again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Can the Head live and the body or members remain Dead Oh write those sweet words upon thy heart Christian Because I Live Ye shall Live also As sure as Christ lives we shall live And as sure as he is risen we shall rise Else the Dead perish Else what is our Hope what advantageth all our duty or suffering Else the sensual Epicure were one of the wisest men and what better are we then our beasts Surely our knowledg more then theirs would but encrease our sorrows and our dominion over them is no great felicity The Servant hath oft-times a better life then his Master because he hath few of his Masters Cares And our dead Carcasses are no more comely nor yeeld a sweeter savour then theirs But we have a sure ground of Hope And besides this Life we have a Life that 's hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in Glory Col. 3.3 4. Oh let not us be as the purblinde world that cannot see afar off Let us never look at the Grave but let us see the Resurrection beyond it Faith is quick-sighted and can see as far as that is yea as far as Eternity Therefore let our hearts be glad and our Glory rejoyce and our flesh also shall rest in hope for he will not leave us in the Grave nor suffer us still to see Corruption Yea therefore let us be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as we know our Labor is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 It 's a Question much debated Whether a Resurrection be onely an effect of Christs Death and Resurrection And whether there should have been any Resurrection if Christ had not come Some that maintain the Negative of the last Question do also maintain That the Sin under the Covenant of Nature or Works did deserve onely the separation of Soul and Body and not Eternal Torments Whence also follows that the Soul is or at least then was Mortal or that it hath no Being or no Sense when it 's separated from the Body As also that Christ dyed to Redeem us onely from the Grave and not from Hell And so their Doctrine of Universal Redemption in this sence asserted doth neither so much honor the merits of Christ nor advance his mercy as they pretend For it maketh him to raise us onely from the Grave and bring all the world into a Capacity of Eternal Torment He fore-knowing the same time that most would certainly reject him and so perish But as I confess these of weight and difficulty so having professed in this Discourse to handle matters less controverted I pretermit them This sufficeth to the Saints Comfort That Resurrection to Glory is onely the fruit of Christs Death and this fruit they shall certainly partake of The Promise is sure All that are in the Graves shall hear his voyce and come forth Joh. 5.28 And this is the Fathers will which hath sent Christ that of all which he hath given him he should lose nothing but should Raise it up at the last Day Joh. 6.39 And that every one that beleeveth on the Son may have Everlasting Life and he will raise him up at the last Day Vers. 40. If the prayers of the Prophet could raise the Shunamites Dead Childe and if the dead Souldier revive at the touch of the Prophets bones How certainly shall the will of Christ and the power of his death raise us That voyce that said to Jairus Daughter Arise and to Lazarus Arise and come forth can do the like for us If his death immediately raised the dead bodies of many Saints in Jerusalem If he gave power to his Apostles to raise the Dead Then what doubt of our Resurrection And thus Christian thou seest that Christ having sanctified the Grave by his burial and conquered Death and broke the Ice for us a dead Body and a Grave is not now so horrid a spectacle to a beleeving Eye But as our Lord was neerest his Resurrection and Glory when he was in the Grave even so are we And he that hath promised to make our bed in sickness will make the dust as a bed of Roses Death shall not dissolve the Union betwixt him and us nor turn away his affections from us But in the morning of Eternity he will send his Angels yea come himself and roll away the stone and unseal our Graves and reach us his hand and deliver us alive to our Father Why then doth the approach of Death so cast thee down O my Soul and why art thou thus disquieted within me The Grave is not Hell if it were yet there is thy Lord present and thence should his Merit and Mercy fetch thee out Thy sickness is not unto death though I dye but for the Glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified thereby Say not then He lifteth me up to cast me down and hath raised me high that my fall may be the Lower But he casts me down that he may lift me up and layeth me low that I may rise the higher An hundred experiences have sealed this Truth unto thee That the greatest dejections are intended but for advantages to thy greatest dignity and thy Redeemers Glory SECT III. THe third part of this Prologue to the Saints Rest is the publick and solemn process at their Judgment where they shall first themselves be acquit and justified and then with Christ judg the World Publick I may well call it for all the world must there appear Young and old of all estates and Nations that ever were from the Creation to that day must here come and receive their doom The judgment shal be set and the books opened the book of Life produced and the Dead shall be judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works and whosoever is not found written in the book of Life is cast into the lake of fire O Terrible O Joyful Day Terrible to those that have let their Lamps go out and have not watched but forgot the coming of their Lord Joyful to the Saints whose waiting and hope was to see this day Then shall the world behold the goodness and severity of the Lord on them who perish severity but to his chosen goodness When every one must give account of his stewardship And every Talent of Time Health Wit Mercies Afflictions Means Warnings must be reckoned for When the sins of youth and those which they had forgotten and their secret sins shall all be layd open before Angels and men When they shall see all their Friends wealth old delights all their confidence and false hopes of Heaven to forsake them When they shall see the Lord Jesus whom they neglected whose Word
yet if this be not palpable enough The frequent Apparitions of Satan in several shapes drawing men or frighting them into sin is a discovery undeniable I know many are very incredulous herein and will hardly believe that there have been such apparitions For my own part though I am as suspitious as most in such reports and do believe that most of them are conceits or delusions yet having been very diligently inquisitive in such cases I have received undoubted Testimony of the Truth of such Apparitions some from the mouths of men of undoubted honesty and godliness and some from the report of multitudes of persons who heard or saw Were it fit here to name the persons I could send you to them yet living by whom you would be as fully satisfied as I Houses that have been so frequently haunted with such terrors that the Inhabitants successively have been witnesses of it Luther affirmed of himself that at Coburge he oft times had an apparition of burning Torches the sight whereof did so affright him that he was neer swooning also in his own Garden the devil appeared to him in the likeness of a black Boar but then he made light of it Zozomen in his Ecclesiastical History writes of Appelles a Smith famous in Egypt for working Miracles who in the night while he was at workwas tempted to uncleanness by the devil appearing in the shape of a beautiful woman The like he tels of a strange apparition in Antioch the night before the Sedition against Theodosius Theodorus mentions a fearful sight that appeared to Gennadius Patriarch of Constantinople and the threatning words which it uttered The Writings of Gregory Ambrose Austin Chrysostome Nicephorus c. make frequent mention of apparitions and relate the several stories at large You may read in Lavater de Spectris several other relations of apparitions out of Alexander ab Alexandro Baptista Fulgosius and others Ludovicus Vives lib. 1. de Veritate fidei saith That among the Savages in America nothing is more common then to hear and see Spirits in such shapes both day and night The like do other Writers testifie of those Indians So saith Olaus Magnus of the Islanders Cardanus de Subtilit hath many such Stories So Joh. Manlius in locor Commun collectan cap. de malis spiritibus de satisfactione Yea godly sober Melanchton affirms that he had seen some such Sights or Apparritions himself and many credible persons of his acquaintance have told him that they have not onely seen them but had much talk with Spirits Among the rest he mentions one of his own Aunt who sitting sad at the fire after the death of her husband there appeared to her one in the likeness of her husband and another like a Franciscan Frier the former told her that he was her husband and came to tell her somewhat which was that she must hire some Priests to say certain Masses for him which he earnestly besought her then he took her by the hand promising to do her no harm yet his hand so burned hers that it remained black ever after and so they vanished away Thus writes Melanchton Lavater also himself who hath writ a Book wholly of Apparitions a Learned Godly Protestant Divine tels us that it was then an undeniable thing confirmed by the Testimonies of many honest and credible persons both men and women some alive and some dead that sometime by night and sometime by day have both seen and heard such things some that going to bed had the cloathes plucked off them others had somewhat lying down in the bed with them others hear it walking in the Chamber by them spiting groaning saying they were the souls of such or such persons lately departed that they were in grievous torments and if so many Masses were but said for them or so many Pilgrimages undertaken to the shrine of some Saint they should be delivered These things with meny such more saith Lavater were then frequently and undoubtedly done and that where the doors were fast locked and the room searched that there could be no deceit So Sleidan relates the Story of Crescentius the Popes Legate feared into a deadly sickness by a fearful Apparition in his Chamber Most credible and godly Writers tell us That on June 20. 