a recompence as thou mayest lift vp pure hands with comfort in this life so shall Christ take thee by the hand at the day of iudgement Mat. 25. and say to thee Enter into thy maisters ioy When the kings daughter is all glorious within Psal 45. and her clothing of wrought gold shee shall be brought vnto the king with ioy and gladnesse and shall enter into the kings Pallace and so shall it bee done to euery sanctified Christian at the last day he shall bee brought by the blessed Angels to Christ the most blessed king with great ioy hauing heard his gracious sentence Come yee blessed shall enter into his glorious pallace the kingdome of heauen and possesse the same for euer and euer CHAP. 3. SECT 1. The first steppe into heauen after the last iudgement namely Freedome from miserie EXperience teacheth that the consideration of passed miserie doth giue a sweet rellish to future felicitie Olim haec meminisse iuuabit Virg Aened 1. the remembrance of the fierce assaults sharpe conflicts and deadly fights is ioyfull to the souldier the cogitation of escape from the deuouring gulfes perilous rockes and dangerous streights yeeld delight vnto the mariner and is not the sicke man glad when the extremitie of his fit is past though he be not as yet restored to his perfect health So fareth it with the children of God at the last day the consideration of their deliuerance from the dangerous combats with sinne and Sathan their escaping the perilous sayling in the seas of this troublesome world and freedome from the sicke fits of their inward corruptions doth adde abundantly to their euerlasting happines in the world to come and the greater their troubles or daungers haue bene the more is their comfort Now to the end that this happinesse of the children of God may the better appeare the mappe of escaped miseries is to bee considered of vs as that blessed Captaine and Pilot Christ Iesus with his seruants and souldiers haue described the same in the sacred Scriptures 1 The soule is deliuered from disordered passions as hope and feare ioy and sorrow which contending like so manie contrarie disordered elements and humors in the bodie and strugling like the hote exhalation in a cold cloud do distract the mind and rent the soule like a cloud When man was at vnitie with God there was a sweet harmonie friendship betweene all the faculties of his soule but when man rebelled against his God as al the external creatures opposed themselues against him to worke his ruine so did his internall cogitations conspire against him to be reuenged on him for his sinne and now that man is reconciled and acquited by the finall sentence of the great Iudge all his vnruly and rebellious perturbations are brought into subiection 2 The godly are deliuered from sundrie outward calamities as sicknes pains labour reproch c. to the which the dearest seruants of God are subiect yea froÌ„ the which the Son of God in the dayes of his infirmitie was not exempted for Dauid had a Doeg to accuse him a Shimei to reuile him 1. Sam. 22.9 2. Sam. 16.7 1. Sam. 24. c. a Saul to persecute him But now Ioh. 16. the sorrowes of the godly shall be turned into ioy Reu. 21.4 and Christ will wipe all teares from their eyes Euen as tender hearted mothers do wipe from the eyes of their little babes the teares which they shedde through the sense of some calamitie so will the Lord with the handkerchiffe of compassion drie vp the streames of his childrens teares that issued from the springs of dolour 3 They are deliuered froÌ„ the prouocations allurements of the wicked world which is the fanne and firebrand of iniquitie Reu. 19.20 For the beast and that false Prophet which wrought miracles whereby hee deceiued the world shall now be cast into a lake that burnes with fire and brimstone there to bee tormented for euer and all the vngodly shall bee destroyed with an euerlasting perdition 2. Thes 1.9 and so shall neuer haue power any more to tempt or torment the children of God That was a gracious petition of our blessed Sauiour I pray not Ioh. 17.15 that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keepe them from euill But forasmuch as the most sanctified seruants of God whilst they are in the world are not free from all prouocations of euill happie is he that is freed from dwelling any longer in Mesech and hauing his habitation amongst the tents of vngodlinesse 4 They are deliuered from the power of the diuel who now goeth about like a roaring Lyon 1. Pet. 5.8 seeking whom he may deuoure Christ came to loose the workes of the Diuell 1. Ioh. 3.8 and albeit hee hath not as yet vtterly crushed his power Rom 16.20 yet is hee the God of peace that will shortly treade downe Sathan vnder our feet and cast him into the lake of fire and brimstone Reu. 20.10 Saint Iohn hauing related a victorie ouer Sathan Reu. 12.12 bids Reioyce therefore you heauens and yee that dwell therein and shall not the seruants of God haue great cause to reioyce now when not onely Sathans power is weakened his fierce darts quenched but himselfe vtterly subdued and fettered in the infernall lake for euer 5 They are deliuered froÌ„ the slauerie of sinne which is grieuous to all those that desire to liue godly The sense hâ—reof made Saint Paule crye out Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Lo here is the deliuerance that the holy Apostle did so earnestly desire For the cause ceassing the effects must needes follow mans corruptions being conquered the worlds allurements abolished and Sathans darts quenched the soule and bodie of man being reformed and refined there shall neither remaine any cause of sinne or if there did any fit subiect for sinne to worke vpon And now is the time when the spouse of Christ shall bee washed and cleansed Eph. 5.26.27 that shee may bee without spot or wrinkle 6 They are deliuered from death as Saint Iohn saith There shall bee no more death Reu. 21.14 And no maruell for as light expelleth darknesse so eternall life putteth death to flight Rom. 6.23 Death is the reward of sinne so that sinne being abandoned death must needs be abolished Can that which is immortall dye to affirme that were to vtter a senslesse coÌ„tradiction Therfore when this corruptible 1. Co. 15.54 hath put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe that saying that is written Death is swallowed vp into victorie If our first parents had kept themselues vpright they could not haue died for their state was angelicall neither can the Saints of God dye now because they are like to the Angels Luk. 20.36 7 Lastly they are deliuered
