and to honour his own Ordinance When he hath begun the work of conversion himself immediately he will not perfect it without the ministry of his Word He sendeth Paul to Ananias Acts 9.21 to learn what he should doe and biddeth Cornelius by an Angel for an Angel must not doe that work to send for Peter and from him to hear words whereby he and his house should be saved Acts 10.5 6. David who was wiser then the ancients then his enemies then his teachers lyeth many months asleep on the bed of security in a most filthy pickle till a Prophet is sent to call him up and awake him then and not till then he mindeth cleansing as appeareth plainly by the title and body of the 51. Psalm So Davids heart smote him for numbring the people but mark the means of it For saith the Text when David was up in the morning the word of the Lord came to Gad and commanded him to goe to David 2 Sam. 24.10 11 12. Yea the very honour of saving souls the most High ascribeth to the ministry of his Word 1 Tim. 4.16 Timothy is spoken of as saving himself and them that hear him i. e instrumentally thus highly God doth magnifie his Ordinances though many men vilifie them Doe not thou therefore forsake the assemblies of the Saints as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 but lie constantly at the pool Some that have come to church to sleep as Mr. Latimer saith have been taken napping praying and waiting for the troubling of the waters of the Sanctuary The Angel of the Covenant may move there and thy diseased soul thereby be healed As thou wouldst learn that lesson whereby thou mayst be wise to salvation do not play the truant but frequent that School where the Prophet of the Church teacheth As thou wouldst not quench the Spirit despise not prophesying 1 Thess 5.19 20. They that came to catch the Preacher have been caught by the Sermon as Austin by Ambrose Aust Confess 5. lib. 14. And they that come to see fashions as Moses came to the Bush maybe called as he was The Souldiers or Officers that went to apprehend Christ were probably apprehended by Christ John 7.46 Wh n Henry Zatphen was Preacher at Breme the Papists sent theâ—r Chaplains to hear that they might intrap him but God converted by his ministry many of them Sleid. Comment If thou wouldst have thy heart throughly humbled make use of the Word you may read of a bad hard cursed heart indeed humbled by this 2 Chron. 33.12 and 18. v. Manasses in his affliction humbled himself greatly for God sent unto him Prophets and Seers that spake unto him in the name of the Lord so 2 Sam. 24.10 11 12. Wouldst thou rest upon Jesus Christ for salvation Mind the Word Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me John 6.45 Wouldst thou have thine inward man renewed and changed This may be done by the blessing of God accompanying his Word therefore it is called the engraffed Word Jam. 1.21 To teach us that as the sciences of a good apple graffed into a crab-tree stock hath vertue to change the nature of it so hath the word preached for of that he speaketh as is manifest v 19 22 23. vertue to change the heart of man Reader let me perswade thee to have a reverent esteem of and to be very familiar with the Word of God reading it constantly and hearing it frequently as the Lord shall give thee opportunities but take heed how thou hearest Luke 8.18 how thou readest Attend on the Word having first laid aside all superfluity of naughtinesse weeds must be rooted up before the ground of mans heart is fit to receive the seed of the Word 1. With meeknesse of spirit Jam. 1.21 The humble sinner is fittest to be Christs Schollar The meek he will teach his way the meek he will guide in judgement Psal 25.8 9. When the heart is tender it is most teachable it is like white paper for any inscription like soft wax for any impression A proud person is too good in his own conceit to be taught he quarrelleth and rageth either at the person that preacheth or at the plainnesse of the sermon but to his own ruine He rejecteth the counsel of God but it is against himself to his own hurt Luke 7.30 The weak corn which yeilds to the wind receiveth no dammage by it but the proud sturdy oak which resisteth it is often broken in pieces 2. Attend on the Word with a resolution to obey whatever the Lord shall in his Word command thee O 't is excellent to sit at Gods feet hearing his voice purposely that thou mightest doe his will like a servant to goe to thy master and know his mind that thou mayst fulfill it when thou canst say I am here present before the Lord to hear and doe the things that are commanded me of God Acts 10.33 like the Romans deliver up thy self wholly to that form of doctrine which God hath delivered down unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as mettal for any stamp and mould Rom. 6.17 3. Plato as he walked in the streets if he saw any dissolute or disordered would reflect on himself with Num ego talis Am I such a one as â—his man is Diogen Laert. in vita With self application doe not think this concerneth such a man and now the minister hitteth such a one but consider now God speaketh to my soul and this truth doth nearly concern me If the word be not mixed with faith it will not be profitable to them that hear it Hebr. 4.2 Whilst truths rest in generals little good will be done but when they come to be particularly applied and to sink down into the heart then they work effectually for the souls salvation Truths generally received are like the charging a piece but the particular application of them doth the execution upon sin 4. With supplication before and after reading or hearing begin with God Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law Psal 119.18 Begin duty with duty The preparation of the heart in man is from the Lord Prov. 16.1 And after thou hast heard or read pray as the Disciples after they had heard Lord open to us this parable Matth. 15 15. This Scripture Write thy law in my heart and thy truth in mine inward parts teach me thy way lead me in thy righteousness give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Psal 119.34 Urge thy soul with the necessity of this duty that thou must be converted or condemned and it is the law of the Lord that is perfect converting the soul Psal 19.7 That thou must know thy misery or feel it eternally and it is the preiept of the Lord that is pure enlightning the mind Psa 19.8 That thou must repent or be ruined and it is by hearing that
my life though I have many crosses yet I have Christ for my comfort He is the comfort of my life and the life of all my comforts All my joyes come in at this door all my contentments come swimming in this stream Piscator observeth that the consolation of Israel is the Periphrasis of Jesus Christ Luk. 2.25 Because all the consolation of a true Israelite as Jacobs in Benjamin is bound up in Christ if he be gone the soul goeth down to the grave with sorrow As all the candles in a Country cannot make a day no it must be the rising of the Sun that must do it So all the health wealth honours pleasures relations possessions nay the greatest confluence of comforts that the whole Creation affordeth cannot make a day of light and gladnesse in the heart of a believer no it must be the rising of this Sun of Righteousnesse The light of his countenance causeth more joy than all the corn and wine and oyl of this world can He faith as Luther Christ liveth or otherwise I would not desire to live one moment Or as that Noble Marquesse of Vico Their mony perish with them that think all the wealth in the world worth one hours Communion with Jesus Christ His comfort ebbeth and floweth as Christ manifesteth himself to him or with-draweth himself from him like the Mary-gold he openeth and shutteth with the rising and setting of this Sun When the Bridegroom is taken away the children of the Bride-Chamber mourn the voice of the true Dove is ever doleful in the absence of her Mate many a long look hath this gracious soul after its absented Saviour many a time doth it sigh out for lovers hours are full of eternity Why is his Chariot so long a coming why tarry the wheels of his Chariot Make haste my beloved and be thou like the Hart and Roe upon the Mountain of spices It like Zacheus climbs up into the Sycamore-tree of the Ordinances that it may have a sight of its beloved for it heareth that he useth to passe that way and when it spieth him afar off for love is quick-sighted coming towards it hearken how the soul calleth aloud to faith to lift up the gates to lift open the everlasting doors that the King of glory may enter in Desire like Joseph makes ready its Chariot to go forth to meet this God of Jacob and when he draweth nigh it cometh down hastily and receiveth him joyfully it cryeth out with the * Mr. Robert Glover Acts Monum Volum third p. 427. Lond. An. 1641. Martyr in a flame of love He is come He is come Now like Mary it closeth with him cleaveth to him clingeth and claspeth about him and thinketh it can never have enough of him or be near enough to him Who can expresse the wel-come which this pious Soul giveth him what warme affection it hath to him what complacency and delight it hath in him what enlarged egresse of spirit it hath after him if the wise men were so glad when they saw the star that led to him how glad is this soul in seeing this Sun if the babe in the wombe of Elizabeth sprang for joy when the Mother of the Lord came to her how doth the heart of this Christian spring with joy when the Lord of that Mother comes to it and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Dearest Jesus why camest thou no sooner why tarriest thou no longer Sweetest Saviour why should this meeting ever ever part Be thou like a bundle of myrrh lodging all night betwixt my breasts yet be not like a wayfaring man to tarry with me but for a night but do thou abide in me and dwell with me for ever Good Lord how good is it to be here O how blessed are they that dwell in thy house they ever and not without infinite cause praise thee Lord grant me this happinesse what ever thou deniest me that my heart may be thine everlasting home Ah what an holy emulation hath this Saint at the spirits above that they should have so much and he so little that they should drink full draughts out of the Rivers of pleasures and he can only taste God to be gracious Ah what an heavenly vexation hath he at the necessities of his body and family here below that they must call him away and hinder his Communion with his beloved O how willingly would this soul be separated from its dearest Wife that it might more nearly be conjoyned to its dearer Husband Surely such a soul would with chearfulnesse die in these embraces of Christ breathing out with Austin Aug. on those words Moriar Domine â—ut te videâ—m Lord since no man can see thee and live O let me die that I may see thee This indeed is the fore-taste of the Saints future happinesse their morning of glory the Suburbs of the new Jerusalem the first fruits of their great and eternal harvest the joy that strangers intermeddle not with â—erba non â—alent exâ—rimere â—xperimenâ— opus est Prov. 14.10 It may better be conceived and felt then described or exprest and therefore is most fitly by the Apostle called joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 Thus Christ is the comfort of a Christian Fourthly To me to live is Christ that is Christ is the end of my life Christ is both the Authour and the end of my life as my life is from Christ so my life is for Christ the great care of the Apostle was to magnifie Christ both by his life and death Phil. 1.20 * Large Annot. All the gain I aim at both in life and death is Christ namely to glorifie him by my service According to the principles of a man Opâ—rari sequâ—tur esse such are his ends He that acteth from self acteth for self That obedience which ariseth from the creature will be terminated in the creature Solomon saith Eccles 1.7 All the Rivers run into the Sea unto the place from whence the rivers came thither they return again so the life of a Christian coming from Christ must necessarily tend to Christ A sincere Saint doth not like the hypocrite look asquint at self-applause self-profit and such beggarly ends but his eyes look straight on at the glory of Jesus Christ If Christ be glorified though he be disgraced he is satisfied when Christ hath honoured the soul by giving it grace the soul honoureth Christ by giving him glory Grace is the most curious work and therefore no wonder if it be for the credit of the Workman Trees beare fruit for the owner Cant. 4.16 Of him and through him are all things therefore to him be glory for ever and ever Rom. 11.36 It is confest the flesh will propound other ends but the Spirit carrieth the vote As some write of the heavenly Orbes that they have a proper motion of their own different from the motion of the Primum Mobile yet in obedience to this
to set a table full of all manner of delicacies His Brother coming next day for an answer was placed at the board and four men with drawn swords about him and with all the best musick that could be had to play before him Then the King called to him saying Rejoyce and be merry Brother eat drink and laugh for here is pleasant being But he replied O my Lord and King how can I be merry being in such danger on every side Then said the King Look how it is now with thee so it is alwayes with me for If I look above me I see the great and dreadful Judge to whom I must give an account of all my thoughts words and deeds if I look under me I see the endlesse torments of hell whereinto I shall be cast if I die in my sins if I look behind me I see all the sins which I have committed and the time which I have spent unprofitably if I look before me I see death every day drawing nearer and nearer unto me if I look on my right hand I see my conscience accusing me of all the evil I have done and good I have left undone in this world and if I look on my left hand I see the creatures on their Makers behalf crying out for vengeance against me a Rebell Now then cease hereafter to wonder why I cannot rejoyce in the things of this world This is the condition of every unsanctified man and woman and did they but know it they would see but little cause to spend their dayes in pastimes and pleasure but what the eye seeth not the heart greives not Had Haman known he had been so nigh his funeral he would hardly have boasted so much to his friends but it is the policy of the God of this world to blind mens eyes least they should see and avoid damnation As when a Malefactor is for some capital crime cast at the Assize Diogenes being demanded what burthen the earth did dâ—d beaâ— most heavy answered An ignorant man he is then carried into a dark dungeon and thence to execution So the Devil knowing that all the Sons and Daughters of Adam are cast by the Law of God the Law shutting them all up under sin and wrath endeavoureth to keep them in the dungeon of ignorance till the day of their execution When Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Zedekiah 2 Kings 25. and 7. he put out his eyes bound him in fetters and then carried him away to Babylon Thus Satan as soon as he entereth into the soul laboureth to put out the eyes of the understanding and so to lead them hood-winkt to hell Did men know what they had done against God and how they had undone themselves they would be restlesse till they attained a remedy Did the sinner but know the purity jealousie power and justice of that God whom he daily provoketh Did he but know the love and kindness the blood and bowels of that Saviour whom he undervalueth Did he but know the pleasures and joy and happinesse in heaven which he neglecteth Did he but know the beauty and amiableness the delights and comforts of grace and holinesse which he despiseth Did he but know the emptinesse and vanity of this deceitful world which he so heartily embraceth Did he but know where sin is in the premisses sorrow and hell without faith and sanctification must be in the conclusion Did men I say but know these things how quickly would they turn from sin unto God giving a bill of divorce to their most beloved lusts and entring into a most solemn covenant with the Lord But having their understandings darkned they are alienated from the life of God that is a life of holinesse through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their hearts Eph. 4.18 Observe how expresly the Spirit of God speaketh ignorance to be the reason why men are such strangers to the power of Religion Reader thou mayst by all this see the necessity of knowledge if ever thou wouldst be converted and saved The Devil as I said before carrieth men hood-winkt to hell but God will never carry thee blindfold to heaven The end of a Saint is the inheritance in light Col. 1.12 and the way thither is a way of light The path of the just is as shining light Prov. 4.18 and surely in respect of knowledge as well as in other respects Do not please thy self that though thou art not book-learned yet thou hast as good an heart as others as thy foolish ignorant neighbors will prate for when thou thus speakest thou speakest beside thy book for the Book of God telleth us otherwise The soul without knowledge is not good Proverbs 19.2 There may be a clear head without a clean heart the light of knowledge without the heat of grace but a gracious heart in a grown person not distracted was ever accompanied with a competency of knowledge in the head And indeed knowledge is so near a kin to grace that it is often in the Word of God put for it John 17.3 It is life eternal to know thee to be the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent So 1 Cor. 2.2 Phil. 3.8 Isai 53.11 If thou would be sanctified and saved get knowledge seek knowledge as silver and search for it as for hid treasure Prov. 2.3 4. This is the first thing to be done it is first in the Ministers Commission Acts 26.18 I send thee saith God to Paul to open the eyes of the blind and to turn men from darkness unto light and this is first in the Spirits operation on the soul It convinceth the man of his sins John 16.10 11. It presenteth to the understanding a catalogue of its many and bloody provocations Imprimis thus Guilty in Adam of high treason against Heavens Majesty and thereby of want of original righteousnesse and of a deep deadly pollution in the whole nature Item so many hundred ungodly actions so many thousand unholy and idle expressions so many millions of evil thoughts and suggestions Item so many omissions and so many commissions Item so much precious time mis-spent a moment of which cannot be recalled or purchased with the revenues of the world Item so many talents of health strength food rayment esteem riches and the like misimployed Item so many Sacraments Sabbaths seasons of grace mis-improved Item so much uncorrigiblenesse under afflictions so much unprofitablenesse under mercies Thus the Spirit inlighteneth the sinners mind to see his sins with their circumstances and black aggravations as also what is like to be the fruit and effect of sin even nothing lesse than suffering everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord. It may be the Spirit may cause him as it were to see the smoak that ascendeth from the bottomlesse pit to smell the scent of that infernal brimstone and fire to hear the roarings and howlings of the damned nay possibly to feel a very hell in his own conscience