1484 at a Town called Hammell in Germany the devil took away one hundred and thirty children that were never seen again But I need to say no more of this there is enough written already not onely by Cicogna Delrio Paracelsus c. and others of suspected credit but also by godly and faithful Writers as Lavater Geor. Agricola Olaus Magnus Zanchius Pictorius and many more But you will say Though this prove that there are Devils and that they are enemies to our Happiness yet how doth it prove that there is a future Happiness or Misery for man Answ. Why plainly thus What need Satan by these Apparitions to set up Superstition to draw men to sin if there were no difference between sinners and others hereafter Surely in this life it would be no great displeasure to them for usually the wicked have the most prosperous lives therefore his delusions must needs have respect to another life And that the end of his Apparitions is either to drive men to despaire or to superstition or some sin is evident to all Most of the Papists Idolatry and Wil worship hath either been caused or confirmed by such Apparitions For in former days of darkness they were more common then now How the Order of the Carthusian Friers was founded by Bruno upon the terrible speeches and cries of a dead man you may read in the life of Bruno before his Exposition on Pauls Epistles Such was the Original of All Souls Day and other Holidays as Tritenhemius Petrus de Natalibus l. 10. c. 1. Polyd. Virg. de inv l. 6. c 9. do declare Also praying for the dead praying to Saints Purgatory Merits of good Works Satisfaction Pilgrimages Masses Images Reliques Monastical Vows Auricular Confession and most of the Popish Ceremonies have had their life and strength from these Apparitions and Delusions of the Devil But especially the Cross hath been so magnified hereby that it is grown the commonest remedy to drive away devils of any in the world for many hundred years The Churchyard must have one to keep the devil from the graves of the dead and the Church and almost every Pinacle Window and part of it to keep him thence the childe Baptized must have one to keep him thence the High ways also must have them that he molest not the Traveller yea when morning and evening and in times of danger and in the beginning of any work or duty men must sign themselves with the Cross to keep away devils Insomuch that the learned Doctors do handle it among their profound Questions which makes the devil so afraid of the Cross that he shuns it above all things else So that
Sentence which at that Day they shall Actually receive from the mouth of Christ. By which Sentence their sin which before was pardoned in the sence of the Law is now perfectly pardoned or blotted out by this ultimate Judgment Act. 3.19 Therefore well may it be called the Time of Refreshing as being to the Saints the perfecting of all their former Refreshments He who was vexed with a quarrelling Conscience an Accusing World a Cursing Law is solemnly pronounced Righteous by the Lord the Judg. Though he cannot plead Not Guilty in regard of fact yet being pardoned he shall be acquit by the proclamation of Christ. And that 's not all But he that was accused as deserving Hell is pronounced a member of Christ a Son of God and so adjudged to Eternal Glory The Sentence of pardon past by the spirit and conscience within us was wont to be exceeding sweet But this will fully and finally resolve the question and leave no room for doubting again for ever We shall more rejoyce that our names are found written in the Book of Life then if men or Devils were subjected to us And it must needs affect us deeply with the sense of our mercy and happiness to behold the contrary condition of others To see most of the world tremble with Terror while we triumph with Joy To hear them doomed to everlasting flames and see them thrust into Hell when we are proclaimed heirs of the Kingdom To see our neighbors that lived in the same Towns came to the same Congregation sate in the same seats dwelt in the same houses and were esteemed more honorable in the world then our selves to see them now so differenced from us and by the Searcher of hearts eternally separated This with the great magnificence and dreadfulness of the day doth the Apostle pathetically express in 2 Thess. 1.6 7 8 9 10. It is Righteous with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled Rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fire taking vengeance on then that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power c. And now is not here enough to make that day a welcom day and the thoughts of it delightful to us But yet there 's more We shall be so far from the dread of that Judgment that our selves shall become the Judges Christ will take his people as it were into Commission with him and they shall sit and approve his Righteous Judgment Oh fear not now the reproaches scorns and censures of those that must then be judged by us Did you think Oh wretched worldlings that those poor despised men whom you made your dayly derision should be your Judges Did you beleeve this when you made them stand as offenders before the Bar of your Judgment No more then Pilate when he was judging Christ did beleeve that he was condemning his Judg Or the Jews when they were whipping imprisoning killing the Apostles did think to see them sit on twelve Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Do you not know saith Paul that the Saints shall judg the world Nay Know you not that we shall judg Angels Surely were it not the Word of Christ that speaks it this advancement would seem incredible and the language arrogant Yet even Henoch the seventh from Adam prophecyed of this saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoke against him Jude 14. Thus shall the Saints be honored and the Righteous have dominion in the morning O that the careless world were but wise to consider this and that they would remember this latter end That they would be now of the same minde as they will be when they shall see the Heavens pass away with a noise and the elements melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein to be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 When all shall be on fire about their ears and all earthly Glory consumed For the Heavens and the Earth which are now are reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men 2 Pet. 3.7 But alas when all is said the wicked will do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand But the wise shall understand Rejoyce therefore O ye Saints yet watch and what you have hold fast till your Lord come Revel 2.25 and study that use of this Doctrine which the Apostle propounds 2 Pet. 3.11 12. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness Looking for and hasting to the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements melt with fervent heat But go your way keep close with God and wait till your change come and till this end be for you shall Rest and stand in the Lot at the end of the days Dan. 12.13 SECT IV. THe fourth Antecedent and highest step to the Saints Advancement is Their solemn Coronation Inthronizing and Receiving into the Kingdom For as Christ their head is anointed both King and Priest so under him are his people made unto God both Kings and Priests for Prophecy that ceaseth to Reign and to offer praises for ever Revel 5.10 The Crown of Righteousness which was layd up for them shall by the Lord the Righteous Judg be given them at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 They have been faithful to the death and therefore shall receive the Crown of Life And according to the improvement of their Talents here so shall their rule and dignity be enlarged Mat. 25.21 23. So that they are not dignified with empty Titles but real Dominions For Christ will take them and set them down with himself in his own Throne and will give them power over the Nations even as he received of his Father Revel 2.26 27 28. And will give them the morning Star The Lord himself will give them possession with these applauding expressions Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord Matt. 25.21 23. And with this solemn and blessed Proclamation shall he Inthrone them Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Every word full of Life and Joy Come This is the holding forth of the golden Scepter to warrant our approach unto this Glory Come now as neer as you will fear not the Bethshemites Judgment for the enmity
is eternall said to be in us Luk 17.21 Rom. 14.17 Mat. 13. Surely if there be as great an interruption of our life as till the Resurrection which with some will be many thousand yeers this is no eternall life nor everlasting Kingdom Lushingtons evasion is That because there is no time with dead men but they so sleep that when they awake it is all one to them as if it had been at first Therefore the Scripture speaks of them as if they were there already It is true indeed if there were no joy till the Resurrection then that consideration would be comfortable But when God hath thus plainly told us of it before then this evasion contradicteth the Text. Doubtless there is time also to the dead though in respect of their bodies they perceive it not He will not sure think it a happiness to be petrified or stupified whiles others are enjoying the comforts of life If he do it were the best course to sleep out our lives 13. In Jude 7. The Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha are spoken of as suffering the vengeance of eternall fire And if the wicked do already suffer eternall fire then no doubt but the godly do enjoy eternall blessedness I know some understand the place of that fire which consumed their bodies as being a Type of the fire of Hell I will not be very confident against this exposition but the text seemeth plainly to speak more 14. It is also observable that when John saw his Glorious Revelations he is said to be in the spirit Revel 1.10 4.2 and to be carried away in the spirit Rev. 17.3 21.10 And when Paul had his Revelations and saw things unutterable he knew not whether it were in the body or out of the body All implying that spirits are capable of these Glorious things without the help of their bodies 15. And though it be a Propheticall obscure book yet it seemes to me that those words in the Revelations do imply this where John saw the souls under the Altar Rev. 6.9 c. 16. We are commanded by Christ Not to fear them that can kill the body but are not able to kill the soul Luk. 12.4 Doth not this plainly imply That when wicked men have killed our bodies that is separated the souls from them yet the souls are still alive 17. The soul of Christ was alive when his body was dead And therefore so shall ours too For his created nature was like ours except in sin That Christs human soul was alive is a necessary consequent of its hypostaticall union with the Divine nature as I judg And by his words to the thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise so also by his voice on the Cross Luk. 