from hell and from the second death euen the eternall death both of bodie and soule tenne thousand times more dolefull and dreadfull then the temporall and corporall death Now this hell and death shall bee cast into the lake of Reu. 20.14 fire Whereby albeit the propheticall Euangelist vnderstand The infernall spirits yet he saith Hell it selfe because they are both confined within the same miserable immutable bounds neither of them both hauing power ouer the children of God This thing Abraham tels the rich man Betweene you and vs there is a great gulfe set Luk. 16 20. so that they which would go from hence to you cannot Doubtlesse it can neuer come into the heartes of the elect that they should bee willing to go into hell and it is as impossible they should be able as that they should be willing if they could they would not and if they would they cannot Thus whilest the Elect are deliuered from the disordered passions of the soule the externall calamities both of soule and bodie the prouocations of the world the power of Sathan the slauerie of sinne the feare of death and the dread of hell they may very well be accounted blessed and happie and the meditation thereof should make euery one desirous to bee partakers of that happinesse If a man had a true sense of these miseries oh what would hee giue to be freed from them how much wold the worldling giue to redeeme himselfe from temporall death But how many worlds wold Diues giue if he had them to be deliuered from the intolerable paines of eternall death If thou desire to bee freed from all these miseries and calamities then sticke to the truth Io. 8.32.36 and it shall make thee free He that will raigne must conquer and hee that would conquer must fight valiantly Labour then very earnestly to conquer and subdue thine owne corruptions the worlds allurements and the diuels temptations and then assure thy selfe though the miseries of the damned were as many as the Locusts of Aegypt yet they shal haue no power ouer thee but thou shalt escape them all Reu. 2.11 For hee that ouercometh shall not be hurt of the second death SECT 2. The second degree of happinesse after the last iudgement namely The fruition of celestiall felicity IF Noah hauing escaped the floud Gen. 8.20 builded an altar and offered burnt offerings thereupon if the children of Israel sung ioyfully for their deliuerance from Aegypt Exod. 15.1 if Dauid were so glad for escaping the hands of his cruell enemies Psa 34.3 that he praiseth God and exhorteth others to ioyne with him in magnifying the Lord how much more had they cause to reioyce the one when hee had obtained a quiet habitation in the restored earth the other that rich possession of the pleasant land and the third the expected fruition of the princely Crowne So may it bee said of the children of God If they haue cause to offer the sacrifices of praise vpon the altar of a thankfull soule for escaping the inundation of sinne to sing Alleluiah with chearefull voyces for their deliuerance from the Aegypt of hell and to magnifâ—â— the Lord for freeing them from the deadly assaults of al their infernal enemies how much more are they bound when they are seated in the heauens possessed of the celestiall Canaan and haue the crowne of eternall glorie set vpon their heades to magnifie the Lord for his mercie and to say with the blessed Angels Praise Reu. 7.12 and glorie and wisedome and thankes and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euermore For behold this is the highest pitch and perfection of their happinesse Whilest I am to take a view of the kingdome of heauen oh that I might with the holy Apostle bee taken vp into the third heauens 2. Cor. 12.2 And whilest I shall endeuour to blaze foorth the blisse of the celestiall Ierusalem oh that the light of that glorie might shine into my sinfull soule that my thoughts being winged with the contemplation of Angels Reu. 21.15 and the Angels golden reede being giuen mee to measure that citie withall I might be able to comprehend with the blessed Saints the excellencie of that glorious place which farre surmounteth euerie humane estimate that so my soule being rauished with the glorie thereof my pen might distill the Nectar of comfort to inflame the harts of those that shall ioyne with mee in this sweete meditation For how alas shall he that was euer in darknesse be able to describe this light how can he that is of the earth measure the heauens or he that hath alwaies liued in this vale of miserie know what belongs to the mountaine of true felicitie No more surely then hee which is a slaue by birth and base by his continuall habitation is able ingeniously to describe the thrones the state and maiestie of Princes How many workes of God euen in this life do surmount our reach Ioh 3. If Nicodemus vnderstand not the manner of our regeneration how shall hee be able to conceiue the excellencie of glorification The dearest seruants of God who had Eagles eyes and Angels meditations Esay S Paul 1 Cor 2.20 can tell vs that neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard neither haue those ioyes come into mans heart which God hath prepared for those that loue him Though our eyes haue seene many glorious obiects and our eares haue heard report of greater matters yet our conceipt hath farre exceeded them both But behold the ioyes that God hath prepared for his elect do exceedingly surpasse the apprehensioÌ„ of all our senses both externall and internall Aug. de ciu Dei lib. 22. thâ—y may be obtained they cannot be valued Cott. in Cicer de nâ—t Deor. lib. 1. Hee in Tully said truly That it is an easier matter to know what God is not then to tell what hee is and so mâ—y I sâ—y in this case That it is much easier to tell what is not in heauen then what is there And therefore Saint Augustine in relating the blisse thereof taketh stand and demaundeth this of himselfe after a large discourse What shall I say surely I cannot tell Sed Deus habet quod exhibâ—at Aug. super â—oh hom 3. but I know that God hath such ioyes to bestow Yet forasmuch as the Lords pen-men haue according to our capacities described in sundry places diuerse particulars of this heauenly blessednes let vs briefly and according to the rules of sobrietie collect and consider the samâ— for our instruction and comfort And in the consideratioÌ„ thereof wee will obserue three principall points first the wonderfull beautie of that habitation secondly the glorious view and vision of Almightie God thirdly the blessed condition of the Saints in glorie 1 If any one looke for a curious discourse of the matter or forme of the heauens I intend to faile his expectation My desire in these