The Spirit indeed is a free Agent and worketh in what manner and measure he pleaseth But this is certain he convinceth all of their sins and miseries conviction doth go before conversion The Physitian of souls will heal none but such as know both their distemper and their danger and thereby how infinitely they are obliged to him for their cure As in the first creation one of the first thing God made was light so in the forming the new creature illumination is before sanctification Every one is able to say in Christ as he in the Gospel This I know whereas I was blind now I see John 9.25 This is absolutely necessary in order to the second direction I have to commend to thee which is the sincere humiliation of thy soul There must be a day-break of light in the understanding before there can be an heart-break of sorrow in the affections till sin and wrath be discerned by knowledge in the mind they will be no burden to the conscience nor grief to the spirit As no good wrapt up in darknesse excites desire so no evil swathed up in ignorance striketh terror We may observe this by the holy Apostles expression I was alive without the law but when the commandement came sin revived and I died Rom. 7.9 i. e. the time was that I was ignorant both of the laws strictnesse and my own sinfulnesse and then I thought my self to be very safe my conscience was very quiet and my heart full of hope or more properly presumption about my future eternal happinesse thus I was alive without the law but when my eyes were inlightned to see how exceeding broad the Commandements of God were and that once I compared my crooked race with that strait rule and took notice how far short I came of that obedience which the law required I was then a dead a lost man I quickly pulled in my plumes and took down my sails with which I was hastening in my conceit to Heaven for I found that I was in very deed in the road to hell When the Commandement came sin revived and I died There was then life enough in my lusts to wound me unto death for I dyed Reader if thou art convinced so farre of the absolute necessity of conversion as to desire it unfeignedly let me request thee for the sake of thy poor soul to set some considerable time apart thy body hath had many years surely thy soul deserveth one day and that speedily to be serious in about its endlesse estate and to compare thy wicked life with the pure Law of God and observe how exceedingly thou hast swerved from the precepts therein commanded consider not only its outward and literal but likewise its inward and spiritual meaning and thou mayst presently discern that thy whole conversation for so many years as thou hast lived hath been a continued aberration and wandring from the Lord and his Laws If thou lookest aright in that glasse it will discover all the spots all the dirt that have been in the face of thy heart and life Jam. 1.23 By the Law is the knowledge of sin Rom. 3.20 Consider also that thy breach of the Law makes thee liable to the curse of the Law which is the infinite eternal wrath of the Law-giver Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 The Law must be satisfied since not in its accomplishment it will in thy punishment If God cast the glorious Angels out of heaven and reserved them in chains of darknesse to the judgement of the great day for one sin and that as some think in thought into what an hell may he cast thee whose iniquities for weight are like the sand of the sea and for number like the sparks of a furnace and the stars in the firmament Think of it with all possible seriousnesse thou hangest over the mouth of hell every moment by a small thread of life and if that should be cut asunder the whole world cannot save thee from dropping into it 2. Direction Humiliation 2. In the next place labour to get thy heart deeply and throughly affected with thy sins and misery Humiliation must follow Illumination It is not enough for this knowledge of the transgressions thou hast committed and the wrath thou hast deserved to swim in thy head it may be there as fire in the flint to no profit but it must sink down into thy heart and be beaten out into an application of and lamentation for thy guilt and wickedness Man is so sinfully subtle that he can bear the historical knowledge of these things in his understanding he can hear the name of sin and hell and be no more troubled then at a painted devil or a tale of purgatory but when God brings down sin from being a notion to be an obligation and entereth an action against the soul within it self then it will begin to melt and mourn under the sense of its sins and sufferings Thus after the Spirt of God hath been a spirit of conviction it becometh a spirit of bondage that eye which was before enlightened to see the lewdnesse of his heart and life cometh now to affect his heart with grief and sorrow This we find in those Converts Acts 2.37 when they had heard of their sin and guilt they began to recant and repent When they heard those things they were pricked to the heart The nails which had pierced Christs hands now pierce their hearts It was with them saith one as if the sharp points of daggers had been stuck or fastened in their hearts They wounded themselves with sorrow that ever they had wounded the Lord Jesus with their sins The whole life indeed of a true Christian is in some respects a life of repentance He is often greiving Gods Spirit and therefore he is often greived in his own spirit As long as the ship leaketh the pump must go Though the Christian doth not paddle or wallow in the mire of sin every day as gracelesse ones do yet he findeth that daily his hands contract dirt and his soul guilt therefore he must daily wash with faith and repentance Some report of Mary Magdalen that she spent thirty years in Galba in weeping for her sins And Tertullian saith of himself That he was born for repentance Anselm telleth us That with grief he considered the whole course of his life I found * In lib. meditat writeth he the infancy of sin in the sins of my infancy the youth and growth of sin in the sins of my youth and growth and the ripenesse of all sin in the sins of my ripe and perfect age and then he breaks out into this pathetical expression What remaineth for thee wretched man but that thou spend thy whole life in bewayling thy whole life But especially at the time of a Christians conversion he is to mind contrition when the vessel is newly tapt
God may imprint what he pleaseth Lord what wilt thou have me do The other instance is in the cruel rough hard-hearted Jaylour After the earth-quake and the heart-quake which God had caused he springs trembling in and fell down before Paul and Silas crying out Sirs What shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 29 30. Observe now the man is heart-sick indeed he is willing to take the most bitter pills As if he had said Sirs Do but tell me what I must do for salvation though the terms be never so hard the conditions never so unpleasant the price never so much the pains never so great yet I will submit to any thing to all things for salvation What must I do to be saved When the Israelite first sets out towards Canaan there is a mixt multitude of carnal affections which desire and endeavour to bear him company now because God knoweth that the land is too good for such evil inhabitants and besides that they will cause many mutinies in the way he brings therefore the Israelite into the wildernesse to humble him and to cut them off Before the soul be throughly humbled it dodgeth with Christ it plaies fast and loose off and on this it liketh and that it disliketh this part of the yoke is uneasie this burthen is too heavy and such and such commandments are grievous fain it would have Christ and his precious promises but loth it is to forego its old friends its beloved lusts but when God is pleased to take the sinner by the throat and to shake him out of his security by shewing him sin and wrath in their colours making him sensible of the one and terrifying him with a fearful expectation of the other laying him at the pits brink within the smoak of hell within the smell of that brimstone within the sorchings of that eternal fire which is prepared for the Devil and his Angles now the sinner seeth that God is in earnest and therefore dareth not halt or halve it any longer now he is in a boisterous storm and casteth all those goods his darling-sinnes into the sea perceiving that he must perish if he do not God is necessitated to launce mens wounds and put them to pain because otherwise they cannot be cured When the metal is thus melted God may cast it into what mold he pleaseth O thrice happy is that heart which hath been deeply and truly humbled it shall hold out in those tempests wherein many others shall make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience Thirdly 3 Direction Application of Christ if thou hast been faithful in following my former advice to get thy mind enlightned to see and thy heart throughly humbled for thy sin and misery thy next work is to rest and rely upon the Lord Jesus Christ for pardon grace and salvation To look upon him as one appointed by the father given by himself sanctified by the spirit and revealed in the word of truth the Gospel to be the onely and al-sufficient Saviour of lost souls It is now the proper time for thee to cast thy soul thy sins thine eternal estate upon the infinite meritoriousnesse of the blessed Redeemer Experience sheweth that it is very easie for an unbroken sinner to presume but surely it is very hard for an humbled sinner that hath had all his vilenesse and unworthinesse displayed before his eye and the infinite wrath of God like a mountain of lead oppressing his conscience to believe and therefore I have prepared some choice cordials for such fainting spirits which I shall give thee anon But my work now is to beseech thee broken heart that thou take heed of thinking to lick thy self whole I know the Devil and thy heart will be both busie and diligent to get thee to make a Christ of thy contrition and a Saviour of thy humiliation O how unwilling is man when he hath shipwrack't his soul to commit himself naked to the sea of Christs blood how earnest is he to have the chains and jewels of his earthly affections along with him This spiritual life is a liâ—e of Faith and indeed upon this the whole almost of thy work dependeth Fide regenâ—ramur resipiscontia non solum fidem subsâ—quitur sed ex ea nascitur Calv. and to swim out upon the rotten boards of his own works Reader now therefore especially if thy soul be in a flame be careful out of what well thou drawest thy water to quench it This is one of the chiefest nay the chiefest of all fundamentals in Religion and therefore it behoveth thee to be very tender Now thou art nigh drowning neer sinking in the Ocean of divine fury thou hadst need to make sure that the bough or stake or what ever it be by which thou holdest be strong enough and able to bear thy weight It is likely nay it is certain if thou art humbled as aforesaid thou prayest thou mournest thou sighest thou loathest thy self for thy wickednesse thou admirest God for his forbearance thou longest after help and deliverance be sure that thou do not look on these as so much money wherewith thou maiest purchase thy pardon and buy off thy guilt for believe it if thou doest as white as thy silver is it will draw black lines instead of wiping off thy old score thou wilt thereby run further in debt Evangelical humiliation is required not so much to make thee acceptable to Christ as to make Christ acceptable to thee It is a good evidence of the beginnings of sanctification but it is a bad advocate for thy justification It is as truly dangerous to appear before God in the rags of thy own righteousnesse as in thy sinful nakednesse If ever thou receive the blessing of pardon and love from thy heavenly father it must be by appearing in the garments of thine elder brother He maketh his acceptable but it is in Christ the beloved Eph. 1.6 Nothing but perfect righteousnesse will pacifie Gods anger or satisfie his justice or please those eyes which are purer than to behold the least iniquity And this righteousnesse is onely in Christ who was made sin for thee that thou mightst become the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Corinth 5. ult Do not therefore when thou ceasest to be an Athiest begin to be a Papist in relying upon thy good works for though God will not save thee without them yet he will never save thee for them Shepherds Sincere Convert p. 107. Edit 5. Canst thou saith an eminent Minister now with Christ make thy self a Christ for thy self Canst thou bear and come from under an infinite wrath canst thou bring in perfect righteousnesse into the presence of God This Christ must do else he could not satisfie and redeem And if thou canst not do this and hast no Christ desire and pray till heaven and earth shake till thou hast worn thy tongue to the stumps endeavour as much as thou canst and others commend thee for a diligent
Kings 1â— 17 18. Did not my Lord promise thus thus is it thy mind that thy word should go unfulfilled Lord are not these thy own words thine own hand writing whose staffe and bracelet is this If thou hadst not promised I should not have found in my heart to pray And if thou shouldst not perform where would be the glory of thy truth Thy mercy O Lord is great unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds Psal 57.10 My soul cleaveth unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word Psal 119.25 Remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psa 119.49 Beseech him to consider thy misery like a beggar uncover thy nakednesse shew thy sores and wounds to move him to pity Tell him that in regard of thy spiritual condition Rev. 3.17 thou art at present wretched miserable poor blind and naked without God without Christ without hope an alien from the Common-wealth of Israel and a stranger from the Covenants of promise and that thine eternal state is like to be the worm that never dieth the fire that never goeth out amongst devils and damned ones in blacknesse of darknesse for ever Say Lord open thine eyes and see thy poor creature weltring Ezek. 16. wallowing polluted in his own soul blood and now I am in my blood open thy mouth and say unto me Live yea now I am in my blood say unto me Live Since no eye pitieth me to do any good unto me open thine heart let thy bowels yearn towards me Let this time be my time of love spread thy skirt over me and cover all my nakednesse Enter into a covenant with me and enable me to become thine for ever Since thou beholdest all the wants and necessities of my poor soul open thine hand and supply all my spiritual need There is bread enough and to spare in the Fathers house O let not my dying soul perish for hunger Open thine eares and hear the prayers and supplications which thy servant poureth out before thee night and day Thou hast the key of David and openest and no man shutteth Open the iron gate of my heart which will never open of its own accord that the King of glory may enter in Thou didst open the rock and cause it to send forth water Bow the heavens and come down Break open this rockie heart and come in and take an effectual universal eternal possession of my soul Consider thy bottomless mercie Christs infinite merits my unspeakable misery and let thine heart be opened in pitie and thine hand in bounty that my lips may be opened and my mouth may everlastingly shew forth thy praise Only in thy prayers be instant constant and look up to Jesus Christ Beg hard though humbly when thou art begging for heaven Hast thov never heard a Malefactor condemned to be hanged begging for a reprieve or pardon with what tears and prayers what bended knees watered cheeks strained joynts he intreateth for his mortal life Thou hast much more cause to be earnest when thou art begging for spiritual life Think of it thy soul thy eternal condition are engaged and at stake in thy prayer O how should all the parts and faculties of thy body and soul work and unite in prayers that are of such concernment What fervencie shouldst thou use considering that if thou art denied thou art undone if thy prayers be lost thy God is lost thy soul is lost thy happinesse is lost for ever Pray constantlie resolve to give God no rest day nor night till he give thee rest in his Son Besides set times every day for which thou canst not offer so little as two hours a day it being soul-work God-work eternitie-work and in which I would desire thee to be as serious and solemn as is possible thou mayst often in the shop or in the field in thy journying on thy bed thou mayst turn up thy heart to heaven in some ejaculations it is thy great priviledge where ever thou art thou mayst find â—od out such as these O when wilt thou come unto me Psa 101.2 Hear me speedilie O my God make no tarrying Ps 40.17 Shall I never be made clean good Lord when shall it once be Save me Master or I perish But be sure in all thy addresses to God thou look up to Jesus Christ as thine Advocate with the Father as the only Master of requests to present and perfume all thy prayers and thereby make them prevalent Through him we have access with confidence unto the Father Eph. 2.18 It is possible thou mayst have seen a Child going to be scourged for its faults by a stern Mother the tender Father sitting by and how the Child seeing the rod taken down and the Mother in earnest casteth a pitiful lamentable look upon its Father both longing and expecting to be saved by his mediation Go thou and do likewise and know for thy encouragement that if David heard Joah whom he loved but little for rebellious Absalom and if Herod heard Blastus a servant for those of Tyre and Sidon who had offended him then without doubt God will hear the Son of his infinite love for thee And if thou art but sensible of thy soul-sicknesse thou mayst be confident that thy spiritual Physitian who is authorized by his Father to practice and delighteth exceedinglie in the imployment will come and heal thee thy sicknesse shall not be unto death but for the glorie of God and thine eternal good I shall in the next place only annex three properties of this spiritual life as motives to encourage thee to a laborious endeavouring after it Si daretur mihi optio eligerem Christiani rustici agreste opus praeomnibus victoriis Alexandri Magni â—ulii Caesaris Luth. in Gen. 39. and then leave both thee and this exhortation to the blessing of God First This spiritual life is the most honorable life No life hath so much excellencie in it as the life of godlinesse If I had my wish saith Luther I would choose the homely work of a rustical Christian before all the victories of Alexander the great and Julius Caesar The excellencie and dignitie of every life dependeth upon the form which is its principle and its specificating difference Therefore the life of a man is more noble than the life of a beast because it hath a more noble form a rational soul which distinguisheth it specifically from and enableth it to act more nobly and highly than a beast And truly therefore the life of a Christian is more honorable and excellent than the life of any other man because he hath a more noble form which is the principle of it and differenceth it specificallie from the life of gracelesse men Jesus Christ the Lord of life and glory dwelling in his heart by his Spirit as the principle of his spiritual life If there be an excellencie in that body which is united to a soul what