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And whether that in 1 Pet. 3.18 19. that he went and preached to the spirits in prison c. will prove it I leave to others to judg Read Illyricus his Arguments in his Clavis Scripturae on this Text. Many think that the opposition is not so irregular as to put the Dative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the subject recipent and the Dative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the efficient cause But that it is plainly to be understood as a regular opposition that Christ was mortified in the flesh but vivified in the spirit that is in the spirit which is usually put in opposition to this flesh which is the soul by which spirit c. But I leave this as doubtfull There 's enough besides 18. Why is there mention of Gods breathing into man the breath of life and calling his soul a living soul There is no mention of any such thing in the creating of other creatures sure therefore this makes some difference between the life of our souls and theirs 19. It appears in Sauls calling for Samuel to the Witch and in the Jews expectation of the coming of Elias that they took it for currant then that Elias and Samuels soul were living 20. Lastly if the spirits of those that were disobedient in the dayes of Noah were in prison 1 Pet. 3.19 Then certainly the separated spirits of the Just are in an opposite condition of Happiness If any think that the word Prison signifieth not their full misery but a reservation thereto I grant it yet it importeth a reservation in a living and suffering state For were they nothing they could not be in prison THE SAINTS Everlasting REST. The Third Part. Containing Severall Vses of the former Doctrine of REST. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and my New Name Rev. 3.12 Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear For our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 If Children then heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also Glorified together For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.17 18. London Printed by Rob. White for T. Vnderhill and F. Tyton and are to be sold at the sign of the Bible in great Woodstreet and at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet 1649. To my dearly beloved Friends The Inhabitants of the City of COVENTRY Both Magistrates and People ESPECIALLY Col. John Barker and Col. Tho. Willoughby late Governors with all the Officers and Souldiers of their Garison Rich. Baxter Devoteth this Part of this Treatise in thankful acknowledgment of their great Affection toward him and ready acceptance of his labors among them which is the highest recompence if joyned with obedience that a faithful Minister can expect HUmbly beseeching the Lord on their behalf that he will save them from that spirit of Pride Hypocrisie Dissention and Giddiness which is of late yeers gone forth and is now destroying and making havock of the Churches of Christ And that he will teach them highly to esteem those faithful Teachers whom the Lord hath made Rulers over them 1 Thes. 5.12 13. Heb. 13.7 17. and to know them so to be and to obey them And that he will keep them unspotted of the guilt of those sins which in these days have been the shame of our Religion and have made us a scandal or scorn to the World THE SAINTS Everlasting REST. PART III. CHAP. I. SECT I. WHatsoever the Soul of man doth entertain must
the Gospel or our disobeying it upon the Painfulness or the Slothfulness of our present Endeavors I think it is time for us to bestir our selves and to leave our trifling and complementing with God SECT III. 2. COnsider Our diligence should be somewhat answerable to the Greatness of the work which we have to do as well as to the Ends of it Now the Works of a Christian here are very Many and very Great The Soul must be renewed Many and great Corruptions must be mortified Custom and Temptations and worldly Interests must be conquered Flesh must be mastered Self must be denyed Life and friends and credit and all must be slighted Conscience must be upon good grounds quieted Assurance of Pardon and Salvation must be attained And though it is God that must give us these and that freely without our own merit yet will he not give them so freely as without our earnest Seeking and Labour Besides there is a deal of knowledg to be got for the guiding of our selves for the defending of the Truth for the direction of others and a deal of skill for the right managing of our parts Many Ordinances are to be used and duties performed ordinary and extraordinary Every Age and year and day doth require fresh succession of duty Every place we come in every person that we have to deal with every change of our own Condition doth still require the renewing of our labour and bringeth duty along with it Wives Children Servants Neighbours Friends Enemies all of them call for duty from us And all this of great importance too so that for the most of it if we miscarry in it it would prove our undoing Judg then your selves whether men that have so much business lying upon their hands should not bestir them and whether it be their Wisdom either to Delay or to Loiter SECT IV. 3. COnsider Our diligence should be somewhat quickned because of the shortness and uncertainty of the Time allotted us for the performing of all this work and the many and great impediments which we meet with Yet a few days and we shall be here no more Time passeth on Many hundred diseases are ready to assault us We that now are preaching and hearing and talking and walking must very shortly be carryed on mens backs and laid in the dust and there left to the worms in darkness and corruption we are almost there already It is but a few days or moneths or years and what is that when once they are past We know not whether we shall have another Sermon or Sabbath or hour How then should those men bestir them for their Everlasting Rest who know they have so short a space for so great a work Besides every step in the way hath its difficulties the gate is straight and the way narrow The righteous themselves are scarcely saved Scandals and discouragements will be still cast before us And can all these be overcome by slothful Endeavors SECT V. 4. MOreover Our diligence should be somewhat answerable to the diligence of our Enemies in seeking our destruction For if we sit still while they are plotting and labouring or if we be lazy in our defence while they are diligent in assaulting us you may easily conceive how we are likely to speed How diligent is Satan in all kind of temptations Therefore be sober and vigilant saith 1 Pet. 5.8 because your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the Faith How diligent are all the Ministers of Satan False Teachers scorners at godliness malicious persecutors all unwearied And our inward Corruption the most busie and diligent of all Whatever we are about it is still resisting us depraving our duties perverting our thoughts dulling our Affections to good exciting them to evil And will a feeble resistance then serve our turn Should not we be more active for our own preservation then our Enemies for our ruine SECT VI. 5. OUr Affections and Endeavors should bear some proportion with the Talents which we have received and means which we have enjoyed It may well be expected that a horseman should go faster then a footman and he that hath a swift horse faster then he that hath a slow one More work will be expected from a sound man then from the sick and from a man at age then from a Child And to whom men commit much from them they will expect the more Now the Talents which we have received are many and great The means which we have enjoyed are very much and very precious What people breathing on earth have had plainer Instructions or more forcible Perswasions or more constant Admonitions in season and out of season Sermons till we have been weary of them and Sabbaths till we prophaned them Excellent Books in such plenty that we knew not which to read but loathing them through abundance have thrown by all What people have had God so near them as we have had or have seen Christ as it were crucified before their eyes as we have done What people have had Heaven and Hell as it were opened unto them as we Scarce a day wherein we have not had some spur to put us on What speed then should such a people make for Heaven And how should they fly that are thus winged and how swiftly should they sail that have wind and tyde to help them Believe it Brethren God looks for more from England then from most Nations in the World and for more from you that enjoy these helps then from the dark untaught Congregations of the Land A small measure of grace beseems not such a people nor will an ordinary diligence in the work of God excuse them SECT VII 6. THe Vigour of our Affections and Actions should be somewhat answerable to the great cost bestowed upon us and to the deep engaging mercies which we have received from God Surely we owe more service to our Master from whom we have our maintenance then we do to a stranger to whom we never were beholden Oh the cost that God hath been at for our sakes The riches of Sea and Land of Heaven and Earth hath he powred out unto us All our lives have been filled up with Mercies We cannot look back upon one hour of it or one passage in it but we may behold Mercy We feed upon Mercy we wear Mercy on our backs we tread upon Mercy Mercy within us common and special Mercy without us for this life and for that to come Oh the rare Deliverances that we have partaked of both national and personal How oft how seasonably how fully have our prayers been heard and our fears removed What large Catalogues of particular Mercies can every Christian draw forth and reherse To offer to number them would be an endless task as to number the stars or the sands of the shore If there be any difference betwixt Hell where we should have been