beholding vanitie and practise with Iob Iob. 31.1 I haue made a couenant with mine eyes Binde both thine eyes and thy heart to the good a bearing and suffer not thine eyes to behold it in others nor thy heart to affect it in thy selfe But if thy heart beginne a little to be seduced do but thinke with thy selfe what filth lyeth hid in that bodie which bewitcheth thee and the same may be a medicine to preuent a dangerous maladie Gen. 18. I am but dust and ashes saith Abraham the ashes were once a faire greene tree before the beautie of it vanished in the fire What folly is it to be so nice and curious in trimming of dust and ashes which though like the greene tree it make a faire shew for a time yet hath a hundred fires kindled to consume it sorrow sicknesse age and death yea which cannot enioy the comfortable heate and light of the Sunne but it fadeth Deck thy soule with vertues and adorne thy heart with grace this internall beautie is eternall To meete a beautifull bodie hath bene counted ominous but now I am sure it is dangerous yet if thou darest giue thine eyes libertie to behold any beautifull obiect let that be a hand to direct and leade thee to a better meditation Magnifie the wisedome of God in his workmanship and thinke vpon the beautie of heauen what a sweet thing it will be to behold Christ Iesus and all the celestiall companie in most resplendent glorie and let thy meditation ponder the future glorious change of thy vile bodie Phil. 3. that although the fame be turned into dust and ashes yet at the last day it may be beautifull as the brightnesse of the firmament Dan. 12.3 and may shine like the starres for euer and euer Now the same that hath bene said of beautie may be said of strength and agilitie which albeit they do not alwayes grow on the same stalke yet they fade with the same windes and are withered with the same Sunne of sorrow sicknesse age and death We haue heard of few that could say with Caleb I am this day fourescore and fiue yeares old Ios 14.10.11 yet am I as strong at this time as I was when Moses sent me meaning when he was fortie yeares old Vers 7. Abishai and Benaiah were goodly men 2. Sam. 23.18.20 and of admirable strength able to kill hundreds and to conquer mighty giants yet they with Dauids three worthies more gallāt men then they are many hūdred years since turned into dust Beautie sometime turnes to the bane of the possessor And did not Sampsons strength pluck the house downe vpon his owne head Iudg. 16. If any one therefore be lustie and strong let him remember the Prophets exhortation Ier. 9.23 Let not the strong man glorie in his strength because it is folly to glorie in a vanity but let him reioyce and glorie in the Lord and be able to say Psal 27 c The Lord is my strength and as the Apostle exhorteth Eph 6. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might To resist the diuell and to withstand his temptations is a thing that requireth strength and courage to this purpose labor to vnite all thy forces this is true strength and valour and this onely obtaineth the crowns of true felicitie SECTION 3. Of Health OF all the temporall benefites that Almightie God bestoweth vpon vs in this life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is none more excellent then health as Menander truly saith seeing it is that which permits a being to the goods of the bodie and admits an acceptable being to the goods of fortune as they are called For when the Lord with rebukes doth chasten man for sinne Psal 39.11 he maketh whatsoeuer is desirable in him to consume away like a moath fretting a garment When the Lord layeth the hand of visitation vpon men then health strength beautie and whatsoeuer seemes gracious in them consumeth and vanisheth like the moath-eaten garment When the Lord said to Abraham Gen. 15.2 I am thy exceeding great reward Abraham answered O Lord what wilt thou giue me seeing I go childlesse So may a sicke man say What wilt thou giue me seeing I am healthlesse Abraham cared not for all the wealth in the world when he wanted an heire and what are all the temporall blessings in the world to a man that wants his health Yet is health which seasoneth all the blessings of this life but vaine For euerie man in his best estate is altogether vanitie Man that is borne of a woman Iob. 14.1 is but of short continuance and full of trouble he shooteth vp like a flower and is cut downe he vanisheth as a shadow and continueth not Lo this is the condition of mankind that he neuer continueth in the same condition But as the flower to day flourisheth and to morrow withereth so health is quickly changed into sicknesse The Moone is not more variable in her changing the sea in her ebbing and flowing the heauens in their ouercasting then man is in the change of his estate now well and presently sicke to day triumphing on the Theater to morrow groning on the couch or happely groueling in the graue The sea is not more subiect to tossing and raging with her foure contrarie windes then the bodie of man is with his foure contrarie humours which being disordered do ingender infinite diseases How manie hundred infirmities haue the skilfull Physitians discerned mans bodie subiect to yea how many are there whereof no true cause can be assigned no cure can be obtained A clocke is a thing hardly kept in tune because it hath so many wheeles and gimbols to be tempered so the bodie of man is hardly preserued long in health it hath so many variable and tender parts to be preserued Hence it commeth to passe that as the Israelites expecting libertie were more inthralled so when men promise to themselues health and soundnesse they are oft-times assayled by sodaine sicknes A fearfull trembling the messenger of death shakes the ioynts of Baltasar at his banket Dan 5. the rich man is arrested by deaths sergeant in his bed Luke 12. and a deadly headach meeteth the Shunamites child in the field 2. Kin. 4. Thus no state or condition is exempted from sicknesse or hath securitie of health neither the young child the old man nor the mightie king Iesus loued Lazarus Iohn 11. yet behold he was sicke Dauid a holy man and an honorable king Passim in Psalmis yet was often brought low with sundrie infirmities so that Christs loue is no preuenting priuiledge godlinesse is no supersedeas for sickenesse 2 Besides that health is thus variable it is also dangerous being the nurse of securitie and the mother of impenitencie Psal 73.4.9 For whilest the wicked haue no bands in their death but are lustie and strong pride and crueltie licentiousnesse