of Jesus Christ at death will quite dry up that issue of corruption Death will give thee a Writ of ease from all those weights and sins which do so easily beset thee Thou shalt be without fault before the Throne of God Rev. 14.5 Will it not indeed be a brave world with thee in the other world when thou shalt have as much holiness as thy heart can wish or hold If God should grant thee such a request upon earth that thou shouldst have as much of his Image and of his Spirit as thou couldst desire wouldst thou not think thy self the happiest man alive I am confident thou wouldst and also that nothing lesse than perfect purity would be thy prayer Well death will help thee to this When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse Psal 17. ult Now thou hast enough to stay thy stomack but then thou shalt have a full meal When the Israelites went out of Egypt towards Canaan there was not one feeble person among them When the Christian entereth into the true Canaan he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David nay as the Angel of the Lord before him When thy frame of nature shall be ruined thy frame of grace shall be perfected and raised to the height of glory 4. It is comfortable against thy dissolution To thee to die is gain death will be thy passage into eternal life Thou needst not fear death as a foe it will be one of thy best friends How did this hope of happinesse at death hold up the Martyrs heads above water and carry them through those boistrous waves of violent and cruel deaths with the greatest serenity and alacrity of spirit Xenophon Agesilaus King of Sparta used to say that they which live vertuously are not yet blessed persons but they had attained true felicity who died vertuously What is there in death that thou art so afraid of it Wilt thou fear a Bee without a sting Dost thou not know it had but one sting for Christ and Christians and that was left in Christ the head whereby now though it may buz and make a noise about their ears yet it can never sting or hurt the members The waters of Jordan though tempestuous before yet were calm and stood still when the Ark was to passe over If thou hadst been banished many years from thy dear Relations whom thou lovedst as thy own soul and from thy rich possessions and comforts which might have made thy life pleasant and delightful into a place of bondage a valley of tears a prison where thy feet were fettered with irons and thy face furrowed with weeping Mors non vitamrapit sed reformat Prudentius wouldst thou be afraid of a messenger that came to knock off thy shackles and fetch thee out of prison and carry thee to those friends and comforts And why art thou afraid of death which cometh to free thee from thy bondage to Satan sin and sorrow and to give thee present possession of the glorious liberty of the sons of God Art thou afraid to be rid of thy corruptions of Satans temptations of the worlds persecutions Art thou afraid to go to â—aints where are no sinners to Christ without his cross to the full immediate eternal fruition of the blessed God then why art thou afraid to dye and dost not rather desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ knowing that while thou art present in the body thou art absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 Calvin in loc Jâ—el was offended at one that in h s sickness prayed for his life Well the best of it is thou art more afraid then hurt It is well observed by a judicious expositor that the Periphrasis of death mentioned John 13.1 where it is called a departing out of the world and a going to the father doth belong to all the children of God it is to them but a going out of the world to their dear and loving father And questionless this was that which made the Saints so desirous of death Basil when the Emperors Lieutenant threatned to kill him said I would he would for then he would quickly send me to my father to whom I now live and to whom I desire to hasten Calvin in his painful sickness was never heard to complain but often lifting up his eyes to heaven to cry out How long Lord How long Lord Plutarch in vit It is reported of an heathen Epaminondas that when he was wounded with a dart at Mantinea in a battel against the Lacedaemonians and told by the Chirurgions that when the dart was drawn out of his body Dicique beatus Ante obitum nemo c. he must needs dye he called for his Squire and asked him Whether he had not lost his shield Non est timendum quod nos liberat ab omni timendo Tertull. he told him no whereupon he bade them pull out the dart and so died Surely Christian thou hast more cause to dye with courage when thou hast not lost thy God nor thy soul nor any thing that was worth the keeping 5. It is comfortable against the death of thy friends and relations which dye in the Lord. To dye is gain if it be their gain why should it be thy grief nature will teach thee to mourn but grace must moderate that mourning We may water our plants but must not drown them We may sorrow but not as they which have no hope least we sin When Anaxagoras was told that both his sons were dead he boldly answered the messenger I knew that I begat mortal creatures The people were enraged and perplexed at the death of Romulus but were afterwards quieted and comforted with the news which Proculus brought That he saw him in glory riding up to heaven So when thou art sorrowing for the death of thy child or husband or father or mother or brother or sister that sleep in Jesus thou shouldst hearken to the news which faith brings that it saw them filled with joy mounting up to heaven and there enjoying rivers of pleasures and a weight of glory and surely if after such news thou shouldst continue weeping it should be for joy Friend this text containeth choice sweet meats for thee to feed on at the funeral of thy dearest godly friend Lugeatur mortuus sed ille quem gehenna suscipit quem Tartarus devorat Hier. I suppose if thy relation died out of Christ thou hast not a little cause of sorrow and probably that was the sharp edge of the sword which wounded the soul of David for the death of Absolom that he died in his sins his fear was that his son died not only in rebellion against the father of his flesh but also against the father of spirits But when thy relation dyeth in the Lord thou hast surely more cause to rejoyce that thou ever hadst such a friend or relation who shall to eternity be employed in the chearful
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HEAVEN and HELL EPITOMIZED THE TRUE CHRISTIAN Characterized AS ALSO An Exhortation with Motives Means and Directions to be speedy and serious about the work of Conversion By George Swinnocke M. A. sometime fellow of Baliol Colledge in Oxford and now Preacher of the Gospel at Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live Deut. 30.19 Accidiosi erubescere possunt qui non tam diligenter laborant ad impetrandum gaudium coeli sicut multi impiorum laborant ad impetrandum poenam inferni Fabritius indestruct Vitior part 5. cap. 2. Crede Stude Vive Pinge Aeternitati Cor. A Lapid London Printed by E. M. for Tho. Parkhurst and are to be sold at the Sign of the three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside over against the Conduit 1659. TO THE WORSHIPFUL And my esteemed Friend RICHARD BERESFORD Esquire Justice of the Peace for the Liberty of St. Albans in the County of Hertford and Clarke of the Pleas in his Highness Court of Exchequer Worthy Sir THis small Treatise part whereof was lately preached in your eares at the Funeral of your dear Mother presenteth it self to your eyes not for your protection Divine Truths desire none from men and humane errors deserve none from any but for your direction It containeth that in it which is able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus You have a double right to the dedication of this book partly in regard of the occasion of it partly in regard of the Authors obligation unto you which is great for your liberality but farre greater for your encouraging of and exemplariness in the truth and life of Christianity I did not think my self a little bound to that Providence which gave you Relation to our Parish and I suppose not without cause when the power of godliness hath few such considerable Patrons There is scarce one of a thousand cui praesens faeticitas si arrisit non irrisit Bern. lib. 2. de consolat Men of your rank though sometimes to stop the mouth of conscience or for their credit they take up a form and profession yet do usually neglect if not cursedly deride the strictness and power of Religion They are too often like the Moon farthest from and in most direct opposition unto the Sun of Righteousn sse when they are at the full of outward plenty and receive most light of Divine bounty from him their carnal hearts as the Sea turn the showers of mercies from heaven and fresh streams from the earth into the salt waters of corruption In our natural bodies the more fat there is the lesse blood in the veines and by consequence the fewer spirits Greatnesse and Goodness are beautiful and happy Quies hath no plural number God seldom giveth two Heavens Tamen aliquando Christus voluit Reginam in coelum vebere saith Luther of Elisabeth Queen of Denmark Luth. in Epist ad Jo Agric. but rare conjunctions You know who hath said Not many such are called 1 Cor. 1.26 And experience teacheth us that they are like Stars of the first Magnitude thinly scattered in the Firmament of a Country How much therefore are you engaged to that distinguishing love which enableth you to look after the things of a better life I shall take the liberty which I know you will give to speak a few words to you in your twofold capacity First as you are a Christian and herein my counsel will be that you would more and more ensure your effectual calling We say where men intend to live long they build strong I am confident all that you are worth for your endless condition in the other world dependeth under Christ upon your inward change And if ever any wyers had need to be firm and strong then questionlesse they upon which such heavy weights hang as your eternal unchangeable estate You have a large room in the hearts of many that are holy But alas Sir the best mans confidence of me would prove but a bad evidence for heaven He is not approved whom man commendeth but whom the Lord commendeth The great affection which you bear to the souls of the people amongst whom you were born is worthy of imitation And so is your care and cost in scattering some practical home-treatises in several families whereby souls may be converted and wherein you may have comfort at the day of Christ for soul-charity is the soul of charity but the best charity begins at home though it never ends there your main business lyeth within your own doors to make sure that good work within you which shall be perfected hereafter The ordinary security which most men trust to will not serve when they come in the other life to lay their claims and shew their deeds for the inheritance of the Saints in light Many flaws will then be found in their evidences which now through their wilful blindness they neither see nor fear Paâ—lens aurum melius est quâ—m fulgens aurichalcum Bern. He had need to have armour of proof that would enter the list with his enemy Death and not be foiled The heart not ballasted with renewing grace may hold out in the calm of life and shallows of time but when it meets with the storm of death and launcheth into the Ocean of eternity it suffereth a desperate and everlasting shipwrack The want of this is the leak which sinketh many a precious vessel soul I mean in the gulph of perdition There is as much difference between a nominal and a real Christian as between a liveless picture and a living person True Christianity which consisteth in the souls humble unfained acceptation of and hearty resolved dedication unto Christ as Saviour and Soveraign is a Paradox to most There are many Christians as Salvian complained in his time without Christ Christiani sine Christo Salv. but they which know experimentally what the sanctification of the holy Ghost meaneth are few indeed The Moralist in his best dresse of civility the Formalist in his gaudy attire of ceremonies and the hypocrite in all his royalty is not arrayed like one of these I do not write these things as in the least suspecting your sincerity but to quicken you to a godly jealousie over your own soul If the Apostles and Disciples needed such rousing cautions Take heed least that day come upon you unawares Luke 21.34 Take heed least any man fail of the grace of God Heb. 12.15 then much more you and I who are more drowsie and prone to slumber do require awakening considerations Secondly As you are a Magistrate And that relation calleth upon you to be very exemplary among men and exceeding active for God Man is a creature which is led more by the eye than the ear by patterns than precepts Great men
therefore in their language they have the same word for a dead man and a Divel and the godly after death shall be perfectly like God They are now partakers of the divine nature and so like him yet how much unlike him but when they shall see him in heaven then they shall be like him indeed 1 Joh. 3.2 a Pet. Martyr tells us of a deformed woman married to an uncomely man that by looking much on beautiful pictures brought forth lovely childâ—en Loc. Com. pars 1. cap. 6. Vision causeth an assimulation in nature Gen. 30.37 38. in grace 2 Cor. 3.18 so here in glory The Schoolmen put the question How the Angels and souls of men in heaven come to be impeccable or without sinne * Visâ—o beatifica impotentes reddit ad peccandum and answer that it is by the beatifical visions The Apostle seemeth to intimate as much in the fore-quoted place When he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is As the Pearl by the often beating of the sun-beams upon it becomes radiant so the Christian being ever beheld by the Lord and alwayes beholding the face of his Father in heaven shall be more like him then ever child was to father on earth then that Profession of Christ will be abundantly verified Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.1 7. Then the end of Christs passion shall be fully attained when he shall present to himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle or any such thing Ephes 5.27 not only in regard of imputed righteousnesse or justification but also in regard of imparted righteousnesse or sanctification Here the heart of a Christian is like Rebeccahs womb it hath twins struggling in it the appearance of the Church is as it were the company of two Armies Cant. 6.13 the old man and the new man flesh and spirit the Law in the members warring against the Law of the mind As there was war betwixt Asa and Baasha all their dayes so there is betwixt the regenerate and unregenerate part all the time of this life but this gracious conflict shall then end in a glorious conquest when the death of the body shall quite destroy this body of death Sin in the heart is like the leprosie in the house which would not out till the house was pulled down Levit. 14.44 45. But when soul and body shall be parted for a time sin and the soul shall be separated to eternity And as the heart so the life of a Christian is like a book which hath many errata's in it and therefore legendus cum veniâ the whitest swan hath her black feet the best gold must have its grains of allowance There is no man that liveth upon earth and sinneth not Eccles 7.20 All of us offend in many things and many of us in all things Jam. 3.2 * Omne opus justi damnabile est si judicio Dei judicetur Luther in Alsert Our righteousness as a filthy rag Isa 64.6 Our graces not without their defects Lord I believe help mine unbelief Mark 9.24 Our duties not without their defaults When I would do good evil is present with me Rom. 7.21 The purest fire hath some smoak the richest Wine some dregs but death will turn sinne out of all its holds and leave it not so much as a being in the Christian The bodies of men have usually a mighty shoot at death but O what a shoot will the soul of a Saint have when it shall be carried by Angels to the place where the spirits of just men are made perfect Heb. 12.23 2. The soul alive in Christ shall be freed at death from all suggestions and temptations to sin Then a Christian shall be above the reach of all Satans batteries then that promise will be performed That the God of peace will tread Satan under the Saints feet Rom. 16.20 Now Peter is winnowed Paul is buffeted David is stirred by the wicked one to number the people If Joshua be ministring unto the Lord Satan will be at his right hand to resist him Zach. 3.1 It 's no small unhappinesse to a Saint that he is here followed with unwearied assaults that the Prince of darknesse is restlesse in casting in his fire-balls to put the soul into an hellish flame though he should never be conquered yet for the Christian to have his quarters beaten up night and day must needs disquiet him To have blasphemous thoughts of a God infinitely great and gracious to have mean and vile apprehensions of a Saviour imcomparably precious cast into him though he close not with them cannot but wound him to the heart As for a chast Matron that loatheth the thoughts of dishonesty to be continually solicited to folly is a sore vexation The temptations of our Lord Jesus were a sad part of his humiliation But death will ease the soul of this trouble As in heaven there shall be no tinder of a corrupt heart to take so no divel like steel and flint to strike fire The crooked serpent could wind himself into the terrestrial but shall never creep into the celestial Paradise his circuit is to go to and fro in the earth he cannot enter the confines of heaven when he fell from his state of integrity he left that place of felicity and cannot possibly recover it again The Saints on earth indeed are militant fighting with him but the Saints in heaven are all Triumphant wholly above him more than conquerours through him that loveth them Rom. 8.37 There the children of God are gathered together and no Satan among them there the son of David delivereth his true Israelites from all their fears of this uncircumcised Philistine When the heavenly Mordecai comes to be a chief favourite in that high and holy Court he shall be freed from all his frights about this enemy and adversary this wicked Haman The Ark and Dagon could not stand together in one house much lesse can light and darknesse Michael and the Dragon God and the Divel dwell together in one heaven If Ireland as some write be so pure a soyle that it will not nourish any venemous creature I am sure heaven is so pure that into it can in no wise enter any thing that defileth Rev. 21. ult it will not harbour those poisnous serpents Heaven once saith an Author spued them out and it will not return to its vomit or lick them up again no such dirty dog shall ever trample on that golden pavement There is such a cursed irreconcileable contrariety in their natures to the blessed company and exercises in heaven that certainly they cannot desire much lesse delight in that place If the Presence of Christ were such a torment to them in his estate of humiliation what a torment would it be in his estate of exaltation it is observable they left their own habitation Jude ver 6.