If the Law of the Land did punish every breach of the Sabbath or every omission of family duties or secret duties or every cold and heartless prayer with Death If it were Felony or Treason to be ungodly and negligent in Worship and loose in your lives What manner of persons would you then be and what lives would you lead And is not Eternal death more terrible then temporal 3 Quest. If it were Gods ordinary course to punish every sin with some present Judgment so that every time a man swears or is drunk or speaks a lye or back-biteth his neighbor he should be struck dead or blind or lame in the place If God did punish every cold prayer or neglect of duty with some remarkable plague what manner of persons would you then be If you should suddenly fall down dead like Ananias and Saphira with the sin in your hands or the plague of God should seize upon you as upon the Israelites while their sweet morsels were yet in their mouths If but a Mark should be set in the forehead of every one that neglected a duty or committed a sin What kind of lives would you then lead And is not Eternal Wrath more terrible then all this Give but Reason leave to speak 4 Quest. If one of your old acquaintance and companions in sin should come from the dead and tell you that he suffereth the Torments of Hell for those sins that you are guilty of and for neglecting those duties which you neglect and for living such a careless worldly ungodly life as you now live should therfore advise you to take another course If you should meet such a one in your Chamber when you are going to bed and he should say to you Oh take heed of this carnal unholy life Set your self to seek the Lord with all your might neglect not your Soul Prepare for Eternity that you come not to the place of Torment that I am in How would this take with you and what manner of persons would you afterwards be It is written in the life of Bruno that a Doctor of great note for learning and godliness being dead and being brought to the Church to be buried while they were in their Popish Devotions and came to the words Responde mihi the Corps arose in the Beir and with a terrible voyce cryed out Justo Dei Judicio accusatus sum I am accused at the Just Judgment of God At which voyce the people run all out of Church affrighted On the morrow when they came again to perform the Obsequies at the same words as before the Corps arose again and cryed with a hideous voyce Justo Dei Judicio Judicatus sum I am Judged at the righteous Judgment of God Whereupon the people run away again amazed The third day almost all the City came together and when they came to the same words as before the Corps rose again and cryed with a more doleful voyce then before Justo Dei Judicio Condemnatus sum I am Condemned at the Just Judgment of God The consideration whereof that a man reputed so upright should yet by his own confession be damned caused Bruno and the rest of his companions to enter into that strict order of the Carthusians If the voyce of the dead man could affright them into Superstition should not the warnings of God affright thee into true Devotion 5 Quest. If you knew that this were the last day you had to live in the world how would you spend this day If you were sure when you go to bed that you should never rise again would not your thoughts of another life be more serious that night If you knew when you are praying that you should never pray more would you not be more earnest and importunate in that prayer Or if you knew when you are preaching or hearing or exhorting your sinful acquaintance that this were the last opportunity you should have would you not ply it more closely then usually you do Why you do not know but it may be the last and you are sure your last is near at hand 6 Quest. If you had seen the general dissolution of the world and all the pomp and glory of it consumed to ashes If you saw all on a fire about you sumptuous buildings Cities Kingdoms Land Water Earth Heaven all flaming about your ears If you had seen all that men labored for and sold their Souls for gone friends gone the place of your former abode gone the history ended and all come down what would such a sight as this perswade you to do Why such a sight thou shalt certainly see I put my Question to thee in the words of the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.11 Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat As if he should say We cannot possibly conceive or express what manner of persons we should be in all holiness and godliness when we do but think of the sudden and certain and terrible dissolution of all things below 7 Quest. What if you had seen the process of the Judgment of the great day If you had seen the Judgment set and the Books opened and the most stand trembling on the left hand of the Judg and Christ himself accusing them of their rebellions and neglects and remembring them of all their former slightings of his grace and at last condemning them to perpetual perdition If you had seen the godly standing on the right hand and Jesus Christ acknowledging their faithful obedience and adjudging them to the possession of the Joy of their Lord What manner of persons would you have been after such a sight as this Why this sight thou shalt one day see as sure as thou livest And why then should not the fore-knowledg of such a day awake thee to thy duty 8 Quest. What if you had once seen Hell open and all the damned there in their easeless Torments and had heard them crying out of their sloathfulness in the day of their visitation and wishing that they had but another life to live and that God would but try them once again One crying out of his neglect of duty and another of his loitering and trifling when he should have been labouring for his life What manner of persons would you have been after such a sight as this What if you had seen Heaven opened as Stephen did and all the Saints there triumphing in Glory and enjoying the End of their labours and sufferings What a life would you lead after such a sight as this Why you will see this with your eyes before it be long 9 Quest. What if you had lien in Hell but one year or one day or hour and there felt all those Torments that now you do but hear of
and how tenderly he is affected toward thee 3. It will quicken thy desires after him when thou art once sure of thy Interest in him 4. It is the most excellent Fountain of Continual Rejoycing Hab. â— 17 18 19. 5. It will confirm thy Trust and Confidence in God in the greatest straits Psal. 89.26 and 46.1 2 3 c. 6. It will fill thy heart with Thankfulness 7. It will raise thee in the high delightful work of Praise 8. It will be the most excellent help to a Heavenly Mind 9. It will exceedingly tend to thy Perseverance in all this He that is sure of the Crown will hold on to the End when others will be tired and give up through discouragement All these sweet effects of Assurance would make thy Life a kind of Heaven on Earth Seeing then that Examination of our states is the way to this Assurance and the Means without which God doth not usually bestow it doth it not Concern us to fall close to this Searching Work SECT IX I Would not have bestowed this time and labour in urging you with all these fore-going Considerations but that I know how backward man is to this duty And though I am certain that these Motives have weight of Reason in them yet experience of mens unreasonableness in things of this Nature doth make me Jealous lest you should lay by the Book when you have read all this as if you had done and never set your selves to the practise of the duty Reader Thou seest the Case in hand is of greatest moment It is to know Whether thou shalt Everlastingly live in Heaven or Hell If thou hast lived hitherto in dark uncertainty it is a pitiful case but if thou wilfully continue so thy Madness is unexpressible And is it not wilfully when a through Tryal might help thee to be Resolved and thou wilt not be perswaded to be at so much pains What sayst thou now Art thou fully resolved to fall upon the Work Shall all this labour that I have bestowed in perswading thee be lost or no If thou wilt not obey I would thou hadst never read these lines that they might not have aggravated thy guilt and silenced thee in Judgment I here put this special Request to thee in behalf of thy Soul nay I lay this charge upon thee in the Name of the Lord That thou defer no longer but take the next opportunity that thou canst have and take thy Heart to task in good earnest and think with thy self Is it so Easie so Common and so Dangerous to be Mistaken Are there so many wrong ways Is the heart so guilâ—ful Why then do I not search into every corner and ply this work till I know my state Must I so shortly undergo the Tryal at the Bar of Christ And do I not presently fall on Trying my self Why what a case were I in if I should then miscarry May I know by a little diligent Enquiry now and do I stick at the labour And here set thy self to the duty Object But it may be thou wilt say I know not how to do it Ans. That is the next Work that I come to to give thee Directions herein but alas it will be in Vain if thou be not resolved to practise them Wilt thou therefore before thou goest any further here promise before the Lord to set thy self to thy power upon the speedy performing of the duty according to these Directions which I shall lay down from the Word I demand nothing unreasonable or impossible of thee It is but That thou wouldst presently bestow a few hours time to know what shall become of thee for ever If a neighbor or common friend desire but an hours time of thee in conference or in labour or any thing that thou mayst help them in thou wouldst not sure deny it How much less shouldst thou deny this to thy self in so great a Case I pray thee take this request from me as if upon my