelief for will any man deny himself crosse his own appetite take up Christs crosse to assure to himself a propriety to those things wherein he beleeveth there is no reality the soul must first beleeve the excellency of the things in themselves before it make it its great design to get an interest in them if the things of eternity were fully beleeved what manner of persons would men be in all holinesse of conversation 2 Pet. 3.11 and did you really look on such things it would make you diligent to be found of him without spot and blamelesse In the next place Vse 2 Let this entreat you to abhorre all those opinions that may any waies weaken this perswasion hate to be under the power of them and when the power of them is broken resist the remainders that Satan may get no advantage against you especially fortifie your selves with strong arguments against these two opinions which carry away a