the Christian to a Kingdome which cannot be shaken But it commeth to the unregenerate as Ehud to Eglon And Ehud said I have a message from God unto thee and what was his message Judges 3.20 21. And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglons belly It is a messenger from God with a mortal wounding killing stabbing message to a sinner The pale white horse of death rides before and the red fiery horse of hell follows after The people of God pass safely through this red Sea of death which his enemies assaying to do are drowned are damned There is a great dis-agreement in the lives of the holy and unholy but O what a vast difference is there in their deaths they are like two parallel lines how far soever they go together they never touch in a point Their wayes differ and therefore their ends must necessarily differ Every mans end is virtually in his way their ways differ as much as light and darknesse and therefore their ends must differ as far as heaven and hell The one walketh in his own wayes Prov. 14.14 in the wayes of his own heart Eccles 7.9 in the broad way of the flesh and the world Matth. 7.13 and so his end is damnation Phil. 3.19 his latter end is that he shall be destroyed Fine discernuntur improbi ab electis Moller in Ps 37 for ever Numb 24.20 The other walketh in the way of the Lord Psal 119.1 in the way of his testimonies ver 14. in the narrow way of self-denial mortification and crucifying the flesh Maâ—t 7.14 and so his end is peace Psal 37.37 Such as the seed is which is sown such is the crop wich is reaped the unregenerate man soweth to the flesh and of the flesh reapeth corruption The sanctified soul soweth to the spirit and of the spirit reapeth life everlasting Galat. 6.6 7. The blind world indeed as it seeth not their difference in life the life of a Saint is an hidden life Col. 3.3 the Kings daughter is all glorious but 't is within Psal 45.13 the jewels of her graces are laid up in that privy Drawer the hidden man of the heart so it beholdeth not the difference in their deaths As dieth the wise man so dieth the fool to the eye of sense and they want the eye of faith Eccles 2.16 We see no difference say they betwixt the death of them you call prophane and your precise ones they die both alike to our judgments But this conceit Reader if thou art such an Athiest proceedeth from thy blindnesse and unbelief Thou art probably in the chamber when a drunkard a swearer or a civil moral yet unsanctified neighbour departeth this life thou seest his body trembling panting groaning dying but thou doest not see the ten thousand times worse condition his poor soul is in thou seest his kindred or relations weeping but thou doest not see the infernal spirits rejoycing thou dost not see the greedy Devils that waited by the bed-side like so many roaring lions for their desired deserved prey thou doest not see when the soul left the body how it was immediately seised on by those frightful hell-hounds in a most hideous horrible manner and haled to the place of intolerable and eternal torments thou doest not see the shoutings of those legions in hell at the coming in of a new prisoner to bear a part in the undergoing of divine fury in their blasphemies against heavens Majestie and in their estate of hopelessnesse and desperation Men saith a modern writer like silly fishes see one another caught and jerkt out of the pond of life but they see not alas the fire and pan into which they are cast who die in their sins Oh it had been better surely for such if they had never been born as Christ said of Judas then to be brought forth to the murtherer that old man-slayer to be hurled into hell there to suffer such things as they shall never be able to avoid or abide On the other side thou standest by a scorned persecuted Saint when he is bidding adieu to a sinful world thou seest the struglings and droopings of his outward man but thou seest not the reviving cordial the Physician of souls is preparing for his inward man thou doest not see those glorious Angels which watch and wait upon this heaven-born soul That waggon or chariot which the son of Joseph sendeth to fetch his relation to a true Goshen Never Roman Emperor rode in such a Chariot of Triumph as the Saint doth to heaven the inheritance of the Saints in light is as invisible to thee as those chariots of fire on the mountain were to the servant of the Prophet When the soul biddeth the body good night till the morning of the resurrection thou doest not see those ministring spirits sent down for the good of this heir of salvation presently solacing and saluting it Thou doest not see how stately it is attended how safely conducted how gladly received into the bosome of Abraham into the fathers house into that City whose builder and maker is God Thou doest not see the soul putting off with the cloathing of the body all sin and misery and putting on the white linnen of the Saints even perfect purity matchlesse joy and eternal felicity When thou canst see these things with the eye of faith thou wilt easily grant a vast difference between the death of the gracious and gracelesse Reader if thou art dead in thy sins and unacquainted with this spiritual life which I have before described nothing of that endlesse gain which the godly shall enjoy at death belongs to thee none of that fulnesse of joy of those rivers of pleasures of that eternal weight of glory shalt thou partake of I may say to thee as Simon Peter to Simon Magus thou hast no part nor â—â—t in this matter for thine heart is not right in the sight of God Thou mayest like the mad-man at Athens lay claim to all the vessels that come into the haven but the vessels of the promises richly laden with the treasures of grace and love do not at all appertain to thee If like a dog thou snatchest at the childrens bread thou art more bold than wel-come and wilt one day be well beaten for thy presumption Reader if thou art unregenerate and so diest look to thy self for thy lot must fall on this side the promised Land Thou mayest like a Surveyour of Land take a view of anothers Mannor and bring a return how stately the house is how pleasant the gardens how delightful the walks how fruitful the Pastures how finely it 's seated how fully it 's woodded how sweetly it is watered how fitly it is every way accommodated but as long as the Pronoun is wanting it can be but little comfort it is none of thine So thou mayst read and hear much of that comfort joy and richnesse of that incomparable
death when thou lyest upon thy death-bed and art going out of the world thou mayst take thy leave of thy friends estate honour and delights in such language as this Farewel my dear wife children and all my friends farewel for ever I am going where lovers and friends will be put farre from me I must never never have any friend more but shall remain friendlesse to all eternity Farewel my house and Land my silver and gold farewel for ever I shall from henceforth and for ever be a beggar and though I beg but for one drop of water to coole my tongue when this whole body shall be in unquenchable flames I must everlastingly be denied Farewel my honours and delights farewel for ever I shall never more be respected or comforted confusion of face and easelesse pains are to be my endlesse and unchangeable portion Thus man thou wilt most miserably even out-live thy felicity and when thou comest to live indeed i. e. in the other world want all thy comforts and joys 2. Thou shalt lose by death all thy spiritual preferment It is now no mean mercy to thee hadst thou an heart to prize and improve it that thou enjoyest the Ordinances of God the means of grace many golden seasons for the good of thy soul that thou mayst sit at Gods feet and hear his voice out of Scripture fall down on thy knees and seek his face by prayer but know to thy sorrow death wil rob thee of all these Jewels Now thou hast the tenders of mercy the intreaties of the Minister the motions of the Spirit the invitations of Christ liberty to cast thy self down at the foot-stool of Heavens Majesty and to be as fervent and instant as thou wilt for mercy but then the gate wil be shut and there wil be no praying or hearing or preaching in the place whether thou art going Psal 88.11 Shall thy loving kindnesse be declared in the grave or thy faithfulnesse in destruction the interrogation is a strong negation There is no preaching of Gods clemency or fidelity either in the grave or hel All the Lectures read in the former are by worms of mans mortality and all the Sermons heard in the latter are of mans misery and Gods severity Reader I assure thee from the living God that though in this life thou art now and then bungling about a duty and giving God thy stinking breath a few cold lazy petitions which proceed from thy corrupt lungs thy cursed heart thou shalt do so no more after death As the Saints shall be above this mediate enjoyment of God so thou shalt be below it And truly hadst thou ever had Communion with God in a duty this losse would go near thee How amiable is the worshipping of God to a gracious soul he prizeth Ordinances because they are the means of it in this world above his estate and food or what ever is deare to him Psa 119.14 72 111. Job 23.12 Psa 84.1.2 3. And this priviledge he shall have by death to be employed stil about the same work of pleasing glorifying worshipping and enjoying God only he shall do it in a more excellent and more delightful way He continueth as it were in the same School death only removes him to an higher form or if you will death sends him from the School in which he was fitted and prepared to the University of heaven but O sinner thou must be deprived of this happinesse indeed now thou esteemest the Ordinances of God a burden as precious as they are to others they are tedious to thee The Church is thy Goal the Sabbath is thy ague-day the commands of Christ are bonds and fetters to thee Psa 72.3 The voice of thy carnal heart is when wil the glasse be out when wil the duty be done when wil the Sabbath be over that thou mayst follow the world Amos 8.5 Thou thinkest the prayer is too long the Sermon is too long the Sabbath is too long the duties are all too long wel be patient but a little a short time and thou shalt never be troubled with these long duties more The night is coming when there is no working Joh. 9.4 There is no enjoying Sabbath or Sacraments or seasons of grace no wisdome knowledge or device in the grave to which thou art hastening Eccles 9.10 Now the Minister exhorteth thee to cast away thy sins and come to thy Saviour to reject thy soul-damning lusts and accept of a soul-saving Lord The Father commandeth thee by his Soveraignty over thee and propriety in thee as thy Creatour The Son entreateth thee by presenting his bloody sweat and sufferings unto thee as he is thy Redeemer The Spirit stirreth thee to pity thy precious soul and to minde thine unchangeable estate to consider seriously in this day of Gods patience the things which concern thy eternal peace The Gospel is a Treasure of inestimable value freely offered to thee upon condition thou wilt but heartily embrace it and the easie yoke of Christ together The Word of God chargeth inviteth allureth beseecheth promiseth threateneth all these like so many Trumpets do loudly sound a retreat to call thee off from thy slavery to the world and flesh unto the glorious liberty of the Sons of God but thou art as deaf as the Adder and wilt not hear the voice of these heavenly charmes as hard as the Rock the waves of threatenings which dash unweariedly against thee stirre thee not the showres and dews of promises which fall on thee continually make no impression neither mercies nor judgements neither men nor God can prevaile with thee Well sinner think of it again and again and thy heart is hardened with a witnesse if it do not tremble to think of it the hour is approaching when thou shalt never have these tenders these invitations these means these motions more though thou shalt earnestly and uncessantly desire them and willingly accept of them if they could be granted thee after thou hast fryed as many millions of yeares in hell as there are stars in the heavens piles of grasse on the earth and sands on the sea shoar yet thy intreaty upon such an hard condition shall be denied then thou wilt befool thy self to purpose for staying til the day after the faire for not accepting when thou wast wel offered then mercy wil be mercy indeed then grace wil be grace indeed then the Gospel wil be glad-tydings indeed when by the want of them thou shalt fully know the worth of them Now God holdeth the Candle of his Word to thee and instead of working thou playest instead of working out thy own salvation instead of working the works of him that sent thee into the world thou playest the fool the drunkard the beast the hypocrite the Atheist wel thou shalt go into utter darknesse where those lights which thou now enjoyest will never shine Plutarch observeth of Hannibal he might once have taken Rome and would not afterwards he would and could not now
drinks up his spirits Psal 38 3. Job 6.4 what wil their condition then be against whom God shall stir up all his wrath Psal 78.39 Hell is said to be prepared for the Divel and his Angels Matth. 25.41 as if the Almighty and infinite God had sate down and studied the most exquisite torments that could be to inflict on them As when he would glorifie the riches of his mercy on them that love him and keep his commands he provideth fulnesse of joy and greater pleasures than the heart of man can possibly conceive So when he would glorifie his Justice in the highest degree on them that hate him and wilfully break his Laws he prepareth fulnesse of sorrow and greater pain then any yea then all the men in the world can possibly comprehend A melancholy man may fancy saith one vast and terrible fears fire sword Dr. Reynolds on Hos 14. p. 23. of Sermon 1. tempests wracks furnaces scalding-lead boyling pitch running bell-metal and being kept alive in all these to feel their torment but these come far short of the wrath of God for first there are bounds set to the hurting power of the creature the fire can burn but it cannot drown the serpent can sting but not teare in pieces 2. The fears of the heart are bounded within those narrow apprehensions which it self can frame of the hurts which may be done But the wrath of God proceeds from an infinite justice and is executed by an Omnipotent and unbounded power comprising all the terror of all the creatures as the Sun doth all other light eminently and excessively in it It burns and drowns and tears and stings and can make nature feel much more than reason is able to comprehend A wounded spirit who can beare Prov. 18. 