knees in the Name of Christ I did prefer it to thee And I will betake me upon my knees to Christ again to beg that he will perswade thy heart to the Duty And in hope that thou wilt practise them I will here give thee some Directions CHAP. IX Containing Directions for Examination and some Marks for Tryal SECT I. I Will not stand here to lay down the Directions necessary for preparation to this Duty because you may gather them from what is said concerning the Hinderances For the Contraries of those Hinderances will be most necessary Helps Only before you set upon it I advise you moreover to the Observation of these Rules 1. Come not with too peremptory Conclusions of your selves before-hand Do not Judg too confidently before you Try Many Godly dejected Souls come with this Pre-judging to the work concluding certainly that their state is Miserable before they have Tryed it And most wicked men on the contrary side do conclude most confidently that their state is good or tolerable at the least No wonder if these both miscarry in Judging when they pass the Sentence before the Tryal 2. Be sure to be so well acquainted with the Scripture as to know what is the Tenor of the Covenant of Grace and what are the Conditions of Justification and Glorification and consequently what are sound Marks to Try thy self by and wherein the Truth of Grace and Essence of Christianity doth consist 3. And it will not be unuseful to write out some of the chief and those Scriptures withall which hold them forth and so to bring this Paper with you when you come to Examination 4. Be a constant observer of the temper and motions of thy heart Almost all the difficulty of the work doth lie in the true and clear discerning of it Be watchful in observing the Actings both of Grace and Corruption and the circumstances of their Actings as how frequent how violent how strong or weak were the outward incitements how great or small the impediments what delight or loathing or fear or reluctancy did go with those Acts by these and the like observations you may come to a more infallible knowledg of your selves 5. Be sure you set upon the work with a serious rouzed wakened Soul apprehensive of how great concernment it is 6. And lastly Resolve to judg thy self impartially neither better nor worse then thou art but as the Evidence shall prove thee SECT II. BEing thus provided then set to the business and therein observe these Directions following which I will mention briefly that lying close together you may be able to view and observe them the more easily 1. Empty thy minde of all thy other cares and thoughts that they do not distract or divide thy mind This work will be enough at once of it self without joyning others with it 2. Then fall down before God and in hearty prayer desire the assistance of his Spirit to discover to thee the plain truth of thy
one with another and Calvins Exposition which is the summ of all I have said q. d. Danda est vobis opera non tantum ut salsi intus sitis sed etiam ut saliatis alios Quia tamen sal acrimoniâ suâ mordet ideo statim admonet sic temperandam esse condituram ut pax interim salva maneat SECT XI 6. THe last whom I would perswade to this great Work of helping others to the Heavenly Rest is Parents and Masters of Families All you that God hath intrusted with Children or Servants O consider what Duty lyeth on you for the furthering of their Salvation That this Exhortation may be the more effectual with you I will lay down these several Considerations for you seriously to think on 1. What plain and pressing commands of God are there that require this great Duty at your hands Deut. 6.6 7 8. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children speaking of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up So Deut. 11. And how well is God pleased with this in Abraham Gen. 18.19 Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him that they shall keep the way of the Lord c. And it is Joshuaes Resolution That he and his Houshold will serve the Lord. Prov. 22.6 Train up a childe in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Ephes 6.4 Bring up your children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Many the like Precepts especially in the Book of Proverbs you may finde So that you see it is a Work that the Lord of heaven and earth hath laid upon you and how then dare you neglect it and cast it off 2. It is a duty that you ow your children in point of Justice from you they received the defilement and misery of their natures and therefore you ow them all possible help for their recovery If you had but hurt a stranger yea though against your will you would think it duty to help to cure him 3. Consider how neer your children are to you and then you will perceive that from this Natural Relation also they have interest in your utmost help your children are as it were parts of your selves If they prosper when you are dead you take it almost as if you lived and prospered in them If you labor never so much you think it not ill bestowed nor your buildings or purchases too dear so that they may enjoy them when you are dead and should you not be of the same minde for their everlasting Rest 4. You will else be witnesses against your own souls your great care and pains and cost for their bodies will condemn you for your neglect of their pretious souls you can spend your selves in toyling and caring for their bodies and even neglect your own souls and venture them sometimes upon unwarrantable courses and all to provide for your Posterity and have you not as much reason to provide for their souls Do you not believe that your children must be everlastingly happy or miserable when this life is ended and should not that be fore-thought of in the first place 5. Yea All the very bruit creatures may condemn you Which of them is not tender of their young How long will the Hen sit to hatch her Chickens and how busily scrape for them and how carefully shelter and defend them and so will even the most vile and venemous Serpent and will you be more unnatural and hard-hearted then all these will you suffer your children to be ungodly and profane and run on in the undoubted way to damnation and let them alone to destroy themselves without controll 6. Consider God hath made your children to be your charge yea and your servants too Every one will confess they are the Ministers charge and what a dreadful thing it is for them to neglect them when God hath told them That if they tell not the wicked of their sin and danger their blood shall be required at that Ministers hands and is not your charge as great and as dreadful as theirs Have not you a greater charge of your own Families then any Minister hath Yea doubtless and your duty it is to reach and admonish and reprove them and watch over them and at your hands else will God require the bloud of their souls The greatest charge it is that ever you were entrusted with and we to you if you prove unfaithful and betray your trust and suffer them to be ignorant for want of your teaching or wicked for want of your admonition or correction O â—ad account that many parents will make 7. Look into the dispositions and lives of your children and see what a work there is for you to do First It is not one sin that you must help them against but thousands their name is Legion for they are many It is not one weed that must be pulled up but the field is overspread with them Secondly And how hard is it to prevail against any one of them They are Hereditary diseases bred in their Natures Naturam expellâ—s furea c. They are aâ— neer them as the very heart and how tenacious are all things of that which is natural how hard to teach a Hare not to be fearful or a Lyon or Tiger not to be fierce Besides the things you must teach them are quite above them yea clean contrary to the interest and desires of their Flesh how hard is it to teach a man to be willing to be poor and despised and destroyed here for Christ to deny themselves and displease the flesh to forgive an Enemy to love those that hate us to watch against temptations to avoid occasions and appearance of evil to believe in a crucified Saviour to rejoyce in tribulation to trust upon a bare word of Promise and let go all in hand if call'd to it for something in hope that they never saw nor ever spake with man that did see to make God their chief delight and love and to have their hearts in heaven while they live on earth I think none of this is easie they think otherwise let them try and Judg yet all this must be learned or they are undone for ever If you help them not to some Trade they cannot live in the world but if they be destitute of these things they shall not live in heaven If the Marriner be not skilful he may be drowned and if the Souldier be not skilful he may be slain but they that cannot do the things above mentioned will perish for ever For without holiness none shall see God Heb. 12.14 O that the Lord would make all you that are Parents sensible what a work and charge