law and feare you that So the end vse of all this is that the maiestie of Christ in his appearing and strictnesse in iudging might possesse our hearts with dread and cause vs to finish our saluatiō with feare and trembling This lesson Saint Paule teacheth 2. Cor. 5.10 We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes an exceeding great feare Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men And surely if men did consider that their works must all come to iudgement before such a strict and glorious Iudge it would make them tremble and stay them from those sinnes into the which they runne without feare What theefe is so desperate that being sure he cannnot escape the Iudges hands would yet continue his stealing Lo thou whosoeuer thou art canst not possibly auoide the appearing before Christ the dreadfull Iudge shall not the cogitation of this reclaime thy heart from wicked motions and thy life from vngodly actions But will Christ call euery man to an accompt for his body his soule his temporall benefites and spirituall blessings the spending of his time and conuersation in his calling for his sinnes of cōmission and omission Oh good God what an Audit haue many to make for their manifold impieties and mōstrous profanenesse for consuming the talents of grace and treasuring nothing but wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Whē Ioseph said to his brethren Gen. 45.3 I am Ioseph your brother whom you sold into Aegypt his brethren could not answer him for they were astonied at his presence When our Sauiour shall shew that blessed head that was crowned with thornes those holy hands that were pierced with nailes that gracious side that was thrust thorough with the speare and say Behold I am be whom your sinnes caused to bee crucified and sold into the hands of Pontius Pilate and the malitious Iewes shall not the vngodly be vnable to answer him for astonishment like Iosephs brethren and bee speechlesse like the man that wanted a wedding garment Mat. 22. Then would the kings of the earth Reu. 6.15 and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men and euery bondman and euery freeman hide themselues in the dennes and rockes of the mountaines and say to the rockes and hils Fal on vs hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe but alas it will not be Seeing then that all things must be thus dissolued and the comming of Christ is so dreadful both for the end and manner of his appearing 2. Pet. 3.10 what manner of men ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse If a man had some matter of waight wherein his whole estate were to be tried before an earthly Iudge how carefull would he be to consider his cause sollicite his Aduocate and get the fauour of the Iudge Behold at this time all lyes a bleeding euen our soules and bodies more deare vnto vs thē the whole world yea then tenne thousand worlds what care and industrie should we vse whilest there is time to examine our estate sollicite Christ Iesus our Aduocate and Iudge that we may be deliuered from the feare of conuiction in that great and dreadfull day of iudgement I will therefore conclude this meditation with our Sauiours exhortation Luk 21.36 Watch and pray continually that you may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the sonne of man when he commeth thus gloriously to iudgement SECT 3. The third steppe of the wicked into hell at the day of iudgement namely their exceeding astonishment vpon the sentence of condēnation THus haue we brought the vngodly man to the barre where being accused by the heauens and the earth with all the creatures therein conuicted by a iury impanelled of heauenly and earthly inhabitants the elect Angels and blessed Saints and hauing his conscience crying Guiltie in stead of a thousand witnesses what can be expected at the hands of a most iust Iudge in the day of vengeance but the sentence of condemnation and what that is out Sauiour himselfe hath shewed M◠25.24 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Few words but full of bitternesse Depart from me those are words of separation you cursed words of obiurgation into euerlasting fire words of desolation prepared for the diuell and his angels a dolefull exemplification There are two reasons why these wordes should yeeld astonishment First because they are intollerable secondly because they are irreuocable Amos. 3.8 The Lyon hath roared who will not be affraid saith the Prophet but behold this thundering foorth the sentence of condemnation is a thousand times more fearefull When Baltazar in the midst of all his tolitie saw the fingers of a hand writing vpon the wall of his pallace Dan. 5.6 Thou art waighed in the ballance and art found too light thy kingdome is giuen to the Medes and Persians his countenance was chaunged his thoughts troubled him so that the ioyntes of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another If the Lords temporall decree had this effect in Baltazar euen before he vnderstood the writing how shall this sentence of eternall death whereby the wicked are separated from the kingdome of heauen astonish those vpon whom it shall be pronounced Behold 1. Sam. 3.11 saith the Lord I will do a thing in Israel whereof whosoeuer heareth his eares shall tingle Shall the eares of men tingle which heare of the iudgment brought vpon Elies house onely and shall they not glow when they heare this dreadfull iudgement passed vpon so many millions of sinfull soules when that shall be fulfilled Ezek 5.8 I will execute iudgement in the sight of the nations so that those which heare it shall say Lo this is the man that neither regarded the Lords promises nor trembled at his threatnings and see now how hee quaketh at his iudgments When the Lord had deliuered the law in his dreadfull voice the Israelites desired Exod. 20.19 he would speake no more to them lest they shold dye so would the vngodly faine haue Christ be silent now Psal 2. but he will speak to them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure he will send foorth his glorious voice which shall make the Cedars of Libanus to shake the same shall be a sword piercing the hearts of all wretched miscreants We reade that the band of men and officers that came to apprehend Christ in the garden of Gethsemane were striken downe with the power of his words saying onely Ioh. 18.6 I am he how then shall they be striken dead thinke you which appearing before his dreadfull throne shall heare him vtter