14. The wise man gives a challenge to the whole creation to find out a person that is strong enough to undergo such a burden and certainly none ever dared to accept the challenge How intolerable hath such a weight been to them that are Lyons for strength and courage This caused Davids broken bones and watered couch This made Heman at his wits end Psal 88.15 This made Spira that seven years monument of Gods justice In his sincere convert as Mr. Shepherd calls him to roare so horribly out of anguish of spirit This made Daniel choose rather to be cast to the cruel Lyons then to carry about with him such a ravenous Lyon in his conscience This made some of the Martyrs to feel a very hell in their consciences after their recantation no wolfe in the breast no worm in the bowels no phrensie so out-ragious as a gnawing corroding conscience If the wrath of a King be as the roaring of a Lyon O what is the wrath of God! and if his wrath be so terrible in this world where there is ever some mixture of mercy with it what will it be in the other world when the soul shall have a cup of pure wrath to drink when God shall shew the unconceiveablenesse of his strength in tormenting the creature Primamors animam nolentem pellit á corpore Secunda noâ—entem retinet in corpore Aug. de civit dei lib. 21. cap. 3. and preserving it to feel those torments Who knoweth the power of his anger Psal 90.11 there will be tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath on the soul of every man that doth evil Rom. 2.8 9. There is fire to burn and brimstone to choak Matth 13.40 and chains to bind and serpents to sting and worms to gnaw Mark 9.44 Jude 12. and darknesse to affright there is variety universality and extremity of torments * Aug ibid l. 21. c. 13. Austine admires it and saith that for vehemency of heat it exceeds our fire as much as ours doth fire painted on the wall But the sufferings of thy soul will be the soul of thy sufferings the worme that never dyeth will be the killing death when thou shalt remember all thy former sinful pleasures of which nothing remaineth but thy present shame and pain when thou shalt reflect upon the former offers thou hast had of all the dainties which others feed on in heaven and despair now of ever obtaining the least crumb that falleth from the Masters table when thou shalt fore-see the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus the re-uniting of thy body to thy soul the easelesse and endlesse torments which soul and body must endure together Memoria praeteritorum sensus prasenaium metus futurorum are the whole of the souls torments thy sins past will horribly perplex thee thy present shame will lamentably confound thee thy future tortures will unspeakably affright thee O it will be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Heb. 12. ult one touch of it made a man at arms to cry out sadly Have pity upon me my friends have pity upon me for the hand of God hath touched me Job 19.21 One blow of it broke the backs of the Angels Jude 6. Alas sinner what wilt thou do under the whole weight of it how will thy heart endure or thy hands be strong in this day that the Lord shall thus deale with thee the Lord hath spoken it and he will do it Ezek. 22.14 Now thou canst hear and read and talk of hell and be no more troubled then Physicians are at the many diseases which affect their Patients nay it may be thou dost jear when thou shouldst fear like Leviathan Credo quae de inferit dicuntur falsa existimas said Cato to Caesar laugh at the shaking of this spear if a Minister come to thee as Lot to his Sons in-law and warn thee to leave the Sodome of thy sinful sensual life and tell thee that otherwise the Lord will destroy thee that fire and brimstone will be thy portion he seemeth to thee as Lot to them Gen. 19.14 as one that mocketh thou thinkest that he is in jest but they feel what they would not feare now they are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. and so wilt thou if God prevent it not by renewing thy heart and reforming thy life And though now thou art so senselesse that the seat thou fittest in and the pillar thou leanest on are as much affected with the threatenings and denunciation of the judgements of God as thou art yet then thou wilt be sensible enough and thine eyes so dry now will weep enough when they come to that place where is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Matth. 24.51 As the love of God is a known unknown love Ephes 3.18 19. none know it fully but they that enjoy it in glory so the anger of God is a known unknown anger Psal 90.11 none can know it perfectly but they that shall feel it eternally 2. It will be full in regard of duration all thy sad losses and all thy sorrowful gains will be for ever there was nothing else wanting to make thee
Is it not a thousand pities to live known to others and to die unknown to thy self to speak so often Many a man may say of himself as the â—pigramâ—matist of his unneighborly Neighbor In urbe tota nemo tam prope tam proculque nobis and so much to others and yet in the many years that thou hast lived never to have spent one houre in serious discourse with thy self about thine eternal condition what shall become of thee for ever Friend it may be thou hast been very solicitous to know what shall befall thee whil'st thou livest is there not more cause for thee to be inquisitive what shaâ—l befall thee when thou diest I think it concernneth thee to be faithful and diligent about this work of examining thy soul whether Jesus Christ be thy life when all thy happiness hangs on this hinge even thine estate for eternity Trivial matters may be pass'd over sleightly but things of weight must be minded seriously Reader hadst thou ever a matter of greater or equal concernment to thine unchangeable eternal estate Are not thy following thy trade thy providing for thy family thy eating drinking sleeping and the most necessary things thou canst imagine about thy outward man but rattles and babies but toys and trifles in comparison of this Suppose the title I am speaking of did but concern an estate in Land of 100 pound per annum which thou wert buying wouldst thou not consult with this and that man whether the Title were good or no wouldst thou think two or three dayes ill spent in searching and advising to prevent the cozenage of thee and thy children And doth not thy soul thine eternal estate deserve more care more time more pains more consulting searching and questioning for fear of an everlasting miscarriage Let thy reason be judge Had not those wyers need to be strong that have such a weight as thy eternal welfare hanging on them Should not that Anchor be cast sure which is entrusted with a vessel so richly laden as with thy soul that Jewel of inestimable value more worth than a world Can that foundation be too firmly laid that hath such a building as eternity of happinesse depending on it Without question those deeds and evidences if ever any had need to be unquestionable that convey the inheritance which is incorruptible undefiled reserved in heaven And the rather shouldst thou try thy soul throughly because shouldst thou content thy self with a counterfeit Title to heaven as most men and women amongst us do by vertue only of some deeds which the divel and thy carnal heart have forged and shouldst so dy thou wouldst assuredly be dealt with as a cheat and cast into the prison of hell and then thy condition will be most lamentable because it will be irrecoverable If thou missest at all when thou diest thou missest for all and for ever An error then can never be mended there can be no second throw cast no second Edition come forth to correct the errors of the former but the great work for which thou wert born not being done thou art undone to eternity and then as godly men befool themselves in this world while they live Psal 73.2 for their corruption so thou wilt befool thy self in the other world when thou diest for thy presumption Jer. 17.11 that thou shouldst think the rotten props of a little profession of a few outward priviledges and inward good meanings as thou call'st them could bear the weight of thy soul and thine endlesse state that thou shouldst build so sleightly for a dwelling of perpetuity Set thy heart therefore to all the words that I speak unto thee for it is not a vain thing but it is for thy life Deut. 32.46 47. Wel friend the great question which I shall put to thee will be this Canst thou say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pierce through and through because by piercing a thing is tryed what it is within whether found or no. To thee to live is Christ thy gain by death dependeth on this Examine thy self throughly prove thy self whither thou art in the faith or no 2 Cor. 13.5 The Eagle tryeth her young ones by the Sun whether they be of the right brood or no as some affirm do thou try thy self by this Sun of righteousnesse by this life in Christ by thine ingraffing into Christ Ask thy soul whether it be acquainted with the new birth the new Creation the Divine nature the renewing in the spirit of thy mind the sanctification of the Spirit the walking after the Spirit the Image of God the writing of his Laws in thy heart the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ effectual calling unlesse thou hast that one thing signified by all these things thou hast nothing then and not till then thou hast crost thy line shot the gulph art safely landed in Christ and hast attained that which ever accompanieth salvation But because this self-tryal though it be a necessary duty yet is a work of much difficulty It is easier for a man to speak to the stateliest King in the world then to him self as he ought to speak and because naturally mens sores and corruptions make them so unwilling to be searched for feare of pain I shall annex two or three quickening motives to perswade thee to this much neglected duty 1. Consider how easie and ordinary it is to be deceived though it be in a work of such infinite weight now where the businesse is weighty and the mistake ordinary and easie it requireth thee to search throughly It 's one of the most ordinary and easie things in the world for a child of disobedience to live and dye asleep in sin and never dream of hell till he come to awake in the other world in a bed of fire thy deceitful heart will be night and day inclining thee to sleep and the divel wil be sure to keep the cradle rocking Alas how very very few are there that will be perswaded to cast up their spiritual accompts but like men that we say are worse than naught loath the thoughts of looking into or summing up their estates or like some women when they come to be old turn the back-side of their looking-glasses towards them as unwilling to see their own wrinckles and deformity And of those that do sometimes examine themselves how many are there that do it sleightly and superficially contenting themselves with false marks quickly believing what they would have even all to be well till they are sent to be undeceived in hell Maud mother to King Henry the second being besieged at Oxford she got away with white apparel in the snow undiscovered Cambd. Brit. So do many hypocrites with their profession of snow like purity passe among men but God knowes the heart All is not gold that glisters nor is all grace that makes a fair shew in the flesh there is much counterfeit coin in the world that goeth currant among men as
is the same man he was before only he hath a new endowment of the light of holinesse which he had not before Now thus the Spirit ever worketh where it dwelleth it is therefore called a river of living waters John 7.37 not a pond of dead but a river of living waters a pond will suffer dirt and mud to continue in it without opposition but a river of living waters purgeth out and casteth up its mire and dirt its foam and scum Isa 57.20 So the spirit of the world and flesh will let Atheism pride and unbelief to lodge and lurk in the soul without resistance unlesse it be a little from a natural conscience but the Spirit of God worketh out these gradually as generous wine worketh out lees and dregs The Spirit is also called fire Acts 2. Matth. 3.11 for as fire fighteth with the cold water that is over it and by degrees conquereth it and reduceth the water to its own likenesse of heat in some measure so the Spirit lusteth and fighteth against the flesh and by degrees overcometh the interest of it captivateth the soul to the obedience of Christ and conformeth the whole man in some measure to the Image of God Examine thy soul by this Doth the spirit within thee combat with and conquer thy corruptions Doth it enable thee to cast them away with shame and detestation Hath it turned the bent of thy heart and stream of thy affections after spiritual and heavenly things The waters of the sea as some write though by their naturall course they follow the center yet in obedience to the Moon are subject to her motion and so turn and return ebbe and flow So though thou by nature didst follow the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye and the pride of life yet in obedience to the Spirit dost thou now follow its motions Hath the interest of the Spirit an actual predominancy in thy soul above the interest of the flesh Canst thou say that the interest of the spirit and the interest of the flesh do often meet together on a narrow bridge where both cannot go forward together and usually thou sufferest the Spirit to go forward and the flesh to go back When two Masters walk together and a servant followeth after it is not easie to know to which of the two the servant belongs but when the Masters part the servant is discovered whose he is When relgiion and the world have their interests together thou mayst be hid but when thy credit and Christ thy pleasure and the spirit come in competition as they will very often thou mayst discover thy self clearly whore servant thou art Speak friend and let thy conscience witness whether it be thus or no thou mast deceive and thereby undo thy self but thou canst not deceive God for if the Spirit do not sanctifie thee the Son will never save thee Pharao's Court admitted of Frogs and Lice and Noah's Ark received unclean Beasts into it but no such vermine can crawle into the heavenly Court Into it can in no wise enter observe Reader in no wise any thing that is defiled or unclean Revel 21.17 These are the words of the true and living God Canst thou think that thou hast the Spirit of God and shalt be a gainer by death who art a servant of unrighteousness who hast vain-glory covetousness hypocrisie carnal-mindedness within thee and never mournest under them as one heavy laden with them nor longest after Regeneratio gratuitam coram deo justificationem individuo nexu comitatur nec ab ea separari potest etiamsi distingui debeat Polan Syntag. lib 6. cap. 37. nor usest diligently the meanes for deliverance from them Dost thou live a spiritual life that instead of being dead to sin art dead in sin and shalt thou arrive at heaven who walkest in the road to hell I assure thee a King will sooner admit dunghill-rakers and privy-cleaners in their nastiest filthiest pickle into his bed then God will take thee if thou be such a one into heaven No Heaven is for the holy and for them only 2. The Spirit of God is a praying Spirit it is called the spirit of grace and supplication Zach. 12.10 the spirit of adoption Rom. 8.15 and of his Son whereby they that have it cry Abba Father Gal. 4.6 As Christ in Heaven makes intercession for them without them Heb. 7.25 so the Spirit of Christ on earth maketh intercession for them within them God never had any still-born children The fathers after the flesh sometimes have dumbe children but the Father of spirits never had any such Mans invocation of God presently followeth upon Gods effectual vocation of him One of the first signes of spiritual life in Paul was spiritual breathing Behold he prayeth Acts 9.6 and it is observable that prayer is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending almost of all his Epistles And David was three times a day Psal 55.17 nay seven times a day at this blessed duty Psal 119.164 yea he was so wholly employed in it that he speaketh as if he were altogether made up of it Psal 109 4. Et ego oratio Moller legit But I prayer give my self unto as it is read in our translations is added for explanation as the different character sheweth as if prayer had been his essential constitutive part Some write of Latimer that he would pray so many hours that he was not able to rise Nazianzen saith of his Sister Gorgonia that she prayed so much that her knees seemed to be grown to the very ground * Hierom. in rit Paul the Eremite was found dead kneeling upon his knees holding up his hands and lifting up his eyes * Euseb Constantine the Emperour would not have his effigies set up as other Princes had in his armour leaning but in a posture of prayer kneeling Thus all the Children of God are frequent at asking their heavenly Father blessing Quorum spiritus domiti sunt qui â—ese deo subjiciunt mendici spiritu â—unius in Mat. 5.3 Now ask thy soul Doth the Spirit of â—od bring thee often upon thy knees Art thou one of the generation of seekers Psal 24.6 Art thou one of Gods suppliants Zeph. 3.10 Dost thou know what it is to be poor in spirit It is the character of the worst of sinners they call not on God Psal 14.4 a man once speechless is nigh unto deâ—th to be a beggar and to live altogether upon the almes-basket of heavens bounty Is there a constant trade driven betwixt God and thy soul God sending down mercies and thou sending up prayers This is the daily Exchange Canst thou better live without thy daily bread then this daily duty When thy heart is big with grief whither dost thou go Is this thy greaâ— ease that thou mayst empty thy soul into Gods eares Are thy prayers fervent prayers Is this holy fire put to thy daily sacrifices Is thy prayer made without ceasing or