guilty of all the sin that he committeth in his drunkenness VVill you resolve therefore to set upon this duty and neglect it no longer Remember Eli your children are like Moses in the basket in the water ready to perish if they have not help As ever you would not be charged before God for murderers of their souls and as ever you would not have them cry out against you in everlasting fire see that you teach them how to escape it and bring them up in holiness and the fear of God You have heard that the God of heaven doth flatly command it you I charge every one of you therefore upon your allegiance to him and as you will very shortly answer the contrary at your peril that you neither refuse nor neglect this most necessary work If you are not willing now you know it to be so plain and so great a duty you are flat Rebels and no true subjects of Christ. If you are willing to do it but know not how I will adde a few words of direction to help you 1. Teach them by your own example as well as by your words Be your selves such as you would have them be practice is the most effectual teaching of children who are addicted to imitation especially of their parents Lead them the way to prayer and reading and other duties Be not like base Commanders that will put on their Soldiers but not go on themselves Can you expect your children should be wiser or better then you Let them not hear those words out of your mouths nor see those practices in your lives which you reprove in them No man shall be saved because his children are godly if he be ungodly himself Who should lead the way in holiness but the father and master of the family It is a sad time when he must be accounted a good master or father that will not hinder his family from serving God but will give them leave to go to heaven without him I will but name the rest for your direct dutie for your Family 1. You must help to inform their understandings 2. To store their memories 3. To rectifie their wills 4. To quicken their affections 5. To keep tender their consciences 6. To restrain their tongues and help them to skill in gracious Speech 7. And to reform and watch over their outward conversation To these ends First Be sure to keep them at least so long at School till they can read English It is a thousand pities that a reasonable Creature should look upon a Bible as upon a Stone or a piece of Wood. Secondly Get them Bibles and good Books and see that they read them Thirdly Examine them often what they learn Fourthly Especially bestow the Lords day in this work and see that they spend it not in sports or idleness Fiftly Shew them the meaning of what they read and learn Josh. 4 6 21 22. Psal. 78.4 5 6 34.11 Sixthly Acquaint them with the godly and keep them in good company where they may learn good and keep them out of that company that would teach them evil Seventhly Be sure to cause them to learn some Catechism containing the chief Heads of Divinity as those made by the Assembly of Divines or Master Balls SECT XVII THe Heads of Divinity which you must teach them first are these 1. That there is one onely God who is a Spirit invisible infinite eternal Almighty good merciful true just holy c. 2. That this God is one in three Father Son and holy Ghost 3. That he is the Maker Maintainer and Lord of all 4. That mans happiness consisteth in the enjoying of this God and not in fleshly pleasure profits or honors 5. That God made the first man upright and happy and gave him a Law to keep with Conditions that if he kept it perfectly he should live happy for ever but if he broke it he should die 6. That man broke this Law and so forfeited his welfare and became guilty of death as to himself and all his Posterity 7 That Christ the Son of God did here interpose and prevent the full execution undertaking to die in stead of man and so to Redeem him whereupon all things were delivered into his hands as the Redeemer and he is under that relation the Lord of all 8. That Christ hereupon did make with man a better Covenant or Law which proclaimed pardon of sin to all that did but repent and believe obey sincerely 9. That he revealed this Covenant and Mercy to the world by degrees first in darker Promises Prophecies and Sacrifices then in many Ceremonious Types and then by more plain foretellings by the Prophetâ— 10. That in the fulness of time Christ came and took our Nature into Union with his Godhead being conceived by the holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary 11. That while he was on earth he lived a life of sorrows was crowned with Thorns and bore the pains that our sins deserved at last being Crucified to death and buried and so satisfied the Justice of God 12. That he also Preached himself to the Jews and by constant Miracles did prove the truth of his Doctrine and Mediatorship before thousands of Witnesses That he revealed more fully his New Law or Covenant That whosoever will believe in him and accept him for Saviour and Lord shall be pardoned and saved and have a far greater glory then they lost and they that will not shall lye under the curse and guilt and be condemned to the everlasting fire of hell 13. That he rose again from the dead having conquered death and took fuller possession of his Dominion over all and so ascended up into heaven and there reigneth in glory 14. That before his Ascention he gave charge to his Apostles to go Preach the foresaid Gospel to all Nations and persons and to offer Christ and Mercy and Life to every one without exception and to intreat and perswade them to receive him and that he gave them authority to send forth others on the same Message and to Baptise and to gather Churches and confirm and order them and to settle a course for a succeâ—â—â—on of Ministers and Ordinances to the end of the world 15. That he also gave them power to work frequent and evident Miracles for the confirmation of their Doctrine and the convincing of the world and to annex their writings to the rest of the Scriptures and so to finish and seal them up and deliver them to the world as his infallible Word and Laws which none must dare to alter and which all must observe 16. That for all this free Grace is offered to the world yet the heart is by Nature so desperately wicked that no man will believe and entertain Christ sincerely except by an Almighty power he be changed and born again and therefore doth Christ send forth his Spirâ—t with his Word which secretly and effectually worketh holiness in the hearts of the Elect drawing
is in the Face of God If the very feet of the Messengers of these tidings of Peace be beautiful how beautiful is the face of the Prince of Peace If the word in the mouth of a fellow servant be so pleasant what is the living Word himself If this Treasure be so pretious in earthen Vessels what is that Treasure laid up in Heaven Think with thy self If I had heard but such a Divine Prophet as Isaiah or such a perswading moving Prophet as Jeremy or such a worker of Miracles as Elijah or Elisha how delightful a hearing would this have been If I had heard but Peter or John or Paul I should rejoyce in it as long as I lived but what would I give that I had heard one Sermon from the mouth of Christ himself sure I should have felt the comfort of it in my very foul why but alas all this is nothing to what we shall have above O blessed are the eyes that see what there is seen and the ears that hear that things that there are heard There shall I hear Elias Isaiah Daniel Peter John not preaching to an obstinate people in imprisonment in persecution and reproach but triumphing in the praises of him that hath advanced them Austin was wont to wish these three wishes first That he might have seen Christ in the flesh secondly That he might have heard Paul Preach thirdly That he might have seen Rome in its glory Alas these are small matters all to that which Austin now beholds there we see not Christ in the form of a servant but Christ in his Kingdom in Majesty and Glory not Paul Preach in weakness and contempt but Paul with millions more rejoycing and triumphing not pesecuting Rome in a fading glory but Jerusalem which is above in perfect and lasting glory So also think what a joy it is to have access and acceptance in Prayer that when any thing aileth me I may go to God and open my case and unbosom my soul to him as to my most faithful friend especially knowing his sufficiency and willingness to relieve me O but it will be a more surpassing unspeakable joy when I shal receive all blessings without asking them and when all my necessities and miseries are removed and when God himself will be the portion and inheritance of my soul. What consolation also have we oft received in the Supper of the Lord what a priviledge is it to be admitted to sit at his Table to have his Covenant sealed to me by the outward Ordinance and his special Love sealed by his Spirit to my heart Why but all the life and comfort of these is their declaring and assuring me of the comforts hereafter their use is but darkly to signifie and seal those higher mercies when I shall indeed drink with him the fruit of the vine renewed it will then be a pleasant feast indeed O the difference between the last Supper of Christ on earth and the marriage Supper of the Lamb at the great day Here he is in an upper roome accompanied with twelve poor selected men feeding on no curious dainties but a Paschal Lamb with sowâ—e Herbs and a Judas at his table ready to betray him But then his room will be the Glorious Heavens his attendants all the host of Angels and Saints no Judas nor unfurnished guest comes there but the humble believers must sit down by him and the Feast will be their mutual Loving and Rejoycing Yet further think with thy self thus The communion of the Saints on earth is a most delectable mercy What a pleasure is it to live with understanding and heavenly Christians â— Even David saith they were all his delight O then what a delightful society shall I have above The Communion of Saints is there somewhat worth where their understandings are fully cleared and their affections so highly advanced If I had seen but Job in his sores upon the Dunghil it would have been an excellent sight to see such a mirror of patience what will it be then to see him in glory praising that power which did uphold and deliver him If I had heard but Paul and Sylas singing in the stocks it would have been a delightful hearing what will it be then to hear them sing praises in heaven If I had heard David sing praises on his Lute and Harp it would have been a pleasing Meloâ—dy and that which drove the evil spirit from Saul would sure have driven away the dulness and sadness of my spirit and have been to me as the Musick was to Elisha that the Spirit of Christ in joy would have come upon me why I shall shortly hear that sweet Singer in the heavenly Chore advancing the King of Saints and will not that be a far more melodious hearing If I had spoke with Paul when he was new come down from the third Heavens and he might have revealed to me the things which he had seen O what would I give for an hours such conference how far would I go to hear such an Narration why I must shortly see those very things my self yea and far more then Paul was then capable of seeing and yet shall I see no more then I shall possess If I had spoke but one hour with Lazarus when he was risen from the dead heard him describe the things which he had seen in another world if God would permit and enable him thereto what a joyful discourse would that have been How many thousand books may I read before I could know so much as he could have told me in that hour If God would have suffered him to tell what he had seen the Jews would have more thronged to hear him then they did to see him O but this would have been nothing to the sight it self and to the fruition of all that which Lazaâ—us saw Once again think with thy self what a soul raising imployment is the praising of God especially in consort with his affectionate Saints What if I had been in the place of those Shepherds and seen the Angels and heard the multitude of the heavenly Host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men Luke 2.13 14. what a glorious sight and hearing would this have been but I shall see and hear more glorious things then this If I had stood by Christ when he was thanking his Father Joh 17. I should have thought mine ears even blessed with his voyce how much more when I shall hear him pronounce me blessed If there were such great joy at the bringing back of the Ark 2 Sam. 6.15 and such great joy at the reedifying the material Temple Nehe. 12.43 what joy will there be in the New Jerusalem why If I could but see the Church here in Unity and Prosperity and the undoubted Order and Discipline of Christ established and his Ordinances purely and powerfully administred what an unspeakable joy to my soul it would