not onely recouer her former beautie but obtaineth a farre more excellent glorie Num. 17.8 The budding of Aarons rod was verie admirable and the resurrection of our bodies is more wonderfull but it is the Lords doing and is maruellous in our eyes 1 The resurrection is comfortable in regard of the chaunge of the bodie which shall then in beautie asmuch exceede the former estate thereof as the bright Sunne doth excell the least Starre in glorie 1. Cor. 15.41.44 For the bodie which is sowne in corruption is raised in incorruption it is sowne in dishonour and is raised in glorie it is sowne in weakâ—nesse and is raised in power it is sowne a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie Thus shall the bodie become more excellent in foure principall respects It shall be immortall and so freed from corruption it shall bee glorious and so deliuered from dishonour it shall not neede the helpes of foode Phisicke sleepe or clothing and so bee exempted from weaknesse it shall bee bright pure and nimble and so shall differ from the naturall bodie For as birds being hatched doe flie lightly vp into the skies which being egges were a heauie and slimie matter so man which by nature is a massie substance being hatched by the resurâ—ection Zanch. de â—per Dei is made pure and nimble and able to mount vp into the heauens The sinne of our first parents in Paradise added shame to their nakednesse but in the resurrectioâ— this shame shall be abolished and in stead thereof the bodie shall in euerie part become glorious and beautifull If the Creeple which lay at the temple gate being restored to his lims by Peter and Iohn did come into thâ— temple walking leaping Act. 3.8 and praising God oh how much greater cause of reioycing and glorifying God shall the godly haue when all deformâ—ties and infirmities of the bodie shall bee taken away Aug de Ciu. lib. 22. c. 19 and they made not onely whole and sound but euen beautifull and glorious 2 As the beautie of the bodie doth of it selfe commend the felicitie of the resurrection so shall the reuniting of the soule with the bodie much enlarge the â—xcellencie thereof Two old friends that haue bene a long time and with great distance of place separated each froÌ„ other how glad and ioyfull are they when they meet together and embrace one another how doth the kinde father salute his sonne returning home Luk. â—5 20 and shall not the soule and bodie two old friends knit together in the nearest league be exceeding ioyfull and glad at their renewed vnion in the resurrection This cannot otherwise bee if either the forme or end of this reuniting bee considered The forme is glorious and angelicall Luk 20.36 for the godly are equall vnto the Angels and the sonnes of God since they are the children of the resurrection of life The end is blessed and happie for they that haue done good Ioh. 5.29 shall come foorth to the resurrection of life Thus in respect of the glorie and beautie bestowed on the bodie and the felicitie imparted both to soule and bodie vpon the vnion in the Resurrection the godly may well bee said to enioy a great measure of heauenly felicitie The consideration hereof may serue to asswage and sweeten the bittternesse of those miseries which happen to the childreÌ„ of God in this life This was Iobs comfort in the middest of his grieuous triall I am sure that my redeemer liueth Iob. 19.25 and that I shall rise againe out of the dust at the last day This was Dauids ioy in the dayes of his wonderfull afflictions Psal 16.9 My heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue neither will thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Yea the remembrance hereof hath made many to submit themselues willingly to martyrdome and to sticke to the truth to the death Heb. 11.35 For diuerse haue bene racked and would not accept of deliuerance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Though the redemption from the racke were a thing much to bee desired yet the redemption from hell and the resurrection to eternall life was much more to be sought for without which condition they wold not be deliuered For what though the racke should rent their flesh and disioynt their limmes they were assured that at the resurrection all should bee conioyned and perfected Here then wee may learne not to care for any ignominie that can bee done vnto vs nor bee much troubled for any infirmities that can befall our bodies knowing that the same must one day be eaten with wormes and consumed with rottennesse but especially being assured that the same shall be reformed and refined in the Resurrection SECT 2. The second steppe into heauen at the day of iudgement namely The ioyfull appearing before Christ AT the birth of our blessed Sauiour though it were base the heauenly quire chaunted it ioyfully Luk. 2. In his infancie when he lay swadled in a cratch in stead of a cradle Mat. 2. and tooke his Inne in a stable in stead of a stately pallace yet the Wise men came from the East to adore him In his riper years albeit he came attended only with poore fishermen Mar. 10. yet Rulers kneeled to him and when he rode meekely to Ierusalem vpon an Asse Mâ—t. 21. the people cutte downe boughes and strewed their garments in the way to honour him at his passion the Centurion acknowledged him to be the Son of God Mat. 27. and Ioseph of Arimathea after his death honoured his corpes with a seemely funerall If our Sauiour in his birth life and death being the dayes of his weaknesse and infirmitie was thus honoured by men and Angels how glorious shall hee be in the day of power and maiestie when he shall appeare in the clouds sit vpon a glorious throne and bee attended by blessed Angels and decked with a Crowne of glorie Now shall the godly meete him in the ayre with great ioy and sing Hosanna in excelsis Blessed is the king that commeth in the name of the Lord. The Saints happinesse doth now consist in three principall points First in beholding the glorie of Christ secondly in being vnder his iudgement thirdly in being themselues honored with the dignitie of Iudges 1 When Iacob heard of the honour of his sonne Ioseph in Aegypt his heart failed him through distrust yet when he beheld the chariots which he had sent for him his spirit reuiued but when he saw him hee said vnto him Now let me dye Gen. 46.30 since I haue seene thy face So fareth it with the children of God in this life being hindred through their infirmities from the comfortable considerations of Christs exaltation yet when they shall see his chariots the blessed Angels whom hee shall send to gather the elect from the foure