instantly Acts 26.7 stretched out upon the tenters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word signifieth not so much in the length of the petitions as in the acting of holy affections Dost thou labour in prayer Coloss 4.12 i. e. wrastle with God as that word imports bending and straining every joynt of the new man in the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instant in prayer a Metâ—phor from hunting dogs which will not cease following the game till they have got it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 11.8 Nazian saith of his sister Gorgonia that â— prayer she was modestly impudent that they may all help to prevail with God Are all the heavenly forces within thee united when thou prayest that if possible thou mayst take the Kingdome of heaven by storm by violence Matth. 11.12 What sai'st thou Reader dost thou like the importunate Widow take no denial but use an humble impudency as the Word of Christ includeth when thou art intreating the Divine Majesty for spirituals Or dost thou pray but it is as if thou prayedst not so dully and coldly that thou canst hardly hear thy self only as it were between sleeping and waking thou mumblest over a few petitions either out of custome or to stop the mouth of conscience never regarding whether God answer thy requests or no. Didst thou but consider the dreadful Majesty of that God to whom thou prayest the unvaluable worth of the soul and endless state for which thou prayest and the poor pittance of time upon which thy eternity dependeth that thou hast to pray in it might rouse thee out of thy security Common beggery as it is the poorest so it is the easiest trade A whispering devotion is seldome answered with a loud eccho from heaven Dr. Arron Serm. on 1 Sam. 7.12 p. 15. but this special as it is the richest so it is the hardest The fervent prayer is the prevalent prayer Jam. 5.16 The bullet will flie no farther than the force of the powder will carry it That arrow of prayer that would hit the mark must be drawn with full strength He that in prayer for grace through an humble dependence on Christ will not be denied shall not be denied Lip-labour doth no more than a windie instrument makes a loud noise and that is all Prayer without the travail of the soul is but the cold carcass of a duty and no wonder if it be unsavory in Gods nostrils How many among us are there that pray every day for pardon and holinesse and yet shall die without them and perish eternally for want of them and all because they never begg'd them in good earnest but were alwayes indifferent whether God heard them or no No day passed wherein Luther spent not 3 hours in prayer once it fell out that I heard him saith Vitus Theodorus of him Good God what a spirit what a confidence was in his very expressions with such reverence he pray'd as to a God with such assurance as to a Father or friend The child hath escaped many a stripe by his loud cry Heartlesse motions do but bespeak a denial whereas fervent suits offer a sacred violence both to earth and heaven I would have such know that the blessed God valueth his special ware at an higher rate than to bestow it on such as will not esteem it something answerably to its worth It were easie to instance how fiery and fervent the children of God in whom was this spirit of God which is compared to fire have been in their supplications look Gen. 32.24 25. Psal 5. Ps 77. Ps 88. Jacob wrestled with God and would not let him go unlesse he blessed him Christ seemed willing to shake him off Let me go saith Christ I will not let thee go unlesse thou blesse me saith Jacob. My limbs may go my life may go but no going for thee without a pawn without a blessing Thus indeed doth the seed of Jacob seek the face of their God and thence are called Israelites for as Princes they have power with God and prevail Gen. 32.26 27. And this is the difference betwixt the prayer of a living and a dead Christian the prayer of the former is instant and fervent not discouraged but rather increasing by opposition as lime by water cast upon it burneth the hotter see Matth. 15.22 and 25.27 the latter is flat and indifferent easily put off though it be with a crum instead of a crown with a bubble a butterfly instead of the everlasting fruition of God Any temporal good is satisfying to them that have no true spiritual good in them Psal 4.5 And the reason is clear the breath of a pair of bellows is cold because it doth not proceed from a living principle within but the breath of a man is warm because it cometh from a principle of life within so the prayer the breath of an hypocrite is cold because it doth not flow from the spirit of God the onely inward principle of spiritual life but the prayer the breath of a sincere Saint is warm is fervent because it proceedeth from this living principle the spirit of Christ within Indeed the Christian knoweth not how to pray as he ought but the spirit helpeth his infirmities with sighs and groanings which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 Doest thou pray constantly that duty which is done out of conscience will be done with perseverance A godly man will seek Gods face evermore Psal 105.4 and Ps 116.2 He calleth upon God as long as he liveth Breathing heaven-ward in prayer is the beginning and ending of his spiritual life upon earth as we see in Paul Act. 9.6 and Stephen Act. 7. ult He never taketh his leave of prayer till he is entering into the place of praise Prayer is his element he cannot live without it and communion with God in it Prayer is the vessel by which he is continually trading into the Holy Land he sendeth it out fraught with precious graces faith hope desire love godly sorrow and the like and it commeth home many times richly laden with peace joy and increase of grace But now an hypocrite Job saith will not pray alwayes he will not alwayes call upon God Job 27.10 possibly he may sometimes cry out as a Scholar undet the rod or a Malefactor upon the Rack for deliverance out of some affliction but when God openeth his hand and bestoweth the mercy his mouth is shut and his heart too that you shall hear but little more of this duty If he pray on his sick bed and God raise him up he leaves his prayers sick a bed behind him His prayer was but a messenger sent about some particular errand when that is done the messenger returneth As that story of the Friar speaketh how when he was a poor Friar he went ever sadly casting his eyes upon the ground but being Abbot he went merrily looking upward one of his companions asked him the reason of that alteration
then it runneth most freely and plentifully None might approach the King of Persia's Court in sackcloth and mourning Est 4.2 but no wandring sinner may draw near to the King of Heaven without it Aut paenitendum aut pereundum Except ye repent ye shall perish God is resolved to break the sinners heart on earth or his back in hell He will have the wound search'd and the pain of it felt before it be bound up and cured The wicked Prodigal must come to his Father with compunction in his soul as well as confession in his mouth Look therefore O sinner into the book of thy conscience and read over the black lines that still are in thy cursed heart and the bloody leaves of thy wicked life how long thou hast lived to little purpose yea to the killing of thy soul for ever how farre thou hast been from accomplishing the end for which thou wast born and the errand for which thou wast sent into the world Keep a petty Assize in thy heart preferre a large Bill of Indictment against thy self accuse and condemn thy self not only verbally but cordially if ever thou wouldst have Christ to acquit thee Thou hast spent many years in sinning and shouldst thou not spend some hours in sorrowing Thou didst make the soul of Jesus Christ sorrowful unto death shall not therefore thy soul be sorrowful when thy sorrow may be unto life Did the Rocks rent when he died for sin shall not thy rocky heart that thou hast lived 〈◊〉 sin He bled for thee and wilt not thou weep for thy self Thou hast filled Gods a Iob 14.17 Bag with thy fins and hast thou no tears for his b Psal 46.8 Bottle Hast thou so long broken the holy Commandements of God and shall not thy heart now at last be broken The damned feel sin it lyeth heavy on their souls couldst thou lay thy ear to the mouth of that bottomlesse pit thou mightst perceive by their yellowings and howlings that sin is sin in hell how lightly soever it is regarded by men upon earth The Lord Jesus felt sin Hadst thou been in the garden and seen his blessed body all over in a goar blood beheld those drops yea clods of blood that trickled down his face surely thou wouldst have believed that it was some heavy weight indeed which caused such a bloody sweat in a cold winter night And art not thou yet weary and heavy laden Do I speak to a man or a beast to a living creature or to a rock that will never be moved If thou hast a disease in thy body thou canst greive and complain and why not for the diseases of thy soul Are not they farre more deadly more dangerous If thou losest a child O what crying and roaring what wringing of hands and watering of cheeks nay if thou losest a place of profit an house or a beast thou canst mourn and think of it often with sorrow And doth it not greive thee that thou hast lost not thy child or cattel but thy Christ thy Saviour thy Soul thy God to eternity If thou missest a good bargain that was offered thee whereby thou mightst increase thy estate or if thou buyest or hirest at too dear a rate how dost thou beshrew and befool thy self for it Hast thou not ten thousand times more cause to be really and highly displeased with thy self and to abhor thy self in dust and ashes that thou shouldst have all the riches and glory and pleasures of the eternal Kingdom tendered to thee with many intreaties and yet thou hast refused them for the lying vanities of this world and for the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Thou hast denyed Heavens happinesse for a bubble a butterfly all things for nothing Did ever any fool buy so dear and sell so cheap Like Saul busie himself in seeking Asses when a Kingdom sought him Like Shimei seek his servant and thereby lose himself No fool like the sinner that embraceth a shadow which will certainly flee from him and neglecteth the substance which endureth to eternity Honorius the Emperor hearing that Rome was lost cried Alas alas very mournfully fearing it had been his hen so called which he exceedingly loved but hearing it was the famous City of Rome that was become a prey to his cruel enemies he made a tush at it Thus too too many can greive sufficiently for the losse of vanities riches but not at all for the losse of God and Christ and enduring felicities Well Friend repent timely and truly of this thy folly for I must tell thee shortly it will be too late if repentance be hid from thy heart now repentance will be hid from Gods eye then by whose Law thou art now a condemned man already if thy heart be hardened now in sinning the heart of God will ere long be hardened in sentencing thee to an eternity of suffering It is an infinite mercy that God yet alloweth thee liberty for second thoughts that notwithstanding thou hast shipwracked thy soul yet thou mayst swim out safe upon the plank of repentance O therefore think no pains too great to break thy stony heart it is worth the while when free grace hath promised a vast reward to that heaven-born work Hadst thou once offered up to God the sacrifice of a spirit truly sorrowful out of love to God and self-loathing because of fin I could tell thee as good as joyful news as ever thine ears heard The Father of mercies and God of comforts will be reconciled to thee in the Lord Jesus Thy prayers for pardon and life will pierce Gods ears and find acceptance if they proceed from a broken heart from sincere repentance A penitent tear is a messenger that never went away without a satisfactory answer Prayers with such tears are prevalent yea in Luthers phrase omnipotent Musick upon the waters sounds most pleasantly Thou hast heard the voice of my weeping saith David Psal 6.8 Augustus Caesar having promised a great reward to any that could bring him the head of a famous Pirate did yet when the Pirate heard of it and brought it himself and laid it at his feet Suet. in vit not only pardon but teward him for his confidence in his mercy As * Plutarch in vâ—t Alex. Antipater was answered by Alexander Thou hast written a long Letter against my Mother but dost thou not know that one tear of hers will wash out all her faults When the returning sinner weeps the tender-hearted Father smi es As he rejoyceth and laugheth at obstinate sinners destruction and ruine Quodâ— Deus loquiâ—ur cum risu tu legas cum fletu Aug. Proverbs 1.26 so he rejoyceth and smileth at the penitent sinners conversion He will do something for an hypocritical humiliation to assure us that he will do any thing upon a sincere humiliation Seest thou saith God how Ahab humbleth himself this judgement shall not be in his dayes but in his Sons
Gospel observe to every creature He that believeth shall be saved Ho every one that thirsteth Isa 55.1 If any man let him be poor or rich high or low thirst let him come to me and drink John 7.37 'T is a great encouragement that in the offers of pardon and life none are excluded why then shouldst thou exclude thy self Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy-laden Matth. 11.28 Mark poor sinner all ye Art not thou one of that all Is not thy wickedness thy weight and thy corruption thy burden then thou art called particularly as well as generally Jesus Christ taketh thee aside from the crowd and whispereth thee in the ear O poor sinner that art weary of the work and heavy laden with the weight of sin be intreated to come to me I will give thee rest Why doth thy heart suggest that he doth not intend thee in that call Doth he not by that qualification as good as name thee Ah 't is an unworthy a base jealousie to mistrust a loving Christ without the least cause Once more meditate how willing he is to heal thy wounded spirit and be not faithless but believing He is willing to accept of thee if thou art willing to accept him What mean his affectionate invitations He seeketh to draw thee with cords of love cords that are woven and spun out of Christs heart and bowels Cant. 4.8 Come away from Lebanon my sister my Spouse from the lyons dens Mr. Mantor on Jude p. 75. from the mountains of Leopards Christs love is hot and burning he thinketh thou tarriest too long from his embraces Open to me my sister my Love my Dove my undefiled Cant. 5.2 Christ stands begging for entrance Lost man do but suffer me to save thee Poor sinner suffer me to love thee These are the charms of Gospel Rhetorick None singeth so sweetly as the Bird of Paradise the Turtle that chirpeth upon the Churches hedges that he may cluck sinners to himself What mean his pathetical expostulations Why will ye die Ezek. 33.11 What reason hast thou thus to run upon thy death and ruine What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me Jer. 2.5 what harm have I ever done them what evil do they know by me that they walk so contrary to me but one place for all Micah 6.3 4. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me For I brought thee out of the Land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants O my people remember now what bowels of love are here sounding in every line what fiery affection is there in such sweet expostulations O admirable condescention What meaneth his sorrow for them that refuse him for their Saviour He is grieved because of the hardness of mens hearts Mark 3.5 He shed tears for them that shed his blood When he came nigh that City which was the slaughter-house of the Prophets of the Lord and of the Lord of the Prophets he wept Luke 19.41 If thou hadst known even thou in this thy day The brokennesse of his speech sheweth the brokennesse of his spirit He is pitiful towards their souls that are so cruel to themselves and weepeth for them that go laughing to hell What meaneth his joy at the birth-day of the new creature when he is received with wel-come into the sinners heart The mother is as much pleased that her full breasts are drawn as the child can be The day of thy cordal acceptation of him will be the day of the gladness of his heart At such an hour he rejoyced in spirit saith the Evangelist Luke 10.22 He wept twice and he bled as some affirm seven times but we never read of his rejoycing if I mistake not but in this place And surely it was something that did extraordinarily take the heart of Christ which could in the time of his humiliation tune his spirit into a merry note and cause this man of sorrows to rejoyce Ah sinner believe it he would never so willingly have died such a cursed painful death if he had not been willing that sinners should live a spiritual and eternal life What mean I say his invitations expostulations grief upon refusal joy upon acceptance his commands intreaties promises threatnings his woing thee by the Ministers of his Word by the motions of his Spirit by his daily nightly hourly mercies by his gracious providence by his unwearied patience but to assure thee that he is heartily willing to accept thee for his servant for his son if thou art heartily willing to accept him for thy Saviour and for thy Soveraign He would never present thee with such costly gifts if his offer of marriage were not in earnest Besides broken-hearted sinner for 't is to thee that all this while I have been speaking how darest thou any longer entertain such a Traytour against the King of Saints in thy breast as a thought that the Lord Jesus can be guilty in any of the fore-mentioned particulars of the least insincerity Do not therefore like the silly Hart go ever up and down moaning and bleeding with the arrow in thy side thy sinnes sticking in thy heart but desire his helping hand to pluck them out and without question thou shalt have it He had a special command and commission from his Father to remember and redeem thee to bind up the broken-hearted Isa 61.1 2 3. to proclaim liberty to the captive and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to comfort them that mourn and dost thou think it possible for him to be unfaithful in his Office or to his Father No certainly he keepeth all his Fathers Commandments and continueth in his love John 15. When he was upon earth like a Physician he was in his Element when among sick and diseased persons so much did he love to heal and cure And now he is in heaven though he be free from passion yet not from compassion his heart pitieth thee most tenderly and his hand will help thee effectually Cheer up at last O drooping soul and look up with an eye of faith to this Lord of life to this brazen Serpent I may say to thee as Martha to Mary The Master is come and he calleth for thee Heark how loudly he proclaimeth his general tender of grace * Vocations and interjections speak very affection are bowels toward the distressed God layes his mouth as it were to the deaf eare of the unbeliever and cryeth aloud Ho every one that thirsteth Ho every one that thirsteth come to the waters Isa 55.1 how lovingly he beseecheth As though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 See how chearfully he looks out of hope that thou wilt by believing receive him into thy heart His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether
by his Lord Gen. 24. to provide a Wife for my Masters son I do here in the presence of the living God by commission from his Majesty tender thee the most honourable profitable delightful match that was ever offered to mortals It is the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of life and glory the onely begotten of the Father the fairest of ten thousands to be thy head and husband hereby thou shalt have the King of Kings the Lord of heaven and earth for thy Father a Queen the Church for thy Mother the Saints those truly excellent noble illustrious ones higher then the Kings of the earth for thy brethren and sisters the Covenant of Grace in comparison of which all the gold of the Indies is but dirt and dung for thy treasure glorious Angels for thy servants the flesh of the Son of God for thy meat and his precious blood for thy drink perfect Righteousness which is more beautiful then the unspotted innocency of Adam or Angels for thy rayment a palace of pleasures a place of glory a building of God an house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens for thy habitation And all this only upon these termes that thou wilt be a loving faithful and obedient Wife which the poorest beggar in the country expects from his wife that thou wilt heartily give up thy self and all thou hast to his service and glory and this he desireth also for thy good and benefit that he may make thee a more excellent creature and render thee more acceptable to God and more capable of his dearest love and eternal embraces as the rain is sent up from the earth in thick and foggy vapours but the heavens return it in pure and silver showers so though thou givest an unbelieving hard earthly heart unto Christ he will return it unto thee again believing tender heavenly such an heart as shall be more pleasing both to God and thy self and for this he is pleased though ten thousand Suns united into one are but darkness to him so great is his glory to condescend to become a Suiter to thee to beseech thee to accept of him who knoweth thy portion to be misery and beggery who seeth thy person to be full of ugliness and deformity who gaineth no addition to his happiness by thine acceptance of his love nor suffereth the least diminution by thy refusal Well what sayest thou to this match Art thou heartily willing to take Jesus Christ for thy wedded Husband to protect and direct thee to purifie and pardon thee to sanctifie and save thee to guide thee by his counsel and afterwards to receive thee to glory And wilt thou here in the presence of the Lord and before thy conscience which is as ten thousand witnesses promise and covenant to obey him universally to love him unfainedly to resign up thy self and all thou hast to his disposal unreservedly What sayest thou Art thou willing or no Take heed of dallying in a match that is so unquestionably and infinitely for thy advantage Believe it thou shalt not have such offers every day Doe not stick at any of his Precepts for he can require nothing but what is equal excellent and honorable doe not trifle or defer it if thou lovest thy soul for this may be the very last time of asking If thou wilt deal kindly and truly with my Master tell me or if not tell me that I may return an answer to him that sent me Gen. 24.49 These four directions which I have laid down already are without question the whole of Christianity and that soul shall be certainly saved by whom they are uprightly practised yet there are two special means which God hath appointed for the enabling the soul to perform them which I shall speak briefly to and for method sake joyn them altogether Five Directions Attendance on the Word Fifthly If thou wouldst attain this spiritual life be much conversant with the Word of God be often reading it meditating on it but especiall frequent it in publick where it is preached by losing one Sermon for â—ought thou knowest thou mayst lose one soul Death at first entred into the world by the ear Gen. 3. and so doth life Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 thou seest in the Gospel that Faith and Repentance are this spiritual life Mark 16.16 Gal. 2.20 and thou mayest see as clearly that they are both the fruits of the ministery of the Word For Faith that fore quoted place Rom. 10.17 is full and for Repentance that of Acts 2.37 speaketh home When they heard these things they were pricked to the heart mark When they heard these things The Word of God is an hammer with which God is pleased to break the stony heart and a fire wherewith he melteth the hard mettal Jerem. 23.29 In this respect it is that the Minister is called the Father of some Converts namely those whom he begetteth through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 Joâ— Isaac a Jew was converted by reading the 53. of Isaiah Junius by the first of Johns Gospel Augustine by the 13. of Romans I will never forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickened me David Psal 119.93 There is a resurrection of souls at this day when Ministers lift up their voice like a trumpet Isai 58.1 Acts 2.37 as well as there shall be a resurrection of bodies at the last day by the Trump of the Archangel This is the net which God is pleased to cast into the sea of the world and wherewith he harh caught many a soul three thousand at one draught Acts 2.41 Spiritual life is the gift of God as well as eternal the gift of all grace is of grace but ordinarily of his own will he begetteth souls by the word of truth Jam. 1 18. If thou wilt have Wisdomes dole thou must wait at Wisdomes gate for there it is given Prov. 8.34 Grace is the law written in the heart and usually the ministry of the Word is the pen wherewith the Spirit of God writes it That is the bed wherein the children of God are begotten Cantic 1.16 That is the school wherein the Disciples are taught of God and learn the truth as it is in Jesus The Ministers Commission doth abundantly evince this I send thee saith God to Paul to open the eyes of the blind and to turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to the living God God indeed is a most free Agent and can work when and how he pleaseth but it hath pleased him to make the Gospel of Christ his own power unto salvation Rom. 1.16 and it pleaseth him by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 Abana and Pharpar Rivers of Damascus to the eye of sense may seem better then all the waters of Israel but Jordan can cleanse and heal when those cannot because it hath a divine precept and promise annexed to it Nay observe how God is pleased to dignifie his Word
men come to be prickt at the heart Acts 2.37 That thou must believe or perish and how shalt thou believe on him of whom thou hast not heard Rom. 10. As ships will ride a long time in a road-steed when they might be in the haven for this end that they may be in the winds way to take the first opportunity that shall be offered for their intended voyage So do thou ride in the road of Gods Ordinances waiting for the gales of the Spirit thou knowst not how soon that wind may blow on the waters of the Sanctuary and drive the vessel of thy soul swiftly and land it safely at the haven of happinesse of Heaven Direction If thou wouldst attain this spiritual life be frequent and fervent at the throne of grace Prayer that the God of all grace would infuse grace into thee and breath into thy soul the breath of this spiritual life As Abram pleaded for Ishmael Gen. 17.18 O that Ishmael might live before thee so do thou for thy soul O that my soul might live before thee And â—s the Ruler for his son Lord come down quickly ere my soul die yea ere it die eternally Go to God with a sense of thy own unworthiness and iniquities that though thou comest to his Majesty for the greatest favours yet thou art lesse than the least of all his mercies acknowledging that thou hast sinned hainously against heaven and before him and art unworthy to be called his son Confesse thy original actual heart life sins with their bloody aggravations and intreat him to pardon and purifie thee O with what humility reverence and self-abhorrency should such a guilty prisoner approach the Judge of the whole earth Arraign accuse and condemn thy self and thy sins if ever thou wouldst have God to acquit thee Pray also with a sense of thy own impotency and weaknesse That though there be a necessity of humiliation if ever thou wouldst escape damnation yet thou canst as soon fetch water out of a rock as teares from thine eyes or sorrow from thine heart for thy sins till the wind of the Spirit bloweth those waters will never flow It is God that must give to thee a poor Gentile repentance unto life Non minus difficile est nobis velle credere quam cadaveri volare Beza Confess p. 22. Acts 11.18 That thou must believe or thou canst not be saved yet thou canst as easily cause iron to swim as thy soul to believe in the Son of God Faith is the gift of God Phil. 1.29 Zeph. 8. It is as hard a work to believe the Gospel as to keep the Law perfectly Nothing lesse than omnipotency can enable the soul to either As thy first birth and generation so is thy second birth and regeneration from the Lord. Men and meanes may be instrumental and subservient but their efficacy and successe dependeth on God As Protogenes when he saw a line curiously drawn in a Painters shop cried out None but Apelles could draw that line so when thou seest the new Creation thou mayst say None but a God could doe that When thou hast through the strength of Christ wrought thy heart to some sense of thy weakness and unworthiness then look into the Scriptures and fetch arguments from Gods own mouth weapons from his own Armory whereby thou mayst prevail with him and overcome him Beseech him to consult his glorious Name and gracious Nature mind him that he is the Lord the Lord God gracious merciful long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 Tell him that he delighteth not in the death of sinners that he taketh more pleasure in unbloody conquests in the chearful services than in the painful sufferings of his Creatures That he had much rather have trees for fruit than for the fire Say Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness and after the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mine offences Psal 51.1 O thou that art rich in mercy for the great love wherewith thou lovest souls quicken me in Christ that by grace I may be sanctified and saved Since thou delightest in mercy be pleased Lord to delight both thy self and thy servant by extending thine hand of mercy to pluck me out of this bottomlesse depth of misery Intreat God to consult his own Honor as well as his gracious Nature Mind him that if he condescend to convert and save thee he shall have the glory of his patience in waiting thus long to be gracious the glory of his providence in causing all things to work together for thy good the glory of mercy in pitying and pardoning such a greivous sinner the glory of his justice in that noble satisfaction it shall have from the death of his Son the glory of his power in bringing such a rebellious heart into subjection unto Jesus Christ Intreat his Majesty to consider that he may pardon and cleanse thee through Christ without the least diminution to his glory nay that far more revenues will come to his crown from thy salvation then from thy damnation That the forced confessions of them that perish as of Malefactors upon a wrack do not sound forth his praises so much nor so well as the joyful hearty acclamations of his saved ones Say Lord if thou suffer me to continue in my filth and pollution and never wash me by the blood and spirit of thy Son and suffer me to perish eternally thou art righteous but Lord if I perish I shall not praise thee thy glory will rather be forced out of me with blows as fire out of a flint thou delightest to see poor creatures volunteers in thy service The damned do not celebrate thy praise Psal 30.9 they that go into the infernal pit give thee no thanks The living Psal 88.10 11. Isa 38.19 the living they shall praise thee they that live spiritually and they that live with thee eternally O what Hosanna's and Halelujah's what honor and glory and blessing and praise do they give to the Lord and to the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne for ever O let my soul live and it shall praise thee Thine is the kingdom and power do thou work within me by thy grace and thine shall be the glory Desire God to consider his own promise as well as his praise Urge his own word That they that ask shall receive that seek shall find that knock shall have heaven opened That if men know how to give good gifts to them that ask how much more will the Father in heaven give his holy Spirit to them that ask That he will circumcise the hearts of men and women to love him Deut. 30.6 That he will put his fear into their hearts and they shall never depart away from him Jer. 32.40 That he will write his Law in their hearts Ezek. 31.33 Go in to him when thou art full of heaviness as Bathsheba did to David and say 1