mercies which I here received then shall behold the glory enjoyed there which was the End of all this O what a blessed view will that be O glorious prospect which I shall have on the celestial mount Zion Is it possible that there should be any defect of joy or my heart not raised when I am so raised If one drop of lively faith were mixed with these considerations O what work they would make in my brest and what a Heaven-ravished heart should I carry within me Faine would I believe Lord help my unbelief Yet further consider O my soul How sweet have the very ordinances been unto thee What raptures hast thou had in prayer and under heavenly Sermons What gladness in dayes of thanksgiving after eminent deliverances to the Church or to thy self What delight do I finde in the sweet society of the Saints To be among my humble faithful neighbors and friends To joyne with them in the frequent worship of God To see their growth and stability and soundness of understanding To see those daily added to the Church which shall be saved O then what delight shall I have to see the perfected Church in Heaven and to joyne with these and all the Saints in another kinde of worship then we can here conceive of How sweet is it to joyne in the high praises of God in the solemn assemblies How glad have I been to go up to the house of God Especially after long restraint by sickness when I have been as Hezekiah released and readmitted to joyne with the people of God and to set forth the praises of my great deliverer How sweet is my work in Preaching the Gospel and inviting sinners to the marriage feast of the Lamb and opening to them the treasures of free Grace Especially when God blesseth my endeavors with plenteous success and giveth me to see the fruit of my labors even this alone hath been a greater joy to my heart that if I had been made the Lord of all the riches on earth O how can my heart then conceive that joy which I shall have in my admittance into the Celestial Temple and into the Heavenly Host that shall do nothing but praise the Lord for ever When we shall say to Christ Here am I and the children thou hast given me and when Christ shall present us all to his Father and all are gathered and the Body compleated If the very Word of God were sweeter to Job then his necessary food and to Jeremy was the very joy and rejoycing of his heart and to David was sweeter then the Hony and Honicomb so that he cryeth out O how I love thy Law it is my meditation continually and if thy Law had not been my delight I had perished in my troubles O then how blessed a day will that be when we fully enjoy the Lord of this Word and shall need these written precepts and promises no more but shall in stead of these love-letters enjoy our beloved and in stead of these promises have the happiness in possession and read no book but the face of the glorious God! How far would I go to see one of those blessed Angels which appeared to Abraham to Lot to John c. Or to speak with Henoch or Elias or any Saint who had lived with God especially if he would resolve all my doubts and describe to me the celestial habitacions How much more desirable must it needs be to live with those blessed Saints and Angels and to see and possesse as well as they It is written of Erastus that he was so desirous to learn that it would be sweet to him even to dye so he might but be resolved of those doubtful questions wherein he could not satisfie himself How sweet then should it be to me to dye that I may not only be resolved of all my doubts but also know what I never before did think of and enjoy what before I never knew It was a happy dwelling that the twelve Apostles had with Christ to be always in his company and see his face and hear him open to them the mysteries of the Kingdom But it will be another kinde of happiness to dwell with him in Glory It was a rare priviledg of Thomas to put his fingers into his wounds to confirme his faith and of John to be called the Disciple whom Jesus loved on whose brest at supper he was wont to lean But it will be another kinde of priviledg which I shall enjoy when I shall see him in his glory and not in his wounds and shall enjoy a fuller sense of his Love then John then did and shall have the most hearty entertainment that Heaven affordeth â—f they that heard Christ speak on earth were astonished at his Wisdome and answers and wondered at the gratious Words which proceeded from his mouth How shall I be affected then to behold him in his Majesty Rowse up thy self yet O my soul and consider Can the foresight of this glory make others embrace the stake and kiss the fagot and welcome the cross and refuse deliverance And can it not make thee cheerful under lesser sufferings Can it sweeten the flames to them and can it not sweeten thy life or thy sickness or naturall death If a glympse could make Moses his face to shine and Peter on the mount so transported and Paul so exalted and John so rapt up in the spirit Why should it not somewhat revive me with delight Doubtless it would if my thoughts were more believing Is it not the same Heaven which they and I must live in Is not their God their Christ their Crown and mine the same Nay how many a weak woman or poor despised Christian have I seen mean in parts but rich in faith who could rejoyce and triumph in hope of this inheritance And shall I look upon it with so dim an eye So dull a heart So dejected a countenance some small foretastes also I have had my self though indeed small and seldome thorow mine own belief and how much more delightful have they been then ever was any of these earthly things The full enjoyment then will sure be sweet Remember then this bunch of Grapes which thou hast tasted of and by them conjecture the fruitfulness of the Land of Promise A Grape in a wilderness cannot be like the plentiful Vintage Consider also O my soul What a beauty is there in the imperfect Graces of the spirit here so great that they are called the Image of God and can any created exceellencie have a more honorable title Alas how small a part are these of what we shall enjoy in our perfect state O how pretious a mercy should I esteem it if God would but take off my bodily infirmities and restore me to any comfortable measure of health and strength that I might be able with cheerfulness to go through his work How pretious a mercy then will it be to have all
I have in my Books my friends and in thine Ordinances till thou hast given me a taste of something more sweet my soul will be loth to part with these The Traveller will hold his Cloak the faster when the windes do bluster and the storms assault him but when the Sun shines hot he will cast it off as a burthen so will my soul when thou frownest or art strange be lother to leave this garment of flesh but thy smiles would make me leave it as my prison but it is not thy ordinary discoveries that will here suffice as the work is greater so must be thy help O turn these fears into strong desires and this lothness to dye into longings after thee while I must be absent from thee let my soul as heartily groan under thine absence as my pained body doth under its want of health And let not those groans be counterfeit or constrained but let them come from a longing loving heart unfeignedly judging it best to depart and be with Christ And if I have any more time to spend on earth let me live as without the world in thee as I have sometime lived as without thee in the world O suffer me not to spend in strangeness to thee another day of this my Pilgrimage while I have a thought to think let me not forget thee while I have a tongue to move let me mention thee with delight while I have a breath to breathe let it be after thee and for thee while I have a knee to bend let it bow daily at thy Footstool and when by sickness thou confinest me to my Couch do thou make my bed and number my pains and put all my tears into thy Bottle And as when my spirit groaned for my sins the flesh would not second it but desired that which my spirit did abhor so now when my flesh doth groan under its pains let not my spirit second it but suffer the flesh to groan alone and let me desire that day which my flesh abhorreth that my friends may not with so much sorrow wait for the departure of my soul as my soul with joy shall wait for its own departure and then let me dye the death of the Righteous and let my last end be as his even a removall to that Glory that shall never end Send forth thy Convoy of Angels for my departing soul and let them bring it among the perfected spirits of the Just and let me follow my dear friends that have died in Christ before me und when my friends are weeping over my Grave let my spirit be reposed with thee in Rest and when my Corps shall lye there rotting in the dark let my soul be in the Inheritance of the Saints in Light And O thou that numberest the very hairs of my head do thou number all the dayes that my body lyes in the dust and thou that writest all my members in thy Book do thou keep an account of all my scattered