meditations is rather to stirre vp the affections of the godly then to conuerse with the conceipts of any curiously affected August de Genes ad Li er lib. 2. cap. 9. I like his iudgement who holds the disputes about the forme and figure of the heauens to bee vnprofitable and his censure Damasc de Orthodox fid lib. 2. c. 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who saith That to search out the substance of them is vnlawfull whereunto if I may adde my owne opinioÌ„ I hold it impossible Farewell theÌ„ to the schoolemens friuolous and fruitlesse discourses about the forme the substance and quantity of the heauens Very glorious things are spoken of thee Psal 87.3 thou citie of God If the Prophet might say so of the terrestriall Ierusalem how much more may it iustly bee said of the celestiall citie which is aboue and the mother of vs all And Saint Iohn indeede hath made a very excellent description of that glorious kingdome Reu. 21. calling it first in generall Reu. 21.11 The holy Ierusalem which had the gloâ—ie of God shining in it and her shining was like a stone most precious as a Iasper stone and cleare as Christall Then in particular he sets downe the forme of it which was very perfect being quadrangular then the quantitie it was large and spacious containing many cubits then the matter and ornaments of it which was pure gold and all manner of precious stones then the adiuncts belonging to it the brightnes of glorie shining therein By which speeches borrowed from things which are most precious in mens estimation Saint Iohn would teach vs to conceiue of those excellencies Ioh. 14.1 which no man indeed is able to value Our Sauiour cals heauen his Fathers house and therefore it must needes be exceeding beautifull and glorious Dan. 4. Nebuchadnetsar spake ambitiously of his Pallace Is not this great Babel which I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie But of the Lords house it may be iustly said Is not that great Bethel which the Lord himselfe hath built for the house of his kingdome the habitations of his Saints and for the honour and ornament of his Maiestie If the heauens which are subiect to vanitie Psal 19.1 do declare the glorie of God what shall the pure and Christall heauens doe when they are changed and refined Hâ—b 1. If the builders of the tabernacle were renowmed as those that had perfected an excellent worke Psal 74.5 how much more excellent shall that tabernacle bee whose maker and builder is Heb. 11.10 God Psal 84.1 Oh how amiable are thy dwelling places ô Lord of hostes Doth the beautie of the temple exceede Dauids conceipt and leaue him to the taske of admiration Oh how admirable amiable and glorious do wee thinke the kingdome of heauen shall bee Reu. 21.22 where the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the temple where the king is Veritie the lawes Charitie the honour Equitie the peace Felicitie the life Eternitie as Saint Augustine saith Plutar. in vita Them 2 Themistocles hauing a peece of ground to sell appointed the Cryer to proclaime in the sale thereof that whosoeuer would buy it should haue a good neighbour so although the kindome of heauen be excellent of it selfe yet Almightie God sending foorth his Criers and Ambassadors to offer the same to the world Mat. 3. 2. Cor. 5. hath caused them to adde this in their proclamation That whosoeuer obtaineth it shall haue many good neighbours euen the holy Saints and blessed Angels that which is aboue all he shall behold God Almightie and Christ Iesus the immaculate Lambe of God shining there in most resplendent glorie Reue. 22.4 They shal see his face and his name shall bee in their foreheads This was one of the last requests made by Christ in the behalfe of his Church Father I will that those which thou hast giuen me Ioh. 17.24 be with me euen whâ—re I am that they may behâ—ld my glorie which thou hast giuen me a gracious petition for a blessed habitation and a glorious vision How earnestly did Moses importune the Lord Exo. 33.18 saying I beseech thee shew me thy glorie and it was a singular fauour that the Lord vouchsafed to shew him a glimpse of his glorie which he calleth his backe parts Vers 23. because a man is almost past fight when his backe is turned But behold Christ hath prayed for and the Lord hath promised a more glorious view of him in the life to come 1. Ioh. 3.2 For wee know that when he shall be made manifest we shall see him as he is A man that lookes into the sea cannot see to the bottome and he that lookes vp to the heauens can behold no further then the HorizoÌ„ and so indeed is this vision of Gods Saints bounded in the limites of finitenesse Yet is there as great difference betweene their present and future contemplation of glorie 1. Cor. 13. as betweene looking a man in the face and beholding him in a glasse for then they shall as fully behold the glorie of God as the fraile condition of mankinde may possibly permit When the Queene of Sheba had seene al the honour and magnificence of Salomon shee said with admiration Happie are thy men 1. Kin. 10.8 happie are these thy seruants that stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome If those were so happie who stood before Salomon to behold and heare his wisedome oh how happie shall they bee who shall stand before Almightie God and our blessed Sauiour to behold and see their glorie Psal 16.11 For in their presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thâ—ir right hand are pleasures for euermore And this is the cause Psa 42 1.2 that as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of waters so do the soules of the godlie pant after the Lord longing to appeare before his presence The ponderous stone inclineth downeward and lighter substances are carried vpward thus euery thing seeks his center Now the Lord is the Soules Center and like Noahs doue it finds no rest till it returne to him that gaue it Aug. Confes lib. 1. cap. 1 according to Augustines saying O Lord thou hast made vs for thy selfe and our heart is vnquiet till it rest in thy selfe But when the soule of man hath once attained this mercie then can the child of God say Psal 17.15 I will behold thy face in righteousnesse and 〈◊〉 satisfied with it because it yeelds him the fulnesse of comfort and contentation 3 When Christ was transfigured vpoÌ„ the mount wee reade that Peter albeit himselfe was not changed Luk. 9.33 said vnto our Sauiour Iesus maister it is good to be here If Peter spake thus onely vpon the view of Christs transfiguration how much more shall the children of God reioyce at the last