excellencie is there in that soul which is united to a Saviour It is called the life of God Eph. 4.18 Surely no life can be more honorable than the life of God yet in their measure the sanctified ones live the very same life that the glorious God the fountain of all true honor liveth David though a King thought himself honored by being Gods subject and therefore as others before their works mention those titles which belong to them and speak their honor David stileth himself before the six and thirtieth Psalm a servant of God as his most honorable title Constantine and Valentinian two Emperors subscribed themselves Vasallos Christi Socr. A Psalm of David a servant of the Lord. If it be such an honor to serve an Earle a King what is it to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Godlinesse is called a walking with God Gen. 5.24 a conversing or having fellowship with the Father and Jesus Christ his Son 1 John 1.3 For God to walk and converse with us is his greatest humiliation but for us to walk or converse with God is our highest exaltation The righteous saith the wise man who had judgement to set a due price upon persons is more excellent then his neighbor Prov. 12.26 Let him live by never so rich or great men yet if they want grace they are not comparable to him Sumus Domini non tantum in Genitivo singulari sed etiam in Nominativo plurali Luth. The godly man hath the most honorable birth he is born of God John 1.13 the most honorable breeding he is brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord the most honorable Tutor and Teacher the good Spirit of God John 14.16 the most honorable Attendants the glorious Angels the most honorable employment his main work is to wait upon God The most honorable Relations A King for his Father 2 Cor. 6. ult A Queen for his Mother Gal. 4.26 The excellent of the earth Psal 16.3 Lords in all Lands Psal 45.16 Higher then the Kings of the earth Psal 89.27 Those Worthies of whom the world is not worthy for his Brethren Hebr. 11. Numa second King in Rome though an Heathen could say That he held it an higher honor to serve God then to rule over men The Jews say That those seventie souls which went down into Egypt were more worth then all the seventie Nations of the world beside If the glorious Angels in heaven are more honorable than the Devils sure I am it is holinesse that maketh the difference The most gaudy and goodly fruits of moralitie springing from the soil of nature manured and improved to the utmost The Heavens bespangled with those glittering Stars and adorned with that illustrious Sun are nothing glorious in comparison of the heart of a poor Christian that is embroidered with grace It is godlinesse alone that addeth worth and value to all our civil and natural things as the Diamond to the Ring Nothing doth really debase and degrade a man but sin and nothing doth truly advance or innoble the soul but holinesse Job scraping himself on the dunghill and Jeremiah sinking in the mire were more honorable and glorious than Ahab and Ahaz on their Thrones with their Crowns If the respect we have from others makes us honorable then they that are most precious in Gods sight are most honorable Isai 43.4 If it be some internal excellencie that makes men honorable then they that have the Image of God must be most honorable It is worthy our observation that sin is so ignoble and base that those wicked ones who love it most are ashamed to own it openly but because of the excellencie of holinesse will set that forth for their colours their banners though indeed they fight Satans battels That forlorn hope for hell 2 Tim. 3.5 of covenant-breakers blasphemers men without natural affection yet they will have a form of godlinesse though they do sins drudgery yet they are ashamed of their base master and therefore wear the Saints livery having a form of godlinesse Nay the Devil himself will appear in Samuel's mantle and transform himself into an Angel of light But holinesse is so excellent that God is pleased to esteem it as his own beauty and glory How often is he called The holy One of Israel The Angels ascribe holinesse to him by way of eminencie Holy Holy Holy Isai 6.3 we read not in Scripture of any of Gods other Attributes thrice repeated to shew that the Dignity of God consisteth in this And so doe the Saints in heaven praise him for it as his Excellencie Rev. 6.10 and the Saints on earth Exod. 15.11 Holinesse is the character of Jesus Christ The Image of the infinitely glorious God nay it is called the divine nature Surely then they that have most of it are most honorable and they which want it how full soever they are of all other excellencies are base and contemptible Secondly As this spiritual life is most honorable so it is most comfortable There is no life so pleasant and delightful as the life of a Saint The merry grigs and jolly gallants of the world whose sinful mirth is worse than madnesse will needs tell us that godlinesse makes men mopish and melancholy that when once we salute Religion we take our leave of all delight and consolation whereas indeed there never was true peace born but it had purity for its parent All other is spurious and illegitimate But the world like the Primitive Persecutors put Christians into the skins of Beares and Buls and then bait them as if they were really such And the hand of the Devil is in all this who like the Indians maketh great fires to fright Mariners from landing at such Coasts as would be most for their comfort and contentment Believe Reader the true and faithful Witnesse His wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all his paths are peace Prov. 3.17 It is not sanctity but their want of it or mistake about it which maketh them sorrowfull It is confest Saints may be sad they doe not cease to be men when they begin to be Christians It was in thy company it may be O sinner No wonder Fish cannot sport themselves when they are out of their element Birds do not sing on the ground but when they are mounting on high towards heaven And probably their hearts were heavy out of compassion to thee whom they observed to be hastening to hell and dancing merrily over the very pit or destruction and easeless misery Thou seest their sorrows sometimes thine eyes may behold their tears but thou dost not see their joys thy heart cannot conceive them Saint Austâ—ne relateth concerning an heathen that shewed the father his idol gods saying Here is my God where is thine and then pointing up to the Sun he said Here is my God but where is thine I shewed him not my God saith Austine not because I had none to shew but because he had no
glorifying and beatifical vision of God then to mourn that thou hast lost him for a little time It was a memorable speech of William Hunters mother when her son was to dye a violent death for he suffered Martyrdom under Bonner I am glad saith she that ever I was so happy as to bear such a child that can find in his heart to lose his life for Christ and then kneeling down on her knees she said I pray God strengthen thee my son to the end I think thee as well bestowed as any childe that ever I bore Take the counsel of the spirit not to sorrow as others which have no hope and know this for thy comfort that those which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord wherefore comfort one another with these words 1 Thess 4.13 to the end I shall shew thee farther in what respects it is comfortable and then conclude 1. It is comfortable if thou considerest the excellency of this gain as David said of Goliahs sword so I may of this gain of a Saint by death There is none like it In hist Eccles Nicephorus tells us of one Agbarus a great man that hearing so much of Christs fame by reason of the miracles that he wrought he sent a Painter to take his picture and that the Painter when he came was not able to do it because of the radiancy and divine splendor which sate on Christs face whether this be true or no I leave to the author but without controversie there is such a radiancy on the glorified head and members in heaven that none can conceive it much lesse describe it There are three things which will speak a little how great the gain of every godly man is by death 1. The fore-tastes of it do shew that it is excellent Saints here have the first fruits Rom. 8.23 and they do speak what the harvest will be The Jewish Rabbies report that when Joseph in the years of plenty had gathered much corn in Egypt he threw the chaffe into the river Nilus that so flowing to the neighbor Countries they might know what abundance was laid up for themselves and others So God is pleased that we might know the plenty in heaven to give us some sign some taste of it here upon earth He enableth us to conclude if his wayes are wayes of pleasantness how pleasant will the end be If his people have songs in their pilgrimage in their banishment surely they have Halelujahs in their Country in their fathers house If there be so much goodness laid out upon them in this valley of tears how infinite is that goodness which is laid up for them in the masters joy Christian Didst thou never taste and see that the Lord is gracious Didst thou never in thy closet enjoy fellowship with the father and with Jesus Christ his Son Didst thou never find one day in Gods Courts nay one hour better then a thousand elsewhere Did the Lord Jesus never call thee aside from others and carry thee into his banqueting-house and cause his banner over thee to be love Did he never kiss thee with the kisses of his lips and embrace thee in his dearest arms Hast thou not sometimes seen the smiles of his face and found them better then life And hearing his voice known thy heart-burning towards him with love Dost thou not remember at such a time he took thee up into his Chariot and gave thee a token for good shewing thee a glimpse of thy future glory solacing thy soul with a sense of his favour ravishing thy heart with hopes of thy eternal happiness when thou didst wonder exceedingly at the creatures emptiness and befool thy self for doting so much upon nothing when thou didst see sin in its opposition and contrariety to the divine nature and thy own welfare and didst curse thy lusts with the most bitter curses whereby thou had offended so gracious a Lord when thou didst behold the Lord Jesus in all his embroydery and glory O how lovely was he in thine eyes how sweet was he to thy taste how precious was he in thy esteem how closely was thy soul joyned to him how largely was thy spirit drawn out after him how earnestly didst thou desire to be ever with him when thou thoughtest what joy is there in being with Christ if there be so much in Christs being with me How happy are they that enjoy the fountain if some small streams are so pleasant when thou saidst Master it is good to be here Let us build a tabernacle My soul is filled with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips One thing do I desire of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever ever This is the foretaste of glory by this thou maist conceive what heaven will be As Fulgentius when he beheld the beauty and bravery the glory and gallantry of Rome cryed out If earthly Rome be so glorious how glorious is heavenly Rome Si talis est R ma terrestris quatis est Roma coelestis so thou mayst gather if thou hast so much joy when thou hast heaven onely in hope what joy shalt thou have when thou shalt have it in hand If the seed-time be so joyous how great will the joy of harvest be If the promise can stay one that is ready to die surely the performance will be better then life from from the dead If Jerusalem below be paved with Gold then questionless Jerusalem above is paved with Pearl 2. The price paid for it speaketh the excellency of it where there is honesty and righteousness in the seller and wisdom in the buyer there the price of a thing will speak its worth Now here there was infinite righteousness in God the seller and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ the purchaser therefore the price laid down for heaven will speak the excellency of it If the price were very great the place must be very glorious Heven is called the purchased possession Eph. 1.14 because it was bought with the blood of the Son of God Reader wonder at this price and at this place We are bold to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Heb. 10.19 When thou hearest of a purchase on earth that costeth a hundred thousand pound or a million wouldst not thou presently conclude Surely that must be an incomparable seat for delight what pleasant Springs what stately rooms what curious contrivances what unheard of excellencies must be there without question all things imaginable for riches glory and comfort But when thou readest in Scripture of a
that cannot lye hath promised â—ods people are a people that will not lye Isa 63.8 but God is a God that cannot lye it is impossible for God to lye Every lye proceedeth either from weakness or from wickedness Some are weak they would be as good as their words but cannot others are wicked they can be as good as their words but will not Neither of these can be charged on the blessed God he is able to perform his promise for he is the almighty God Gen. 17.1 I know that thou canst do all things saith Iob Iob 42.2 Omnipotency never met with a difficulty too hard for it the promises of â—od will eat their way through all the Alps of opposition because he is a â—od of infinite power and as he is able free from weakness so he is righteous holy so free from wickedness There is no unrighteousness in him Psa 92. ult He is light in him is no darkness at all 1 Io. 1.5 There is not the least spot in this Sun His truth reacheth unto the heavens and his faithfulness is above the clouds 2. By an oath God hath confirmed it Omnia verba Dei sunt juramenta quoad certitudinem saith Philo sed infirmatatis nostrae causa ut si non credamus Deâ— promittenti credamus saltem pro nostra saâ—usâ— juranti Hebr. 6.17 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation Thou wouldst take the word of a good man and wilt thou not take the word of a God But wonder at his goodnesse he tendereth further security by his oath nay by the greatest oath imaginable having no greater to swear by he sware by himself Hebr. 6.16 3. By his Seals we have the broad Seal of Heaven the Seals of the Covenant to confirm this to us The Sacraments are seals of the Covenant of Grace Rom. 4.11 And we have the privy Seal of the Spirit Eph. 4.30 So that if the hand and seal of a God will do it Heaven is ensured to all that are sanctified 4. By an earnest that makes a bargain sure Who hath sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 When Christ went from us he left his Spirit with us to assure us that he would come to us and took our flesh with him to assure us that we shall come to him 5. By first fruits Rom. 8.23 which did assure the Jews of their harvest 6. By the death of Christ Heaven is given to the holy by testament by Will John 17.24 Father I will saith the then dying Saviour that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory Now because a Testament or Will is of no force whilst the Testator liveth therefore Christ died to make his Will valid Hebr. 9.16 17. Thirdly it is comfortable if thou considerest the eternity of it Though it were never so excellent and certain yet if it were for a short time only it would afford but little comfort Nay the greater our joy were in the possession of it the greater our sorrow would be in our separation from it The very thought of ever losing such incomparable happiness would be a deep wound to a Christians heart and without question abate much of his joy whilst he did enjoy it Nothing lesse than eternity can perfect the Saints felicity And lo here it is thy gain is not only of unspeakable excellency and unquestionable certainty but also durable even unto eternity The pleasures of the Saints are for evermore Ps 16. ult The pleasures of the wicked on earth are like a standing pool quickly dried up by the scorching heat of Gods wrath leaving nothing behind save the mud of vexation But the pleasures of the godly in heaven are rivers of pleasures running over and running ever because they flow from the fountain of living waters The joy of the sinner is like the crackling of thorns under a pot it may make a busling noise but quickly goeth out but the joy of a Saint will be like the fire upon the Altar which never goeth out day nor night Their joy shall no man take from them John 16. The glory of a Christian there will be an eternal weight of glory the shame of a Christian here is transitory like a cloud upon the face of the Sun which will soon be scattered and the honor of a graceless man here is short like a fleeting shadow * Tacitus as Sejanus was one day adored like a God and a little after with the greatest ignominy committed to the Goal But the honor of a Christian there is an eternal noon-tide of glory heaven is an everlasting home to the Saints Luke 16.9 2 Cor. 5.1 when their earthly tabernacles are dissolved they enjoy the building of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the heavens They enjoy the society of the good for ever they sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven Mat. 8.11 Standing is a posture of going or at least of but staying little but siting is a posture of staying long They shall enjoy God for ever they shall ever be with the Lord Angels in the Syrisck have their name from a word wh ch signifieth face because â—t is their honor and office alwa es to behold Gods face 1 Thess 4. ult The Saints shall in heaven be like Angels Mat. 22.30 Now Angels always behold the face of their Father Matth. 18.10 Now God sometimes sheweth himself unto and sometimes hides his face from his children that a godly man may say to Christ as Jacob to his Wives I perceive that thy fathers countenance is not towards me as at other times Gen. 31.5 Some sin or other like a cloud interposeth and hindereth the light of his gracious countenance but there will be no cloud or mist of sin and the Sun of Righteousness will ever behold the soul with the same favorable aspect And therefore the joy and happinesse of the Saint will be ever like the Moon at the full because that Sun will ever look upon him with the same lightsome countenance O what a long day will eternity be to the damned and what a short day to the saved Eternal pain will make every moment seem eternity eternal pleasure will make eternity seem but a moment the joyes there will be so great and many that the dayes there will seem small and few the delights there will spring every moment so fresh and full that a Christian like Jacob will think them but few dayes for the love he will bear to them Reader if thou art in Christ ponder much in time the eternity of pleasure which is prepared for thee Consider if there be so much felicity in seeing the lovely face of