bones and hasten O my Saviour the time of thy return send forth thine Angels and let that dreadful joyful Trumpet sound delay not lest the living give up their hopes delay not lest earth should grow like hell and lest thy Church by division be crumbled all to dust and dissolved by being resolved into individual unites Delay not lest thine enemies get advantage of thy Flock and lest Pride and Hypocrisie and Sensuality and Unbelief should prevail against thy little Remnant and share among them thy whole Inheritance and when thou comest thou finde not Faith on the earth Delay not lest the Grave should boast of Victory and having learned Rebellion of its guest should plead prescription and refuse to deliver thee up thy due O hasten that great Resurrection Day when thy command shall go forth and none shall disobey when the Sea and Earth shall yield up their Hostages and all that slept in the Graves shall awake and the dead in Christ shall first arise when the seed that thou sowedst corruptible shall come forth incorruptible and Graves that received but rottenness and retained but dust shall return thee glorious Stars and Suns therefore dare I lay down my carcass in the dust entrusting it not to a Grave but to Thee and therefore my flesh shall rest in Hope till thou raise it to the possession of the Everlasting REST. Return O Lord how long O let thy Kingdom come Thy desolate Bride saith Come for thy Spirit within her saith Come who teacheth her thus to pray with groanings after thee which cannot be expressed The whole Creation saith Come waiting to be delivered from the bondage of Corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God Thy Self hast said Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come LORD IESVS The Conclusion THus Reader I have given thee my best advice for the attaining and maintaining a Heavenly Conversation The maner is imperfect and too much mine own but for the main matter I dare say I received it from God From him I deliver it thee and his charge I lay upon thee That thou entertain and practise it If thou canst not do it methodically and fully yet do it as thou canst onely be sure thou do it seriously and frequently If thou wilt believe a man that hath made some small tryal of it thou shalt finde it will make thee another man and elevate thy soul and clear thine understanding and polish thy conversation and leave a pleasant savor upon thy heart so that thy own experience will make thee confess That one hour thus spent will more effectually revive thee then many in bare external duties and a day in these contemplations will afford thee truer content then all the glory and riches of the Earth Be acquainted with this work and thou wilt be in some remote sort acquainted with God Thy joyes will be spiritual and prevalent and lasting according to the nature of their Blessed Object thou wilt have comfort in life and comfort in death VVhen thou hast neither wealth nor health nor the pleasure of this world yet wilt thou have comfort Comfort without the presence or help of any Friend without a Minister without a Book when all means are denied thee or taken from thee yet maist thou have vigorous real comfort Thy graces will be mighty and active and victorious and the daily joy which is thus fetcht from Heaven will be thy strength Thou wilt be as one that standeth on the top of an exceeding high Mountain he looks down on the world as if it were quite below him How small do the Fields and VVoods and Countreys seem to him Cities and Towns seem but little spots Thus despicably wilt thou look on all things here below The greatest Princes will seem below thee but as Grashoppers and the busie contentious coveteous world but as a heap of Ants. Mens threatnings will be no terror to thee nor the honors of this world any strong enticement Temptations will be more harmless as
conferri solitum certo certius est Danaeus contr Bellar. de Baptismo pag. 443. * Fâ—erunt miracula ut 〈◊〉 atque praecones quibâ—s Evangelium commandabâ—tâ—â— Vâ—â—nim Lâ—x Mosis compâ—uribus miraculis in monte Sina per desertum authoritatem sibi conciliavit quae posâ—ea destiterunt cum ad terram promissionis ventum est eâdem ratione miracula nunc quoque sublata sunt cum Evaâ—gelium per universum orbem diffusum est Promissio igitur quam Christus in Marco 16 17. scribi voluit non ad omnia tempora pertinebat Pet. Mart. Loc. Commun Class 1. cap. 8. §. 20. § 2. 1. Position 2. Position * Fides humana non habâ—t suâ natura certitudinem inâ—allâ—bâ—â—â—m quamvis sit fides humâ—â—â— quae moralitâ—r loquendo evidâ—ns infallibâ—lâ— censâ—tuâ— ut quod Roma sit quod Indi sint c. Amâ—s in disput de fidei divlâ— veritate Thes 3. * Justin Martyr telleth Tryphon in his Dialogue of the wickedness of the Jewes that they sent out into all parts of the world their choicest man to perswade the people against the Christians they were Atheists and would abolish the Deity and that they were convict of gross impiâ—ty And yet this mischievous industry of the Jews did not prevail §. 3. Maxima est differentia inter 1. testificationem primitiva Ecclesiae quae fuit tempore Apostolorum 2. Inter testificationem Ecclesiae quae proximè post Apostolorum temporae secuta est quaequa primae Ecclaesiae testificationem aâ—â—eperat 3. Et inter testificationem praesentis Ecclesiae de Scripturâ Quae enim nunc est antea fuit Ecclesia si potest ostendere testimonia eorum qui acceperant noverant testificationem primae Ecclesiae de Germanis scriptis credimus ei ut testi probanti sua dicta Non autem habet potestatemstatuendi aut decernendi aliquid de libris sacris cujus non possit certa documenta ex testificatione primitivae Ecclesiae proferre Chemnitius Exam. Con. Tridentin part 1. in initio pag. 86. Quisquis adhuc prodigia ut credat inquirit magnum est ipse prodigium qui mundo credente non credit Dr. Humfredus in Jesuitism part 1. pag. 166. * Of the Heaten ancient Writers attestation to the several Histories of the Bible I shall particularly say little it being done so fully by Grotius de Verit. Christian. Reliligio l. 1. p. 40. c. Tertullianus de praescriptione affirmat ipsas authenticas Apostolorum literas hoc est ipsa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolorum suo adhuc temtempore in Ecclesis Aposiolicis conservata extitisse a The occasion of writing the several Books of the new Testament you may see in Chemnit Exa Concilii Trident in the beginning b Dico Evangelium Lucae quod tuemur apud Ecclesias Apostolicas jam universas ab initio editionis sed stare Tertul. adv Marc. Vide Sibrandum JubbertuÌ„ de principiis Christianorum dogmatum lib. 2. c. c Even among the Papists the more learned and modest maintain the perfection of the Hebrew Text of the old Testament as Arias Pagninus Vatablus Cajetan Quid est gens Judaeorum nisi quaedam seriniaria chriâ—â—ianorum bajulans legem prophetas in testimonium assertionis Ecclesiae August cont Faust. Manichaeum lib. 12. cap. 23. * Antiochus did what he could but left the Jews their Scripture entire in despight of him Nam cum tot secula intercesserint nemo tamen quicquam addere vel auferre vel permutare ausus fuit omnibus enim nostrae gentis hominibus insita quodammodo atque ingenita fides est credere haec Dei essâ— consulta his acquiescere ac pro ipsis si ita res posceret libenter animam ponere Josep cont Appion lib. 1. Sic Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 10. Ita Philo referente Eusebio Preparat Evang. lib. 8 cap. 2. Mirabile mihi videtur duobus annorum millibus imo majore tempore jam sere transacto nec verbum unum in lege illius esse immutatum sed centies unusquisque Judaeorum morietur quam legis Mosaicae derogabit * They think the Scripture Miracles incredible and yet every age still hath such wonders as the next ages will not believe Why is not the raining of Manna or Quailes from heaven as credible as the raining of that grain about ten years ago in England It fell in many parts of the Kingdom It was like a withered Wheate corn but not so long with a skin of a dark colour which being pulled of the grain had a taste somewhat shaâ—p and hot I tasted it and kept some of it long which fell on the Leads of the Church and of the Ministers House in Bridgenorth where I preached the Gospel Tiberius upon a Letter from Pilate of the Miracles Death and Resurrection of Christ did move in the Senate to proclaime him to be God but they refused because the motion was not first from themselves but the Emperor did abide in his opinion still Egesip Anacephaleos Wherefore Tertullian bids them Go look in your Registers and the Acts of your Senate in Apolog Vid. Usher Brit. Eccl. prim p. 3.4 * Julian when he scorneth Christ doth acknowledg his Miracles What saith he hath this Jesus done worthy of memory or of any account in all his life Save that he cured a few blinde and lame and delivered some from Devils that possessed them c. The Star that appeared at Christs birth is mentioned by Pliny lib 2. cap. 25. So do divers others as Origen reports Cont. Celsum Herods killing the children is mentioned in Augustus taunt I had rather saith he be Herods Swine then his Son because he killed a son of his own among the rest Macrob. Saturnal d Josephus relates the life of John the Baptist as the Evangelists do The Darkness and Earthquake at Christs death is acknowledged by Phlegon in lib. Chron. 13. Lucian bid his Tormentors search their own Chronicles and they should finde that in Pilates time the light failed in the midst of the day and the Sun was darkned while Christ was suffering Tertullian also appealeth to their ewn Chronicles Apol. And that it was no Natural Eclipse is known to Astronomers See Marsilius Ficinus of the Star The death of Herod is set out by Josephus Antiq. lib. 19 cap. 7. as by Luke Ireneus affirmeth that in his time the working of Miracles the raising of the Dead the casting out of Devils healing the sick by meer laying on of hands and Prâ—phesying were still in force And that some that were so raised from death remained alive among them long after See Nicepho Eccles. Histor. Tom. 1. lib. 4 c. 13 And Justin Martyr saith That the gift of Prophesying was famous in the Church in his time Dialog ad Tryphon § 4. Objection against this Argument Answered Answ. e Nos fidem quae verbis Dei habetur etsi non prorsus nasci ex miraculis