thousand witnesses that which seemed doubtfull she proceedeth to pronounce sentence Then doth the prodigall child crye out Luk. 15.19 I am not worthie to be called thy sonne Then doth the Prophet censure himselfe and his people thus O Lord righteousnesse doth belong to thee Dan. 9.7 but to vs open shame and confusion of face 5. Lastly sentence being thus pronounced Quò enim cor meum fugeret à corde meo Aug. confes lib. 4. cap. 7. what is to be expected but execution to flie it is not possible a man may escape others but to flie from an euill conscience it is no lesse impossible then for a man to flie froÌ„ his shadow which the faster the bodie flyeth the faster it followeth then will the conscience inflict the punishment Thus when Dauid with diffidence of Gods assistance affiance in his own forces had numbred the people it is said that his heart smote him or scourged him Lo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sa. 24.10 this is the fruite of sinne both to the vniust and to the Saints for in both of them the conscience watcheth accuseth witnesseth condemneth and punisheth but these proceedings of the conscience are to the elect like the Apostles power To edification not to destruction 2. Cor. 13.10 The godly being hereby schooled are sent to Christ Gal. 3.24 whereby peace is spoken to their soules and they are repriued and pardoned the wicked despaire and flie from him and so they are eternally tormented But some man will peraduenture obiect that all the wicked feele not these throbbes because some that haue wholy deuoted themselues to iniquitie and all abhomination do yet liue merily and are not vexed with such stormes of terror or remorse Whereunto I aunswer that many which seem to liue thus merily haue yet many inward gripings Pro. 14.10 when onely The heart knoweth the bitternesse of the soule Caligula that proude Atheist Qui deos tantoperè contemneret Sueton. in vita Cal. cap. 51. who did so scorn the Gods was wont to winke and wrappe the clothes about his head at the least flashes of lightening and at the greater would hide himselfe vnder his bed Did not his conscience terrifie him and tell him that there was a reuenging power But suppose they were alwaies exempted from these terrors as some no doubt are who haue senslesse hearts cauterised consciences 1. Tim. 4.2 yet is their condition no lesse miserable whilest this lethargie of their soules will not suffer them to seeke to the Physitian to be cured Poyson is poyson how plesantly soeuer it be confected and though these men bee led by Sathan Carion Chr. lib. 5. like Baiazeth by Tamberlaine in fetters of gold yet remember that they are speeding to hell Let me then for conclusion of this point propound vnto thee my Christian brother Rom. 6.21 the Apostles question to the Romanes What fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed Consider the fruites of sinne and thou shalt finde them to be nothing but shame and sorrow and horror of conscience besides which if there were no other reason of restraint yet were this sufficient to withdraw any man not senslesse in his sinnes For what a miserable thing is it to be alwaies hanging ouer a dangerous and deepe water by some small bough and what a lamentable case is this to be euer fearefully looking for the dreadfull iudgment and violent fire Heb. 10.27 that shal deuoure the aduersarie Crucifie therefore thy affections with the lusts thereof and hold it not sufficient like the foolish Israelites to make them tributaries Ios 23.13 lest they proue worse then the Cananites not a whippe on thy side and thornes in thine eyes but a sword of sorrow wounding thy sinfull soule Indeuour also to embrace a holy conuersation and that will yeelde thee a quiet and good conscience and a good conscience will be a continuall feast Pro. 15.15 SECT 3. The third steppe of the wicked into hell in this life which is their dolefulll dying THe cuppe that yeeldes bitternesse in the first draught must needes be very bitter in the bottome If the life of a wretched sinner be so full of terror as hath bene shewed how terrible do we thinke his death shall bee Exod. 5. The Israelites were in great slauery in Aegypt but when they were readie to leaue the land their thraldome was much increased and so it fareth with incorrigible sinners in their liues they are Sathans slaues and their consciences are subiect to the scourges of remorse but at their death their miserie is augmented and their terrors trebled 1 It must needs be a great griefe to them to leaue the world with all the delights thereof which they haue loued so dearely Those that haue made this life their heauen it must needes bee a hell vnto them to lose it as it was a death vnto the children of Israell to leaue the flesh pots of Aegypt 2. They must part with their friends whether it be wife children or other associates no friendship can obtaine it no substance can procure it that the life may be prolonged Psal 49.7 For no man can by any meanes redeeme his brother he cannot giue his râ—nsome to God 3. They must leaue their friend Mammon the wealth and riches to which their soule cleaueth O death Eccles 41.1 how â—itter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions If onely the remembrance of future death be so bitter to a man in wealth prosperitie how irkesome shall it be to him when death it selfe standeth before his face readie to arrest him Well might Salomon say Eccles 5.15 this is an euill sicknesse But what should I speake of the losse of these toyes and trifles They must part with their liues Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath Iob. 2.4 will he giue for his life Life is sweet but not to be bought with all the wealth kingdomes of the world for death will claime his due and nature must be paid her tribute This is the way of all flesh but not the end of all flesh Happie were many if this were the tragicall catastrophe of their sinfull life that their sinnes might dye and be buried with them If the guest might take his meate and drinke and depart without paying any râ—ckoning it were well for him so if the wicked that hath taken his repast in sin might leaue the world and so an end their case were nothing lamentable but this is the death that after all this there is a reckoning to bee made Thus must a man part with his friends his pleasures his wealth yea and his life too The remembrance of his pleasures will possesse him with a double passion with griefe because he must leaue them with detestation because they haue bene the causes of his ruine the sight of friends shall vex him enuying
their prolonged life and cursing their societie who happely haue bene with him companions in iniquitie To forgoe his wealth it will be a death and to remember how that he hath damned his soule for scraping it together it will be a hell to him Now doth death lay siege to the castell of the bodie and dischargeth an hundred Canons of calamities vpon the same conuulsions feauers aches and infinite paines which disquiet the bodie distract the minde vexe the patient and grieue the beholders making the one to burst foorth many times into blasphemies causing the other in compassion to shed plentie of teares and at last it dischargeth a volley of pangs which euen breake the heart strings and separate those old friends the Soule and the Bodie Then comes in the conscience with her book of accompts and she shewes many old reckonings and arrerages she will tell the sicke man of his sinnes which he hath committed of the commandements which he hath contemned of the time that he hath vainely consumed of the dishonors done to God the wrongs to men and iniuries to himselfe the frailty of his youth the folly of his riper yeares and the iniquitie of his whole life then would hee keepe the commaundements of God but it is not permitted then would he redeeme the time mis-spent but hee cannot be suffered then would he faine deferre the time of his accounts but it will not bee graunted Iob. 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me saith Iob and makest me possâ—sse the sinnes of my youth The Lord by his chastisements will shew that he remembreth sinne and by inflicting the same will bring mens sinnes to their cogitations and make the remembraunce thereof more bitter vnto them then gall and wormewood their sinnes which were their companions to play with them will now be an enemie to plague theÌ„ that which was a foxe to deceiue them will become a wolfe to deuoure them that which was like an angell to tempt them will now be as a diuell to torment them Now to aggrauate these calamities doth Sathan set in foote for when death layeth siege to the bodie then doth he most eagerly assault the soule and his manner is to bestirre himselfe exceedingly Reu. 12.12 when hee sees that he hath but a short time He will make heauie sinne seem light that so he may bring men to presumption or the light sinnes heauie that soe hee may driue them to desperation In the middest of all these dolours and distractions the distressed soule thinkes vpon the nearenesse of his accompt to be made Greg. mor. lib. 24. c. 17 and by how much nearer the iudgement approcheth by so much the more is it feared because a man shall then finde within a short time that which he cannot forgo throughout all eternitie Miserable man that thou art whose condition this is whither wilt thou flie for comfort in the middest of this distresse If thou looke vpon thy wealth it will be a corasiue to thy soule if thou behold thy friendes they stand weeping about thee if thou haue recourse to thy conscience it is tormenting within thee life that thou louedst so well biddes thee farewel and death that thou hatedst most extreamely salutes thee yea hell it selfe gapeth for thee and the diuels are readie to torment thee The onely refuge to a poore soule in this distresse is the recourse to Gods mercie but what hope can the wicked haue therein at the day of their death Rom. 2.4 who haue despised the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering in the time of their life Now thinkes the dying man Oh if I might liue still how would I bestirre my selfe in working forward my saluation What cost what paines and care would I bestow and take to escape this horror of soul But all these good motions come too late Cum vult improbus c. Aug. For the wicked when he would he cannot because that when he might he would not Now is it too late to crie Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous Num. 23. when a man hath neglected to liue the life of the righteous This is the true president of a wicked mans will and testament consisting of three principall points his goods he bequeathes to his Executors because he cannot carie them with him his bodie and bones he leaues to the wormes and rottennesse and they will consume them his soule goes to the diuell and he will torment it This indeed he would not haue so but it is his will against his will Behold here then we see a maine difference between the godly and the wicked in that the day of death is a comicall Catastrophe to the one but a tragicall conclusion to the other In this life there is the same condition to the godly the wicked Eccles 9.2 yea happely worse to the godly then the wicked but at their death it fareth with them as it doth with the dogge and the dere For as the dogge which in his life time is cherrished at his death is cast to the crowes but the dere which is chased and pursued in the time of his life when he dyeth is carefully brought home and dressed so the wicked which liue pleasantly in their life are at their death cast foorth into the place of darkenesse but the godly who are pursued and persecuted in their life are caried at the day of their death by the blessed Angels into Abrahams bofome Luk. 16.22 This being the fruite of sinne it should be a reason to restraine vs from the same It is straunge to see how preposterous our courses are the most presume of Gods mercie in their life time that they may sinne the more securely and in death they feare his iustice lest they be condemned but they should feare his iudgements in the time of their life and then may they reioyce in his mercie at the day of their death To conclude then the conclusion of mans life let all the wicked that celebrate their birth dayes with mirth and festiuitie celebrate the day of their death with feare and sorrow for a wo belongs to them that haue had their consolation in this world Luk. 6. And if it happen also that there be no bands in their death neither in the paines of the bodie nor the vexatioÌ„ of soule their case is yet the more lamentable because there remaines the more punishment hereafter But let the wicked forsake his waies Esa 55.8 and the vngodly his owne imaginations and turne to the Lord in true and heartie repentance and let all those that would haue comfort in the day of their death be carefull to leade a sanctified life alwaies remeÌ„bring that commonly such a life such a death Qualis vita finis ita Aug ad Dioscor and as death leaues a man so the last iudgement shall find him CHAP. 2. SECT I. The first steppe of the wicked into hell at the day